It’s nearing time for my daughter to enter grade 1. Her current Montessori preschool teacher is asking me, rather pleading with me to ensure that she is placed in grade 2 instead of 1 because she is so far ahead in her learning that she will be bored if placed in grade 1.
We did this before with our niece and she fared quite well through elementary school but when it came time to go to into middle school grades they wanted her to stay behind a year so that she could be the same age as the others.
We didn’t fight it too much and instead let her have a year off and took her travelling. It was great.
We are now considering this option for Noor as well.
I’m curious to find out a few things:
What is your opinion on allowing your child to jump grades?
Are there legitimate restrictions on what age a child should be in specific grades?
I was the youngest in my class, one year younger than my classmates. Something I'd never recommend for anyone. There is a HUGE social, emotional and even physical gap. And even though the schoolwork was within my capabilility, I foundered even with that after a while since I had so much trouble socially. When all the other gals started to "develop" and have cycles, I still looked like a child. I got picked on for that. I was smaller and younger, played with younger toys so I got picked on for my size and my choice of toys too. And even once I caught up physically, the whole social scene and all the cliques were already formed so I was doomed so to speak.
Many school districts have recognized this as fact....that kids need to be with their own age group but that some may be bored if not challenged appropriately. So they have "accelerated learners" programs where the child is with their own class/age group for at least half the time but then are taken out and placed in accelerated learning sessions, perhaps with older grades or even with their own peers who have the same ability as them.
I'd recommend that you speak to the principal of the school where your child will go. See what they have available and what options there are to keep her appropriately challenged yet not overly challenged socially.
ps something to consider as well....the montessori school would really LOVE to have your daughter jump a grade and contribute to sparkling statistics of their school. But its only YOU who can figure out whats best for your girl yeah? Montessori looks GREAT to have their "graduates" start at grade 2 instead of grade 1...but what about the stats of THOSE children and how they are faring when they reach grade 5 or 6???
Here is an advice a friend of mine gave me some time ago who was also a teacher. We were contemplatig the same thing when my daughter was starting her first grade. My friend said it is better to be at a higher level in the average students rather then being in the below average or average in grade(meaning if she starts 2nd grade she may be in the same levelmind wise but at the same time in the first grde she would fare well.) I agred with her as she explained in detail the effects as Mama of 3 mentioned too socially as well as academically much later on.
Waise bhi its easier to catch up or basically get on a fast track in high school with the AP courses etc.
I am thinking of ding the same with my little one this year.
ack, there is nothing positive I can tell you about jumping grades. Sure, its a great thing to brag about being the parent but as far as being the kid....nothing positive at all. Most school districts would not even consider it these days because of all of the negative impact on the child - they do the accelerated learner thing instead.
In the USA, due to the "no child left behind" act, you have many options open to you. This does not apply only to "special needs" children - it also applies to advanced children. So if your school does not have an appropriately challenging AND age-appropriate program, they will have to pay for your child to go to a private school or other nearby public school that DOES have such a program.
I don't think it matters if a higher able pupil is in the class according to their age, same goes for lower able pupils...should they be put a year behind as they are not average?
A good teacher will be able to differentiate according to the child. I find that my higher able pupils (known as 'gifted and talented' in the U.K) are able to help the less able pupils, if a child can teach another child, it shows great levels of understanding and consolidates their own learning.
I have a complete mixture of children in my class, I have learnt how to differentiate effectively. I know which child will be able to answer what question, but I also give the middle able and lower able pupils the chance to answer the same question, just like I ask my higher ables to help the lowers by having mixed ability talk partners.
I agree with MO3. Its better for my kid to be best in class of her age group which is good for her self esteem, than to be at a more competitive stage with older kids (that is not fair for the kid anyway) that could hurt her self image and put extra stress ..
other way I see it that would it matter after 20 years when Noor is 25-26. Would it really help her in her career cause she skipped a grade at the earlier part of her life.
