Muzna I am assuming that she will be going to a public school now?
I was a montessori teacher for a year or so (yes i switched professions lol). Montessori kids are typically ahead of those going to public schools by one grade level.
Check out the curriculum for grade 1. If your daughter is ahead of the game then I would recommend she skips as well. Often kids that went to a montessori school do not find public schools to be challenging enough and get bored with it easily. Believe me I have seen it and head parents tell me that their kids cry everyday because they hate it!
Do not let people (the school board) tell you that she will not be emotionally ready to be with older kids....montessori kids are mixed with older kids already and are used to it. So it shouldnt be a problem for Noor.
The other option would be to place her in GT (gifted and talented) program/school. This way she will technically be in grade 1 with kids her age but will have a grade 2 curriculum (if placement tests show that she is ready for it). This way she is being challenged and not being held back academically.
I fast-tracked through high school so graduated with my honors diploma a year early. I don't recall any social issues that were significant enough to traumatize me. Perhaps because I felt that I was always more mature than my peers anyway. But that was high school and the decison was entirely mine.
Noor is going to be six years old in a few weeks time. Most of the kids that she was in pre-school with had birthdays that landed before the new year began; hence they are already in grade 1. She is already feeling like she was left behind. She was/is much ahead of them in her skill set too.
Her reading comprehension and writing is at level 4 and her math skills are at grade 3 equivalency. She is tall for her age and much more mature than the average six year old. She has no problems fitting in/playing with children that are generally a couple of years older than her.
I would be concerned if she was younger or smaller in stature, or even if she was less than confident in her social interaction and development. But she is not lacking in any of these areas. And I am being conservative in my assesment because I know that being the parent I am inclined to see her through rose coloured glasses.
I would rather have her remain challenged and provide her with the extra help she might need than to have her bored and disinterested with school in general.
My niece is doing quite well too. After she was put ahead she remained at the top of her class for the vast majority of her elementary years. She is now in grade 11 and very aggressive about her schooling. In fact, with some guidance, she is keen to take courses even in the summer so that she can accommodate all the courses that she needs/wants to take in the coming school year.
I need to go and visit some schools and see for myself what is going on ......
Wow, there are many more advocates to jumping grades than I'd ever have expected!! I guess it doesnt always turn out to be a bad thing. I'd just be really really careful about the whole thing, keeping in mind that most public school systems and even private schools have discontinued the practice for good reasons. So you may not even have a choice here. Anyway, its always best to look into all of the options, particularly the accelerated learner programs.
We are actually contemplating keeping her in Montessori school now. What are your thoughts on that?
I am definitely not inclined towards public school and while Islamic school is a good idea for the elementary part they tend to lack before and after school programs.
The Islamic schools that do offer these programs are too far out of the way for me and I am not ready to let her take a school bus.
Muzna, yes, do some homework, check out the curriculums. Looks like she'll do fine. Most often it's whether you "belong" or "connect" with your peers that becomes an issue. She obviously doesn't seem to have any such problems.
We are actually contemplating keeping her in Montessori school now. What are your thoughts on that?
I am definitely not inclined towards public school and while Islamic school is a good idea for the elementary part they tend to lack before and after school programs.
The Islamic schools that do offer these programs are too far out of the way for me and I am not ready to let her take a school bus.
I am an advocate for Montessori learning! if it's a good school and you can keep her in ....then do so for as long as possible. Believe me it will be well worth it.
lol! Yes, that was pretty much the response by my son’s teachers and therapists at school too! They didnt phrase it quite that way but they got the point across Education of your kids is a learning process for the parents as well as the children! My son is so very small and not so very far behind that it made sense to me that he would do well in a younger class…but of course, we did the right thing and advanced him…still in a 12-1-2 class but doing really really well there.
