Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Need advice. Stuck and hesitant to grade skip.

We were in a similar position as you a year ago, except DS(now 6y9m)was in K. He was happy with age-peers and also involved in sports but he didn't see school as a place to learn. He was becoming content with just the social aspects. My advice would be to not worry about making a decision until you get your hands on as much information as you can - read A Nation Deceived, give your son the Iowa Acceleration Scale and read the manual, listen to the pros and cons of grade skips by experts and people who have done it. Keep your options open by preparing DS for the end of year test. *Then* go with your gut feeling .

In the end, my DS skipped 1st grade based on my gut feeling (after obsessively seeking out information . It's still easy for him, but at least he's now challenged in some areas like writing. I have no regrets. The skip was fairly seamless. There was no teasing. The only negative so far is that there are some kids who are in cliques that are hard for him to break into, but he doesn't care *that* much about it. Plus, this may have happened without a skip.

You need to look at the requirements within your district if you are considering a grade skip. In our district a student is required to pass the reading, math, science and social studies credit by exam tests with at least an 85%. Most advanced students do not have problems with the reading and math but the social studies and science test can hold them back simply because they may not have been exposed to the material. In this circumstance, it may be necessary to teach some of the material at home before taking the test.

Don't you wish someone had given you a crystal ball when you became a mom so you could see the future? It's so hard to make some of these decisions!
I have four kids, at least 3 of whom are gifted. They are VERY different. What has worked for one has been disastrous for another, so my best advice is to really trust yourself as a mom that you know your child best. Use that to make your decision. It sounds like you already know that if your child doesn't learn to move through challenges and develop problem-solving skills now, it will only be more frustrating and damaging to his self-esteem later.
We decided to move our second child ahead after first grade. I wish we had done it sooner. We used an evaluation process called the Iowa Acceleration Scale, which was fantastic. It uses a lot of different information, including IQ tests, academic performance tests, teacher input, family interviews, etc. to help make a decision about acceleration. It can help families and schools decide what level of acceleration is appropriate for the child (grade level, subject level, etc.) It really helped us because it took some of the stress off of us as parents. We weren't just saying, "Hey, we think our kid is really smart." The total evaluation was saying, "Hey, this kid is able to function way beyond his grade peers and needs intervention. These are the things that would be appropriate." The IAS also provides planning for follow-up to see if the decisions that were made are working.
Our son is now in fourth grade and he's doing pretty well. He is still above grade level in a lot of areas, but is more challenged than he was. He's made friends and our G/T teacher is working with him on social issues. He does sports and, while he isn't the best on his team, he is also not the worst. Overall, acceleration has been a good decision for our son.
Best of luck to you!