Effects of Grade Skipping

Many parents each school year are faced with the decision of whether or not grade skipping, or acceleration, is the right move for their academically advanced child. As the parent of a now Tenth Grader, who skipped the

Third Grade, I can relate. When the school approached us about their opinion that the best course of action for my daughter was to skip a grade, the decision to follow through with it was more difficult than I expected. When grade skipping is being considered by the school and parents of the child, the school understandably wants a decision as quickly as possible. If you find yourself in this position, and need some insight fast, please read further.

IMMEDIATE BENEFITS OF GRADE SKIPPING

There are definitely some immediate benefits to grade skipping. The most prevalent of those being, that the child is now academically challenged and stimulated by their school work. For those with a child who is bored stiff in a class where every bit of material presented is material that the child has long ago mastered, they know what it 's like to watch their child lose interest in school, perhaps making statements full of frustration such as, "I don 't even have to think in there!", as my daughter did in First Grade. While parents who do not face this situation may find it hard to see why this situation really needs some kind of resolution, those who do, understand clearly that to leave things exactly as they are may potentially cause their child to eventually lose all interest in school and learning. Once a child is skipped up, as in our case, it often becomes quite apparent to everyone that the child feels much more comfortable in this more challenging academic setting.
Contrary to what many might think, when a child is first skipped up in the early grades, their social interactions with others may actually improve quite a bit. This seems to be, at least in part, due to the fact that

the child is now spending more time with children who