Anonymous wrote:Hi
Is anybody have any idea whether Montgomery county allows grade skipping. My DD just started KG. She know everything and she is so bored. Can we skip her to Ist Grade?

I'll really appreciate any input in this matter

I advise AGAINST it. We skipped my daughter, who is now in 8th grade in a magnet MS. She was very self-conscious about being the youngest and it was a source of stress. It is one of my biggest regrets as a parent.

What is wrong with being bored? As a gifted kid, it is something they are going to have to learn to handle. Life is boring -- the sooner they learn that, the better prepared they will be. So much of my time with my first child was making certain she was academically stimulated. In retrospect, I should have used those years to have her do chores, learn how to cook and do laundry, learn organizational skills, deal with being frustrated. I coddled her too much.

My home school suggested having my younger daughter skip from first to second and raised the issue again at the end of second grade. We refused. She is now in an HGC and thriving. We used her time to teach her how to take out the trash, unload the dishwasher, clean her room, organize her stuff.

No matter how bright you are, you have to function in society.

Anonymous wrote:Question for OP: What was your child doing academically that made you realize that she would benefit from skipping a grade?

Am curious because we think our DD is very advanced (reading books her cousin is reading in 2nd grade) and wondering whether it might make sense to apply. But we don't want to go through this if we're really off base and she's not really THAT advanced.

Can you tell us about the application process?

This is OP: We didn't know that she could skip grade in Maryland as we never heard about this and we didn't want it. It was her KG teacher who recommended us to apply for it as she was thinking she had all the knowledge of KG and She was way mature than other kids in KG. That's when I started this thread. After careful considering everybody's comments, we applied for that. It is very simple. You have to write a letter to the principal regarding you intentions and stating why do you think she needs to skip grade. If Principal is satisfied, then he/she will assess your kid for 6 weeks. During this time, your child will be tested by EMT in Maths, Reading, Social Skills and most importantly how she grab the new concept. After assessing, there will be meeting with all the people involved including the parents and discussion how everybody think about the child. Then decision will be made.
After one Week. My DD is very happy. But it is too early

interesting article(with results of a scientific study) related to "skipping grade".

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/25/opinion/sunday/d...kindergartners-start.html?_r=0

SS parent here. My child easily could have skipped right to first. (His dad grade skipped and ended up at a top college, so not unprecedented in our family.) Principal wouldn't even discuss. No way, no how, not in her school.

So, no, not more amenable in SS (at least our home school). Thank goodness for HGC. It's been a long few years till now!

Is it possible that if you're in Silver Spring/Gaithersburg/etc. they may be more open to allowing a child to skip a grade versus Bethesda where it seems according to test scores that many kids perform above grade level?

Is there any data on grade skipping?

Anonymous wrote:Snowball chance in hell.

MCPS doesn't care whether your kid is working within their academic ability. This isn't the point. The goal is for everyone to be proficient. Once they are proficient they can sit around for the year.

At the local school level, principals care greatly about their test scores and class management. The test scores are higher is all the kids already know the material. Its hard for young kids to sit still in a large class with just one teacher.

If younger kids jump up because the curriculum is so low then they will end up with big imbalance. Most kids would skip K and 2nd grade.

Exactly the case at Bannockburn Elm. It sucks!

Question for OP: What was your child doing academically that made you realize that she would benefit from skipping a grade?

Am curious because we think our DD is very advanced (reading books her cousin is reading in 2nd grade) and wondering whether it might make sense to apply. But we don't want to go through this if we're really off base and she's not really THAT advanced.

Can you tell us about the application process?

PP my point is that its not an option for everyone. There is really only a 6 week window we are talking about here.

Anonymous wrote:Also just to be clear, from what I understand this isn't really grade skipping. It sounds like its early entrance to first grade, which is only an option for kids with september and october birthdays.

Still, I would never push one of my kids ahead like that personally. Better to be bored than picked on.

Signed,
Someone who skipped a grade and was picked on constantly in high school for being the youngest and smallest

My child did early entrance to kindergarten, i.e., started kindergarten a year earlier than without early entrance to kindergarten. Yes, it's grade-skipping.

Also just to be clear, from what I understand this isn't really grade skipping. It sounds like its early entrance to first grade, which is only an option for kids with september and october birthdays.

Still, I would never push one of my kids ahead like that personally. Better to be bored than picked on.

Signed,
Someone who skipped a grade and was picked on constantly in high school for being the youngest and smallest

Anonymous wrote:I skipped a grade, OP, and it gets hard later socially, not academically. But one thing my parents did was make me promise to take a gap year before college. I am so glad they did.

You won't get a 4yr scholarship this way though

Anonymous wrote:They want your kid right where they are. She will bump up the test scores starting in 3rd grade. Sadly it isn't about her, they don't care if she is bored. The sad ways of the public school system and NCLB.

Did you read the part where OP reported that MCPS allowed the child to skip to first grade?

Anonymous wrote:I am shocked people are still trying to skip grades. I thought all the rage now was redshirting your kids. Maybe more prevalent with boys.

I have a girl and would definitely not like her to be in a class with boys almost 2 years older than her. But I am also concerned about her bring bored in K next year (she's a fantastic reader, is starting multiplication in her preschool, etc.). Not sure what the right move is.

OP, let us know in another month or so how your daughter is doing in 1st grade? I'm glad it worked out and they let her skip like you wanted!

I'm glad things worked out, OP. I'll just add that my DS skipped K while in MCPS and did fine academically and socially. But after 4th grade, he actually tired of being a full year younger than his friends. So when he switched schools (to private) we put him back in his correct grade and he has been much happier. But! I think that is because he is a boy. Girls seem much more adaptable regardless of age. My DD is one of the youngest in her class and it's not been an issue.

Hope it continues to work for your family.

They want your kid right where they are. She will bump up the test scores starting in 3rd grade. Sadly it isn't about her, they don't care if she is bored. The sad ways of the public school system and NCLB.