I had done one skip in grade 3-5. With a group and socially that worked. I think it is easier to merge and I am totally pro-skip. My kid could have left her school and gone back to public and gone from 7-9, she has a Sept bday. But she didn't want to leave her school. Academically her school is accelerated, hence, the ability to do the skip seamlessly. But in hindsight, I am glad she didn't want to do the skip. One, her school is very challenging. They go an hour longer per day than public and have a larger course load. But I am finding the social stuff going on now is pretty aggressive. Her school has 2 levels of testing to get in, so you have a certain type of kid. In public schools the sex and drinking/drugs start in 7th grade for many, it started in 9th for DD's school. And it is about 25% of the kids compared to many of the kids in 8th grade public -- even in this nice neighborhood and gifted classes--experimenting with opioids. I was shocked also. In Ontario, parents do not have to be notified if a kid has an abortion and the nurse practioner told me that many of the 9th grade kids are coming in for abortions. This is a very different environment than what I grew up in. I find that the social pressures and all kids have hormones and like someone, are way different. Negotiating puberty and the stuff that changes overnight might be harder for full grade skips. I think you have to be a very involved parent through the grades 7-10 if your kid is skipping. DD just did math acceleration through CTY for challenge and Chinese on the side. And had extracurriculars to keep her busy. As I said, from my experience, totally proskip. Now, with the social/risky behavior prevalence out there, I am more hesitant. And never assume "not my kid". DD's school is all HG kids.
