Gifted-Spirit.Com
Art of Acceleration Ezine
Early College - Is it a Good Fit for Your Kid?!
So here you are! Those years of advocating for your daughter’s academic needs; ensuring that the resources were there when she needed them has caused her to exhaust all K-12 options available in her school district one or more subjects. Your family has come to the realization that nothing less than college level material will provide your daughter the learning experience she is capable of experiencing. Mya is only 13 but college looks like the next logical step…so now what?
Man, this looks familiar! Take two years off of Mya’s age and this is exactly what my husband and I faced with our son Stephen. In the midst of that uncertainly I researched my heart out on the topic and of course as my trepidation fed upon itself. I bumped into a rather “unenlightened” instructor who advised parents to keep a gifted child in the K-12 system and inundate them with busy work that stops short of college! His opinion was there was so much to learn “out there” on the K-12 level before making the drastic leap to college.
Well let’s see. You could very well try to research every curriculum in the United States to pick up something missed; introduce it all to your son only to watch him devour the information within minutes! Yeah right! See how far that'll get you! If other kids aren't learning everything there is to learn from every curriculum in the country before they move on to college, why should your gifted child?
What the good instructor and others don’t get is that at issue here is not what information a child knows…but the rate and depth at which s/he learns! This is what makes early college the next step for fast learners who have blasted through the secondary system. For many of these kids…their minds thrive on complexities a K-12 education can no longer provide them.
Don’t forget that a vital part of nurturing a child’s talent and keeping them interested in learning is progression! And the depth and pace of college courses often prove to be a logical choice; even if it’s just a course here and there to acclimate your child to the college experience. So if it’s college level material that slows your gifted child to a place where she is learning at a comfortable rhythm then I would say you’ve found your answer.
From personal experience, here are some other factors to consider as you ponder the decision to enroll your child (under 15) into a post-secondary institution:
- Is your child mature enough to adhere to classroom rules; behaviors or standards?
- Perhaps special enrollment as a part-time for a child could be considered initially before jumping in full-time. Many gifted kids don’t fare well in their first attempt at college because their parents over-estimated their child’s ability to handle the new environment. Our kids are learning that there is more to a formal college education than brilliance.
- How will your child behave in the midst of classmates who are considerably much older? Is she a follower; needs to be popular or accepted or is she a leader; has a strong sense of self who does her own thing?
- What will be the logistics of commuting to college every day? (includes parking, lunch, etc.)
- Will one parent be able to stick around campus each day either at a café or library for very young students. A campus is generally not set up for students of elementary school age hence a child may need quick access to a parent to provide the support that older students may be able to navigate for themselves.
- In college there exists a lot of freedom so does your child have the focus and discipline required to complete all assignments, study, and be prepared for pop quizzes; tests and finals?
- Professors can be more of a stickler about prodigies/gifted children showing their work in order to follow their train of thought/logic. And let’s be honest…there are some professors who want proof that your child is capable of performing the work. Be sure your child is able to present their ideas (work) in an organized manner that will meet the instructor’s expectations.
- Ensure that your child has his own social calendar that is appropriate to his interests and peer group. Other aspects of a child still need to develop even if his mind requires an education that may be light years ahead of his peers.
Actually it's an exciting time in the history of the American educational system to be accelerated learners. The options available today to meet the needs of gifted students are staggering and a lot more progressive than say twenty years ago.
There is an explosion of colleges and universities that are responding creatively to the needs of many talented youth who are still enrolled in secondary institutions which makes it so much easier for brilliant kids to continue their education effortlessly.
Even for the very young, who have exhausted all K-12 options before leaving elementary school, universities such as California State University have established programs where a child as young as 10 can begin to pursue a 4 year-degree.
Let’s say that you’ve done your research, considered the factors above and you and your family has come to the decision that early college entrance is indeed in your family’s future. Here is a list of colleges that offer programs that can assist you in meeting your child’s academic needs. Click here for list of colleges!
In the next Art of Acceleration Ezine, we will examine what information you should have readily available to make a case for your 12 year-old's enrollment into college courses.
As always...to your child's success!
Michelle Brown-Stafford, Gifted-Spirit.Com
"Prodigy Mom" & Parental Involvement Coach!
