Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Grade skip question

Hi all,

I have a question about my eldest (8). He goes to an ability grouped school and has effectively skipped to grade 4.

For those whose kids skipped or who skipped themselves: how hard or easy was the skip initially?

For mine, the work in the core subjects (reading/LA, spelling) is marginally more difficult. In spelling for example, he says that the bonus words "can be challenging!" He does very well on reading tests. Science is pretty easy but they do new topics (eg plants) and so he enjoys it. That said, I think he could have just done the grade 5 course (he likes to listen in on the grade 5 lesson during study time after he's done his work). He heard them talking about traits one day and asked me to tell him all about traits on the way home. Now he uses the word/concept all the time.

He really enjoys subjects like social studies (state history in grade 4) and music. Great.

Math is a mish-mash, with his teacher getting him through the stuff in 6-8 that we skipped last year and me covering the algebra. This area is mostly a reasonable challenge. The goal is to get it all done this year so he can do geometry next year, though I expect to continue going through elements of 2nd year algebra with him then. He likes it and besides, I don't want him to start forgetting stuff.

My concern is that spelling and science and possibly reading are still too easy. I don't really know what to do. On the one hand, he seems mostly happy, but on the other hand, there's still the issue of lack of challenge. My feeling right now is that a move up in science would be a good thing. I'm less concerned about reading and spelling. Some easy stuff is good.

I don't want to push him if he doesn't want to move forward, nor do I want him to feel overwhelmed. But I do think he'd benefit from the more technical 5th grade science. Yet I don't want to be pushy...I'm planning on bringing the 5th grade book home to examine, but I don't really know how to approach the teacher (see: not wanting to be pushy). Advice welcome.

I know this is a nice problem to have! But I still wonder about what to do.

Advice welcome.

Thanks.

Val

I don't know. My DS is almost 6 and is now in 2nd. It's mostly too easy for him, except maybe writing. I'm struggling with some of the same issues you're seeing.

He could go up a grade in science, math and reading. Probably spelling, too. For now, we're in a holding pattern.

Does your DS complain at all? Mine mostly doesn't, which is one reason for my hesitation.

Val

Each kid is so different that I don't want anything I say to be taken as any kind of actual advice, just varying perspectives.

When I skipped first, I think I was challenged for about 2 weeks before I had essentially caught up and wasn't challenged anymore and I don't happen to think I am nearly as gifted as many of the kids represented on this board. I think for most HG+ kids a single skip is just a drop in the bucket. You are simply not going to meet their academic needs without more. Socially those skips may be also getting them closer to their intellectual and social peers, but it may instaed be getting them further out of synch with their peers. This depends a lot on personality. And the in synch/out of synch question may not become clear until the classmates are in puberty.

We have not skipped DS, but we have done combinations of subject acceleration and differentiation. For us, the goal has been to have one or two areas where he is truly challenged and several areas where he coasts and no areas where he is truly bored. Usually we take the areas where he is truly bored and target them for acceleration and let the other areas ride. Even at 13, he is still a child and needs lots of play time, lots of time with his friends, plenty of day-dreaming, lots of out-door free play and time to pursue his own projects (right now a novel for NaNoWriMo). We also insist on music lessons/practice and a certain amount of family learning (reading books together, educational travel etc) If we challenged him in all areas at the levels he his capable of, he would have very little free time to pursue the things he loves.

So I guess the short answer is that we are not looking for him to be fully challenged in every academic area. We are looking for balance with opportunities for challenge, social engagement, relaxation, and family time.

I hope this helps.

It does help. Thanks for putting it so well. You wrote a lot of what I think about in disjointed ways, and your ideas are a major reason for why I'm thinking about another acceleration in one subject only.

I haven't mentioned that he's very, very science-y and engineering-y, which is why I'm thinking about asking for an acceleration into 5th grade science. He thrives on technical stuff.

Val

Hi Val,
Glad it helps! I think much of it is looking at the big picture of where you want to be in the long run. Our guiding principal is that we are trying to create the foundation for a well-adjusted, well-rounded adult. The recipe for each kid on how to get there is different for each kid.

For science, do look at what he would be doing in the next grade up. Our school has been very weak on science and frankly there would be no point in moving up for science until 7th grade which is the first time has moved beyond growing seeds in a cup. DS's science happens mostly at home. We read a lot of science books for bedtime reading and we have science magazines around. There is a lot of great science that is never actually covered in our schools, so we have gone with the breadth at home approach rather than counting on the schools for this one. It sounds like your school is very different from ours, though, so it may well be worth the acceleration for your DS.

CFK--I love the posts where you contrast your two kids! Somehow the example of a parent making different decisions for 2 HG kids just brings the personal nature of decision-making into focus.

