So I would ask myself -- what does my child get out of skipping? Nearly every time I thought about it, the final answer was "shortened childhood and joining the workforce early".
I have some ideas about your question.
My son (10) skipped two grades. He finally does work that's interesting and not too easy. Ditto for my daughter (5), with one skip and lots of subject accelerations. They aren't underchallenged in school. They also get to take classes that aren't super-easy for them. This is important for learning how to solve hard problems when they grow up.
I don't think that skipping a grade equals ending childhood early. The point of skipping a grade is to challenge them in school, not to push them into the workforce early. These are totally different things.
I'm planning to give my kids time between college and high school, if they want it. They can do internships, get part-time jobs, do a sport, or take classes at a community college. They can do two or more of these things at once. It will be up to them.
The reality is that if a five-year-old is working three years above age-level, there is nothing a kindergarten classroom can offer her. These kids tend to fit in better with older kids, as well. Their minds are functioning more like the minds of older kids in many cases.
Val
