We get questions from parents all the time about school decisions for children who are scoring well on gifted and talented assessments such as the Stanford-Binet or OLSAT. Often families want to know how to evaluate the decision for a child to skip a grade based on his or her IQ or aptitude test scores. Here are some things to consider:
Teacher feedback Speaking to your child’s teacher about what they think of a grade skip recommendation is a great place to start. Your child’s most recent teacher will have seen your son or daughter’s in class behavior as well as his or her workload. It is best to get the advice of a teacher who has had some time to get to know your child, but you may also want to speak to the teacher of an upcoming year to get a sense of what enrichment activities are available and how the coursework differs between your child’s age year and your child’s proposed grade level.
School experience Consider your child’s school experience up to this point. If the child is in preschool or kindergarten and has limited experience you may want to consider his or her age and maturity. Aptitude tests do not always translate directly into performance in the classroom so try to base the decision on a combination of how your child has handled schoolwork and other scholastic challenges as well as the raw test score results.
Current peer group Is your child acting appropriately for child a year to a year and a half older? Skipping a grade often means transitioning to a whole new set of classmates. Depending on your child’s social abilities and attachment needs you could see them struggle or thrive surrounded by a new set of classmates. If you do plan on skipping your child, treat the transition like a move to a new school and make extra efforts to schedule play dates with new classmates.
Your child’s schedule and afterschool interests Skipping a grade is not the only way to raise the level of your child’s learning and enrichment. Consider the other activities and commitments your child has now and whether they will be able to maintain their involvement with those activities while taking on more classwork.
Please note these are general guidelines, with more specific questions about your gifted child please contact us.