Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion 6th grade in elementary or MS?

Our school has 6th grade in Middle School with 7th and 8th. They are considering moving it to the elementary next year, and have sent home surveys about it. I'm not really sure what I think.

I went to 6th as part of elementary, and 7th and 8th were Junior High back then. I certainly think my life would have been worse in 6th grade if it had been in the Junior High -- 7th grade was bad enough! I went to a church school in 8th grade to escape from it, but then went to the regular High School.

My DS11 skipped 6th grade, although technically he was in mostly 6th grade classes during 5th last year. I don't know if it would have made any difference to him if it had been in the elementary.

The school is all on one campus -- elementary is in one building, MS/HS in another with some outbuildings as well, and after the construction they are starting in January, the elementary will be connected by hallway to the rest -- the cafeteria is for everyone, and the little kids have to go outside to get to it for lunch now.

Any thoughts on the subject? DD7 won't be worrying about it for several years.

I would not want 6th in with 7/8. To me, 5 and 6 are upper elementary and should be treated as such. Our district is a little unusual. We have 5 elementary schools that go K-4. In 5th grade, all 5 of the schools come together in one building that is called the 5th grade house. Then for 6th, they move to another building that stands alone and is called the 6th grade house. 7 and 8th grade come together at the Middle School and then 9-12 are housed at the High School.

I like it this way.

It depends on the specific school and how nurturing the environment is. In a small nurturing environment, it is great to have the 6th graders with the older kids because it allows for mentoring and it allows for more advancement and differentiation because the proximity often allows the 6th grader to take above level classes. In a different environment, the 6th grader can be bullied or exposed to some really negative things...

Strictly from a selfish standpoint I like the middle school model (6th with 7th and 8th) because it opens the curriculum earlier such that algebra instruction in 6th is a prospect and other possibilities for bridging higher. Also, that follows the IB middle years.

My kids have done both within the same school system (the school moved its 6th grade from at K-6 model to a K-5, 6-12 model) and it has worked fine both ways. From my experience it is a matter of the school environment as a whole. From what I have seen, there are definitely differences in "sophistication" between 6th grade students based on where they go to school, but I haven't seen a correlation with whether 6th grade is elementary school versus middle school so much as how large the school is, how involved the parents are in the school, and especially what the particular group of kids within a grade at said school just happens to be like. YMMV. Too, we have done subject acceleration with my kids in both situations and it has worked either way. Our situation was like yours, though, where the elementary and middle/high school were essentially on the same campus.

I think two things to consider are these:
1) If it is K-6, are the 6th graders protected from exposure to a more "sophisticated" culture? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
2) If it is K-5, are the 6th graders ready for the increased responsibility and challenge that comes from a different teacher for every class and more autonomy? Some kids are very ready for this while others have a big adjustment that requires more guidance.

Since junior high was the first time I was presented with effective ability grouping, I would have welcomed it a year earlier with open arms.

For my DD8, I would have to look at what accommodations she's receiving at the elementary school level (which are finally pretty good), and compare that to what's available to her in the middle school, before making up my mind.

Before I can answer that, I'd want to know:
How would foreign language, music, performance, service, athletic, and club opportunities change?

What is the tone of the middle school, one that is supportive of differences, works to teach another path through "mean girl" years, and works to develops an adolescent's sense of self?

What are the needs of your population? One for more differentiation that can handle multiple teachers and the organizational demands of middle school, or a general population that needs an extra year of nurturing with a smaller cohort and fewer adults to answer to?

What does the leadership of the elementary school and middle school look like? Is there a better fit with one principal than another?

A lot of good ideas, and good questions -- thank you!

I don't think I really have an opinion -- which is unusual for me, as I usually have several opinions on everything! It all amounts to the same thing, though, in the end.

My DS 10 in 5th grade goes to private middle school, it is 5th -8th grade all together. It works great for us. There was some adjustment. He was 2 years accelerated in math and reading/LA in 1st-3rd so he was used to switching classes a bit. Being in middle school he gets to go to morning math classes 2 times a week and to math counts at night once a week, which is all the kids that want to attend from 5th - 8th. The sports are grouped 5-6, 7-8.

In our district we have k-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9-12 buildings with dds school being the exception as a k-6.
I like 5-6 being in their own building. It is a tender time of life where behaviorally kids can go down the wrong path, it is nice to have them all harbored together with teachers trained to deal with their emotional needs.