I was so excited to find out after rigorous testing for several days, my Joshua made it into the Gifted program! It's so rewarding to see hard work pay off when you've invested a great amount of time in your child academically! It's not for the faint at heart. We do a lot of review additionally outside of school time. Small deposits of time you make with your child can yield big results and it's always worth the effort. I know what you're thinking..."Great, Lady, one more thing I have to add to an already hectic day..." I feel you all the way...
Adding this daily doesn't have to be a tall order and should be a yearly goal. Thirty minutes a day can do some amazing things! If you notice your child is breezing through their grade level, add some challenge to see them come alive and elevate. Here are some ways that I nurtured my son academically to get him prepared for next level education.
Reading
Most of us know that reading 30 minutes a day is recommended to assist our minis with reading on grade level. I go the extra mile and incorporated comprehension as we were reading to help Joshua gain a greater understanding of the text. At completion of stories, ask about the components of the story (characters, main ideas, etc.) and to help them recognize key components in every story to learn patterns. This will give them and edge, keeping them ahead of the game.
Math
Reviewing Math facts daily definitely gets the ball rolling. Continuous repetition by playing car games, impromptu math problems and applying it to everyday happenings, keeps them on their toes, consistently thriving and stretching their thought capacity all without doing anything out of the ordinary.
Spelling and Grammar
Reviewing this weeks spelling word is always a great start. When your desire is to stretch the ability of your child, ask your child's teacher for an expanded list (most teachers have this) for what exceeds standards. Incorporate this in with your spelling review. Joshua went into 1st grade know 275 words when only required to know 75 sight words! Amazing sauce! We go a step further in spelling by identifying the vowel and consonants while spelling. This helps your children gain a greater grasp on how words are formulated. Have them check sentences you put together for grammatical errors, misspellings etc. You'll be amazed how intelligent they are and how quickly they provide an accurate answer. Allow them to write, at every age, and review their own work. Starting proofreading early keeps them on track and able to quickly identify errors.
Science
This is where all the fun is! At-home experiments lend a hands-on learning that they will never forget. Science gets the wheels turning and they will be conditioned to have an investigative mind; which is where learning thrives most. You can pick up books from your local story or library. You can even find some experiments on line that are easy but yield a great learning opportunity. This can also be amazing family time.
Consistency is key with gifted growth! Start today and be amazed at the progress six months from now.