Do Kid Still Skip Grades In School?

[randomkid]

I'm just wondering about this since DD will be 5.5yo when she starts kindergarten. I know there has to be a cutoff age, but somehow it just seems they should take the individual child into consideration. The little girl across the street just made the cutoff by 12 hours. She was born at noon on 8/31. She was actually still 4yo when she started kindergarten.

DD is 31 months old and can count to 15, recognizes written numbers 0-10, knows colors, knows 8 shapes including pentagon and octagon, and knows probably 75% of the alphabet consistently, including reading the letters. I hold her hand while I write out words - she asks to do this - and when I write her name, she reads out the letters and knows it's her name, but doesn't read it yet. DH was reading by the age of 3 and I was reading by the age of 4, so we think DD will also read at a young age. I have not strongly pushed her at all. I just expose her to these things since she's not in a daycare/preschool setting and she takes off with it. She has also learned from watching Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It's not like we sit down everyday and do drills - lol! We just incorporate it into her playing.

We are strongly considering private school for many reasons, but I have no personal experience and don't know anyone with DCs older than DD who are in private school. I know it varies from place to place, but wondered what you all know about it. Will private school be more advanced than public school? Do kids still skip grades if they show they are ready or do they just do gifted programs now? I just remember being very frustrated in school when there were kids who couldn't read or write yet. I know all kids develop these skills at a different rate, but I feel that should be considered when it comes to teaching. Not only for the kids who are a little later than others, but also for those who are ahead.

Thanks,

[randomkid]

I'm just wondering about this since DD will be 5.5yo when she starts kindergarten. I know there has to be a cutoff age, but somehow it just seems they should take the individual child into consideration. The little girl across the street just made the cutoff by 12 hours. She was born at noon on 8/31. She was actually still 4yo when she started kindergarten.

DD is 31 months old and can count to 15, recognizes written numbers 0-10, knows colors, knows 8 shapes including pentagon and octagon, and knows probably 75% of the alphabet consistently, including reading the letters. I hold her hand while I write out words - she asks to do this - and when I write her name, she reads out the letters and knows it's her name, but doesn't read it yet. DH was reading by the age of 3 and I was reading by the age of 4, so we think DD will also read at a young age. I have not strongly pushed her at all. I just expose her to these things since she's not in a daycare/preschool setting and she takes off with it. She has also learned from watching Sesame Street and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It's not like we sit down everyday and do drills - lol! We just incorporate it into her playing.

We are strongly considering private school for many reasons, but I have no personal experience and don't know anyone with DCs older than DD who are in private school. I know it varies from place to place, but wondered what you all know about it. Will private school be more advanced than public school? Do kids still skip grades if they show they are ready or do they just do gifted programs now? I just remember being very frustrated in school when there were kids who couldn't read or write yet. I know all kids develop these skills at a different rate, but I feel that should be considered when it comes to teaching. Not only for the kids who are a little later than others, but also for those who are ahead.

Thanks,

[JBaxter]

Where we are the cut off age is 9/1 there are very few exceptions the public school will test children who's b'days are up to 10/31 but the local elementary school they attend must have room and not over crowded. The private schools are actually much stricter with the cut off dates and will not admitt anyone with a late birth date. There is as much do do with emotional maturity as educational readiness.
We have a program called Quest in our elementary schools that pulls the more advanced children out (starting in the 1st grade) to give them more advanced work to keep them from getting board but still allows them to be with children of there age. We also have several magnet schools that children can test into starting in the 2nd grade. My oldest will be starting the 10th grade and I know of no children who have skipped a grade. There are so many factors that dont seem to be a big deal until middle school/ high school .. physical maturity, dating , driving and even going off to college.

Our private schools are not anymore advanced than the merit/AP classes my older children are taking. We dont live in a large city so the private schools are all religious based. Our public school has much more variety of classes than are available in the private school BUT the private schools have much smaller classes so there is more individual attention. There are plusses and minuses.

