Change grade placement?

[dmmetler]

DD was accelerated into K in ps this year, and I'm wondering whether it would be better to list her as a K student for this coming year with the cover school, support groups and the like, or to leave the grade skip intact? There's really no reason why she NEEDS to be a 5 yr old 1st grader vs a 5 yr old K if we're home schooling, and if she goes back to ps they'll test her anyway.

[LisaDSB]

I have kept my kids as grade 4 and 2, even though there is very little we do that would be grade appropriate. When we attend homeschool and community activities, I try to fit them where they belong (which may or may not be with their age groups) but not everyone allows that, in which case we just go with their age/grade level.

I remember a discussion about this on another gifted homeschoolers' group and the consensus was that it was better to "officially" leave them in their normal grade, but provide them work at their real level. This way, they are competing against age peers in standarized testing and other competitions. Also, while they may sail through the early grades, they could slow down considerably later and it may be harder to show progress if you need to in your jurisdiction (although the child may well be years ahead of her age peers, she may be handicapped by the fact that she is now being compared against kids several years older).

I think it is better to leave them where they are and if the need arises to advance them for a particular purpose, you can always do it later. This also allows any asynchronous development to work in your child's favour.

[MissKNG]

There is a thread in the K-8 board going about this:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157583

[babysparkler]

I have kept my kids as grade 4 and 2, even though there is very little we do that would be grade appropriate. When we attend homeschool and community activities, I try to fit them where they belong (which may or may not be with their age groups) but not everyone allows that, in which case we just go with their age/grade level.

I remember a discussion about this on another gifted homeschoolers' group and the consensus was that it was better to "officially" leave them in their normal grade, but provide them work at their real level. This way, they are competing against age peers in standarized testing and other competitions. Also, while they may sail through the early grades, they could slow down considerably later and it may be harder to show progress if you need to in your jurisdiction (although the child may well be years ahead of her age peers, she may be handicapped by the fact that she is now being compared against kids several years older).

I think it is better to leave them where they are and if the need arises to advance them for a particular purpose, you can always do it later. This also allows any asynchronous development to work in your child's favour.
:iagree:

[RanchGirl]

I have kept my kids as grade 4 and 2, even though there is very little we do that would be grade appropriate. When we attend homeschool and community activities, I try to fit them where they belong (which may or may not be with their age groups) but not everyone allows that, in which case we just go with their age/grade level.

I remember a discussion about this on another gifted homeschoolers' group and the consensus was that it was better to "officially" leave them in their normal grade, but provide them work at their real level. This way, they are competing against age peers in standarized testing and other competitions. Also, while they may sail through the early grades, they could slow down considerably later and it may be harder to show progress if you need to in your jurisdiction (although the child may well be years ahead of her age peers, she may be handicapped by the fact that she is now being compared against kids several years older).

I think it is better to leave them where they are and if the need arises to advance them for a particular purpose, you can always do it later. This also allows any asynchronous development to work in your child's favour.

:iagree: this is what we have done, right down to the fact that my kids are in the same grades! :)

[Maryalice]

In our state, there is no need for homeschoolers to declare their children in a grade. "Grades" are a large institutional concept for age segregation. All of my children were "ungraded" up until the day I decided to graduate them from high school. Then they were high school graduates.

[Laura Corin]

I've always just stated that the boys were in the year/grade that they 'should' be by age. Then I use whatever materials I fancy with them.

Laura