Gifted 4yr old, bored in 4K

[tortoise]

OK, so I know my kid is smart. He has long attention span and has fun doing seriously un-fun things like working on penmanship. (We're a bit beyond writing letters and working on making them pretty.)

He's coming home from school and saying "We don't learn anything at school". My fiance tries to point out things he learned at school and he says "Momma taught me that". (Which I did).

I am in touch with his teacher and I sent James' writing practices, dot-to-dots and other activities so she is aware of what he is capable of.

I need some more ideas of what to do at home. He has to wear an eye patch and do fine motor skills activities for 1 - 3 hours a day. Lots of Legos, puzzles, writing, coloring. I showed him the start of cursive writing today - he thought it is "cool" so I hope it will keep him motivated to keep working on letters.

I have some workbooks, but they require better writing skills, so they're sitting on a shelf.


Can you please post a couple ideas for me? Not to many, don't want to get overwhelmed.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

What about kitchen math?

 

[Lady Henevere]

My daughter was (is) also quite smart, and all the way through school I made a point to never teach her the kinds of things she was going to learn in school so she wouldn't get bored in school. Other parents would be crowing about how their kids could already do subtraction or whatever, while I was teaching my daughter to identify plants, make new kinds of art designs, or cook. That way she wasn't bored when subjects she already knew came around in school. (She got a little bored since not all students picked up the material as fast as she did, but it was a lot more bearable than if she knew it all right from the start.) So my advice is to try teaching him things he will not learn in school -- art, the outdoors, things to do in the kitchen, sculpting with clay or dough, etc.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

My daughter was (is) also quite smart, and all the way through school I made a point to never teach her the kinds of things she was going to learn in school so she wouldn't get bored in school. Other parents would be crowing about how their kids could already do subtraction or whatever, while I was teaching my daughter to identify plants, make new kinds of art designs, or cook. That way she wasn't bored when subjects she already knew came around in school. (She got a little bored since not all students picked up the material as fast as she did, but it was a lot more bearable than if she knew it all right from the start.) So my advice is to try teaching him things he will not learn in school -- art, the outdoors, things to do in the kitchen, sculpting with clay or dough, etc.

Good idea. What about a Waldorf approach?

 

[Bimpnottin]

My daughter was (is) also quite smart, and all the way through school I made a point to never teach her the kinds of things she was going to learn in school so she wouldn't get bored in school. Other parents would be crowing about how their kids could already do subtraction or whatever, while I was teaching my daughter to identify plants, make new kinds of art designs, or cook. That way she wasn't bored when subjects she already knew came around in school. (She got a little bored since not all students picked up the material as fast as she did, but it was a lot more bearable than if she knew it all right from the start.) So my advice is to try teaching him things he will not learn in school -- art, the outdoors, things to do in the kitchen, sculpting with clay or dough, etc.

Tortoise, I feel your pain and am in the exact same boat.

Lady Henevere - I love this idea and we've been doing some of it, but helps to know that other people go through this, too.

Mine came home the other day and when I asked her what she learned, she told me nothing that she didn't know already. She says some of the kids can't even write their name, and she's already working on simple sentences. My husband started to do leatherworking with her, so that's something that will put her way ahead, and she's only whacked herself once.

 

[tortoise]

I like that idea henevere! I was in private school, than switched to public school. I empathize with him. It's a frustrating situation!

Piano lessons are easy, have piano and ability to teach.

He has a pet rabbit. Can I do anything with that?

Garden... I think he can identify plants, but could work on that?

He can identify some birds - Grandma taught him that.

He hasn't learned to look through a microscope yet, can't wait for that! He's watched blood draws from dogs, even me. We have a book about blood, includes blood cells. We've made slides, stained them. But he hasn't identified specific things on the slide (like purple stained white blood cells). But once he can see through a microscope... possibilities endless. He's at work with me at a vet clinic 2 days a week.

I want to take a culture off his hands and grow it. Talk about germs. Maybe I'll remember to do that next week?

Anything else?

 

[FarmerChick]

wow this hits home.
mine started 1st grade and is bored to tears. she gets 100 on every little test. All super work and nice job on her papers. She is reading full big books now.

and what they are learning is like re-learning' to her and she gets tired of it....cause other kids didn't do pre-school and are just catching up to full speed. While pre-school put her type of kids ahead, it makes them bored when kids who didn't learn early have to learn this stuff in school LOL

I signed her up for accelerated reading program. An older student helps the kids pick books and then after reading gives them tests. It keeps her occupied and getting all those 100s on those tests makes her feel special (which she is lol)




I agree tho. Learn hobbies. Learn new cultures. Have a "Chinese Day" at home....or a "Mexican Day" at home. Have a "Bug Day" etc-- Learn other things other than reading and writing.

It is a huge world out there to pick topics.

 

[Farmfresh]

My kids loved making their own bread (complete with science lesson about yeast) and making simple weaving projects like pot holders. Both would be good for hands on and sensory.

You may have to continue challenging him at home for a long time to come ... get ready. The secret is to find his interests and let him learn at home in the direction or directions that interest him.

My three kids were all this way and each needed their own brand of intellectual fun to stay happy. My sis on the other hand got so frustrated at school there was a time that getting her there was almost a world war. Finally they moved her into a gifted program and that helped a lot.