HG/PG Dd has been asking to be grade skipped since 1st grade. She's currently in 3rd grade in a self-contained gifted class and still unhappy. The possibility of her skipping into 5th grade next year at a STEM school (5th-12th) has come up and we are exploring it. However I have reservations, the first being she could go to her current school for 4th grade (the 4th grade teacher is awesome), but the academics are still probably sub-par in my opinion). Then she could go to the STEM school for 5th and be very happy there as a true 5th grader since they will TRULY place kids according to test results. So if a 6th grader is capable they will put them in 10th grade math. So once at the STEM school whole grade acceleration isn't really necessary.
My main concern is regarding sports. She's a very talented swimmer and has enormous potential and I worry that getting bumped up a grade will make it more difficult for her to shine competing with kids a year older than she is. Thus... affecting chances of college scholarships. This could end up no longer being an issue if she decides down the road to quit swimming.
Oh and other concerns about 5th grade at the stem school is that this will be their first year having 5th graders and there is no playground. There will only be two 5th grade classes.
Is it selfish to keep dd in her current grade for sports?
