I don’t have access to my pictures (long story about John and computers) and all I’ve been doing lately is working, but I have a question that I thought I would post and see what everyone thinks.
My brother has a really smart little kid. He is in 1st grade and reads at least 5th grade level with excellent comprehension and expression when reading out loud. I think he does pretty well in all the other subjects, but reading is definitely his best subject. My brother asked what I (or anyone else who read his blog) thought about kids skipping a grade level. My nephew turned 7 in January and is in a combined 1st/2nd grade class now (small school). Anybody have any opinions??? It doesn’t have to be about this specific situation, I am just curious to see what people think in general.
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I am Melissa Moncur. Ryan Bunting and my husband are best friends. Marie Moncur is my husbands cousin. Small world. Does that clear it up for you? But no I don’t think we’ve met.
From an academic perspective I think it’s fine. Unfortunately education in America is also highly social which means that younger kids are at a slight disadvantage because of socialization factors. I would think in a private or magnet school setting skipping a grade would be easier/better than in public schools. That said by time I was in high school I was bored out of my mind because I wasn’t being properly challenged.
I said no, but not because they would get picked on. We are currently in that situation with our own daughter, who is in Kindergarten and reading at a 4th grade reading level, excellent comprehension, doing math, etc. We thought about skipping her, but decided against due to socialization. Even though academically she is far ahead of her peers we were afraid that she wasn’t mature enough to skip a grade. Instead we looked at other options- Gifted and Talented Programs, Private school, and Charter schools where her needs would be met. We ended up going with a charter school where she has been challenged.
We are also in a similar situation with both Ryan and Allyson (Allyson is reading at about a 7th grade level and Ryan at about a 5th grade level). We have discovered that there are better ways than skipping grades to challege kids. 1) Gifted and Talented programs, which most schools have. 2) Differentiated work and homework. And 3) A teacher who loves education and loves children, they make all the difference in a school.
I say no. It will mess them all up the whole way through church and school. They wont be in the same primary classes as the school age friends…all school friends can start boy scouts a year before ….mutual…dating…driving….everytime anything monumental happens to their school friends, they’ll feel left out. I say challenge them at home.
That is a tough problem. Mariah was in kindergarden in Nebraska as the oldest. Moved to California, had her tested and we dediced to have her skip 1st grade. Now she is a freshman and one of the youngest but she is happy and has straight A’s. For her it was a good move. We had to be prayful no way to know what the outcome could have been.