My 8 yr old Doman Kid was accepted to College!!!! Share your success stories

Early Learning Early Learning General Discussions
1

Hi All

I wanted to share with you my story. 9 yrs ago, I had no idea how my life was going to change. Not only because I was going to birth my first child but also, because I was able to give him the most privileged life with all the attention from a mother and father he deserved. Most people start off on this road but then life gets in the way. Thanks to the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential, I was able not only to allow my children to develop to their fullest potential but I was allowed to development to my fullest potential as a mother, teacher, Christian caregiver and let’s not forget PE teacher.

It was with great joy that just three days before his 9th birthday, we had my son enrolled at the local College. Given his age the highest course he was allowed to do was Intermediate Algebra (for which he already scored 80% on the College entrance exam). I am not intending to sound like a braggart. Instead this is a letter of encouragement to let you know that my son is not particularly gifted in any arena, however, as the Institutes constantly reminds us, anything taught in love will foster a joy for learning and given the late Glenn Doman’s strategies for brain development, your child is destined for greatness! It is a self-less road but one with a final destination of a happy child that is nurtured, loved and academically fulfilled.

I look forward to hearing your success stories! Please post it for all of us that once doubted ourselves!

2

How exciting for you! Is he just doing math or any other classes? My son turned 8 in May and is about 1/2 done with 7th grade Saxon math. My 4 year old is about to start grade 2 Singapore math. I would love to know what materials you use, or has it been through a school? What about writing? My kids are both about 4 years ahead with everything except maybe only 2 in writing. I feel like that would be the thing that would hold them back from college level work.

3

Great report!

I also am curious to hear more about this journey and how he has progressed. There’s quite a bit of space between a Doman program and college at age 8.

4

How exciting. Congratulations! Did you send him to the Evan Thomas Institute? And echoing PokerDad, what are more details about the process /curricula you used with him, please?

~ Ayesha

5

Congrats! Your post made my day! Thank you so much for sharing the news. Would you also like to share your thoughts about how to foster a long lasting love of learning? I think this is the main key to success.

Thank you :slight_smile:

6

Hi all

Thanks so much for the words of encouragement! I, like most of you that did the Doman program, questioned myself everyday. I suppose it is sad that I now consider myself successful but honestly, didn’t know what else to use as the bar. I knew my boy was bright and I have had him tested but yet, this solidified for me that the Doman method if done correctly is true to its word. Some of you wanted to know what curriculum I used etc. If one considers that the Doman course is for the first six years of their life, it only left me with about another two to add growth.

Our days were always full, from Doman in the morning to sport in the afternoon, lots of reading and only a half an hour of TV or electronics on the weekends. That ensured that my kids had to find other ways to amuse themselves. Our lives are blend of Doman and Classical Education Homeschooling. My boys are fluent in 2 languages and get by in 2 more. We learn Latin, play the piano and do all those activities that build brain pathways. i.e. gymnastics, soccer, karate and swimming. You would think that they would collapse into bed at night but instead that is usually me. But then I am preaching to the choir.

From age 4, I saw that he loved math, so that is what we built on. He did Kumon, Abacus (which he now teaches), Singapore, Life of Fred and whatever else I could get my hands on. For history, he used to go to sleep to Stories of the World and to this day amazes me with how much has soaked in. Lots of Bill Nye for science and experiments. BSFU although I battle to prepare all the classes. As most of you know, Gifted kids have their own stresses to deal with and living with Gifted parents can add to it. So most of the time, I find myself managing anxiety more than academics.

Feel free to ask away. I haven’t posted much on this site but then I was just so busy with my life. I am more than happy to help in whatever way I can. Just because my son is at College doesn’t necessarily make me a guru at parenting. My only precursor to my daily routine is that I pray that I am making the right choices for his future and then feed his academic appetite. I am sure you can relate.

Now you all need to brag to me about your kids!

7

Regarding the Evan Thomas Institute, I would have loved him to go but we live in California, so that wasn’t an option.

8

that’s inspiring Mandy ! I love to hear such success stories to keep myself in full spirit - in learning with my kiddo who is 19months now. Wishes to your lovely child :thumbsup:
when you get a chance do share his daily curriculum that advanced each year which made him so nurtured at the age of 8 please , thank you ! :hi5:

9

Awesome story! I would love to hear more about your PE. Are your children on classes for all those sports you listed, or do you do them yourself? If they are in classes for each of those, is there anything you do additionally at home? Also, I’m curious how much your 8 yr. old writes. Did you go through a formal writing program and did you study spelling, grammar, etc? Thank you so much for sharing your experience!!

