<p>Because math and science tend to be more sequential than the humanities/social studies, advanced students can easily run out of classes in high school and thus need to take college-level classes. It is easier for students who are good in the humanities and social studies to do more with whatever assignments they are given. Case in point. My two Ss had the same teacher in 3rd grade. S1 wanted to use more than the materials the students had studied in order to write his paper on the social studies unit; the teacher happily gave him her own teacher’s materials to read. S2 found the math curriculum way too easy. Despite the fact that it would have been no problem for him to join 4th graders, the teacher refused to let him:“I don’t like tracking,” she said, forgetting that she had provided enrichment to S1 in the shape of extra materials.
In high school, S2 took part in National History Day and was part of a creative writing group. There was no need for him to take college classes.</p>