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As a child I was considered to jump a whole academic year by doing two at the same time. I went through so many tests, visited so many experts and had to hear

As a child I was considered to jump a whole academic year by doing two at the same time. I went through so many tests, visited so many experts and had to hear so many people talk about me that when we soon after moved town I made efforts to not show my real potential. I tried to be average and be just one more, which led to eventual laziness and bad grades. So bad that I had shifty final grades in high school and I never got to get a uni degree. Yet, most people that know me would say I'm extremely intelligent. Too bad life is about effort and not intelligence :-) What I'm saying is, leave the kids alone. Let them grow up and help them accomplish their intellectual needs. Just don't treat them as something different or special, it would lead to either self-entitlement or sense of not belonging and loneliness.

Declanomous 10y ago
I didn't skip any grades because my dad wouldn't allow it. He had skipped two grades and hated it. I know a few people who skipped grades, and they were always kind of outsiders. I say this from the standpoint of being part of a very nerdy clique in high school -- those who skipped grades were outsiders compared to us. I think adults neglect the fact that education is more than just book learning. Youth need to learn social and emotional skills as well. There is more to learn at school that just academic skills, and this goes for all levels. For instance, you can spend 100% of your time on academics in college, but soft skills are at least as important as academic skills in the workplace. Skipping grades isn't the only way to cripple children socially, and I'm not saying it's a social death sentence. Most of the kids I know who skipped grades are fine now, but some never really recovered, and some bear emotional scars from the experience. On a similar note, a weird thing I noticed that is kind of similar, is that only children tend to be fairly poor at handling conflict. My theory is that if you are not an only child, you often get in fights with a sibling who you were then forced to be around. (For instance, sitting next to them in a long car ride.) Only children generally can leave situations when they get heated, so they never are forced to work though a conflict. I might be totally wrong on that point, but I think there is something to the theory. My mom was an only child, and she could never understand how my brother and I could come to blows over one thing, and then be playing a game together ten minutes later. I didn't think much of it till I dated a girl who was raised an only child, and I noticed the same aversion to conflict. Every disagreement had to be resolved, any time we disagreed about something it was considered an argument. Meanwhile, some of the calmest people I know during disagreements have like 7 siblings.
- gmarx 10y ago
  I skipped a grade and my mom told me that the school district really didn't like doing it, for many of the reasons you mention. She said they did it with me because I was also large (I think I was even one of the biggest kids one grade up) and mature (a characteristic which seems to have flamed out early). I don't think I suffered many ill effects. One thing I did notice in retrospect, seriously disadvantaged in dating I also have 3 brothers and agree with the ability to fight and get along. People who can't argue about stuff without becoming enemies...I just don't get them
- TimesOldRoman 10y ago
  I skipped the 9th grade. My parents had the option of sending me from 8th directly into college but decided to only skip 9th because they felt I needed to mature socially. In a way I resent them for it because am not satisfied with where I am in my life (figure I could have been much farther along by now in career/academia), even though I should be satisfied. On the other hand, I know they did what they thought was best....either way, I'm still socially a mess inside although I appear pretty charismatic when I try. I guess I could have been a disaster without those high school formative years....it's up to me now at 37, I suppose.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

Declanomous 10y ago

I didn't skip any grades because my dad wouldn't allow it. He had skipped two grades and hated it. I know a few people who skipped grades, and they were always kind of outsiders. I say this from the standpoint of being part of a very nerdy clique in high school -- those who skipped grades were outsiders compared to us. I think adults neglect the fact that education is more than just book learning. Youth need to learn social and emotional skills as well. There is more to learn at school that just academic skills, and this goes for all levels. For instance, you can spend 100% of your time on academics in college, but soft skills are at least as important as academic skills in the workplace. Skipping grades isn't the only way to cripple children socially, and I'm not saying it's a social death sentence. Most of the kids I know who skipped grades are fine now, but some never really recovered, and some bear emotional scars from the experience. On a similar note, a weird thing I noticed that is kind of similar, is that only children tend to be fairly poor at handling conflict. My theory is that if you are not an only child, you often get in fights with a sibling who you were then forced to be around. (For instance, sitting next to them in a long car ride.) Only children generally can leave situations when they get heated, so they never are forced to work though a conflict. I might be totally wrong on that point, but I think there is something to the theory. My mom was an only child, and she could never understand how my brother and I could come to blows over one thing, and then be playing a game together ten minutes later. I didn't think much of it till I dated a girl who was raised an only child, and I noticed the same aversion to conflict. Every disagreement had to be resolved, any time we disagreed about something it was considered an argument. Meanwhile, some of the calmest people I know during disagreements have like 7 siblings.

gmarx 10y ago
I skipped a grade and my mom told me that the school district really didn't like doing it, for many of the reasons you mention. She said they did it with me because I was also large (I think I was even one of the biggest kids one grade up) and mature (a characteristic which seems to have flamed out early). I don't think I suffered many ill effects. One thing I did notice in retrospect, seriously disadvantaged in dating I also have 3 brothers and agree with the ability to fight and get along. People who can't argue about stuff without becoming enemies...I just don't get them
TimesOldRoman 10y ago
I skipped the 9th grade. My parents had the option of sending me from 8th directly into college but decided to only skip 9th because they felt I needed to mature socially. In a way I resent them for it because am not satisfied with where I am in my life (figure I could have been much farther along by now in career/academia), even though I should be satisfied. On the other hand, I know they did what they thought was best....either way, I'm still socially a mess inside although I appear pretty charismatic when I try. I guess I could have been a disaster without those high school formative years....it's up to me now at 37, I suppose.

deleted 10y ago

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