Just thinking about next year and wondering if our son should skip first grade.
What would warrant a full skip? Completion of an end-of-the-year test for first grade at the beginning of first? Is it okay to ask for that?
I think this depends on much more than the child's level in various subjects. There is a lot to think about -- will the child want to do academic or sports competitions that may be grade based later? Will he likely be ready to leave home earlier? Are there good options for delaying if he doesn't want to do early college? What options exist for learning in the current grade? in the grade above? In middle school? In high school? Is there a level at which the district might meet his needs, or will this always be not enough? Is there a gifted program that might help find peers but not begin until a certain grade?
One concern is whether a year skip helps much. If a student is advanced by a few years, one skip doesn't offer much benefit academically. It may be worthwhile to get to a higher level sooner if another school or program fits better, but one year isn't that much different. One thing that does change with advancement tends to be workload and if you have a kid who is pushing and wanting to learn, increasing too easy school workload can interfere with time for enrichment learning at an appropriate level.
These are very individual decisions based partly on ability, but also on local resources, family dynamics, future goals, and personality.