One of the funny things that happens in my brain is that b/c DS is not accelerated and is in a regular school, I start to think that he isn't as gifted as I think he is; that I'm nuts. When I see kids that are way accelerated or kids that are homeschooling and working at very high levels I start to think that either I am delusional about DS's abilities or I'm a bad mom for not pushing him. There are so many mind games we can play with ourselves. I always feel a little saner after reading CFK's posts!

acs, would it help to know that my brother (who is easily more gifted than I am, and in more areas) did not skip any grades and turned down an opportunity to participate in the U. of Wash. early entrance program? He was happy in high school and very involved with his extra-curricular activities. He turned out just fine, studied physics in college and is now an endodontist.

I was the miserable one, and a grade skip helped me escape to college a little sooner.

As for DS, he is starting to complain a bit, now. Nothing happens fast enough. For example, he wants to finish the math facts timed tests but is only allowed to pass one per week. He is starting to tell me that there is nothing interesting at school. At home, he is asking me tons of questions about astronomy lately and we've been reading and looking things up online. He is reading Kipling's The Jungle Book. I feel like he's pushing for more.

If this helps -

I felt my dd really should have skipped Kindergarten and in hindsight could have really started school in 2nd grade. In fact both her Kindy teacher and 2nd Grade teacher have said she could have easily done the academic work and probably should have skipped but she is very shy and has a hard time making friends. The school also has a policy of not accelarating or retaining for that matter. As I have said before 1st Grade was a disaster but 2nd is going beautifully. It really seems to depend on the teacher. Sorry I don't have any hindsight for you but I must admit that some of the school's social development issues with my dd were warranted. Although I do wonder if she would have fewer social issues in a class with kids who are where she is. To end my circular discussion my dd is not very extreme and with a really good teacher can thrive in her current grade. How do you feel about the teachers? Can you participate in the class selection for your child?

<in my best Star Wars voice>

The GT denial is strong in this one!

In my defense, I didn't actually have this problem until I started reading books on giftedness (many of which said that HG+ kids typically needed major accomidations and it was the rare exception who was able to spend 12 years in public school) and hanging out with all of you whose kids amaze me every day!

LOL! The kids would probably love that.

OOHHH NOOOO!!!!

I did the same thing! I was at a service academy and had a perfect 100 for the whole 6 months there until the next to the last test. I finished early, double-checked my work, had the instructor and the assistant both ask me, "Are you sure you have checked your work?" and turned the test in. For my arrogance and insensitivity to their body language, I missed the two questions on the back of the last test sheet.

Val: I have an 8 year old boy who has had one grade skip, although it looks more like 1.5 to 2 since he was a young summer birthday in a school district that holds kids back. He is in 4th grade, much like your son. We did get a subject acceleration in science this year, which has helped immensely. So I think of 4th grade as his base camp where he can stay with kids who are age appropriate (or +2 years) for most of the day. He then goes up to 7th grade in science for some intellectual stimulation.

This has been a wonderful compromise for my DS8. He is still bored academically in 4th grade. He struggles to read books that are way below his ability due to lack of interest. However he currently packs The Hobbit in his backpack every day and reads it in class when he finishes assignments early. But to him, this year is going well because he has finally found a good group of social buddies to hang out with. He can find ways of stimulating his love of learning outside of the school... but since he is an only child, having those buddies at school is really important to him.

It is a hard call to know when to leave the child in their current situation, even if they are bored, or when to accelerate them further. I guess I would listen to the child. They will let you know if they need a change. The flip side of that is this: DS said, post science acceleration, that he couldn't believe how awful 4th grade science was compared to 7th grade science. He is like a kid on Christmas morning with the new science challenges... complete and utter joy! (and getting an A in the class!) He would never have known that such happiness could exist if he had not been accelerated.

This is great advice. Thanks. I have a feeling that my DS8 might react the same way to jumping ahead in this subject. He ADORES science.

We were talking about the relative level of difficulty of school today. He told me that overall, it's "moi-cile" which means a mix between medium (moyenne) and easy (facile; he speaks French). He said this last year a month or two before he started really complaining (as opposed to mild complaining).

I asked him what his easiest subject was and he surprised me by saying science. I was NOT expecting that. I figured spelling or reading. They were facile too, he supposed. Social studies was moyenne, which I was glad to hear.

I looked at the 5th grade book and it's much more detailed. It discusses cellular organelles, for example, and has more detail about types of plants. What I saw told me that it would be right up his alley. I saw a copy of the book at a local library bookstore for 50c, and will pick it up for him. You can't go wrong for fifty cents in this regard.

I think I'll try to move this forward at the parent-teacher conference later this month. (Advice appreciated.)

Val