Text Size:
A|
A|
A
Email
PrintQuestion: My daughter's preschool teachers say she is advanced enough to skip kindergarten next fall. I like that idea but my wife says she's afraid our daughter will miss her friends and will struggle to keep up with the older kids.
Answer: If your preschooler is truly advanced -- for example, doing well with early reading, math concepts, and writing -- it's appropriate to consider moving her directly into first grade. You want her to be challenged and excited, not bored.
On the other hand, you don't want her to be intimidated, or to feel as if she's always lagging behind the "big kids" in first grade. Even if she's academically advanced, if she isn't ready socially or emotionally -- or with the fine and gross motor skills routinely used in first grade -- skipping kindergarten could be unwise.
It's a big decision -- and we suggest you get some formal support as you and your wife make it.
Check with your local school district about policies on skipping grades. Ask them about having your daughter tested. There are good instruments -- for example, the Iowa Acceleration Scale -- that can help determine whether your daughter is truly ready for first grade.
Meet with the principal of your local elementary school or schools, if there is more than one option. They may have successful experience in keeping advanced kindergarteners engaged and challenged.
In the end, if your child is offered the opportunity to skip kindergarten and you want her to do that, be sure to talk with her about how she will make new friends, how she can still see her old friends, and other issues she will face.
And remember: kindergarten isn't mandatory. Is it an option to keep your child at home for the one year (of course, with plenty of peer socialization) while you challenge her and provide enrichment activities?
Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.
