1st grader (fall bday) reading 3rd-4th grade level. Ask to skip a grade?

[Anonymous]

Our 1st grader is one of the oldest in her class, but missed the K cut off date last year due to a mid October birthday. She is now being referred to high-cap services and is reading at 3-4th grade level. My husband wants her to skip a grade, thinks we should at least have her in high-cap 2nd grade, where most kids will still be around her age, she would just be the youngest vs one of the oldest. Is this something worth asking for or should we just leave it be? FWIW, she is ahead in math and other skills as well.

[Anonymous]

Most kids in this area are two to three grades up, if not most that much then at least few per class.
School is more then just reading. It is also writing and math and also peer group. She is already
fused with certain group of kids and when you uproot her over her advanced reading you are
not doing her favor. Teacher can easily accommodate her needs for advanced reading
by giving her books that are at her reading level and giving her writing prompts and testing
her for that level. For math she will be offered advanced math next year if she will
be above the grade. Later on she can do honor classes etc.
Socially you can really mess her up if you will move her around and it can kick you
back big time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our 1st grader is one of the oldest in her class, but missed the K cut off date last year due to a mid October birthday. She is now being referred to high-cap services and is reading at 3-4th grade level. My husband wants her to skip a grade, thinks we should at least have her in high-cap 2nd grade, where most kids will still be around her age, she would just be the youngest vs one of the oldest. Is this something worth asking for or should we just leave it be? FWIW, she is ahead in math and other skills as well.

This also might be a result that you overprepared her prior to her school. It usually levels by the second or third grade anyway as most kids do catch up and the advanced kids slow down. Especially in math and writing. Once they start writing it all comes in the wash. If you move her now, you might
end up with frustrated friendless kid who will be struggling finding her place in the new
group and might feel rejected or loose her self esteem and it might affect her grade.
Also moving up she will be academically up against kids who will be more advanced and
she might end up middle or lower end of the class grade-wise and that can affect
her self esteem.

[Anonymous]

What everyone has said is correct. The other kids will catch up. Leave your child exactly where they are supposed to be, which is where they are.

[Anonymous]

First grade is notoriously variable in terms of skill level. It’s more developmentally diverse than older grades. The PPs are right that by second or third grade the class tends to narrow and differences then mean more. That’s why many gifted programs start in third grade. You can better assess by then who is gifted vs who is precocious.

[Anonymous]

There's a social and emotional aspect about age and grades too, not just academic

[Anonymous]

OP its worth considering but only if the kid is also advanced in math.

We did this - our child skipped 1st and went directly into 2nd. She is in 7th now, straight A grades, most advanced classes etc.

You need to do this early if its going to happen and you need to have the child fully assessed by the teachers and tested, either right after K or right after 1st.

[Anonymous]

Is she reasonably happy in school? If so there is no reason to skip her. Lots of kids are advanced, especially when they are that young.

[Anonymous]

My dd was that advanced in K and also a fall Birthday and we ddI t skip her. She just started middle school and it’s emotionally quite a roller coaster. I’m glad she didn’t start middle school a year ago. Think about more than academics...

[Anonymous]

Tons of kids are ahead in reading at that age. Including my son who is now in third grade and an average reader. Leave her.

[Anonymous]

Grade level is just the bare minimum. I would not use that alone to advocate for a grade skip. That being said, your child is near the cutoff so in reality it’s no big deal. Personally I question why the rush?

[Anonymous]

No.

My DD is in 1st grade and reads at a late 2nd grade level, and she's definitely in the bottom half of her class. Several kids are reading at 4th-5th grade level. She attends a private school with small classes, so more individual attention I suppose, but as other PPs said, there is HUGE variability at that age, and the "grade level" standard is very much an absolute minimum floor kids should be meeting.

Keep the pressure off of her, and let her focus on being a kid.

[Anonymous]

So many people recommending you don't advance her. They have never met your kid and are quick to dismiss her talents.

Take your own counsel OP and that of your DH and her teachers

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

No. Reading at a 3rd grade level in 1st is normal around here.

[Anonymous]

Reading two grades ahead is not that rare around here. Assuming the school can accommodate it, I would not move. You will cause lots of non-academic challenges moving her from one grade to another.