Ametrine
I think most pre-k's don't test because they don't need the information. Our DS 5 just finished a "very academic" pre-k where they did worksheets and pseudo-book reports and there was a huge range of abilities and knowledge. They helped the kids with their letters and numbers. The fact that my DS reads books ranging from 3 to 6th grade depending on subject was not really relevant to what they did with them. They had no problem with him reading when he had free time but they virtually ignored it as they considered it their job to teach him social skills. In retrospect he was SOOOOOO bored by the end but we had no way of knowing that when I signed him up(at 2, started at 2.5) and nowhere to send him once we knew what we were dealing with. We tested privately first for information. Then he was tested to get into gifted schools for K. But there is no skipping where we are so we are stuck. And he got into an excellent gifted program and he is likely still really far ahead in reading. I am a bit concerned but am hoping that as a gifted school they will be more amenable to teaching to where he is.
Pre-K was really good for DS in terms of writing which my posts from just last year show him delayed. He is not now. Just the fact of regular repetitions of writing his name and the expectation of drawing etc really helped. I don't know how much my DS would care about the physical differences resulting from a skip as they are already apparent. There were kids in his class who could climb trees and DS couldn't or wouldn't yet was the same age. But I agree with Grinity about practice and exposure. DS always ran so pathetically, the kids in class would lap him he was so slow, regular soccer and regular swimming and he is much stronger. He lives so much in his head that he would never choose the physical first but does enjoy it once doing it. Still I wouldn't stop a skip over it if the disparity really requires it.
Testing is great for showing you what you may or may not see, some of us used it for confirmation we weren't crazy, others to understand differences, others just to get into programs. Still others didn't test because there was no need to validate it that way.
If he has never been in any program, starting with pre-k isn't a bad idea even if he is ahead and then perhaps seeing if a K skip is possible. Rather than focusing on this from the pre-k side, you might want to start researching your area for options. It might help you see what you need to do, who you need to talk to and what options are available.
Just some thoughts,
DeHe
