Some parental advice from all the lovely parentals? Non parentals also welcome :D

[Losty]

That may have been tmi...

[Violet]

That may have been tmi...

Can always edit it if you feel it needs edited

[Godscreated]

Losty, social skills are learned more than taught and they are learned from a young age from those we socialize with, if you were to move her into a group older than she is she may miss out on things she would develop with children her own age and of the same social skills. Missing out on these experiences may leave her vulnerable to older children, social skills and gifted intelligence can be on two very different levels in a child. Like you said you have time to determine what you think best for her, you have received thoughts on what might help from many here and I'm sure more will come your way, take your time and consider everything, I hope it doesn't offend you, I'll be praying for the best.

GC

[I_am_not_mafia]

On the other hand if she stays unstimulated and frustrated then she is more likely to rebel as she gets old, give up trying and waste her talents.

[Jenny A]

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Ok so my daughter is 7. She is in the first grade. Her birthday is in the end of August so she missed the cut off for starting kindergarten at 5. She is currently reading at a fourth grade level (sorry to non-muricans, you may have to do some kind of conversion). She does math at a third grade level. She is just generally ahead for her age. Yesterday I had a discussion with her teacher, an academic advisor, and the assistant principal at her school. She has apparently tested in to the gifted program that is at the same school but in a separate part from other students. (I didn't even know they were going to test her). The test, they tell me, even has a written exam that she did very well on. They want me to sign for her to be in the gifted program next school year.

My issue is that the program is only for 3rd grade and up. So if she goes into this program next year, she will have to skip the second grade. I know this is a really great opportunity for her to be able to use her mind in a more stimulating way, right now she frequently complains that school is so boring and she doesn't get to learn new stuff. I also know that she's 7. She's just a baby. I can't decide if it's a good idea to skip her ahead a grade instead of letting her have this time while she's very young to be...very young. I want her to be able to play and be silly with kids her own age and not go to school everyday feeling weighed down by the pressures of measuring up to kids that are older than her. I can't decide what to do.

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I'm glad you said she was seven, because that makes a difference.  She really wouldn't be much younger than her peers in the third grade.  If it were me, I'd move her up now.  It's easier now than later.  I know of at least four high school age girls who were moved up a year (in one case three years) while they were in early elementary school.  It worked well in all four cases.  I also know of one very socially awkward boy for whom it didn't work out so well.

We should have moved our youngest up a couple grades.  The result of not doing it is that in high school all her freshman and sophomore classes were mostly full of upperclassmen.  Now in her junior year it's as if she changed high schools in terms of finding friends and several of her classes have become independent study because she's topped out the department.  Senior year's going to be interesting.

[Cato]

Do it. I wouldn't worry about skipping a grade considering the August birthday. She'll still be close in age, just at the bottom end of the one year range instead of the top.

She'll make new friends. Think of it this way...

Imagine talking to your future 35 year old daughter weighing the decision for her own child and having to share that you didn't put her in an advanced academic curriculum despite clear demonstration of merit because you thought 7 year old friends were a more important consideration.

[Athene]

Yes I think an edit is best here. That was just way too personall sorry everyone. Moving along moving along.

Sorry if I said something that bothered you. I'm sure you'll come to the right decision, either way....you know your child better than anyone.

[Mermaid]

I skipped 2nd grade but ended up going back to 2nd grade the second half of the school year. It wasn't so much academics, it was more of a social issue. I barely remember it though, so I am not exactly being helpful, am I? Anyway, it didn't damage me psychologically. *eye twitch*

[Minimalist]

She is the victim of an arbitrary bureaucratic cutoff date.  When I was involved in Little League the cut off was August first and when deciding who to draft among kids that I knew nothing about I invariably took the kid with an August birth date.  I was rarely disappointed.

As she gets older the feeling of being bored in school will get to be a serious problem.   If she is not socially awkward then she will make new friends.

Kids never want to leave their friends.  What would happen if you had to move?

I say go for it.  Maintaining her interest in school is more important.

[Losty]

Do it. I wouldn't worry about skipping a grade considering the August birthday. She'll still be close in age, just at the bottom end of the one year range instead of the top.

She'll make new friends. Think of it this way...

Imagine talking to your future 35 year old daughter weighing the decision for her own child and having to share that you didn't put her in an advanced academic curriculum despite clear demonstration of merit because you thought 7 year old friends were a more important consideration.

Not putting her in was never an option. It's just a matter of putting her in this coming August or the one after that.