skipping grades

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Home : 2001 : October : 7

skipping grades
By Cathy-Dee

From a personal and professional viewpoint I have rarely seen any student who has skipped a grade benefit more from being skipped than if they had stayed in their "regular" grade level.
I'm sure there are the few where
skipping does make sense at the time, but for most it catches up to them. All the students I've taught at one time or another have found it much more difficult socially when they are put into a higher grade. And although this student is more mature, she may not be more mature than other grade 4 students.
Since we as educators are supposed to be meeting the needs of all our students

(although this can be difficult too), I would impress upon the parent that you will be able to challenge her child within the grade 3 class. Being new to the school as well makes it more difficult for her to make friends. Sometimes we also mistake maturity with shyness. I had two students who eventually skipped grades - both seemed mature, but in reality they were actually somewhat shy. As a result they had an even harder time making friends with the older students in their class.

I agree with the others - do not meet with this parent on your own. If your administrator is against the move, then you need to support his decision as well. The best way to approach this may be simply to admit to the parent that you really do not have your own opinion on the matter, but from the advice of others and based on your Principal's recommendation you do not feel it would be in the best interest for their child to skip a grade. And then also let the parent know that the final decision would be with the administrator which should take the parent off your hands and put them with the Principal who should be handling things.