Muzna, as far as Montessori schools, their teaching and curriculum philosophy is more like that of Pak and even Europe…they focus much on academics, learn as much as they can as fast as they can. Public schools tend to foster more creativity and love of learning. Neither is better or worse - its just different and you just need to decide whats best for your gal. There was an interesting article very recently in the Economist written by Queen Rania about education and it touches on those points…let me find the link…
And if I am changing from a Pre-School Montessori to a regular Montessori then should I still consider advancing her a grade?
no if she is going into another montessori...then keep her at her normal grade level.
I am sorry...I didnt read through the entire thread. I assumed that you were putting her in a public first grade. As long as she is in montessori...keep her at grade level. Just be sure to research the school and make sure they are a REAL certified montessori school. Legally here in the US can add Montessori to the name of any school....that doesnt mean they are certified.
if not montessori....I advise either skip a grade or put her in GT.
i jumped from kg to 2.. and then i did fast track igcse .. o lvls in 2 years instead of three and when i entered uni i was not even 17. the professor in the university 101 class was askign for introductions and stuff and when it came to me i am like i am 16 and everyone is like ur kidding right? and i am like no i turn 17 in 5 days. but i do not regret my grade jumps or even the fact that i entered uni so young. i am actually glad that i will graduate at a young age so i can do my postgraduate before rukhsati.
muzna, montessori all the way! as i mentioned earlier (or at least i think i did), mum's a montessori teacher and i'm familiar with their philosophies and methodologies and am just praying that when i have children, i am financially able to put them into montessori. i think the benefits are much greater- they promote self-learning and creativity and i just like the teaching processes too, espcially the hands-on learning.
I jumped grades , I was the youngest in age but tall enough so I guess I did not miss anything and turned out to be a good student till I finished my education. Being the brainiac of the class nobody picked on me. I guess it was difference of culture because brainiacs used to get respect and many friends in Pakistan in those days. I do not know what happens now.
so my view is very guys view but one year makes a difference and in my case it was more like 2 years since I was at that cusp of age where I was really a year younger even if i had not jumped grades.
school..classes you may do okay in, but you are the smallest kid in class..aside from some kids who may be small genetically..the weakling..struggling in sports teams..You can not compete against your age peers for a spot on the team because they are not in your grade..you compete with your classmates, and while it evens out at 14 i suppose, at 10 its a diff story.
we have bullying that goes on in schools, and you are an easy target, I was an easy target until around grade 9 when I started a growth spurt.
Lets just say, when i finished 10th grade I was 5’5" pretty avg for the kids around me. I ran into one of my old classmates at facebook whom I have not seen since I was 13, and he could not place me, until i had to descrie myself as the short kid from class
I moved after 10th grade to pak, and in 4 months went from 5’5" to 5’10"/5’11" my folks could nto recognise me when I went back in december for winterbreak, so grade 11 and 12 was a very diff experience than grades 7-9 for example.
anyhoo, schools have honours classes and track for that reason or gifted programmes to help kids who need things that are more intellectually stimulating.
On a funny note..as guys around me were sprouting vegetation, I was not. and some of the errr talk made no sense to me because I had yet to hit a certain milestone that was a very interesting situation but I had to keep up apperances pretending i knew what I was talking about. So one time I was asked about color and quantity of errrr discharge , I told em blue hahahaha I can just imagine how confused may have been at that response
The situation with each kid may vary so there may not be a right or wrong, but
growth spurt,
at 14 I was 5’5’ and chubbu 15 I was 5’ 11’ by 16 I was 6’3" and lanky..
I give all credit to a diet of bun kebab, kebab roll and lassi in Karachi.
it sucked having to buy new clothes though..
Education of your kids is a learning process for the parents as well as the children! My son is so very small and not so very far behind that it made sense to me that he would do well in a younger class…but of course, we did the right thing and advanced him…still in a 12-1-2 class but doing really really well there.
that was a very interesting situation but I had to keep up apperances pretending i knew what I was talking about. So one time I was asked about color and quantity of errrr discharge 
, I told em blue 