This is not an easy decision because you are picking the least-worst option. (Background: our current DS5.5 skipped K. Technically this was called early admissions to first. We're two months into 1st.)
This really depends on the child. If your K is half day and your 1st is all day, take into consideration that all day school is really tough on little ones. Not that you shouldn't do it, but this is something to think about. DS doesn't act out at school, but when he gets home about half the time he's bouncing off the walls/over tired. On those days we have "brain break" which is a short nap for him after school. Sometimes it helps. Usually, though, by bedtime he's just crazy wild and over tired. We've even shifted up bedtime to help and it's helped some. In fact this morning when he woke up tired, he actually asked to go to bed a half hour earlier! It's pretty stressful on DW and I and I worried a lot about DS. I've shifted my work schedule to help make sure that he gets off to school okay and we have a reasonable dinner time bed time.
And even after skipping into 1st, the work is well, well below his academic abilities in reading in math. It's great that he's getting some other things that we don't talk about at home, but we're having to advocate still to make sure that he gets interesting work. And when it comes down to it, I think we've settled on making sure he's happy at school and then giving him enrichment at home. (Edwin pointed out to me that this is what he does too...) I don't know how many times I've heard people say that skipping is just the beginning and not the end-all. Well, it's true. It's just the start.
In our district, K's get their own bus and 1-5th get on the same bus. This was a real consideration for us... a 5.5yo on a bus with 5th graders.... Hmm. But DS is mature for his age and he's handled it well. Not too many bad habits. Yet
All that being said, we made the right choice. Others here with two or three children skipped some but not others. I think a lot of it depends on if your child is ready to sit still for a full day of school. DS does that pretty well. (DS2.5 apparently does this better than the other children in his preschool class for 3-4 yos!) Because in either case your child is still going to be far ahead of the other kids.
JB
