Is my son too smart for kindergarten?

Question

He is 5 and a half and he is going to be starting kindergarten in August (his birthday was in Sept. so they wouldnt let him go last year) My brother says I should just have him tested for 1st grade but Im not sure cause I really dont want him to be behind everyone else but I also dont want him to get bored in Kindergarten.

He knows how to count to one hundered

He can add and subtract lil numbers like 3+2 and 5+4 and so on, he can subtract those also

He can tell you where alot of countries are on a map and states too

He also knows alot about animals and what they eat and where they live

He can write all of the alphabet even lower case and he can sound out words, and find words that sound the same and start with the same letter.

Im not trying to brag on here i just really need to know what I should do so please only serious answers.

Answer 1

i dunno, i skipped second grade for this reason when i was  in school, graduated high school at 16 ( had all my credits plus 3)....its not as good as it sounds, by the time you are just getting old enough to run around any, or spend time with your friends, youre out of school, and face it, schools friends are who you run around with the most at that age.so i never really got to enjoy high school, everyone was older then me so i was just "the kid" I dont think i would skip my daughter a grade if it came up, while its good academically, i also think kids ought to be able to be kids.

Answer 2

I would have him tell you (your son) if he wants to go to first grade after entering kindergarten. I mean, like you dont want him to miss out on all the fun activities that kindergarteners have, plus make friends his age, or even miss out on some experiences. Kindergarten also teaches children how to behave, share, play with other kids, and other things rather than educational stuff like math/reading/geography/etc.

Otherwise, if you feel strongly then talk to the school principal and see what will work out. Best of Luck!

Answer 3

If I were you I would put him in Kindergarten.  My daughter knew all the stuff before she started and she is not at all bored.  You'll be surprised at how much more he will learn (socially and academically).

Answer 4

the best way is two give him a test B or above send him to first grade

Answer 5

My pediatrician told me to try the grade before you skip your child.  He said that it is alot easier to skip a grade then to hold him back a grade.  Children need kindergarten...If after kindergarten he needs to go to grade 2 then that is great.

Answer 6

Good for him that he knows a lot...however, he would not be bored as Kdgn is for socialization as well...he needs to play to be a well rounded individual...there's no sense in pushing him...in Grade One, he will be very young, and maybe not up to the task of learning and sitting at a desk...

Answer 7

I would let him go to Kindergarten.  In my daughter's Kindergarten class, there is a huge range of abilities.  Some kids were reading books in September, while others were still working on letter identification.  I found that her teachers were able to meet the needs of the entire class.  I don't know about your school system, but in ours, kids are constantly working in groups.  One group might be reading books, while another group is working on letter sounds.   One group is doing more advanced math (counting coins) while another group is counting to 100.  I think we're lucky in that we have a teacher, and aide, parent helpers, and several specialists that help out on a daily basis.  So, there are enough adults to make this work.  Our reading specialist not only works with those kids who are struggling, but comes in once a week to work with advanced readers.  So, if you have this kind of support in your classroom, I'd definitely put your son in Kindergarten.  Plus, he's probably on the same level as other Kindergartners when it comes to music, P.E., art, etc.  When it comes to field trips, playground time, lunch, birthday parties and playdates, he'll probably want to be with kids his own age.  Good luck with your decision.

Answer 8

go ahead and have him tested cause he sound like 2nd grade material.pretty smart 4 a 5 yr old!

Answer 9

My son just turned five and can read and recall mundane facts from years ago. He took the kindergarten test and maxed out. The problem: Alot of gifted kids (sounds like you've got one) may act out if they become bored, and seem to have a short attention span if they are not being challenged. SO do you send them to Kindergarten will they will excel past the other kids, but possibly act up, when they are done 15 minutes ahead of everyone else, or send them to 1st grade where the will be the youngest, smallest, and have less practice with the school routine? It's a conundrum. No harm in letting him take the test. At least you'll know if he can cut the work, but rather or not he is mature enough, will be something you have to judge and decide on. Best of luck.

Answer 10

I would go ahead and allow him to start in kindergarten.  It is possible that he needs a stepping stone for school for such things as social skills as well as education.  If they feel that he is bored or capable to skip a grade trust me there will be many opportunities for you to talk with teacher about this.   Once he is in school keep an open dialogue with him about what he likes and doesn't like.  If at that point he feels he would like to go up a grade then go from there.

Answer 11

We are having the same delimma actually. I have signed our son up for both kindergarten and 1st grade, and have explained it to the school, they are very understanding. Ask your son what he wants and try your hardest to not put your personal feelings into it. In our case, we have decided that if our son does not get one of the 24 full kindergarten slots, we will put him in 1st grade. He is eager to learn and wants to be with children of his own age, which is the 1st graders. He wants and needs a full day program, and the only reason we agreed to put him in the full day kindergarten rather than 1st grade was because then he could feel smarter than the other kids, however, there can be problems with that too. I know how hard of a decision it is, no matter what you decide, I'm sure it will be perfect for your son. I'd love to chat with you about our strangely similar situation, my eMail is [e-mail] Please feel free to contact me. Good Luck!

Answer 12

have child take test if better than 75% put him in 1st dont worry about him making friends