coffee break update
I usually like to use this time to write, but I'm barely awake. So I guess I'll update. Don't need much brain power for that.
THE LADY'S GOT THIS.
We're not fully settled in yet to our homeschool pattern, but we're getting there. I got myself super organized. I know where we're going in math and reading and I have at least a month's worth of lesson plans for Science Friday (all science, all day - it has a ring to it, don't it?) We have a set of shelves in the kitchen for our regular supplies, I got folders for every subject with worksheets and related materials. I'm keeping records of what we do in case we need to show someone or just for review purposes. I signed up for the educator's discount at MegaBookStoreChain and bought some workbooks and a cool weather science kit. I'm getting a feel for the Kinglet's strengths and weaknesses as well as his daily patterns. As my friend Leanne said, I GOT THIS.
At this point, as far as the Kinglet's well-being is concerned, I'm certain we made the right decision. He's doing really, really well. Not perfect, but I've got my sweet kid back. He rarely has any meltdowns at home, and we are consistently able to work through his bad moods and his silly moods without it turning into a Thing. I've got him focused and working, AND he's learning at his ability level.
THE KINGLET BREAKS THE CURVE.
Heh - speaking of ability level:
Because I'm a former psych student and a big academic nerd, the Kinglet and I have been research volunteers for the language department at University of Delaware ever since he was a little tyke. They bring him in every year or so and test his language development, let him play with toys and get lots of attention college kids.
This week they invited us to come in for a study in childrens' understanding of math concepts. They sit the Kinglet down in front of a flip-chart with a series of pictures math problems, read the question, and ask him to say or point to the answer. The questions get progressively harder as they go, and the study is supposed to stop when the child starts giving wrong answers.
So, yeah. The Kinglet breezed through their standard questions and just kept going. The test-givers were a wee bit flustered - at one point the girl said "I've never been this far in the test!"
I started paying close attention as the questions got harder, because I wanted to see what the Kinglet knew and what he didn't. It was pretty freaking interesting. I saw him puzzle out some things he's never seen before, like reading graphs with complex data. I saw him get some other things "wrong" but I could see how his little mind was working. I did a little bit of silent cheering from my hidden vantage point. Oh yes.
I asked the test-giver if the questions were associated with grade levels, and whether he could share the info with me, because it could be helpful for our homeschooling. This is what he later emailed me:
...for the math test he took (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test III, Math Problem Solving subtest)... he did answer enough questions right that he got up into the 11th grade section of the test before he got enough wrong that we had to stop. Now, that doesn't mean he is performing at an 11th grade level in math, but he did get really far into the test.
I mean... *snort*. The God-King and I read this and just fell out of our chairs laughing. I had to bribe the kid with Burger King just to get him to keep answering questions, and by the end he could barely stay in his chair or keep his hands off the flip-chart... BUT he can bluster his way through 11th grade math. Oy.
ANYWAY
We are all in a better frame of mind about all of this, (at least at this moment). We don't know how long this homeschooling thing is going to last - ideally we'd have him enrolled somewhere in September, but we're not convinced the Kinglet is going to be able to be mainstreamed that soon. He's functioning well at home, but that's with constant support from me. Get him into a setting with other kids and distractions and someone else he has to pay attention to, he just loses it. He got kicked out of karate. He's just too much of a distraction.
So we have a lot of work to do. We're getting the signal that our family therapist can't do much more for him, so I'm scrambling to find the right kind of specialist who can take us to the next level - whatever that is. It can be disheartening. To say the least. I mean, I did break the kitchen phone last week by throwing it against the door in frustration. Twice. (The first break wasn't quite satisfactory)
BUT. In our better moments, we're looking at it like this. Eventually, maturity is going to catch up with his brain. In six months, a year, two years (gah. please not that long), he'll be able to conceptualize his world better, understand the consequences of his actions. Better articulate what's going on in his head, and his body. Exercise better control over his impulses.
When that happens, we'll enroll him somewhere that can accommodate his giftedness. Maybe it'll be the creative school, or another private school. Maybe he'll test right into high school. Who the hell knows.
