6 Years Old, Finished with 1st Grade, Are We Ready for 2nd?

Well, our little 6 year old finished the school year. He's actually going to be in 2nd grade next year! How is that going to be?

It's been interesting to watch him this past year so small and so young in his classroom of 6-8 year olds when he started out as a 5 year old who was supposed to be just in Kindergarten.

How did he do?
Well, academically he was perfect. He had all good marks and scores.
Behavior-wise he was also great. His teacher raved at how much everyone loved him.
Socially he seemed alright. He told me he had some friends and I watched him with his classmates.

But now, the big question is developmentally, how is he there? This is the one that will take some time. Sure he is smart and creative and friendly, but then here is an about to be 2nd grader who just barely figured out how to tie shoes and not very well. He can kind of ride a 2 wheeler bike, but he still can't start by himself. He still likes Sesame Street and Elmo's World, and he is still pretty clueless to how the world is.

I know this was a big issue when we were debating skipping him Kindergarten, but I think he will catch up in the end. I see all he has accomplished this year in school and I can't imagine what he would have been doing still coloring pictures about the ABC's in Kindergarten. I've seen him along his classmates and he is still pretty far advanced than many of them in terms of reading, writing, and math. And these are the year older kids. I still feel good about what we chose to do. I know he absolutely loved 1st grade and is happy he went there.

Who is to know what would have happened if we left things alone and had him go to Kindergarten? We look forward to next year where 2nd grade seems so old to a little 6 year old. I hope things will be alright.

Out of anything, I believe his gifted abilities take a more creative focus. He was always reading and writing at a very young age being that he wanted to create stories and little mini books. He found such joy in piano when he could take his reading to teach himself to read music and play.

Also ending the school year, he had his first piano recital from only 2 1/2 months of piano lessons and he was spectacular. We couldn't be more proud. If you are interested in that, here is the video:

Stop Reading the Dictionary!?

So, recently I'm having a hard time getting the boys' attention or getting them to listen. And why, you may ask? Well, they won't stop reading the dictionary! Really, the dictionary! I don't know what is so exciting about the dictionary, but it must be so fascinating, that it is even causing wars between them.

They'll bring it in the van and then they are both fighting over who had it first and who was reading it.

Yes, the dictionary is following us everywhere. Into the stores and out on a walk.

I suppose this is a new thing. Before it was the brain teasers, atlases, and phone books that followed us everywhere we went. Alas, now it is the dictionary.

Super Reader, Super Mathmatician!

OK, so funny picture above from a day I told our oldest to document "a day in his life" for fun with my camera, but really, I just wanted to post about what a super reader he is.

Our oldest is 9 years old in 3rd grade and he reads 200 words per minute according to some test thing his teacher does. (How they time that or make sense of that is beyond me.)

We recently went to his parent teacher conference where we got to see all these test scores and progress stuff. She says he was the only one in his class of both 3rd and 4th graders to score above standard on every single section of the state math tests. I was actually surprised that other kids in his class didn't score this high because it is a gifted class. I thought they would all score high.

Then she showed us the test they do on reading levels and I don't know why it was almost funny to me because they rate it on this line and his arrow was at the very end. But anyway, it said he scored 99% or higher than all other kids in the nation for his age in reading comprehension. It also gives you like a grade level to correspond with how well you read and it rated him as being equal to an 11th grader in their 6th month of school.

So, no, these things don't surprise me about him. The teacher seemed all surprised at how smart he is, but we're used to it I guess. Nothing surprises us with our oldest. We know he knows so much. Plus, you can never get a book out of his hands! It's that love of reading!

How to Ground a Gifted Child

Ok, so I'm not actually looking to ground the kids, but I thought I'd just share something funny about the kids. Yes, they get in trouble for fighting and normal stuff, but one of the biggest problems we have is when they won't listen or go to bed not because they want to watch tv or play video games, but because they want to practice the piano, or read!

I have a specially hard time trying to make my kids go to bed when they are begging me to just let them practice a few more piano songs, or if they are wanting to read read read. It's like gee....why not let them stay up all night and better themselves---but I have to remember to be good and steadfast in getting them to listen even when it seems like these things are so good.

They get to bed and yet I'll still find them awake reading or one of them trying to play more piano songs in the dark. It is just so funny. It's not just bedtime, but I often need them to help out with cleaning or dinner, and they are too busy reading, or my 2nd son is so into playing the piano, that they won't obey.

What am I going to say to them? "Hey--if you don't listen I'm going to ground you from reading!" Or, "I'm going to take away the piano!" It's like I don't want to ban them from doing such awesome things, but it's funny--I'm not grounding them from the tv, or taking away their toys or video games---it's books and piano!

Such funny kids! I love how passionate they are with their music or their reading and researching. It is just so inspiring to me, and I guess I'll just have to continue being guilty of letting them get away with reading, studying, or practicing the piano a little too much.