Most accelerated educational approaches are used on students who have fallen behind, thus the huge public education budget for special ed and remedial programs. These budgets dwarf programs for high achievers like AP classes.
Meanwhile, the average student in the United States is FAR less academically competent than many other countries that have far less money to educate their students. Somewhat of an exception to this is the average home schooled student. There are some such students that make (relatively) incredible leaps.
Read how one mom had all ten of her children graduate college by age 16 — several with Master's degrees. She did this on a 3-4 hour a day schedule. It isn't all that hard to do.
http://www.home-school.com/Articles/AcceleratedEd.html
Check all of the articles bry Joyce Swann and her high achieving children at the website above. You'll see that a good choice of curricula and a little hard work accelerated her children into leadership.
I have years of experience as a public school teacher and have great respect for accelerated programs like AP courses and double diploma (a high school diploma and an AA earned at the same time).
Though I find our community's public schools appropriate for many things, I am following Joyce Swann's example for my offspring. I have accumulated many educational materials and cirricula for my children. I have have reviewed many software, videos, toys and games and use those I think are best. I have also developed our own (personalized) interactive computer lessons and educational videos.
My 8 year old reads at the 8th grade level, my 7-year-old autistic son is gaining reading comprehension skills faster than ever and my 5-year-old daughter does likewise. This is no miracle; it is something most people could do.
The best teaching position I ever served in was a very controlled environment of a post juvenile hall behavior modification camp. These young nearly illiterate gangsters found themselves accomplishing things they had never imagined they could — and all it took was a little discipline. In fact, budget cut backs reduced staffing by 2/3, yet the students were improving their skills (as measured by standardized tests) at the rate of 3 grade levels per year (or faster). They did 3 times better with 3 times less!
info @ Accelerated Education Systems . com
Here's a link to an article in the British magazine NewScientist
Here's a link to a great presentation for the context of the world out children are inheriting.
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/video/shifthappens
Here are some notes we have of our best techniques:
Accelerated Ed
Prenatal
Balanced paleolithic diet, plenty of salmon, (prenatal visitamins -folic acid). Mozart through abdominal wall. Dad speaking first vocabulary through abdominal wall.
Newborn to about age 1
All academic activities after a fresh diaper change and minimal feeding, (too much food will raise glucose levels too high).
(Multisensory approach, color, sound, shape, see, hear)
Keep as consistent a schedule as possible, IE feeding time, exercize time, read to baby time, music time, nap time, flash card time, video time.
Flashcards of words using hand signals to demonstrate comprehension, IE tummy, clapping, eat, more, head, face, mouth. Repetition of same 3 until mastery. Then introduce a new one until mastery achieved. Review previously mastered cards at least 1 a week. A couple sessions a day, each session about 10 minutes.
Viewing "Your Baby Can Read" videos per their schedule. 2 viewings a day, about 30 minutes per viewing. (Best if interacting with baby for at least some one of the viewings at first, both viewings later and let baby watch by self for one viewing- Less external stimuli)
2 or 3 times a week view specific Baby Einstein videos - spatial and numeric. Titles of ones we like?
All caretaker interaction with baby should be tactile examples, repitious on specific vocabulary using Baby Can Read Vocab.
Best toys for unstructured time are: manipulable characters, different shapes and colors putting into matching shape openings in boxes. ONLY ONE TOY OUT AT A TIME.
Ages 1-3
Same Flashcards and "Baby Can Read" and "Baby Einstein" videos as newborn-1 stage. Same consistent schedule and repetition. Paleolithic diet, heavy salmon. (Low simple carb)
(Make own flashcards of current vocabulary such as please, juice, mom, dad, colors, plane,)
(Numbers-Use books, often found at dollar stores, cards-uno, deuce, playing decks, BIG dice, beans, food-grapes, nuts, apple pieces, blocks)
introduce the software "Reader Rabbit" on a Touchscreen computer. Work with child on limited/short, excited sessions until they gain mastery of use. Probably 12 months of daily or every other day training. DO NOT LET THE CHILD USE THE EQUIPMENT UNSUPERVISED UNTIL MASTERY IS DEMONSTRATED.
Introduce Electronic Books on Touchscreen computer. Work with child on limited/short, excited sessions until they gain mastery of use. Probably 3 months of daily or every other day training. DO NOT LET THE CHILD USE THE EQUIPMENT UNSUPERVISED UNTIL MASTERY IS DEMONSTRATED.
Introduce Leap Frog Interactive Reading Book. Work with child on limited/short, excited sessions until they gain mastery of use. Probably 3 months of daily or every other day training. DO NOT LET THE CHILD USE THE EQUIPMENT UNSUPERVISED UNTIL MASTERY IS DEMONSTRATED.
After mastery of Leap Frog Interactive Reading Book, introduce Leap Frog interactive writing book. Work with child on limited/short, excited sessions until they gain mastery of use. Probably 3 months of daily or every other day training. DO NOT LET THE CHILD USE THE EQUIPMENT UNSUPERVISED UNTIL MASTERY IS DEMONSTRATED.
Introduce Keyboard with microphone and recording ability. Work with child on limited/short, excited sessions until they gain mastery of use. Probably 6 months of daily or every other day training. DO NOT LET THE CHILD USE THE EQUIPMENT UNSUPERVISED UNTIL MASTERY IS DEMONSTRATED.
Organize Physical Education according to child's temperament and abilities. Climbing, ball throw/roll/kick, sparring, chasing,
Ages 4-6
Ultimate Phonics software: a lesson a day (about 250 lessons)- about 30 minutes per lesson.
SRA power builder cards: complete grade 1 w/in 6 months, grade 2 w/in another 3 months, each succeeding grade level about 1 per month.
MATH: USE NUMEROSITY/QUANTITATIVE SYSTEMS MORE THAN SYMBOLIC SYSTEMS. Uses hands for addition/subtraction up to sum of 10. Use counting objects for higher ones.
We are developing a neurological numerosity based systems, but there is a very good one all of Asia uses to make math masters- the ABACUS.
Multiplication/division-multidigit. Fractions, multiplying, then equivalents (using manipulatives), then adding subtracting. Then word problems.
Political Geography FACTS - USA&World; Phys Geography FACTS, world.
Kid Science Software-name?
Reader Rabbit next level.
Keyboard scales some 20 different scales names. master all.
bungee soccer ball, arnis, sword play, groundfighting.
Ages 7-12
UltraKey keyboarding - 6 months to get 40 WPM. (Depending on child, may want to introduce sooner — we did at age 5.)
Learning 2000 high school curriculae software excluding "life skills"
Writing training with "Criterion" online analysis and feedback.
Science software??
Math through calculus - software names? best texts? Jaime Escalante system?