School is asking to bump DD to the next grade

[Anonymous]

I've seen the Iowa Acceleration Scale mentioned many places as THE evaluation to use to determine whether a grade skip is warranted.


http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/iowa_accel_scale.htm

[Anonymous]

Skipping a grade right before middle school (unless this is a K-12 private) is a very bad idea. A girl with discipline problems could end up a total social outcast in a higher grade. I knew several 12-16 yo in college and most faired poorly if they were not mature to handle such huge responsibilities at a young age. A few had extended 'childish' behavior because they felt they had no childhood.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do it. My husband skipped a grade in elementary and ended up being 17 his entire freshman year of high school. His immaturity showed in social ways and definitely affected his experience. It might be the better option for this year, but that doesn't mean it is the better option for her entire school experience.

[Anonymous]

You should do what's best for your daughter academically, because that is going to impact the entire school experience. She is never going to be like the other kids her age, so don't make "not fitting in" be the metric. Move her ahead this year, which the school will not be recommending lightly, and evaluate your options for next year. If she's already doing math with the year ahead and her own work in her home classroom, she is better off with the older peer group.

[Anonymous]

From the language you used, it appears that you are at a private school - I am not sure what state - possibly NY(?).

Have you considered other private schools? Seeing what your local public might offer?

[Anonymous]

Agree with the posters who are suggesting you consider DC's social/emotional maturity (now and through high school) when making this decision. I skipped 3rd grade, and Dh skipped a grade and his sister skipped 2 grades - all 3 of us felt as if we never quite fit in with the new grade in maturity (I remember always feeling like an outsider). And, this was all back in the 70's when skipping ahead was not uncommon. Now it is so rare, I think these issues would be magnified, especially given the advanci g rate at which kids today seem to be doing things we did at older ages. GL!

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's at all clear that skipping a grade can be viewed as the cause of some folks' never fitting in. I know plenty of folks who never fit in, some skipped grades, most didn't. I think what makes one able to "fit in" is a whole lot of variables. Being extra smart academically - um, no, that probably doesn't usually help at any age, really. Yes, have folks in my family who skipped grades, others who had the option but didn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From the language you used, it appears that you are at a private school - I am not sure what state - possibly NY(?). Have you considered other private schools? Seeing what your local public might offer?

The kids are all in public school. DD is already in the gifted & talented program since 2nd grade but that's only one day a week. It turns out last year's teacher suggested this and this year's teacher, after watching DD for the past month, agrees. Last year's teacher never once raised the issue with us though. We can not afford private school. We're in a good school district, and it seems like the teachers have been trying to gve DD as challenging work as they can find time for.

[Anonymous]

"She is never going to be like the other kids her age, so don't make "not fitting in" be the metric. "

This. This exactly. Gifted kids have a lot going on that affect their interactions with their peers. Were I you, OP, I would ask for testing and also consult the Hopkins center and other research on giftedness. Skipping a grade might be part of the solution, but it should not be the only thing you do to support your gifted child's development.

[Anonymous]

Hi,
We skipped. We did it after careful consultation with the school, who did have a psychologist and was considering both the academic and social needs.
The reality is that for most kids that are this advanced, they will be better off emotional if they DO skip. As PPs have noted being highly gifted means there might always be challenges on the social side, but heck, it's not like teenage years are a walk in the park for any adolescent.
OP, I found the material on this website *extremely* helpful.
http://www.accelerationinstitute.org/nation_deceived/
rather than individual anecdotes or preconceived notions, it's a selection of peer-reviewed studies done on the effects of grade acceleration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From the language you used, it appears that you are at a private school - I am not sure what state - possibly NY(?). Have you considered other private schools? Seeing what your local public might offer?

The kids are all in public school. DD is already in the gifted & talented program since 2nd grade but that's only one day a week. It turns out last year's teacher suggested this and this year's teacher, after watching DD for the past month, agrees. Last year's teacher never once raised the issue with us though. We can not afford private school. We're in a good school district, and it seems like the teachers have been trying to gve DD as challenging work as they can find time for.

I would demand a complete evaluation from your school districts psychologists. Do not accept Cogat or Olsat. Get a real IQ score and achievement scores from the WJ-III ach. This will hopefully mitigate any pitfalls of the skip like any hidden twice exceptionalities.

You do not need "gifted" scores to skip, but if she has them look into Davidson Young Scholars (IQ 140+), 4th grade Explore testing (Duke TIP), EPGY enrollment, Johns Hopkins CTY (SCAT testing), prep for AMC 8 competition, and summer programs at JHU, Stanford, Duke, and many more. This kind of stuff will keep her challenged with or without the skip.

[Anonymous]

One thing you want to be aware of is how quickly she learns. If you put her a grade ahead, sure, there will be much more material she doesn't know, and that might keep her busy for this school year, but if she is a kid (and it sounds like she is) who learns very quickly and who is able to teach herself unfamiliar concepts, putting her a grade ahead will not change those things. She will be a grade ahead, be the youngest in her class, and STILL be learning concepts and material faster than her peers, which will still give her the opportunity to be bored. If there are gifted programs in your area, I would look into them. Even if they are not an option for this year, since the year is underway, there may be options for next year.

[Anonymous]

Sorry I am not buying the OP. How about some history here. You mean to tell me that your daughter who is actually young for her grade is so advanced that they want to move her ahead a grade and you had absolutely no idea...You just thought your daughter was a normal average kid doing her normal work..classic..

[Anonymous]

you must not be in montgomery county, land of curriculum 2.0

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry I am not buying the OP. How about some history here. You mean to tell me that your daughter who is actually young for her grade is so advanced that they want to move her ahead a grade and you had absolutely no idea...You just thought your daughter was a normal average kid doing her normal work..classic..

Sorry, but I have 3 other kids I'm also trying to pay attention to. We have known she gets straight A's with minimal effort and enjoys learning and being creative. The reality of having many kids is the squeaky wheel gets the grease. We go to parent/teacher conferences and just hear that she's a pleasure to have in class, asks interesting questions and chats with friends when she finishes work but needs to recognize when others aren't working at that same pace and she should find a self-contained activity. We'd always just taken that to mean she was a social butterfly.