Kids in College by the Age of 12

[LaterBloomer]

Great. Now some kids who aren't even shaving are beating me to a degree.

Here's the link https://shine.yahoo.com/experts/how-we-g...02493.html

[LaterBloomer]

I figured it would resonate with you, cookderosa. From the article, it seems like you share the same approach to learning and home-schooling, or am I mistaking something?

[cookderosa]

I figured it would resonate with you, cookderosa. From the article, it seems like you share the same approach to learning and home-schooling, or am I mistaking something?

Surprisingly, I don't promote this approach; and I don't like the kind of ripples it sends into the homes of homeschool parents when families like this get big press. They've been getting a lot of press this past year. I'm not saying that THEY are doing anything wrong, or that THEY should do anything differently. I'm just saying that you won't see me promoting them on my HS4CC page.

[Carnation]

When we attended a camp for profoundly gifted kids we found that majority of the kids there were taking some college courses by age 12.
I think it's unusual that a family so large is accomplishing it but in the PG community it is the norm.
By 12yo my first born will be doing Calculus.
It's scary to think about having him in college but it is a path we will have to navigate.

Carnation

[zenurez]

I did calculus before age 14. If there had been the same Internet resources when I was a teenager as there are today, I think I would have had my degree by the time I was 18. Alas, it's take me and extra 20 years. Lol. One of my friends whose older brother was doing college level distance education earned her degree the same time and has a BA by the time she was 18. This was around 1998 she was doing her high school level home school studies only to find what he was doing at the college level was the same.

Do you know there are a lot of amazing homeschoolers out there who are doing remarkable things. And there are some who just let their kids sit around watching tv all day long. Unfortunately it just takes a few to spoil the reputation for the rest of us. Anytime I see families such as this one, I am happy they are receiving so much positive publicity.

[cookderosa]

The best thing a parent can do for a profoundly gifted child is to get out of the way. I'm always saddened when gifted children are in a "program" designed and directed by the parent.....which can un-gift kids. Profoundly gifted children don't need to be taught anything. Bright children learn easily, so are eagerly taught subjects like calculus. Profoundly gifted children CREATE things like calculus....and the millions of not yet invented subjects.

I read a passage years ago about Mozart. Someone asked if he would teach their teen to be a composer. He said no. "But why not? You were composing by the time you were 5" to which he replied "yes, but no one taught me how."

I'm quite certain the family in the story does not have a set of profoundly gifted children. If she did, they'd likely be bored to tears with the rote, structure, and form of highly directed homeschooling. These kids simply do not have a choice.

That said, I still don't think it's "wrong" or that THIS FAMILY should take mine or anyone else's advice about what's best for their own kids. I certainly respect the autonomy that the law affords me, and I don't want people up in my Kool-Aid..... but I think once you put it out there for other people, as an evangelist, you are in a different category. As a method, I don't support the concept. Personally, she can do what she wants (as long as it's legal )

[topdog98]

I'm quite certain the family in the story does not have a set of profoundly gifted children. If she did, they'd likely be bored to tears with the rote, structure, and form of highly directed homeschooling.

I didn't think they were advocating highly directed homeschooling. I got the opposite idea of this family's style from reading the article above:

"Give control to the kids. It may be scary at first, but when you see your kids beginning to read all the books they can find on their favorite topic, trust that there is real learning taking place."

[LaterBloomer]

Cookderosa,

I guess I was getting at the idea that I thought that both you and this couple sort of let the kids direct the education. That's in the sense that the child's interests guide how they are taught the subjects that they have to know, and also the subjects about which they want to know more.

[cookderosa]

I didn't think they were advocating highly directed homeschooling. I got the opposite idea of this family's style from reading the article above:

"Give control to the kids. It may be scary at first, but when you see your kids beginning to read all the books they can find on their favorite topic, trust that there is real learning taking place."

Yes, but that's not how you earn college credit. Earning college credit requires completing a series of tasks as defined by the teacher/college, which is directed. All of us here know lots of things about lots of things that we learned outside of a classroom. In fact, part of testing out's appeal might be that we can do it quickly without all the high degree of direction that comes from sitting in a classroom for 16 weeks. The children in that family are taking college classes, not doing PLAs (which might be more aligned with the notion of kid-directed-learning...)

I love sharing my views, but I don't think they are any more valid than anyone else's. I'm certainly not suggesting "my" opinion on homeschooling is better than hers (or yours, etc.). I just mostly wanted to address LateBloomer's comment that asked if this was the same approach I took to homeschooling.

[cookderosa]

Cookderosa,

I guess I was getting at the idea that I thought that both you and this couple sort of let the kids direct the education. That's in the sense that the child's interests guide how they are taught the subjects that they have to know, and also the subjects about which they want to know more.

In my family, I direct my kid's learning on topics I need them to learn (math, English, etc) and they direct their learning in things they are interested in (anything else). So, in that sense, I think you are right- I've never taught my kids about cars for example; a subject all 4 know a tremendous amount about. I feel like if I all of a sudden decided to start "teaching" about cars, it would ruin the experience of discovery for them. I'm about 99% sure I've sucked the love out of the 3 R's. :p