[JBaxter]

Where we are the cut off age is 9/1 there are very few exceptions the public school will test children who's b'days are up to 10/31 but the local elementary school they attend must have room and not over crowded. The private schools are actually much stricter with the cut off dates and will not admitt anyone with a late birth date. There is as much do do with emotional maturity as educational readiness.
We have a program called Quest in our elementary schools that pulls the more advanced children out (starting in the 1st grade) to give them more advanced work to keep them from getting board but still allows them to be with children of there age. We also have several magnet schools that children can test into starting in the 2nd grade. My oldest will be starting the 10th grade and I know of no children who have skipped a grade. There are so many factors that dont seem to be a big deal until middle school/ high school .. physical maturity, dating , driving and even going off to college.

Our private schools are not anymore advanced than the merit/AP classes my older children are taking. We dont live in a large city so the private schools are all religious based. Our public school has much more variety of classes than are available in the private school BUT the private schools have much smaller classes so there is more individual attention. There are plusses and minuses.

[hardysmom]

I think it just depends on your district. Where I live, the cut off is also 9/1 and I understand it to be pretty strict...

That said, our best-neighborhood friend is WAY gifted... Her IQ tested over 180... She was reading (like, REALLY reading) at 3. Her parents chose to pull her out of our awesome (IMHO) private preschool to put her in a special private gifted school. She was skipped ahead and entered Kindergarten at 4, which around here is unheard of, particularly in private schools which typically have earlier cut-offs and routinely hold summer birthdays back.

That said, while she can EASILY academically keep up, her social and motor skills are more at age level, which is becoming more and more evident. For example, most of the kids in her class (1st grade) are riding bikes, which she is no where ready to try.

My understanding is that if they sawitched her to a public school, she could stay in her current grade level. My BIL also put his son ahead (they live in Germany) and believes that he would be allowed to stay in his current grade if they return to the states.

My son (November birthday) will qualify for gifted stuff. He knew all his letters at 18 mo, etc... I prefer to keep him in a class where he is among the oldest... Personally, I think there is something to be said for always feeling that you are a Big Fish and being asked to help others. The key, and this is important, is that the teachers encourage all kids in the classroom to challenge themselves based on individual goals, not some random standardized idea. As long as that is happening, their academic program stays in line with their abilities while their social interactions remain on their age-level.

stephanie

[hardysmom]

I think it just depends on your district. Where I live, the cut off is also 9/1 and I understand it to be pretty strict...

That said, our best-neighborhood friend is WAY gifted... Her IQ tested over 180... She was reading (like, REALLY reading) at 3. Her parents chose to pull her out of our awesome (IMHO) private preschool to put her in a special private gifted school. She was skipped ahead and entered Kindergarten at 4, which around here is unheard of, particularly in private schools which typically have earlier cut-offs and routinely hold summer birthdays back.

That said, while she can EASILY academically keep up, her social and motor skills are more at age level, which is becoming more and more evident. For example, most of the kids in her class (1st grade) are riding bikes, which she is no where ready to try.

My understanding is that if they sawitched her to a public school, she could stay in her current grade level. My BIL also put his son ahead (they live in Germany) and believes that he would be allowed to stay in his current grade if they return to the states.

My son (November birthday) will qualify for gifted stuff. He knew all his letters at 18 mo, etc... I prefer to keep him in a class where he is among the oldest... Personally, I think there is something to be said for always feeling that you are a Big Fish and being asked to help others. The key, and this is important, is that the teachers encourage all kids in the classroom to challenge themselves based on individual goals, not some random standardized idea. As long as that is happening, their academic program stays in line with their abilities while their social interactions remain on their age-level.

stephanie

[katydid1971]

As a teacher who is currently teaching only my own child I am very opposed to grade skipping. My own son is 26 months old and has know the whole alphabet reading and saying since before he was two. He can read and count his numbers to 12 etc. We play learning games like you do and he enjoys say letters etc. I think he will be reading before he starts school too but I wouldn't have him skip grades. The probelm is school isn't just about academic growth but social and emothional growth too. Kids who are skipped up in grades are socially stunted. They don't have a peer group to interact with and those lessons are just as important sometimes as the math and reading. I know a lot of people who work in fields outside that which they studied and succeed well because they have such good interpersonal skills. A case can be made that interpersonal skills are more important to your child's ultimate success than academic ones. My take on private schools is that they usually don't have as many employees per student and don't have as many extracurricular activites. These are the things that will help enrich your child's education the most. Of course that varies from city to city and school to school.
That's my 2 cents,
Sarah

