Should I allow my daughter to skip 1st grade?

Question

Her kindergarten teacher has informed us that she should jump to 2nd grade and has approval from others of that move which is a totally overwhelming and satisfying. But is it worth it psychologically for a child? Will she be able to interact with the older kids?

Has anyone dealt with this situation?

Answer 1

Does the school have a counselor/psychologist on staff? That might be the best person to talk with (in conjunction with the K teacher). Get ahold of the grade one and grade two curriculums and compare them. Every region is different, but often grade one is not much different than kindergarten, it's just full-time.

Some factors I would personally consider before making my choice if I were in your shoes: Is your daughter's birthday in the beginning or end of the year? (if it's closer to the end then emotionally she may have more catching up to do) Do you feel your daughter is capable of doing grade 2 work? Does the school have a program for kids who are advanced?

And finally, my thought is that if you are going to eventually move your daughter into a different grade, then it's probably going to be easiest for her to make the move now. The various friendships won't be as entrenched now as they will be later on, the school work is still pretty flexible, and your daughter is young enough that she can probably roll with the changes and challenges without batting an eye. Congratulations on having a daughter who's excelling!!

Answer 2

That's great that your daughter is advanced enough to skip up a grade! However, as a parent of a very intelligent 6 year old girl who just finished 1st grade, I would recommend not doing it. Yes, my daughter was not especially challenged this year, but emotionally and socially, it was a big year of learning and development for her. In my area, kindergarten is only half day, so changing to a full day of school was a big adjustment. Then on top of that, learning how to negotiate the playground, the cafeteria/lunch at school and homework was also challenging. Those are all things they are expected to have mastered by 2nd grade. If my daughter had gone right into 2nd grade it would have been hard, and she's no social moron on a crybaby or anything like that. She's definitely not perfect but I think her struggles were common 1st grade issues. Keep all that in mind when making your decision.

Tough decision, I'm sure, but what a great decision to have to make!! Most parents question if their child should repeat Kindergarten!! :)

Answer 3

I have friends who did it, and friends who allowed their kids to do it. Almost all said it was a mistake that caught up with the kids in Middle School. In any case, keep in mind that if you take a group of kids who were reading and whatever in Kindergarten and compare them with a group of kids who are equally intelligent who weren't as advanced you would find that by Third Grade the differences had evaporated. If you want to skip her I'd wait a couple of years and see if she's still that far ahead of everyone else. What else can the school offer? I've seen cases where the kids are in First Grade but go to reading or math in a Second Grade classroom. That seems like a reasonable compromise.Does the school have a Gifted and Talented program or is there some sort of after school enrichment available?
You also have to consider your daughter's physical development. Is she large or small for her age? How well coordinated is she. Also remember that as kids move along there's less play and more homework. You have a lot of things to think about. Good Luck,

Answer 4

My daughter will skip first grade as well. However, her Kinder year was in a K/1 class that was in the first grade wing of the school. She did first grade work, she had lunch and recess with all the first grade children, etc. So it is really only in name that she is skipping first, and in reality it is more like she skipped Kindergarten. However, from this I have been asked some questions that you might find helpful:

Is she able to handle the difference in social skills (girls especially tend to become clique-ish, and making friends can be difficult)? Does she maybe have any friends who are also going into 2nd with whom she can be placed in the same class? Has she learned all the typical Kindergarten social skills as taking turns without getting upset, and dealing with someone picking on her? Has she mastered all the first grade skills, or will she be a bit behind in one or two areas? My daughter is reading a 1.9 rated book, and can read 2nd grade books with a little help on some words, so she may start second a little behind, but her math skills are awesome. However, part of this is the class she was in for reading, so I think once she gets started, she will catch up quite quickly.

I think this is the ideal age for grade skipping, if a child is ready. It is less likely that other kids will spend too much thought on her being younger, as they would in higher grade levels. They are not as likely to pick on her, and most likely, if one does, she will have more opportunities to have friends who will stand up for her. And the teachers will probably watch her closer for the first month or two.

