ok... I know I didn't say what I think cause I don't know, it is a giant undertaking...... But his school is far from cutting the mustard. They are doing the best they can... but it's not enough.

I considered HS after a disastrous 4th grade experience. Since DD is over 6 years older than DS, I felt it would be difficult to HS and DD really enjoys social aspect of school. We looked into private schools and accidentally found a PS that is extremely GT friendly, so we moved and gave it a go. Now, a few weeks into 5th grade, DD is reviewing 6th grade math and LA and will begin 7th grade curriculum soon. Her class is full of various LOGs and they have a wonderful camaraderie. Her teacher understands some of DDs "gifted" tendencies (lack of organizational skills, desire to research some topics to no end and not needing tons of repetition) but at the same time she is teaching her great strategies to handle a regular classroom later on. While HS is never ruled out for us, I feel pretty good about this year.

We were "emergency homeschoolers" (as Kriston calls it). DS6 was drowning in Kindergarten and begged me to bring him home, so we pulled him in March. We're continuing this year because it's working very well for him. But, we are completely undecided on how to handle DS4 who starts K officially next year. I'm leaning towards sending him just to lighten my load a bit at home, but we'll see.

I agree with everyone else, you have to do what works for right now and when it stops working, you change it.

Mamaandmore - that's what I did - I sent DS5 to K this year and kept DS8 home. I knew I just couldn't handle all 3 of them home (I have a 20mth old DD) and get HSing off the ground quickly w/ DS8. Once I work out the kinks, hopefully DS will get out of some very bad habits he's developed, if DS5 needs to come home, it'll be a smoother transition.

Every child is different, and I agree with others who say that you need to consider all the particulars of your situation. If you have concerns about socialization, I recommend this book:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art27055.asp

hth!

Just adding my support for whatever works for your family.

DS6 is in PS 1st grade and DS8 is home with classes at an alternative public school - that works for now!

We lost power thanks to Ike , but I'm chiming in late to ask you, ienjoysoup, would it help to talk through the pros and cons of your options? That always helps me to figure out what direction I should be heading.

Think very pragmatically: what is working now and what isn't? Not just for your child, but for you, too. I still miss the freedom I felt when I put my child on the school bus and waved goodbye for the day! That worked for me. But he is a lot more independent now, so that particular con is not as big a deal as it was last year. Sometimes cons turn out to be pros with a little time allowed for adjustment. But still, if it's going to make life harder for you, write it down. You have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first, before you assist anyone else!

Also, are there other options you might be overlooking--like 'Neato's partial homeschooling option or a private school? Don't be afraid to make your own path.

I won't ramble on, but I'm happy to help if you want to talk specifics. I can offer websites to help you consider what sort of homeschooling might work best for you, since that can change how you view HSing ENTIRELY. I could never be a school-at-home type, but an eclectic, loose-unit study approach suits us fabulously and is very comfortable.

Honestly, I suspect you're really not asking what WE'RE doing; you're really trying to figure out what YOU'RE thinking and why! I'll be happy to ask questions if that helps you muddle through it all.

I like Kriston's questions and suggestions. Even if you decide not to hs at the end thinking about it and researching different programs may give you lots of good ideas for after schooling or alternative school accommodations. Like others said finding the best possible (or the least worst whatever you want to call it) educational match is a complex decision. Every child and family has different needs and options.

It took me a while to get used to the idea of hs but once I did it seemed like a very viable option for us. We couldn't see how public school could accommodate him. We could have tried for a grade skip but honestly one grade skip would do nothing for him. We tried Montessori last year and even that didn't work too well.

We hs all the subjects (besides French and piano) but DS6 spends two afternoons in an alternative private school. Their afternoon program doesn't include any academics (think lots of playground time, cooking, music, dance, ...) and he goes there to have fun with other kids.

We will see how it goes. If we like it great, if not we will have to figure out something else.

It sure sounds good, LMom! And your situation is a great example of a different path that might be a well-matched, creative solution. Sometimes there are programs available that you wouldn't know about if you weren't looking for them. If the beaten path isn't working, you might have to try something else. And there may be a number of "something elses" out there if you know where to find them!

OH what a wonderful sounding program LMom!!!! I'm envious!