[katydid1971]

As a teacher who is currently teaching only my own child I am very opposed to grade skipping. My own son is 26 months old and has know the whole alphabet reading and saying since before he was two. He can read and count his numbers to 12 etc. We play learning games like you do and he enjoys say letters etc. I think he will be reading before he starts school too but I wouldn't have him skip grades. The probelm is school isn't just about academic growth but social and emothional growth too. Kids who are skipped up in grades are socially stunted. They don't have a peer group to interact with and those lessons are just as important sometimes as the math and reading. I know a lot of people who work in fields outside that which they studied and succeed well because they have such good interpersonal skills. A case can be made that interpersonal skills are more important to your child's ultimate success than academic ones. My take on private schools is that they usually don't have as many employees per student and don't have as many extracurricular activites. These are the things that will help enrich your child's education the most. Of course that varies from city to city and school to school.
That's my 2 cents,
Sarah

[Karenn]

Around here skipping grades seems to have fallen out of favor. The private schools here generally are more advanced than public schools. However, several of them have also moved the cut off date up a few months, from 8/31 to 5/31. Here though, the private schools will be a bit more flexible about dates and look at the individual child as well.

[Karenn]

Around here skipping grades seems to have fallen out of favor. The private schools here generally are more advanced than public schools. However, several of them have also moved the cut off date up a few months, from 8/31 to 5/31. Here though, the private schools will be a bit more flexible about dates and look at the individual child as well.

[KBecks]

I'll just offer some thoughts -- a friends daughter is a very gifted reader and just finished K. Her mom said that she didn't learn anything new in K, but she did learn how to "do school" so to speak, and participate in a school environment vs. preschool. We talked about kindergarten being the "new first grade" but that was not her daughter's experience.

I was an early reader, reading at 3 and I did not skip a grade and I think that was the correct thing for me. One thing I wished I had, and that I wish for my friend's daughter is that she gets well rounded. I found that while I excelled at reading, I did not click with math and music, I thought I was so smart that and I would get bored during the intial lesson but when things advanced I didn't get it because I had tuned out earlier.

You'll really need to talk to the school teachers and principals and evaluate various schools for what is your best fit. As much as I crave customized education for my kids, I know that won't happen unless I commit to homeschooling.

[randomkid]

I understand the emotional and social aspects which is one reason I'm wondering about this. I'm not really looking at kids skipping up several grades, just one. I think if the child is ready for a grade up, then it should be allowed. Cutoff here is 8/31, but school started 8/20. So, DD will be 5 years and 7 months old when she starts kindergarted while there could be kids in her class that are not even 5 yet. She will be 7+ months older than the youngest in her class. How is that different than her being only 5-6 months younger than the kids that are older than her if she started sooner, KWIM?

We are in a larger city, so we have some good private schools here. The one I am strongly considering has many extracurricular activities and goes from K-12. They now have sports teams that compete with the local high schools, bands, clubs, etc.

[randomkid]

>The key, and this is important, is that the teachers encourage all
>kids in the classroom to challenge themselves based on individual
>goals, not some random standardized idea. As long as that is
>happening, their academic program stays in line with their
>abilities while their social interactions remain on their
>age-level.


This is exactly why we are considering private school. Around here, they have the FCAT (Florida's Comprehensive Assessment Test) which is a standardized test given to all students in grades 3 - 10 in the state. Students are required to pass the 3rd grade and 10th grade portions for promotion and graduation. Schools are given "grades" based on the performance of the kids in that school, which then dictates how much money the school is given by the state. Here's some more info if you are interested http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FCAT
IMO, it sucks! I have two stepdaughters who have had to deal with this testing, but they were older when it was implemented. In younger students, there is so much emphasis on this test that the classes tend to focus on the students that are behind (in trying to prep them for the test) and the more advanced kids get ignored. This is not so much the case in high school due to Honors and AP classes being available.

