Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Grade skipping thoughts

We've ended up with an interesting opportunity out of the blue that's still developing, but I'd like to think this through before I need to really decide.

We undid a homeschool grade skip for our DD for a variety of reasons, placing her back into her age grade although she works roughly 2-3 years ahead across the board.

The details need to be hashed out, but she has been unofficially invited to particapate in the music program in a neighboring district. This district is highly competitive in developing musicians in their band and orchestra and often compete at the state level for their marching band. This is for an instrument she's been playing for only a month or two. This is her second instrument, and we never considered her gifted in music, just able and interested.

She has a few friends at the school because she participates in a club sport. I'm not sure if she would need to be enrolled, but I don't think we'd be interested in it full time, anyhow.

The quandary is that I think she would then officially be grade skipped again making her less competitive on certain tests, competitions, etc. How does it work if a homeschooler takes a B&M school class?

We don't know how gifted she is- when she saw a pysc a few years ago, she ceilinged a couple of subtests, but was also uncooperative and we ran out of time.

I don't want to put her at a disadvantage by having her participate if we get the green light. She loves math, and I don't want to put her in a situation where she'd miss a cut off on a qualifying score to get into camp or something because of her official on-paper grade. She's already on the young end for her age-grade.

Any experience?

If your child is already working 2-3 years ahead across the board, what's the purpose of keeping her in the lower grade?

Otherwise, it seems like a tension between "learning" and "winning." I favor the former.

I can't worry about what ifs for things I have no control over. I only worry about what is right for my child right now. (I won't jeopardize college scholarship status is the one exception).

The thing is if my kid has needs great enough that he needs skipping then he will be competitive in the next grade up too...maybe he won't win but maybe that will be good for him too. I'd rather a well fought loss than a win in a division that isn't a challenge.

When they tested my child for a third grade skip in math he knew 84% of the 3rd grade math. They then gave him the 4th grade math and he knew 75% of that content. If they had given him 5th grade test he probably would have known 65-70 percent of that. Can they say that most of the kids entering 5th grade would have that high a mastery already? He could have done well in 5th grade math.

If your child is competitive one year doesn't matter.

You've received great advice already. I'll just add two things:

1) You may wish to learn all you can on the subject of underachievement, especially:
- how underachievement may develop when there's not a challenge worthy of one's potential,
- brain changes which may occur,
- the difficulty in reversing underachievement.

2) You may wish to become familiar with the concept of developing a growth mindset.

If whole grade acceleration is contemplated at some point in the future, you may wish to be aware of the Iowa Acceleration Scale (IAS) and supporting research.

Not winning. Just the opportunity to compete.

She was grade skipped initially by a professional, and we agonized over undoing it.

I guess what I'm asking is- has anyone missed an opportunity because their grade was too high on paper? I do know of some who lost scholarship money when they undid a grade skip in high school.

We won't be undoing our grade skip...if he needs a gap year or a year to study abroad...we might consider that. But no need to undo.

Leaving aside the question of appropriate grade placement for a moment...before you expend too much energy agonizing, I would confirm that this would actually affect her nominal grade placement. It is by no means unheard of, or even all that unusual, for age-typical students to "play up" in invitation/audition-only sports, music, dance, arts, etc.

It's like the freshman who play on the varsity team. No one thinks it makes them ineligible for competing as ninth graders in other areas, or for playing all four years of high school.

Based on other information you've provided, a grade that is "too high on paper" may be indicative of lack of challenge in one's zone of proximal development. This can lead to onset of a fixed mindset, and underachievement (possibly combined with perfectionism and procrastination). If this occurs, there is a huge loss of opportunity.

Will she only be taking this one class? I am not sure why she'd officially need a grade level if she is homeschooled otherwise. Maybe I am missing something, but aeh's example makes sense to me.