10

Congrats! That is an amazing story and a real inspiration. What plans do you have for the future and is your child still doing other work at home and just certain classes at the college? How do you decide what to do next?

My DD turned 7 less than a week ago and is being homeschooled using much the same curriculum as you listed though possibly at a slightly slower rate - we have just started BFSU2 (with Bill Nye and Magic School Bus which I use with my younger child but both listen in) and she keeps asking for more Story of the World. For Maths she is also doing Singapore and Life of Fred and my husband does a session on current affairs and world geography (usually linked) once a week - however the more we have done this the more current affairs have entered the homeschooling scene so we have been learning about Ebola and also about world health and how countries try to control outbreaks, but also about the Ukraine and how what happens in other areas of the world can affect many other people (and so on - we usually pick up only on what she shows interest in though introduce her to a lot of other things too). She’s also doing gymnastics as is my younger child and they both swim through the summer. We started foreign languages a bit later than you did and need to work on those a bit more in the coming year. She does read a lot independently though I still read to her (and her sister) everyday from a wide variety of literature.

Her writing took a little longer to advance than the other subjects, however she has finished Reasoning and Writing B and is using WWE2 at a rapid pace without issues and her spelling is advanced for her age. I let her write an olympiad in 5 subjects this year - Maths, English 1st, Afrikaans 2nd, Life Skills (Creative) and Life Skills (Physical) and I think if she does it again next year provided we concentrate on the Afrikaans that she will have to be skipped forward a grade or 2 before writing since she achieved 100% for both Maths and English, 90% for the 2 life skills papers and 85% for Afrikaans 2 which I had only taught her for a month or two before the test. On top of that it was the first tests she had ever written.

Since I know more what I am doing now, my youngest (who has some speech issues and also is slower with gross motor development than her sister because of very slow growth and weight gain) is reading at about the same level as my elder was when she was 6 months older than the younger is now. Her understanding of numbers and patterns is also advanced. She has some advantages in that she hears a lot of what her older sister is doing and also prefers more structured academics (probably also from watching my older DD)

11

HI all

So wonderful to hear the words of encouragement. Honestly, this is the only forum that I have been encouraged. Most people think I am destroying my child. Honestly, this is not something I considered lightly. There were nights and nights and nights of prayers and more sleepless nights. I do want to encourage you all that what you are currently doing NOW is so worthwhile for your kids. I call it my “academic insurance”. There is so much to tell you, I don’t quite know where to start. I will address your questions but first, the only reason I posted, after being encouraged by the Institutes and other Doman parents is to let you know that what you put in is what you will get out. The caveat being, that you may have to wait a decade or two to see it. I liken it to my Christian faith, it is blind faith that doesn’t look at current circumstances but at the end goal, while enjoying the ride to the destination.

Okay, enough philosophy. To address your questions, if you truly want my daily curriculum, I can post it. It may bore you and it may freak you out, depending on your personality. My soul sister, who co-incidentally is another doman mom that lives thousands of miles away, used to tweak it for me and vice versa. You may know Gloria, she posts a lot here and has a lot to offer!! Please don’t use it as a guide, each child is different and each has a different skill set.

Regarding the physical aspect, this is THE MOST important aspect of brain development. But then I am preaching to the choir, so I won’t go into the research. I started off doing classes of the different sports but then when I saw how little they actually accomplished in an hour, I realized what a waste of time and money that was. So the result was one very tired mommy but now that I am older and don’t have as much energy my oldest naturally keeps my youngest up to scratch. As I am writing, they are playing soccer/gaga together in our lounge. Nothing like crossing the midline to forge those brain pathways. The only sport I did spend money on before they began their club sports was gymnastics. My oldest was doing 13 hrs a week. His team won state championships so much was expected from them. Again, it complemented the physical education prerequisites for Doman. EVERY year, I do the PHD Doman course. Tiring but we do it as a team.

