I have a 5 year old daughter who has attended headstart (pre school) since she was three. She is now ready to move on to "regular" school and start kindergarten this fall. Her teachers have told me that she is very excellerated for her age and that I should check into having her skip kindergarten and move right into first grade. My husband and I see this issue totally different~I am all for it, whereas he thinks she should go to kindergarten! Could you please help us out and tell us the advantages and disadvantages in moving her on to first grade early!

:confused: in Plainwell, Michigan

Oh, In my opinion send her to kindergarten. You see, she may be intellectually ready for first or second grade, but may be emotionally ready only for kindergarten. It is better that you start her in one grade and skip her up rather than start her in one and move her down.

You see, I was in your position 9 years ago with my daughter. I chose to keep her in kindergarten. We were told by her preschool that there was nothing else they could teach her and that she was ready for K. So, long story short, she was placed in K. She did wonderfully academically, but was not ready emotionally. (She was ready socially being in pre-school since the age of 18 months). We held her back in K, and she is now in 8th grade and a perfectly Straight A student, (without having to study mind you.).

So, In my opinion, start you kiddo in K, if it proves not a challenge then it is easier to move him back than it is forward.

BTW, my situation happened in Michigan also.

Please allow your daughter to enter Kindergarten. This is a vital experience for her. Much different than preschools. To put her in first grade when she is 5 is unfair to her. Kindergarten offers critical steps in learning that she will need for first grade. To skip that learning will place your daughter at the disadvantage. No matter how excelled she is academically.

I have to agree with Shy. You see they may be developmentally ready, but one question asked by the principal of my daughter's school was "Do you want your daughter to graduate high school when she is 15 or 16 when all others are graduating at 17 or 18"

You may think that is something to be proud of... but really give that a lot of thought before answering.

I agree with all previous posts, as your child may not be emotionally ready to cope with First grade. However, I would not completely forget about moving her a grade ahead. I myself skipped year 3 (uk - third grade?) and have been a year ahead ever since, suffering no problems. If you child is intellectually gifted, then not posing them with enough challenging work may be more detrimental to her than possible emotional difficulties. Something also to consider, how young for the year would you child be? If the difference is only a couple of months (ie. Born in October) then possibly go for it.

I say let her stay in kindergarten. I think promotion is wonderful but maybe she isn't really ready? Also like J_9 said, emotionally she belongs in kindergarten around people her age. I think kdis interact better that way. But that's only my opinions ^^

mmfrst1, I am a 27 year old woman who was skipped into the first grade. I was not able to go to kindergarten because the teachers thought that I was too advanced. I really wished that my mom had sent me into kindergarten instead of first grade. Intellectually I was able to do the work and my general behavior was not an issue (although I did have a habit of getting up and walking around the room when my teacher was talking, I did not know any better). However, my social skills were not adequate. The first day of grade 1 I tried to play baseball with the other kids and I threw the ball at a girl that was running the bases. I hurt her because I thought the ball had to hit her for her to be out. The other kids knew all these games that they had played in kindergarten and they ostracized me because I did not know them. I became a real loner throughout school. I never really caught up on the social behavior and communication skills until I graduated high school. I was a floater kid that everyone knew but never really hung out with. Please put your child into the kindergarten class. If they are bored with the work then get them some supplemental work books or develop their least promising skill areas for a jumpstart. Besides, it sucks being the youngest in your class.

I agree with most of the responses. My son attended preschool for 2 years then went on to kindergarten. Both his preschool teaches kept telling me how advanced he was and I am not sure I saw that. Regardless, last year, in kindergarten, he excelled in everything academic. He's reading 2 grades above and he can do simple math in his head when most kids in his class have not yet gotten the concept. While in kindergarten, the teachers had him tested as gifted and he is academically. But I can't begin to tell you how happy he is to be socially and emotionally on his own level. The first graders were just a bit more mature than he could handle and he loves his friends and the games they play. The arts and crafts are on his level and so is everything else.

I still wonder about the gifted aspect. I don't knock it and I am grateful that he is getting extra attention, but he did have 2 years of preschool when not all the kids in his class did. I understand that most children all catch up to each other by 3rd grade. If she is academically gifted, I am sure the school system will identify this and help her stay challenged.

Kindergarten is not just about academics and it will be her first experience in the regular school system. It could color her opinion of school. No need to push at this age.

Oh and don't get worried as school starts! I talk from experience! They were going over the alphabet and numbers and colors and I was convinced they would never move on. They were just doing this to assess everyone in the class before addressing individual needs!

Have fun with school!

This topic comes up often on chatboards for gifted kids. It is one I think I am going to have to consider too.

I say, consider it, based on what your childs' needs are. There are all kinds of personal stories that will be pro and con, but the only personal story that counts is your child's. All the research out there shows that it is a positive experience when done with guidance from professionals and in a supportive environment. There is a resource called 'The Iowa Acceleration Scale" that might help you and the school, and your child, make the best decision. It is certainly not a decision to rush into, but it is not one to be dismissed outright either.

Best of luck to you.

I was a first-born child who figured out how to read before I was two, so I ended up skipping Kindergarten AND first grade. Disaster! I had just turned six and was the youngest in second grade, emotionally and socially NOT ready--although I could do the schoolwork just fine and usually better than the 7 y/os.

Don't let your child skip Kindergarten. She will learn valuable socialization and classroom skills. I know. I later became a preschool teacher and Kindergarten sub and finally found out what I had missed.

Since this is something I am considering too, I would like to know what you all think should be done in our situation (though I can pretty much guess! ;) )

I have a 4 year old boy that has been reading for about a year and according to his daycare providers is now reading at a late grade one level (almost 3 grades ahead). He is also doing their grade 1 math sheets, is writing stories with penmanship of grade 1 level with a few reversals, but spelling at grade 1 level, and plays most often with the kids a year or two older than his age-mates. When they move on to grade 1 next year, all of his favourite playmates will be gone. He is not looked at as the cute little boy to baby or coddle either, he is accepted as one of them. It is the same way in the neighbourhood, the older kids think he is one of them and the age-mates treat him like an older kid.

When a child is socially mature, is accepted by the older kids, and is academically 3 years ahead, what would you do?

Thanks.

Edited to add, he is not due to start Kindergarten until the 2008./2009 school year.

No part of preschooling or kindergarten should be left out in child's groominng stage. So your child should go for it

It this way as if you are molding something, you mold it with leaving out the crucial part.


So let your child go for it.

Perhaps you could find a school that offers a program for accelerated children who are in the same age group. When my husband wss a child in public elementary school, he was in a "gifted and talented program". I am not sure that it affected his overall achievements, but it seemed to be a fun experience for him.

This thread is from 2008 -

At any rate I think socialization is as important as A, B, C's at this age.

I whole heartedly plan on having my 5 year old start first grade. However, I think that the main part of her situation is that she has always had an extraordinary imagination and has played much better with children about a year older than she from when she was an early toddler. Who does your child gravitate toward in an openly public situation (not family members that are around a lot but like at the park with unfamiliar children)? Mine has always gone to the children a year or two older than her. Thus, I don't worry as much about her "emotional readiness" that the others are talking about. I am also going on advice from a friend that skipped multiple grades, skip them earlier when the (other) kids don't worry as much about those things versus in upper elementary school or middle school. I know that she may have a few difficulties (in the case of learning the rules to games and such) in the beginning and I am prepared to offer her the support she needs because of these situations. I know that for her I am planning on the best thing. Her father was very bored throughout school and didn't fit in strictly because he was so smart for his age and more mature than those in his classes.