I have heard parents and teachers refer to public school teaching now as "teaching to the test". If they don't, they everyone loses. If your school doesn't get a high grade, then the better teachers don't want to go there and the school loses money. It's really ridiculous and DH and I think it's the wrong emphasis. There are things about private school that I'm not crazy about (both stepDDs were in private school very early on), but that is why I'm thinking about this now. I have to make a decision in the next year so we can start DD in the preschool that the private school offers.

[muskiesusan]

If Nick was born two hours earlier, he would have been in K last year. The fact that he would be an older K student was one of many factors that lead us to enroll him in a 3-6 yo Montessori classroom. The teachers have been wonderful at directing him towards activites that suit his interests and abilites. I know last year he was doing the work that a lot of the K students were doing by his own request.

The school help to alleviate a lot of worries I had about his schooling. He would be challenged in the areas he excelled, could be average in the areas he wasn't advance in, and be with children of different ages and social capabilites. They just follow his lead, which I what I really want out of a school.

Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[randomkid]

What do you plan to do after Montessori? That is a good option, but I don't know of any really good M programs around here.

[muskiesusan]

He can attend his current school to 6th grade and then we will decide whether to continue Montessori on through h.s. or go another route. We just planning on re-evaluating each year what is best for him and the family, kwim?

Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[katydid1971]

I always think the parent knows their child best. If you think your child will be able to make friends and be happy with kids who are older than she is than go ahead and move her up. You might want to go down to the school and talk with the principal and a few of the teachers, that will give you an idea if you even like the school. Ask about how they deal with extremely gifted/motivated students. What options they have for your daughter if she is bored with the work provied for the rest of the class. Then see if you can sit in on a few classes. That will help out you better than any responses you get here. I'm sure that where ever your daughter ends up she will do well because she has a loving and supportive parent looking out for her best interests.
Good luck,
Sarah
PS Standardized testing is hurting public school across the country. Some of use refer to it as "No teacher left standing."

[mskitty]

Kids still occasionally skip grades... our friends little boy started the school year in kindergarten last school year. About two months into the school year they bumped him up to first grade. He has a fall birthday.

MsKitty

[momathome]

Our district will not skip kids ahead a grade - both Liza and Kasey are testing at least 2 grade levels ahead but the principal refuses to skip them even though they are both very mature socially as well. It has been frustrating at times but the school is starting to do better with providing them with a curriculum that meets their needs. Another thing to keep in mind is that schools nowadays have a far different way of teaching math than what we ever learned. They want them to really understand the mechanics behind a math equation and will want them to show multiple ways to solve it. Liza has been able to multiply and divide since kindergarten but we were not aware of the methods they actually wanted her to use to solve these problems. Liza is currently in the gifted program going into 4th grade and Kasey will be tested for it this year in first grade. I would love to send them to private schools but the tuitions in our area for these places is ridiculous, somewhere in the $20K-$25 range.

[traciann]

I completely agree with you, sarah! this is exactly what I was going to say. Traci

[Globetrotter]

From someone who was two grades ahead, I would strongly advise you not to do it. Kids start out KG at different levels, but at one point the other kids will catch up to some extent and there won't be such a big difference.

It was hard being the youngest and while I was a great student, life wasn't easy for me socially, plus I was very small and gawky to being with (P.E. was my least favorite subject!). Thankfully, people were nice to me and I made friends within school, but I think it's much healthier to be with kids your own age and stay on the highest track, get extra challenging projects, etc... If you can afford a private school that allows younger children to enroll, maybe consider that if there will be same-age peers.
Just my two cents.

[wendmatt]

DD will be 6, 2 months after she starts kindergarten. She reads at a 2nd grade level already and is pretty mature for her age. I was wondering if I should find out about her getting into kindergarten this year instead of next year (the cutoff is 9/30). But now I'm really glad she's going to have another year of preschool half days and the rest of the time with me. She'll be going to school for ever more, why rush getting her out there! I'm glad she'll be one of the older ones and not the youngest struggling to keep up with everyone socially (periods, driving and so much more to think about as a really younger child) as they move through school. I think they mostly all catch up to each other and if they are truly gifted, they have gifted programs they can attend. I think you shouldn't stress about it. Someone has to be the oldest child and you can work with them at home and do extra stuff if they want/need it.