My youngest also had speech issues and I simply ramped up his running (yes, Doman course - they spell out how many meters, yards, miles you run per day @ least 3 times per week) and we bumped up his phd course. His speech was markedly improved in three months. I had seen speech pathologists for a few months and they were a waste of time. I felt like they minimized his self esteem too. Plus, our kids learn so many languages, one has to question if that is delaying speech. I used to laugh at my youngest who would say things like “Jugo with mig meimei” - 4 languages is one sentence is brilliant as far as I am concerned.

I don’t push writing at all. In my humble opinion, I saw both sons getting so frustrated that they hands didn’t work as fast as their brains. When they started asking for it, I gave it to them. I did do cursive first. Again, something that is debatable. My 9 yr old’s writing, looks like a 9 yr olds and honestly, I don’t push the writing because it slows us down. That being said, I am teaching him how to type. But this is obviously because he needs it for College.

I love that you read to your kids despite them being able to read to themselves. I am firm in my classical approach. I love that you mentioned the Olympiads. As far as I knew there was only the math. I went online and saw everything that they offered. Do you do the tests online? I couldn’t see a price either. Would love your feedback on their curriculum.

I like you am feeling more confident now with my second. We have all done it the first time so the second time is easier. Now I understand how some families have ten kids. They obviously have it down by number 10. So here’s to all you wonderful mamas!!! Start producing more brilliant babies for this world :wink:

I hope I managed to answer most of your questions and I hope you can answer mine. So looking forward to sharing more resources.

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I don’t know what the PHD stands for or entails. Can you elaborate?

I’m very much enjoying this thread :slight_smile:

13

Sorry, it is Doman’s Primary Human Development program. They have two levels both include creeping and crawling for a specific length. It’s all part of their course. There is no book on it unfortunately.

14

Hi Mandy,
Congratulations and Best Wishes. It is so nice to hear someone doing the very thing I am trying to do but I am starting to talk myself out of it. I just want to share a little of my story with you. It is nice to get feedback from others who have been where I am trying to go. :slight_smile:

I am in bad need of advice.

I have a 8 year old as well. I have called the institute about how to follow up with a school aged child after completing the Glenn Doman program via books. I have spoken to Connie several times but I am sorry to say I have gotten a break wall with this. She is a very nice lady but when I talked to her about this, I get different response. One was that the program is for babies and the next that she doesn’t see where I am trying to go with this. :slight_smile:

I just had a baby four months ago and I was doing all of the books with him. I stopped because I was put in touch with one of the directors of the How to Multiple your baby’s intelligence course. I don’t remember her name and I don’t think it was Janet Doman. She told me that i should just use the newborn program with him because that would be everything for me right now. She also said to continue the teach your baby reading program with my 4 and 6 year olds and that the only probably is that I would need all new words with my baby because he would have already experienced those words because I should them to his siblings. My six year old is a reader but she isn’t confident. I told her this she told me that she but her daughter on the reading program at 4 and very soon her daughter was reading novels. She also stated that the incline track was created for her daughter. She told me to come to the multiple your baby intelligence course because the course would teach me how to do it with older children. But I told her I wasn’t able to attend because of just having a baby and not residing in the p.a. Area. Connie told me that the evan thomas PDF how to teach your baby to read independently are for babies/toddler who don’t read with confidence. I will be purchasing this for my six year old. She said it really dies the try and very interesting to read because it is very unique approach.

I have been trying to put the pieces together on how to continue on with a doman track with a 8 year old. I end up on Win wenger’s website. My eight year old is reading on a highschool level and comprehending what he reads on that same level. Books like Tom Sawyer. He is on six grade through high school level of math. He is complete algebra text due to Gattegno textbooks and he started reading through 6 chapters of Larson Calculus. The lady I spoke with also told me to read Tony Buzan’s speeding book and do thus with my son. I was talking yo her about him breathing through when he reads aloud. I know in doman books that is a no no. She also repeated what the book says and recommended this book to me.

I was told by the assistant of the bookstore that the school of the institute uses singapore math books, this was three weeks ago. I also found out through google searching Evan Thomas Institute, a person visited the school and wrote an article stating that there is a class of 8-10 year olds (a history class) and it teaches the children how to research a particular person/event in history like an historians. I am not surprised that the school uses Singapore math, because after reading Dr. win’s site, recommends Jerome Bruner’s techniques/theories and Singapore math is build on Jerome Bruner’s Concept-Pictorial-Abstract approach and his spiral approach.

