At the beginning of our parenthood journey, our pastor told us something that changed our family forever: "You are going to have to homeschool this little guy!"
Our oldest son was about 4 years old then. He was already showing signs of being an advanced learner, so after the initial shock, this brief chat with our priest felt like a very direct "call."
My husband had met a homeschool family years before, so he had an idea of what it was about. I have also talked to some ladies in our Church that were homeschooling their children, and it seemed like this could become something for our family.
Time flies...
It's been 8 years since we made the decision to homeschool our son and we would not have it any other way. It's been a humbling, challenging journey, but also the most rewarding one for us and the best choice for our kids' education so far.
This year, by the grace of God, we are homeschooling an 8th grader, a 4th grader (both of them gifted), and a Kindergartener.
We are thankful to the Lord for the opportunity of having a front seat to watch them develop their talents and follow their interests, but most importantly, for giving them a solid foundation of our Catholic Faith in the heart of our home.
Tips for Homeschooling Gifted Children
Do have an advanced learner in your family and you are thinking about homeschool education? Here are some things that you may like to consider:
Read Gifted Parenting and Education Books
If you suspect that you child might be an advanced learner, find good books about Giftedness. This is how I came to terms (a few years into our homeschool journey) with the fact that our children needed a made-to-size curriculum and what their high IQ was going to mean in terms of traits and characteristics (and how to manage). I found particularly useful The Gifted Parenting Journey and Homeschooling Gifted Kids.
Gifted Education does not Equal Rigorous Education
On our first year as homeschoolers, I made the mistake to think that a Gifted education was hand in hand with an intense curriculum. So, of course, I ordered a curriculum for kindergarten that made both our son and me very frustrated. Don't do this! Take your time to ask around, research and consider your options. Every child is different and while some kids would love a rigorous academic classical curriculum, for many others this won't hit the mark. Observe your children. Ponder what they really need to fall in love with learning. As homeschool parents this should be one of our main goals.
Discern Your Homeschool Path in Prayer
Friends, this is a very obvious one, but I know by experience how easy it is to fill the shopping cart with homeschool resources that look amazing... but were simply not designed for your kids. Into the Deep has a wonderful free tool to help you evaluate your family's needs. Take your time to prayerfully plan your homeschool year.
Let Them Follow Their Interests
Gifted children thrive when they have time to follow their interests. Independently of the resources you choose for your kids, I encourage you to set time apart for them to work on their own projects or practice their favorite sport. You will be amazed on how creative they get and how it boosts their motivation for school tasks. Workbooks and assigned readings are part of school life, but our children have a tremendous potential, and they need to put it into work!
Consider Evaluating Your Child
I know this is a though one (for many of us). It took many years to my husband and I to agree on doing an IQ evaluation. However, as homeschool parents, it's important to know where we are standing to serve our children's needs best. Ask around. Some school districts provide IQ tests and some other tools and support for homeschoolers with learning differences at no cost.
Find Your Tribe
Being a homeschool parent of gifted kids is a full-time job, and like every full-time job, not only deserves but requires taking breaks to refill your cup. First of all, make prayer a priority. Do you have friends with advanced or neurodiverse learners? Organize monthly or bimonthly tea gatherings or online calls to learn from each other, share ideas and find the motivation you need.
If you don't have friends around, I think you will find Ginny Kochis' Raising Quirky Catholic Kids community on Facebook very helpful (she also has a new book that I can't wait to read!). And of course, be intentional, set time apart weekly to go out on dates, or just take a walk with your husband and share your wins and your struggles.
Are you a gifted homeschool parent? What would you add to this list?
Ready to dive deeper?
Here are 4 ways to fill your nets...
1. Memorize Bible verses with your children easily with our FREE guide: Stocking the Storehouses
2. Make your dreams of family prayer a reality with The Daily Feast framework, making it possible in just a few minutes a day. This free guide shows you how.
3. Want to steward your own prayer life? Check out this Scripture prayer journal we made just for you.
4. Looking to level-up in your family faith formation? Join over 10,000 families that use our resources. We make open-and-go, family-style resources to make your role as primary catechist easy AND delightful. Click here to browse!
