Need help with Gifted Education Info.

[Hannah Vaughan]

I will be moving and have to put my son in some type of daycare/preschool situation in the fall. He is 3 now, but will soon be 4. Partly because of cost, partly because of boredom, I had hope to enroll him early in some type of charter school/public school. He is already too advanced for kindergarten, and may get bored in the first grade. I have attempted to contact the local schools, but have received the same reply. He has to be 5 first. From the daycares and preschools that I can afford, they simply aren't interested in gifted education.
Does anyone know of any special circumstances where a school might waive the age limit and allow a student to enroll early?
My son is 3 and is already reading at first grade level, he counts quite high, he has figured out how to add on his own up to 5+5 is 10. His verbal skills and conversational skills are absolutely amazing.
I can't imagine him going to a preschool where they teach one letter a week.
Any information given would be greatly appreciated. There is a Montessori school there, but I can't afford the tuition.
Thank you in advance for your help.

[Kevin_K]

I'd recommend sending him to a play-based "developmental" preschool, where the focus is on physical and social skills rather than academics. That's what we did with our HG son, and it worked out very well. He got his intellectual stimulation at home and improved his fine-motor and gross-motor skills at school. He also acquired a love for acting, which he still has at age 13.

[Nancy Bosch]

I am the mother of three gifted sons, two of whom skipped kindergarten. In our state (KS) you do have to be five to enter school (which is a good thing), but your child could be in first grade while on the kindergarten rolls. BUT remember academics are only part of school--if he isn't ready emotional and socially he won't be able to work to potential. Thinking handwriting!! Ask the Montessori if they have a scholarship program.

Another option to skipping kindergarten all together is to go to kindergarten 1/2 day and 1st for reading and math. Then when he is six he could go to 2nd grade. Be sure to do your homework and educate yourself about young gifted kids, document what you are seeing at home, remember you are your child's best advocate.

Kevin's advice is good---your son will grow up and go to college no matter what the schools do--haha!!

[Hannah Vaughan]

Thanks for the tips Kevin and Nancy. I do know about the play-based daycares, but I have been hoping to find some way for early enrollment in kindergarten or regular school also for the cost. I have to put him somewhere when I am in school and haven't been able to raise the funds for daycare. It seems a shame since he is already ready for first grade work, that there is no way to enroll him in a free kindergarten program. Since he has to be in some type of school, it might as well be a regular school. To him, there will be no difference between daycare and school, because he doesn't want to be away from me. :)

[Kevin_K]

I'm afraid that the reason so many schools are resistant to early entry is indeed that people are looking to the schools for free day care. Your son may well be ready for 1st grade, but the schools are trying to resist pressure to provide day care to a lot of kids (you let *her* kid in, why not *mine*?). Unfortunately, they do not have a good mechanism for figuring out which kids would be helped by early entry and which not.

[Nancy Bosch]

Four is WAY TOO Early to start the drudge of public school!!