I am discouraged because I don’t know what to do next and I live in a state that doesn’t allow student to leave highschool until 18 years of age. The state education department calls it no child left behind. Their dept of Ed. Website states they will only allow a child if a girl becames pregnant or the child has to work to provide for a family because of some type of sickness. The state also states that they are doing this because they don’t want dropouts. My husband told me to go get my hands on the law and read it with a fine tooth comb. :slight_smile: he feel that there is probably a loophole.

I know what you mean by people thinking you are ruining your son. I was told by a nutritionalist that I was trying to do too much by trying to educate my son, who was at that time 2 years old. She thought it was crazy that I was teaching him well pregnant and he was a toddler. She told me I have plenty of time for that later on in his life. When my mother caught wind to this, she called the woman a b&*+@$d. :slight_smile: You know what is best for your son and family. Don’t let anyone take you from your path and second guess yourself. :slight_smile:

I would love to see what kind of curriculum/schedule you are doing with your son.

I am so sorry this post is long. :slight_smile: I really don’t get to share with like mind people. I came back to the brillkids forum after a few years being away to get some advice because I am not going to get it from the institute unless I attend the course. That is going to have to wait. I am sad to say that but he’s education shouldn’t. :slight_smile:

Thank you,

Micklereed

My work in progress blog is ucmdesigns.com/blog3

15

Wow how exciting! It is amazing this thread pops up in here just one day after I have found a way to get my oldest (11) into her university course! Yep I finally found the loophole! I just haven’t yet figured out how to fund it.
So a quick update but before I do…
YES of COURSE we WANT your daily schedule! I do want to remind everyone reading it that all kids are different and some will need a different path to your but hey YOU know what works so that is valuable information. :slight_smile:
So I have a physically superb (but sadly injured :frowning: ) 11 year old who has a cabinet full of state and national medals in athletics ( all disciplines!) taewkondo and gymnastics. Due to her knees her sport is on hold and it is killing her and me by proxy. We are hoping she mends and can continue on her gymnastics and taekwondo paths. The athletics she just does to keep the school happy. Lol
Anyway she knows what she wants to do at university. Zoology. She is science mad and animal crazy. She doesn’t yet have the algebra she needs but can start the science components of the course by enrolling in a starter course which has no prerequisites at all (wow!) if she passes she gets in the course with at least one unit credit for biology. For now she is in regular school grade 5 ( and bored and unchallenged) but I am looking to withdraw her homeschool for a year to get the academic writing level up to scratch and erases her early entry into uni then. I am aiming for entry around age 14 as there are some course content issues she is too young for yet. So I have time to spare and can get the math done plus she can (hopefully) get her gym coaching certificates and taewkondo improved. All her goals not mine!
My next kiddo is 8 and frankly treading water just now. She has just decided to get her red belt in taewkondo and won a bunch of athletics medals also. She is my creative one and it is going to take some time for her to mature into a determined individual. In the mean time strait As keep me happy and time each week doing arts and crafts keep her happy.
My boy (7) is an accomplished reader and has a knack for math (but oddly enough the school disagrees with me!) logic and hands on construction. He wants to be a builder. It is deep in his core and he will be I am sure. I wonder what future path to take with him. Engineering? Or trade? He strikes me as the type that will be wealthy and successful regardless of schooling.

This dedicated parenting is very exhausting at times. I am working now and I struggle with time. My priority now is to find a way to bring my kids back home for accelerated education before their youth is wasted completely. It more important to me now as I have a cruiser who would happily do the minimum in every task at school and needs a little push.

Tanekit- What do you think of BSFU number 2?
This could be a mega thread in no time! :smiley: :laugh:

16

Hi all

I am devastated to tell you that I wrote a long email and came to check it this morning and saw that it was never posted. I had written all the points to address and sadly couldn’t find it. So in a nutshell, here goes.

Firstly Mandala, I remember us corresponding a few years back. I am just thrilled for you! That is such fantastic news. I hear you on all points, my son’s writing too is holding him back. He loves history and unfortunately, given the content covered, he will not be able to make the grade in those classes. Content too is an issue, like you said, it is meant for adults so again, more fields of study that can’t be covered. I am curious, since you are in LA, which university are you thinking of? I know UCLA has an early entrance facility but then I live an hour and a half away and am not willing to spend that much time in the car. So College would have to do for now.