Our kids skipping grades is more of a badge of honor for the parents some times than for the kids. In fact its stressful for the kids. How do I know? I skipped and was in kindergarten for only a week and then was promoted to the first grade. Was the smallest kid in my class, classmates use to make fun of me and that was really hurtful. Till the 10th grade, only got into 1st three positions 2 times. so it did not even help me academically in any major way
I jumped grades, my principal convinced my folks that I was not being challenged enough and should skip a grade. I was the youngest one in my class anyways, and then after jumping grades it was even worse. I finished highschool a few months before I turned 16.
I essentially went from being a top student to a middler and then to a bottom scraper. part of it was the content and much of it was social adjustment. My folks were concerned and wanted to hold me back a year but then te school said psychologically its worse for me to be held back.
a couple of years does not make a huge difference in uni, but in school its huge. My folks learnt from it and when the school wanted to have my youngest bro jump grades they said 'no thank you', and even after I finished highschool they then decided to have me wait a year and just do some computer programming training at a technical institute before coming over to join uni. I still started undergrad 20 days before I turned 17.
being the youngest, scrawniest kid in class behind in everything including puberty :) poses some interesting dilemmas.
ok ms Muzna, thats 3 strikes here against the "jumping grades" team from those who have "been there, done that!! I doubt that there are any public schools these days that would agree to jumping grades but I'd sincerely question a school that did. Be proud that your gal will be top in class, be comforted that she will be amongst peers. And persue any and all "accelerated learner" programs that are available within your area. Thats doing the best thing for her IMHO.
i guess i'm in the minority here, but i jumped grades and i did just fine.
i went from 2 to 4 and found no problems with it- i made friends with my older classmates, i got good grades, and i ended up doing a-levels after high school for an extra year, so i entered university at 17, which is not too young IMO. i had more problems with culture shock going from segregated schools to co-ed ones but no issues with jumping grades per se.
if you think it suits your child best and that she can handle the adjustment, then its something you should definitely consider, especially if the consequence of her entering grade 1 instead of 2 is that she's bored, isn't learning, and doesn't want to go to school. a lot depends on her personality and you know her best in that manner.
I jumped from 5 to 7. Did great. Had no major issues socially, although sometimes I did because I was teachers pet. Did well academically. I was in an all girls catholic school...don't know if that made any sort of difference.
i jumped grades too.. went from 2 to 4 and did great academically and socially
my kid sis jumped from grade 1 to 3 and didnt do so great socially and sorta struggled academically too...
i personally think some of it depends on the kid, how smart they are when put with kids older than them and who have more practice with the stuff they have learned.. .. but mostly these early grade levels build the base for your child's future education... u dont want bricks missing in between .. im not for jumping grades.
(diff topic i guess) I just wonder how parents feel when their kids get left behind?
I know when I was a kid it was cause for jutiyan and thappars and yelling and screaming and all that. Do parents still think that way?
I actually asked about leaving my eldest son back...he is as many of you know a special needs child...but he is not that far behind. So I thought that if they left him back, he would do better. Not so according to them (and to results of much googling etc). Kids do best when they are with their own age group no matter WHAT their ability is academically. This goes doubly so for the younger grades.
I really dont care what others say...I mean its hard and of course everyone has SOMEthing to say about it all lol. But I go for whats best for HIM, what works for HIM and dam the torpedos , say-what-you-want etc...I'll LISTEN but prob wont change course. If anyone has a prob with that, its their prob not mine lol!
If a school requests that a child repeat a grade, theres a good reason for it. The only time I enjoyed High School was when I had to repeat "social studies" (history) and was placed ina class with kids my own age. Those kids are the only ones I ever had a good relationship with in my high school years. And its the only class I ever actually enjoyed.
Sure, I think some kids are ok with skipping grades. But for the most part, it does much damage from which its very tough to recover.
Sara, I don't know, depends on the circumstances I guess. If my child isn't paying attention, etc., then I suppose I'd be mad but I should do something about it instead of getting just mad!
Someone was asking me if I wanted my older kid to jump class if the situation came up. I said yes, but hubby wasn't too keen on that based on his experience. I guess I would really have to see if it was necessary.
I am not into jumping grades
first as most people say for emotional development its not good
Second I want my child to be best in her class rather catching up next grade.Instead I like the system here that after third grade if your child is extra intellegent they took the test and put them in honor students class which is best for them because that way they can go up to any level of education they want.