Hi Dr. Laura:
I was one of "those kids" who were classified as not living up to their potential when I was in school. I could read complete books by the age of three and a half. I distinctly remember the first day of first grade when I was five and a half years old. The teacher passed around worksheets explaining letters and their sounds, and I remember thinking "why am I supposed to be interested in this? I can already read!" On that day, I started spending my school days gazing out of windows and I consciously detached myself from what was going on in the classroom. I spent the next twelve years being a terrible student, because it was boring to me.
Over the years, I had three teachers who understood me. Instead of fussing at me or my parents about my inattention, they allowed me to bring my own reading material to all my classes, they encouraged my special gifts, and I still remember them to this day.
I knew I wanted something else for my own kids, and that's why I homeschooled them right from the start. Your advice to consider the idea of homeschooling for kids who might not fit into the narrow mold of our current educational system is great. Not every bored kid needs to be medicated!
Josie
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