HEre’s the tricky thing with IAHP (Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential), you can read their books until you are blue in the face! It won’t help if you don’t go to the course to SEE what they are actually doing. I remember reading all the books while I was pregnant but I did a haphazard course for my boys. It was only at 9 months that I realized I wasn’t getting results and banging my head against a brick wall. Then when I went there, it was like the curtain fell and I finally got a glimpse into HOW the program should be run. We are so blessed that we have the time and the knowledge that something like this exists. I have proof that it exists and my mentor’s son was so badly physically handicapped everyone wanted to throw him into an institution. He never gave up on his son and found iahp. Today this son is STELLAR success in EVERY area, the youngest rower on the Oxford Rowing team, Scholarships to Oxford etc. etc.

They are so helpful at iahp and genuinely want your child to do well but there is only so much they can tell you on the phone and only so much I can tell you via email. Basically the PHD is the shining star in physical and neural development for your child. As far as I know you can’t buy that in a book form. They have done this for 50 yrs, so no use trying to find your own way to do this. Just clone theirs. Miclreed, I hear your pain and I frankly don’t know how you have managed thus far. You are amazing!! There are too many pieces to put together, if I was you, throw in the towel and go to the course. I live in CA and went to that course in PA. Your children will miss you for a week (I was breastfeeding at the time) but it is worth it for their future. I can’t express in words how grateful I was to be there. Plus, the people that you meet are all like minded, self-sacrificing adults that will end up being your cheerleaders for life!

I saw your post Mandabplus3 about BSFU 2 and I am hating it!! I just realized I must be terrible at Science. It is taking so much prep work that we are only getting to it once a week and even then my lesson is sketchy. I am so sad because my son has the potential to be a good little scientist but I am the one that is terrible at it! Any advice. Or any other books?

regarding highschool age of 18, I don’t think that is a bad thing. We haven’t decided if we are doing early college entrance to get him into Uni early or not? I loved my Uni experience and don’t want to deprive him of that at such an early age. It’s not just the destination. Your child can do so much before 18, travel the world, study abroad, do an internship, teach etc. etc. Which state is that by the way? Plus, I am sure you may be able to find loopholes and things could change in 10 yrs time? Who knows…

17

I am in Australia. We don’t really have College. The closest thing to college would probably be our TAFE system. I think they have a minimum age of 14 and 9 months but I haven’t checked it out yet. I know I was enrolled in TAFE at 15 and found it easy. I don’t think TAFE is academically rigorous enough for my kids.
So here from high school grade 12 kids go to university strait away. They go to TAFE if they don’t score high enough or they want a trade qualification
Options for TAFE we will probably use include a building or carpentry course for my son and the first 2 years of a teaching degree can be began through TAFE while working in child are. I could see my creative kid taking that road. She is a natural teacher.
I figured high school is a waste of time academically but kids need time to mature and “digest” facts and learning so delaying university entrance has some advantages. I just figure it’s better to have at least started before age 18. And considering their interest in particular areas they might just finish it before 18.
It’s the writing that will hold us up. I am quietly confident I can teach it to a high enough standard to get a high grade at university level by age 15 and possibly sooner if I can homeschool them. But until then they can do subjects that are not as writing heavy. Biology, chemistry, math.
We plan to do all subjects by correspondence and just attend uni for week blocks of labs as required once a year. The uni is a LONG way away :slight_smile:

Edit: I forgot to mention we haven’t found the perfect science course yet but I am gathering information and resources now. Will let you know. I am cross checking with the course requirements/inclusions in the universities to ensure all the really important bits are covered. It’s been a long time since I studied science and I remember little be young grade 8 biology.

18

Mandy, here is a question for you. I was wondering if you would be willing to do an interview with me? I have been thinking about asking many of the inspiring parents here and on Facebook if I can interview them and then share the recordings. I need to check and see how I can do this and get it recorded so that we can make these available to everyone. When you shared your good news with me I was thinking about this once again. Let me know. If anyone here knows about recording calls that would be helpful. Thanks!

19

This is so inspiring! Congratulations!! Keep us updated on his progress.

20

Honestly Krista, I don’t know what you would interview me on. He has just entered College. Do you not want to see how that turns out. I keep telling people, right now I feel like the fool in “fools rush in where angels fear to tread”…One thing is for sure, we have EVERY one of your dvds so those had to contribute to his neural pathway stimulation!