In the meantime... what a ride this is going to be.
THE LADY'S GOT THIS.
We're not fully settled in yet to our homeschool pattern, but we're getting there. I got myself super organized. I know where we're going in math and reading and I have at least a month's worth of lesson plans for Science Friday (all science, all day - it has a ring to it, don't it?) We have a set of shelves in the kitchen for our regular supplies, I got folders for every subject with worksheets and related materials. I'm keeping records of what we do in case we need to show someone or just for review purposes. I signed up for the educator's discount at MegaBookStoreChain and bought some workbooks and a cool weather science kit. I'm getting a feel for the Kinglet's strengths and weaknesses as well as his daily patterns. As my friend Leanne said, I GOT THIS.
At this point, as far as the Kinglet's well-being is concerned, I'm certain we made the right decision. He's doing really, really well. Not perfect, but I've got my sweet kid back. He rarely has any meltdowns at home, and we are consistently able to work through his bad moods and his silly moods without it turning into a Thing. I've got him focused and working, AND he's learning at his ability level.
THE KINGLET BREAKS THE CURVE.
Heh - speaking of ability level:
Because I'm a former psych student and a big academic nerd, the Kinglet and I have been research volunteers for the language department at University of Delaware ever since he was a little tyke. They bring him in every year or so and test his language development, let him play with toys and get lots of attention college kids.
This week they invited us to come in for a study in childrens' understanding of math concepts. They sit the Kinglet down in front of a flip-chart with a series of pictures math problems, read the question, and ask him to say or point to the answer. The questions get progressively harder as they go, and the study is supposed to stop when the child starts giving wrong answers.
So, yeah. The Kinglet breezed through their standard questions and just kept going. The test-givers were a wee bit flustered - at one point the girl said "I've never been this far in the test!"
I started paying close attention as the questions got harder, because I wanted to see what the Kinglet knew and what he didn't. It was pretty freaking interesting. I saw him puzzle out some things he's never seen before, like reading graphs with complex data. I saw him get some other things "wrong" but I could see how his little mind was working. I did a little bit of silent cheering from my hidden vantage point. Oh yes.
I asked the test-giver if the questions were associated with grade levels, and whether he could share the info with me, because it could be helpful for our homeschooling. This is what he later emailed me:
...for the math test he took (Wechsler Individual Achievement Test III, Math Problem Solving subtest)... he did answer enough questions right that he got up into the 11th grade section of the test before he got enough wrong that we had to stop. Now, that doesn't mean he is performing at an 11th grade level in math, but he did get really far into the test.
I mean... *snort*. The God-King and I read this and just fell out of our chairs laughing. I had to bribe the kid with Burger King just to get him to keep answering questions, and by the end he could barely stay in his chair or keep his hands off the flip-chart... BUT he can bluster his way through 11th grade math. Oy.
ANYWAY
We are all in a better frame of mind about all of this, (at least at this moment). We don't know how long this homeschooling thing is going to last - ideally we'd have him enrolled somewhere in September, but we're not convinced the Kinglet is going to be able to be mainstreamed that soon. He's functioning well at home, but that's with constant support from me. Get him into a setting with other kids and distractions and someone else he has to pay attention to, he just loses it. He got kicked out of karate. He's just too much of a distraction.
So we have a lot of work to do. We're getting the signal that our family therapist can't do much more for him, so I'm scrambling to find the right kind of specialist who can take us to the next level - whatever that is. It can be disheartening. To say the least. I mean, I did break the kitchen phone last week by throwing it against the door in frustration. Twice. (The first break wasn't quite satisfactory)
BUT. In our better moments, we're looking at it like this. Eventually, maturity is going to catch up with his brain. In six months, a year, two years (gah. please not that long), he'll be able to conceptualize his world better, understand the consequences of his actions. Better articulate what's going on in his head, and his body. Exercise better control over his impulses.
When that happens, we'll enroll him somewhere that can accommodate his giftedness. Maybe it'll be the creative school, or another private school. Maybe he'll test right into high school. Who the hell knows.
In the meantime... what a ride this is going to be.