My biggest concern is that my daughter will be a little behind in something and the teacher will blow it off because of the grade-skip, and she will miss out on something, but I don't think that will happen. And in any case, ask your daughter. If she didn't want to, and you skip her, she may act out by not doing well, and it will backfire.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Answer 5

I think you should let her do it. I also skipped first grade. Of course you'll have people telling her "You aren't special, i could've skipped 1st grade too" but the important part to remember is this isn't about them, this is about your child being smart to skip a grade. If you ask me you should be proud. If you are worried, though she might be able to take just a few classes a day with the 2nd graders and you can see if she can keep up there. That way if she gets behind you didn't let her skip just to set her up for failure. There might be one problem with her though. It might be hard for her to make friends. Not saying she won't ever find them, it just might take her some time. I took me a little longer than expected, because I was a little scared. But other than that she should be fine. Trust me. School sucks it's sucks a LOT more being taught some thing you already know. It also might create problems for her. Knowing what the teacher is teaching already causes idleness. idleness is bad, because she may end up getting into trouble trying to relieve her bordom. All in all you should let her skip. It looks good on a college application. Best of luck and congrats on your little genius.

Answer 6

This is a toughie. Now, personally, I did grades one and two in one year (went to gr. 2 in Feb. of that year). It was totally fine academically, but socially it was a total mistake. I'm a January birthday, so ended up being more than a year younger than most of the other kids. That really made a difference in higher elementary grades, and on through high school. I started University at 17.
Now, onto my son who is now 15. He read before he was 4 (as did both my husband and myself), and in Grade One, was reading at a 7th grade level. All his special testing went off the charts, he has a high IQ, and is socially advanced. However, we decided that overall, it was best that he stay in his regular grade, rather than be advanced. The school he was at didn't have extended learning opportunities (ELO) (their name for the gifted program) until Grade Five. However, he could stay in his regular grade, but was able to do more advanced work (this totally depends upon how good a teacher the child has, and if she understands and makes huge efforts). So he stayed put, and advanced regularly. Did the ELO program, which was a pull-out program, in grades 5 and 6, but they didn't really do much interesting stuff til grades 7 and 8. As parents, we just made sure he was doing things at home which challenged him - according to what his passions were at any given time.
We faced the 'problem' again in high school, because they wanted him to do the Honours program, which we declined - then the next year to do Advanced Placement, which we also declined. Better to have the child shine in the regular classroom, and do the enrichment as parents yourselves.
Now aside from being a mom, I am also an elementary teacher, with a specialty in reading. Whether I had advanced students, or students with special needs or learning disabilities, I MADE sure I made the effort to tailor the learning to the child. Now, not all teachers do that. It's up to a good teacher to make sure she has the proper programming for the child, their interests and abilities. That's more what you should be concerned with in regard to your child. As well as you as parents doing everything possible to enrich her learning at home, according to her passions.
Good luck deciding...

Answer 7

i skipped the first grade and only did have the second grade and they wanted to put me in third...but my mom put the brakes on that. she said one or two years difference was ok but more than that might cause me social problems in school. in the end though I am and have always been a reader from an early age and so was actually more mature then many of those older than me. You do for your kid what you think is right. Its a harsh demanding world out there so you should give her a leg up whenever its offered. Every little bit helps.

Answer 8

This is really dependent on how well you think your daughter would be able to handle the transition.

While it's a great opportunity, if you don't feel comfortable with the idea and are curious that it may hinder your child's developing friendships/psychological state - you don't have to let her skip the grade.

I would try to setup a meeting with the school councilor and your daughter to discuss this matter more. Find out how she would feel about the decision as well, and ask about any possible psychological affects.

Perhaps you can also inquire about alternative options that may be available to your daughter - such as advanced tutoring.

Answer 9

Teachers have suggested several times that we allow our daughter to skip grades. Beginning in Kindergarten. We've always decided against it. She is the brightest in her class and I would rather have that than see her struggle socially and academically down the road. She is in middle school now and socializing is starting to edge out academics. She is still the smartest in the class, but we are glad we didn't push her ahead too fast. Now she is just enjoying being her age, with children her age! I think she will always be a straight A student but hopefully won't have any social hang-ups because we pushed her to mature way too fast.

Sometimes it is really better to be the Big Fish in the Small Pond rather than the Small Fish in the Big Pond!

Answer 10

It is wonderful to hear your child is doing so well in school they are academically prepared to advance two grade levels! You must be incredibly proud. Consider the option carefully, and perhaps make a list of pros and cons. Although your daughter is ready for second grade work, is she socially and emotionally prepared? Will there be benefits down the road, or will there be issues? She will finish high school ahead of her peers, but will she be ready for college at that age? Will her being younger than the other middle school/jr. high students be okay - will she be ready for the social issues that come along with that age group? It can be a phenomenal opportunity, but it is important to consider all aspects that will affect her as she goes forward. Parents know their children better than anyone - you will make the best decision for your child. Best of luck!