Thread: Back to PS..possible

My daughter was in Public school I pulled her out in 1st grade, homeschooled her and now she possibly wants to go back. She was older for her grade as I waited to send her (Aug bday) . Anyway thanks to homeschooling, I feel she is ready for 4th grade and not 3rd where she would be going if she was still in PS. Is there a way to skip the grade would she have to take a test or something? Thanks

I've had to enroll kids in public school after homeschooling them for most or all of elementary and/or middle school. (several kids, they were in eighth, sixth, and fifth grade when they were enrolled)

From my experience, every school is different, even within the same district. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, just something to keep in mind.

Some schools would rather put a child with their age mates and put an advanced child in pull out programs for more challenge. Works great for some kids when it is done well and some schools do these kinds of programs better than others. There is really no way to know if it will work for your child and if the schools do a good job of implementing this for your child until you try.

The reason some schools prefer to do it this way is that it avoids some of the social stigma of skipping grades. Your daughter is heading into the middle school years and the ugly truth is that middle school girls can be vicious. While she may well be able to handle the academic work of being skipped a grade, but can she handle the social implications of being physically and emotionally less developed than the children she is having to socialize with every day? There are absolutely kids who can and do handle these things without problem but other kids can be crushed emotionally and then end up struggling with their studies because they are so worried about being picked on or fitting in. You know your child and how well they could handle this kind of pressure but it is something to consider. It's not just academics that need to be considered when deciding what grade to enroll your child in.

Some schools are perfectly willing to let a child skip a grade but how that decision is made can vary. Some schools want to let your child start with her age mates and then put her on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) when she proves to be more advanced than her peers. At the initial IEP meeting, skipping ahead a grade is an option that could be discussed. Some schools will call a meeting with you and the teachers without the IEP and make the same decision. Some will do testing before enrolling to determine placement but, in my experience, both with my kids and other homeschoolers I've known who went on to enroll in public schools, this is far less common. The schools usually want to observe the child in the classroom first to ensure that they are both academically and emotionally able to handle skipping a grade.