Q: Our son has a high IQ, and is considered gifted. Should we allow him to skip a couple of grades?

A: In most cases, I think it's usually best to allow a child to identify with the grade level that describes his age group. My best advice for all home schoolers is to move ahead at a comfortable pace as long as the child continues to love learning.

If a child's birthday is fairly close to your state's "cut-off" date for school entry, it's usually okay to start a child in home school kindergarten one year early, IF you're convinced that he is academically advanced, physically similar to other children in that grade, emotionally mature, and exhibits self-motivation for learning along with a quickly growing attention span. Using those characteristics as a guide will help prevent problems later.

Additionally, although this may sound old-fashioned, I do think it's sometimes easier for girls to start early than for boys. It's a fact that boys are more often mis-diagnosed with ADD/ADHD than girls; perhaps they just need a few more years to wiggle. So, gender is another factor for parents to consider.

As teachers, we should remember that enrichment is often more important than advancement, especially in the early years. In other words, teach deeper instead of faster. One option is to pursue an enriched curriculum throughout elementary years, and if a child still exhibits a need to advance more quickly, allow him to skip the 8th grade and accelerate toward college prep courses and college level courses from there as needed. It's also fairly easy, with some good planning, for students with high IQ's to complete a college-prep high school program in three years if desired.

Keep in mind that if you do move ahead, and an advanced level of learning becomes stressful, don’t be afraid to take a break, try a new approach, or even take a few steps back.

I've seen people regret moving ahead too quickly, but rarely have I seen them regret progressing at a steady pace. Make common sense and nurture your guides, and discipleship your goal. Be careful to avoid the influences of selfish ambition or pride, and you will be sure to make a wise decision.

Happy Home Schooling,
Mrs. Sherry

P.S. To read about how we made a decision about grade assignment for our daughter for the next school year, visit the home page of my website: www.sherryfiscella.com. You can cut and paste the address into your browser, or there's a link to the right.