We had a great meeting with the middle school (gifted coordinator, guidance counselor, district superintendent, current 4th grade teacher, middle school prinicpal and mom and dad) to discuss the plan for DD10's acceleration into 6th.
Background: Currently takes 6th grade gifted reading,gifted math (within grade) and regular other classes. WISC-IV GAI is 156, Explore tested 22 composite with 25 in english and reading, 21 science, 17 in math. Putting plan in place to transition to 6th grade in fall. In the middle school, math and science are tied by level (you cannot do a higher science without a higher level math and they explained why. It made sense.)
Option A: all standard 6th grade classes. They feel the transition to 6th grade for any child is hard enough, and combined with a grade skip could be doubly hard. Would give her time to settle in, build up math (whichi isn't at a 6th grade advanced or gifted level) and in the first quarter, assuming a happy transition, move her to gifted reading, literature and social studies. Math and Science would be at grade level. End of the year she would move to all gifted classes (except for math which would be advanced but not the gifted-2 yr-ahead class). Disadvantages: she'd have to spend a quarter in easier classes, and even when moved to gifted reading, would essentially be repeating the course work if not the books. Advantage is it make the transition easier. She needs confidence in math, depsite her high test scores. It is also possible that she'd be challenged enough with just plain 6th grade (although we know the reading would be too easy. I mean, she completed 6th grade gifted reading this year with an A).
Option B: Gifted social studies, reading and literature, standard math and science. She'd continue in this track until the end of the year, and move to all gifted except for math (it would be advanced) in 7th grade. The end result is the exact same for A and B. The only difference is where she starts. Some concerns from the school on diving in too fast, and potentially have to move back down to standard classes if the pace, homework and just the whole change is overwhelming. DD10 can get frustrated and is a perfectionist. She might struggle more than she envisions. The school said they have no doubts she'd do well, but it might be too much too soon.
The school feels strongly it is better to start in A and move to B after a short transition period. They spent a great deal of time outling the positives and negatives to both (I received a full written sheet for each option). Kudos to the school for being sensitive and wanting her to be well rounded and emtionally ok and not just academically challenged. I appreciated that. I am leaning toward A.
