Berkeley Parents Network: Preschools for Gifted Children

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Preschools for Gifted Children

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Preschools > Preschools for Gifted Children

Highly Academic Preschool for ''Gifted'' Child
Play-based program for gifted child?
Play-based daycare is boring for gifted preschooler
see also: Advice about Gifted Children

Highly Academic Preschool for ''Gifted'' Child

August 2006

I am the mother of a child highly gifted in language. She will be turning 3 next month and we are explorting options for school for her next year. We would like to find a school that is highly academic and will be able nurture her gifts. She started identifying letters when she was one and she is on the brink of reading. From the age of 6 months, she became intensely interested in books and could sit attentively for hours listening to me read. Her growing vocabulary now includes such words as ''absurd'', ''practically'', ''absolutely'', ''frustrated''...all used in the correct context. Her grammar is complex. Her father and I have debated whether to focus on these gifts or to balance them out by sending her to a school that is more sensorial and socially focused. We have decided to send her to a play school this year and then on to something more academically based next year. Any suggestions or insights would be much appreciated Anon

Your child sounds like many of the children I've encountered at my son's preschool. It's amazing how advanced children are these days compared to what standards used to be. I don't think you need to go out of your way to find a preschool for gifted children. I think a Montessori school with mixed age classrooms would fit your needs perfectly. My son attends such a school and it's hard to tell the 3 year olds from the 5 year olds sometimes outside of their size difference. They all learn the same skills regardless of age so many of the younger children are reading and writing. Good luck! Anon

I would recommend rounding out her interests, and realizing that your daughter may be precocious but that others may catch up. Our daughter sounds just like yours-hitting the same milestones at the same time. She used to sound like a little professor. However, now that she's 4, I've noticed that many children have the same language interest/accomplishments as she does. I have read that this often happens. I'm happy that ours is now interested in science/building, art, and active outdoor play as well, and gets along well with children of different ages. ''Specializing'' (: at this age doesn't make much sense to me. anon

We have had our daughters at a small daycare/pre-school in Oakland and have been involved there for 4 years. It is a gem, in existence under the same leadership for 25 years. I think you would find it both academic and play-oriented - kids have a lot of choice about what they do within a structured day that includes 2 circle times, lunch, nap.... The lead teacher/director loves teaching kids to read and works with each child, depending upon their strengths/interests. There are only 15 kids total, ages 2.5-6 years. She usually has 4-6 kids who do their K-year at the school and who then go into 1st grade. They are currently full, and usually have a waiting list - but, it is worth calling. Beatie Street - Judy Kahn Director, 835-0131 Martha D

I recommend that you look in your local area for some montesori schools. Most of them are able to help your child work at their appropriate level. The well established Montesori schools (and other pre-schools, too), have had gifted 3 year olds before, and will be able to work well with your child Mom

This is for the parent whose preschool-aged child was described as ''gifted in language.'' Why not send her to Escuela Bilingue Internacional, the new bilingual school in Rockridge? I believe they still have one or two openings for this year--and your child would be within the age cutoff. They start the kids off with 100% Spanish immersion in the preschool years, adding one hour of English instruction (up to 50/50) each year after that--and have plans to expand to 8th grade introducing Mandarin in grade 3. That should challenge her! And put her skills to good use, too... Our 3-year-old twins just had their first day of school today and loved it! Juliet

Play-based program for gifted child?

Sept 2004

I'm been thinking about preschools for my daughter, who will be 2 this fall (she'll be starting preschool next year, when she's almost 3). Without putting much thought into it, I had sort of assumed that we'd go with a ''play based'' program, because I figure kids have plenty of years for structure and academics, so they might as well play now. Lately, though, completely on her own, my daughter has been learning to read, and has seemed eager to push herself. I am not saying she's ''gifted,'' and I'm not looking to have her called ''gifted,'', but I'm a little worried that she might want a program that pushes her to do more learning, and that she'll be bored with a play based school. Is this a rational worry? We had been looking at Heart's Leap, Temple Sinai, and Duck's Nest, but if there are other suggestions I'll happily take them. If it matters, her temperment is not shy, not ''spirited,'' more a follower than a leader, active and extremely verbal. Thanks!

Go with play based! If your child is already beginning to read before age two there will be nothing that an academic program has to offer her that won't be ridiculously below her level. A Montessori preschool, or some other one that follows the child may be a good choice, but typical ''academic'' programs have daily themes like, ''the letter A'' where 3-5-year-olds color the letter A or shape it out of playdough. A rich play environment, like that described in The Ooey Gooey Handbook will provide excellent experiential learning for your child. http://www.ooeygooey.com/ Good luck and have fun with your special child! susan

Your description of your child reminds me of my daughter who just finished 2.5 years at Mulberry School (off of Tunnel Rd in Berkeley). It is a play based, developmental program. It worked out wonderfully for her. It is definitely not academic, but they will have enough time for that. They focus on social and emotional development, and I think it serves the kids really well and leads to a really lovely environment where the kids get along remarkably well. They still have activities which could be classified as ''academic''. They do reading every day, have french and spanish one day a week, and have some activities related to science. The staff is wonderful and loving, and there's a really good staff to kid ratio. Our experience has been that we have been able to follow our daughter's lead in her curiosity and love of learning, and to keep feeding it. School was able to provide things that we can't as easily--playing with lots of other kids, a large group environment, and the overall richness of their program. There are several comments about Mulberry in the BPN archives. Check it out.

