Question:

Should my 6 year old skip 1st grade?

by Guest59133  |  earlier

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My 6 year old son has been attending a private parochial school for the last 3 years that is very advanced. For financial reasons it is extremely doubtful that I can send him back next year. He will be in 1st grade this fall. The problem is that he is miles ahead of the 1st graders, Do I enroll him as a 1st grader where he will definately be bored or risk the social/developmental complications of skipping a grade? HELP!!

More info: He reads on a 2nd grade level, knows addition facts up to 8 subtraction up to 5, can tell time, count money, skip count by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s, and write in cursive just to name a few

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17 ANSWERS


  1. You should be able to do that before your 5. Your son is DUMB! I was in year one at 4!


  2. if you think that he is mature enough to be skipped then talk to the principle and first and second grade teacher. while i know that you are thinking about his education, you have to really think about how he will handle being younger than his peers.

    one of my good friends in high school was skipped a grade.  although she was smart as h**l (she was our valedictorian), she had issues with the fact that she was younger than us so she kinda struggled socially.  

    anyway, just think about it, i know you want to do the best for your child.

  3. We have a son who was very bright for his age and we started him early in Kindergarten. He is now 12 years old and we find that he struggles with being behind in development from his peers. He's almost 18 months younger than some of his classmates and that makes school a little tougher than you might think. Being behind in puberty from your peers can be killer for a boy.

    Enter him in his age appropriate grade and let the teacher know that you want to have have him tested for any gifted programs that they offer during school hours. As parents, it feels good to know that you have an unusually bright kid, but sometimes these bright kids have unique challenges fitting in  and then you throw in physical development and that may make them feel even more unusual.

    Let time tell. My son is in middle school now and he is fine, but we needed to do extra work to keep him balanced socially because at young ages, kids easily come to think they're something special and lose friends because of this attitude. Don't push it and reevaluate when he's older. Good luck.

  4. My mom is a kindergarten teacher and has encountered this dilemma a lot.

    See if the public school has a placement program.  A lot of them do nowadays.  If so, they'll test him in all sorts of ways (including socially) and give you a recommendation.

    If they don't have a placement test, see if they have a gifted & talented program.  I was in one all through elementary and middle school and wouldn't have had it any other way.  I would do most things with the regular class, but twice a week would be taken to a different classroom with the other gifted kids and get special assignments, logic problems, etc.  My regular teacher would also improvise here and there for some assignments.  Like for reading and book reports, the gifted kids would get a more advanced book.  All of the history, social studies, and things like that were kept the same, but for some kids the math would be different.  Some of it was played by ear and some was figured out ahead of time.  Anyway, it was nice because I got to stay with kids my own age, but I was never bored with my schoolwork.

    If the school doesn't have a gifted program, then it's a tough call on your part.  You might ask if his first grade teacher could improvise with him somewhat.  Or if he really is a whole year ahead and there aren't many other options, then try to talk to a second grade teacher about regular social behavior and see if your son matches up with that.  I think a lot of times kids are okay with being jumped ahead.  Even if he's not right there socially, he's pretty likely to get there relatively soon, just because that's what he'll be around.

    Good luck!

  5. I am not going to say "no," because your child will appreciate this when he will be older. Remember when you were a teen in high school or college and wished you would graduate earlier!

  6. NO!!!!!!!!

  7. Only you can decide if your child is emotionally prepared to be in class with older children.  Try speaking with the 2nd grade teacher to determine if your child is mature enough for that class.

  8. When you put him in school the teacher decides to promote him or not. (after seeing what he is capable of)

    Or the teacher will put him in advanced classes with other advanced children and it will follow him till middle school. (Trust me Advanced classes are great I'd recommend this than skipping a grade)

  9. Go ahead & put him in first grade, to give him time to get used to the public school day, get to know the new kids, build social skills, etc.  But, ask the school to test him for gifted differentiation when you register him.

  10. No, do not have him skip 1st grade. Not because of social/ developmental reasons but because what you say your son can do is no big deal. There is more to 1st grade than that, and by the end of the year he will be behind those first graders he didn't go to school with.

  11. My son was 4 when he started kindergarten, before they would let him start, they had to evaluate him by the schools psychologist. Maybe they have someone like that at your school. He did start at 4 and now he's a 30 year old Math teacher now.

  12. not sure where you live but in the states what he is doing now is required of first graders so he technically is only a few months ahead.

    look at his maturity level. is he able to take turns with peers, do he play games by the rules with out making up his own, is he able to deviate from rules if the reason is a good one, does he tattle alot. these are all things that 2nd graders are just beginning to do at the start of the year. if he cant do some of the things socially then he wont be making friends that are healthy and his acedemics will suffer.

    talk to the teachers and see if they are willing to accomadate a child such as him (they are required to do so but sometimes teachers dont want the extra work)

    yes private schools have a much stricter curriculum because they are not required to follow state guidelines but if he skips a grade then there will a gap in his learning.

    I went to a private school when I was younger also and then transferred to a public school. I was way ahead starting out but then they caught to me as we learned new concepts.

    the government is required to accomadate gifted children and so is the school system.

    my son is just coming out of the 1st grade and when he went in he could read on a second grade level and was  starting on his multiplication tables. he is now finished with first grade and can almost fluently write in cusive (lacks the fine motor skills) can do some division and some square roots and lots of geometry, mulitply two digits, and reading on a 3rd grade reading level and with all of that I still chose to not move him up because he is socially not there , as he is still a 7 year old child.

    but good luck to you and do some more research with your future teacher and your local guidelines on teaching children with exceptionalities.

  13. He will be enrolled into the first grade period.  IF he is far more advanced than the other children the school will decide whether he is to skip 2nd grade or not.  Been there done that my daughter tested at genius level (165) when she was 5 years old and just out of preschool.  However when I registered her for elementary school she went into Kindergarten just like the rest of the 5 year olds.  She then went on to skip the first grade and then the thrid grade and at 11 will beginning high school in the fall.  What grade your child is in is NOT up to you, it is up to the school and their policies..

  14. I'd not recommend skipping him. When you enroll him, include a letter that states he's a very bright child and you desire a teacher that is willing to assign extra work so he'll not get bored and act out.  You can supplement him at home so he continues on the faster learning. During puberty 1 year will mean alot. When its time for a car, 1 year will be the world. Check into enrichment programs or gifted schooling/classes in your area.

  15. talk to the teacher, school psycologist, and pediatrician.  it might be good to include the child in the decision, too.

  16. I would not move him up if he's only reading at second grade level. Many second graders will be reading at much higher levels than this - heck, many first graders will be. He sounds like an above average six year old...but not like an amazingly advanced one. I'd put him in first grade and let him be near the top of the class. He probably won't be top of it. The kids that are top of it will know their times tables, be able to add and subtract any number you give them, and be reading Harry Potter or similar.

  17. my nephew is in pre k and does that i would put him in first grade as he will be ok know days your kids have to know tons of things before they go to school

    I have a 2.5 year old who can count knows her abc's ties her shoes and everything else my nephews that are in school knows and she will start prek next year in 2009 cause skipping grades is not the best my husband skipped first grade

    oh and my little girl already reads and knows all animals sounds and almost anything else you ask her she can right her name but not in cursive send him to the first grade he will be fine

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