Should You Let Your Child Skip a Grade?
Every parent wants to be proud of their child and hold the parental bragging rights. In fact, if you don't have kids you might even get sick of hearing about other people's children. We do tend to run on and on about them and we tend to see everything our children do a sign of their perfection '"even when we know they aren't actually perfect. School is the only place that children can not only have their accomplishments presented in a measurable way, but can even be pushed for higher standards. Moving your child up a grade level might seem like the perfect format for a parent to help their child succeed, but are you actually doing it for their benefit or your own?
They tested high on state regulated assessments. I've seen my child's ISTEP scores. I even had a chat with his teacher about how he could raise his ISTEP scores by using methods that actually had nothing to do with his knowledge. I'm going to say what almost every other educator in America is thinking; ISTEP scores don't mean a thing. The only skill an ISTEP test score adequately measures is your child's test tasking skills. I'm not saying that they don't know the material. I'm saying they know how to take a test and this is certainly no basis to jump a grade.
Their age doesn't match their grade level. When it comes to public schools, grade levels and age are something to be considered before moving a child ahead or holding them back. That's because of the social skills that develop at certain ages. Think back to how cruel kids can be and make no mistake; they are even crueler today when educators and parents alike are limited in how they are able to discipline children or teach them morals.
Do they need the stress? When kids jump grade levels, they are automatically in some form of outcast role with their peers, whether it's because of jealousy or plain old meanness. Now they have to make new friends and step up their performance. If you're making this move based on a test score, you better make sure that your child will actually benefit from it. It's much better for you to sacrifice your bragging rights to preserve their sanity. You already have enough to be proud of, so why would you need to have it on paper?
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References: Personal experience
Published by Kathy Foust - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle
Kathy is a professional freelance writer, student and mother. Her goal is to provide useful information that's easy to understand and that may even be entertaining! View profile
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2 Comments
Post a CommentMy husband and my daughter both skipped a grade. For my husband, the worst thing that happened was that he missed long division. (The year he skipped was the year they taught that in his school.) For my daughter, the worst was that she was the last person to get her driver's license. She whined about that for a year! She loved that she was the youngest to graduate from college though!
Having been in your same shoes many years ago, I reached the same conclusion. My son ultimely graduated from highschool with a GPA in excess of 3.9. He was on the the swim team, wrestleing team, track team and water polo team. In college his grades were similar. He played water polo, and participated in track.
Going into college he was offered numerous scholarships for academics. Basically, they were free rides. He was a well rounded student and asked by our governor to participate in the Dole convention. He participates in his community on a regualar basis. He moved recently so that his child could be in a school district that was rated nationally as high as the one he attended.
You nipped in the but when you asked the question do they need the stress. No they don't kids need to be kids. They need to experience life along with books. Be well rounded has helped to become incredibly successful in his career.