I was worried about this for my son, too. But I think a play-based program is terrific for these smart, verbal, eager kids. Their smarts and drive won't wither and dry up in a play-based program. In a good one, they'll find all sorts of outlets for it--and will keep learning outside of school, too. But in a play-based program, the child can grow into him or herself in a social environment, which is what they need in these early years. It's great if your child can read before she enters kindergarten. But the skills that will really help her on the play ground and in the class room are cooperation, being able to be in a group, taking turns, listening to a teacher and to fellow students, that kind of stuff. Avoid schools that actively discourage intellectual learning (at one preschool open house, I heard a teacher brag that they stopped a child from learning the alphabet!!), and look for one that will meet your daughter as an individual and help her be her own glorious self in a group of glorious selves.

Play-based daycare is boring for gifted 2-year-old

Sept 2004

I'm starting to think that our daughter may be unusually verbal, and I wanted to see if parents who've dealt with gifted children could provide their perspectives. I was highly gifted as a child, skipped grades and entered college at 13, so I'm probably thinking about this a little earlier than most parents might. Our daughter is 23 months and has a vocabulary of several hundred words, including things like ukelele, accordion, violin, rhinoceros, ostrich, delicious, beautiful, boring, episode, jaguar. She's been putting together complex sentences for several months. She memorized the abc song and other songs, colors, and can count to 15. She's also exceptionally empathic and gets upset not only when other people are upset but even if a character in a book is sad. Does this sound unusual?

My next question is about preschools, since I'm worried she's starting to get bored at her daycare, although she seemed to enjoy it initially. It's a great place, but it's very focused on a play-based approach, even for the older pre-schoolers, and the teachers have told me she has mastered everything for her age group. They'd move her up, but don't have a space yet. She is so happy to leave when I pick her up, and she makes it clear she'd rather stay with me. When I was a kid we lived in a hippie commune in the wilds of Montana, so my mom was able to stay home with us, but financially it would be difficult for me to stay home full-time. Any thoughts from anyone on what sorts of preschools work well for gifted kids, or any advice in general on parenting gifted kids? concerned parent

Despite how verbally talented your daughter might be, I have never heard of a child that didn't like to play! Preschool should really be about letting your child be around other children and play. It's great that your child is so advanced, but don't forget that learning things early is also just a range of development. For example, the child who learns to walk at seven months isn't necesarily going to be an olympic athlete. And Einstein, as we all know, didn't speak until quite late. So what I am really trying to say is that despite your daughters verbal talent's don't forget to let your daughter be a child. There is so much to explore at that age. To spice things up for her you can always put her in preschool in another language. My children are all trilingual. There are some great preschools out there that immerse the little sponges in other languages. That would be a great gift to give your verbal kid. Liza

My son is also unusually verbal and has been since well before he was a year old. Besides a large vocabulary, he also is very emotional, empathetic, and regualrly wrestles with concepts that many adults shy away from. Many people, even his preschool teacher, think he may be gifted. However, I have decided not to have him tested at this point. Later in his school career it may be important, but right now I don't think such a label would cause me to treat him any differently. The people I've talked to generally say that the preschool years are for socialization--learning to be friends. There is a lot that can be learned from kids who are not as bright and verbal. There is a lot to learn about being a part of a community that has little to do with IQ. I've also noticed that my son's interest in matters of the mind waxes and wanes. For instance, a few months ago he wanted to know how every word he could say was spelled. Now he shruggs off these prereading games while he's learning to master the monkey bars. I find that the teachers at my son's preschool are very impressed with his intelligence, and help to draw it out. At the same time, they are just great at helping him round out his personality, his abilities, and his social confidence. You might look for a preschool--not a day care center--for your daughter, one that can cherish her intelligence as part of a whole being, and help her get ready for the learning environments where her intelligence can really take off. We are lucky in the East Bay; there are lots of excellent preschools. Lucky Mom

sounds a lot like my daughter, who just turned 5. She's been at Berkeley Montessori in Nancy's class and it has been wonderful-- she has all the headroom in the world to explore and push herself as far as she wants. She's very doing basic reading, spelling, great number work, has learned lots of geography, science... it is truly inspiring. All in a very nuturing and no pressure way. I couldn't recommend it highly enough for a child who could get bored in a more play based environment. nancy

Yes, that does sound like a gifted child. However, if you daughter really likes her daycare center don't move her. If she starts to get bored you might want to think about swiching her to a more ''advanced'' preschool. And at home you can start to teach her reading and high counting. Also, think about private schools for the future. Rachel

Regarding gifted children, some internet resources I have found helpful are:

www.hoagiesgifted.org (Hoagies' Gifted Education Page)
www.tagfam.org (Families of the Talented and Gifted)
www.gifteddevelopment.com (Gifted Development Center in Denver)

A local resource is Dr. Annemarie Roeper (mentioned in the archives) in El Cerrito. (Tel. 510-235-3173, www.roeperconsultation.com). She is in her eighties and is very knowledgeable about gifted children. Dr. Roeper runs a monthly support group for parents of gifted children.

Regarding your daughter's extraordinary empathy, it sounds typical of gifted children. See ''Emotional Sensitivity in Gifted Children'' on the Hoagies website. Good luck! Anon

Your child definitely sounds gifted. We wish we had formally identified our ''highly'' gifted children earlier on as it would have helped us better understand their many idiosyncracies, which were considered unusual for ''normal'' kids, but typical for the HG+,who are statistically about 1:1000. There are many blessings AND challenges in raising a [truly] gifted child, one of which is finding an accommodating school environment which recognizes and supports the gifted child. The gifted child is often overlooked in California public schools, including Berkeley Unified. You will find the answer to many of your questions at: www.hoagiesgifted.org
Signed, Learning to Expect the Unexpected

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