acs - I am not sure I know what I want to accomplish through grade skip as much as what I want to avoid. I want to avoid my dd having to endure the mind numbing drudgery of repetitve instruction on topics she mastered over three years ago. I want to avoid her feeling like a complete misfit because no one else is capable of performing even close to her level. I want to avoid her learning how to hide her abilities and thus, her true self in order to *fit in* with *everyone else*.
I agree that each year will bring something positive, but my problem is - will one small positive overshadow the many negatives? Her K year has been a great one solely b/c of an awesome teacher. Even her K teacher worries about moving her on to 1st grade.
Much of this has to do more with personality (of your children, the school, your family) than just academic ability. DS was reading at about 4th grade level when he started K. But he would sit in circle time hand raised enthusiastically ready to identify the "letter of the day!" He was just so happy to be at school and happy to participate. That spark has really never faded.
By 3rd, he had negotiated for himself a year subject acceleration in math, which quickly became 2 years and now 3 years. I don't know how he does it, but he manages to get what he needs, enjoys being with his class (even the "thugs"), and is never bored. None of the things you worry about have ever happened.
The psych who tested him said he had never seen an HG+ kid this happy in public school, so perhaps our story is rare, but I don't think it's unique. I think a lot of our luck comes from the fact that DS is an extreme extrovert, socially gifted, and confident. He arrived that way--I don't take much credit.
My point is not to brag about my son (even though I like to get to do that), but to use him to demonstrate the huge role personality played in our decision to not skip him.
