Author : Donna Betancourt
Is your child bored in school? Does he need more advanced academics? Are you thinking that he needs to be put ahead a grade or two? Making the right decisions for your child can be a hair pulling, sleep losing, teeth gritting experience. Deciding to skip your child ahead is a difficult process because society doesn't like parents to take kids out of the 'traditional' way of doing things. Grade skipping is not for every kid, but absolutely essential for others. Is it the right choice for your child?Misconceptions
Grade skipping and entering school early is not illegal. Schools may not let you do either one, but that is not because there are laws against grade skipping. Schools do not have to let your child skip a grade. Even if you're child is a little Einstein and you can prove it, you and your child are at the mercy of whatever school system you're in. That school system may be pro or con grade skipping. Most of the time parents approach the school system and request a grade skip. Schools very rarely (almost never) select a bright child to be skipped a grade. Testing is not always required to skip a grade although many times it will be requested. It is important to decide what you think about grade skipping and how it can benefit or hurt your child before entering the process.Parental Honesty
Making the right decision about grade skipping requires a parent to answer a lot of questions honestly. Is your child mature enough to handle both the advanced information and to interact successfully at a higher grade level? How are you going to feel when your child is exposed to social topics of older children such as sex, drugs and dating? How will your child feel when confronted with these topics ... comfortable, embarrassed, influenced?Pros of Skipping a Grade
My daughter skipped kindergarten and high school. She now has years to hang out and have fun because she skipped grades. She does not define people by age, but recognizes their individual contributions as people. Not sitting in a classroom for the entire teen years has helped her become a more healthy individual. She entirely skipped teen angst, peer pressure, drugs, violence and avoided kids who were having problems in those areas, but at the same time got to participate in extracurricular activities with her age peers in soccer, dance, music and other group/club activities. Skipping grades helped her think about her career goals at an earlier age and exposed her to many more possibilities.Cons of Skipping a Grade
Social pressure is the greatest con of grade skipping. Everyone has an opinion and many times those with the strongest opinions have never had any experience with grade skipping or known anyone who has grade skipped. Strangely, battling opinions of those not involved is the hardest part of the process. Also, school systems are not thrilled about skipping grades. They, many times, strongly believe in keeping kids on one track ... k-12. Here are arguments some schools use to stop you from grade skipping:1. Your child is not socially mature enough to enter the next grade level.
2. Although your child may be socially mature enough now, he or she will have trouble when he/she gets older and other kids start physically maturing.
3. Kids at this age tend to even out by middle/high school.
4. Skipping a grade will hurt your child socially.It's important to know the arguments and how you will respond to those arguments before you start your grade skipping process.At what age should a child skip grade levels?
From my experience, kindergarten is the best year to skip. Other than that, experts agree that kids have the most success grade skipping if it's done before the ninth grade. After the ninth grade, it's my opinion that grades should not be skipped, but the focus should be on early graduation.The best part about grade skipping is the time you save your child in life. The arguments about missing out socially are, in my experience, overrated. Most of the time kids are herded in a classroom and not allowed to talk. How can anyone socially interact without talking? So, social interaction has to occur in the few minutes between classes or at recess, leaving real interaction for extracurricular activities. I'm a big fan of grade skipping and I think it can benefit, not only bright kids, but society.Part II will discuss how to grade skip.Donna Betancourt Co-author: You're gonna miss the prom? A True Life Account and Guide Book for Gifted Kids and author of Before College Book for Women: Protecting Yourself from Campus Crime. Her daugher skipped kindergarten and high school, entering full-time college at the age of 13. You can read more on this topic at http://www.extremeintellect.com
Keyword : gifted, children, grade skipping, acceleration, iq, smart kids, school, parenting, family, iq tests
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