Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy How to ask the right questions....

We are meeting with the school this Wednesday - Our Psychologist, the GT Coordinator, the school's psychologist, teacher, et. al, should be in attendance.

This meeting was called by our psychologist after receiving the WISC-IV test scores. The main goal of this meeting is to discuss the scores, and determine the next steps.

In our last meeting, I did ask the principal what she is open to, with regards to grade skipping/acceleration, etc. She said she is open to anything. So, that's good. My DD6, is already the youngest in the 1st grade class with her Sept birthday. Grade skipping was brought up one time, however the principal did make the point that "technically" is already a grade ahead.

So here's the question I have and I want to know how to tactfully bring it up in the meeting --

"Which is worse socially?

A - Being in the class with kids the same age, but pulled out for special advanced classes and being singled out as the "smart one"

OR

B - Grade Skipping and being the youngest in the class, but with intellectual peers."

How should I broach that question - should I ask it just like that or is there another approach?

I don't know which is worse, but in our experience with DD6, being in a kindergarten class with age peers and being pulled out for reading and math to do with the 1st graders was not a good social move. It wasn't so much because she was singled out as the smart one, but more that she seemed to get the feeling that she didn't really fit into either class. Since we've moved her up to gr 1 fulltime, she is much happier socially, even though she is still not quite with her intellectual peers, they are at least closer. (In Colorado you must be 5 by July 1st of the year you are to start kindergarten, and our district does not allow for early entrance, that's why she started the year in kinder and not 1st).

So much depends upon the personality of the child.

When I was a kid, I was pulled out for reading with the class 2 years ahead, and it was definitely a good fit for me. But then, I was always a bit of a social chameleon (in a good way), and so the social thing never bothered me. I had friends in both grades and the one in between.

I don't know whether a grade skip would have been better for me or not, of course, but the subject acceleration was fine. More challenge would definitely have been an improvement, but I'm not sure a grade skip would have accomplished that any more than subject acceleration did. I think I'd have needed a different curriculum altogether to get that, and that just rarely happens in public school. It sure didn't happen in the 70s/80s in public school!

Personally, I think you're asking a question to which there is no right or wrong answer. Some kids do better with a grade skip and some do better with subject acceleration. You just have to think about how your particular child does with agemates and older kids, and make your best guess.

<shrug>

I'm sorry that I'm not more help...