--And the biggest thing: If we start her in all standard classes, and try to move her after a quarter, she'll have to make yet another transition, and get dropped into the higher level classes mid stream, which I think would be more stressful.
I agree Marieg!
Bingo!
and I read the write ups - LOL, they say that having alternate assigments in her HAL English 6 would be 'isolating' yet they didn't have a similar fear of having her do independent book assignments in the 'Core' English....
My son skipped 5th, and he did get tripped up on the Math. He also was 'overwhelmed' by the increased product. What saved him was his typing speed. I'd offer her big bucks to become proficient at touch typing if she isn't already. Older kids tend to have more stamina and be able to stay up later to do homework in setting were kids are getting 1 to 2 hours a night - typing was the great leveler - my son could do the work in one third the time and still get to bed mostly on his typing speed.
Given her IQ scores, I hardly think a 1.5 year acceleration is 'beyond the scope of acceleration reccomendation.' And I do think that choice A may place her with kids who have a different relationship with learning and school than choice B, or as they put it: 'may not foster peer relationships.'
You already know how much writing is going to be assigned for HAL english 6, so you are in a great position to understand how much work seems expected at your school. If she could do it as a 4th grader, then she certianly can do it next year. How much harder will social studies be than english?
As for math, I'd be strongly tempted to have her do the equavalent of 5th and regular 6th grade math over the summer so that you can be sure that you can go for option B without missing the chance to 'allowing exposure to critial components of 5th grade curriculum.' ALEKS math is a quick online way to see where she stands. Would I then push for her to get HAL Math and Science next year? Depends on your kid, but I've noticed that one main cause of perfectionism, is the specific lack of self confidence that comes from lack of academic challenge. First see how she does with ALEKS, and then you can always suggest it in the fall. In the long run she gets there when she is ready - because your school is terrific!!!!
Love and More Love,
Grinity
