UPDATE: closer to a decision

[ninjapoodles]

I've more or less detailed the situation on my website, so if anyone has time to read this and then give me some input, eitherI'd appreciate it. My husband and I are already arguing over it, and I'm just at a loss for what to do.

It involves making a decision of whether or not to skip my daughter ahead a grade, from kindergarten into first grade.

I AM SO TORN.

 

[Queen Scoot]

my sister had to make this decsion for her daughter from kindergarten to first grade,becuase she was so far advanced. my sister didnt do it she let her stay in kindergarten and "refine" so to speak what she knew.....it helps,she is now in 4th grade and is in advanced classes acclerated reading and math...let her stay in kindergarten!!

 

[SterlingAcres]

I'd let her stay in kindergarten and see if they can give her one on one time with the 'gifted' program a few times a week. DH skipped a grade and was very unprepared for college at 17. I was also given the chance to advance a grade and declined. I graduated with a 3.8 gpa and 4 extra credits.
So, yeah. Have you asked her what SHE wants?

 

[farm_mom]

This is the reason I'm homeschooling. Not that I'm saying there is anything wrong with making the choice to put your kids in school, all I'm saying is that often times many children don't fit into the little boxes presented in a school setting. Boxes like "grade level." If it were me, I'd let her stay where she is if she's happy with it. If she seems to enjoy her peers and enjoy the experience of school there is much that can be done at home and elsewhere to challenge her educationally. If she feels like she stands out like a sore thumb amongst others her age and is unhappy in the experience, I'd try something different. You and your husband know your daughter the best and I'm sure you will work this out. Take Care, NP, and I wish you and your daughter the best.vb

 

[Chicabee19]

My DD skipped 5th grade, and we are glad she did.

 

[jackiedon]

What I have seen working at an elementary school is academically they are ready and probably bored but the social and emotional part is what most kids need. Even if they can talk over an adults head on subjects which I've seen Kindergarteners do they still need that interaction of kids their age.

This is just what I have experience and what K teachers have showed me. I always did my best in computer lab to really try to challenge those children and the teachers said it really helped.

jackie

 

[Chicken Boo]

Oh, what a tough decision. And how so very lucky your daughter is to have parents who are so concerned with her education!!! My parents considered it too much trouble to see that I was challenged and learning after I tested way above my grade level at the end of first grade.

I have a friend with one of those really gifted kids. They sent him to school then gave him extra "work" to keep him from getting bored. Then they moved and he went to the gifted classes in his grade, then they tried home schooling. He is now going to a private school that lets you go as fast and as far as you want. He seems to be happiest with this situation. Each of the early choices worked at the time, then it was time to try something else as he outgrew the situation. My point is, whatever you choose now you can/probably will change it later will later and everything will be OK in the long run.

I hope my rambling was a little help.

 

[patandchickens]

If she's really that bright and academically advanced, putting her ahead one grade is not really going to make much difference at all. If she's bored now I will betcha ANYthing she will still be bored in the higher grade too, or will soon enough.

In terms of emotional/social maturity, remember it is not just how she is now, it is whether she will be comfortably up to speed with the older kids *for the rest of her school career*, since it is awfully hard to undo a skipped grade.

Personally, unless you know something else than posted in your blog or unless she has longstanding STRONG feelings about it and has been made clearly aware of the down-sides, I'd vote for keeping her where she is. Yeah, school is sometimes boring, it does not necessarily have much to do with the challenge of the academics or lack thereof

You're a smart cookie, you can make sure she is academically challenged in activities at home (which is where an awful large portion of learning does, or anyhow should, occur *anyhow), it is very unlikely to hurt her to stay with her peers and her chances for good social integration are better.

JMO of course, good luck with a difficult decision,


Pat, bored through most of K-12 despite 'gifted' classes but boy if I'd been put ahead grades it would have been a *bad* mistake... and despite hating school and being bored by it, I still ended up with a PhD and a research/teaching career, so, goes to show, it is not necessarily the end of the world

 

[luvzmybabz]

I have plans on homeschooling my 2 youngest 2 and 5 (barely 5 ) the 5 year old will start more structured learning next year but sadly enough he can meet the end of kindergarten requirements here already.

Here are a couple of things to think about your said your daughter was 6 is she just barely or almost 7. Which could make her one of the youngest in her class ( I was the youngest in my class. )

My 13 year old son goes to public schools here in OK there are laws that say that the school they are attending must educationally challenge your child. I have brought this up to different schools he has attended. They wanted to skip him ahead in Kind. I said no. They tested him for G&T. didn't even bother with 2nd 1/2 of test ( they usually do younger children's testing in more then 1 part due to "attention span"). Asked again to skip I said nope. Well he is now a well adjusted 13 year old, this will be his 3rd year on academic team, football, baseball and band. All As except english and I think his hangup on English is inherited. I am very glad at my decision I can not imagine him as a freshman in High School at 13.

I know it is hard but spend 1 hour a day or even 30 minutes with home learning. With my 13 year old I would print out chapters from the internet and he would work on them every evening. My 5 year old and I work on his addition and subraction while we are driving. When you are baking make it a lesson. But please be sure before you skip a child ahead.

 

[Chirpy]

I'm with Pat on this one.

Now, I realize that boys and girls are very different when it comes to school. But, we purposely kept all three of our oldest boys back one year (we had the option due to when their birthdays were) before letting them start kindergarten. It was a great decision for our boys. The oldest two started in private school and were both the oldest in their classes and did excellent work, not to mention that socially/emotionally they were far more ready after one more year at home.

Our oldest started college this year... he turned 19 his first day of classes. He's very happy that he's so much more mature than most of the other freshman! (His stories are so funny.)

It would have been a harder decision if we'd had a daughter that we needed to make that decision about.

But, I believe that you can give her the mental challenges she needs at home and allow her to grow emotionally/socially on the same level as the kids her age at school by keeping her where she is.

How about waiting one year and then deciding if she really needs to move up? By then, she may be able to give better insight into how's she's feeling about things also. I think she's too young right now to really know what she wants. Plus, you will have a track record to analyze.

In the end, your husband and you need to be on the same page... so spend lots of time talking it through and ask your husband to talk with other people (as you are), or let him read these answers.

I pray all goes well whatever you decide.