It's a topic that both sides think they know the answer to: When a child is working well above his or her grade level, is it better to leave the child with age peers or accelerate the child to study with grade level peers?

Proponents of acceleration point out that kids who are well beyond their classmates are usually hard pressed to find age-peer friendships, since their interests differ so much from the kids in their group.

Opponents of acceleration say that even if a child is ahead academically, she still needs to be with kids her own age because her emotional development will match theirs (and in some cases will be behind her peers).

Proponents of acceleration say that teachers are seldom equipped to offer differentiated curriculum for kids who lie well out of the range of the other kids in their class. They say that kids should learn with a teacher who is equipped to keep up with them.

Opponents of acceleration respond that most academically gifted kids are only gifted in a limited number of areas. A highly gifted reader, for example, may do grade level math. They also point out that some academic preparation is age-defined, such as the readiness to learn cursive handwriting.

The two sides of the debate don't seem to have much common ground. A third group might be defined as "child-specific," since they will say that acceleration is only sometimes appropriate, depending on the child and the school.

Interestingly, although parents of gifted children cite numerous instances of resistance to acceleration in their local school systems, there is a dearth of research supporting the common position that acceleration harms kids if it's done in the best interests of the child.

Teachers point out that it's their job to determine what level of work a child is doing, and each child is an individual case.

"I don't understand why we're willing to fail kids but we're not willing to accelerate them," says Ocean Grove teacher Vaiva Bichnevicius.

What is right for your child? Below is a list of articles that may inform your decision-making and give you the right questions and data when you meet with your child's school administration.

National Association for Gifted Children
Position Statement: Acceleration
The NAGC weighs in with a strongly positive statement about acceleration, stating, "Educational acceleration is one of the cornerstones of exemplary gifted education practices, with more research supporting this intervention than any other in the literature on gifted individuals."

When is it the right thing to do? by Carol Fertig
A good overview of different types of acceleration and reasons to consider it.

The Acceleration Question: Should Gifted Children Skip Grades? by Jodi Forschmiedt
A short summary of the issues.

Advocating for Grade Acceleration by Carla Marie Boulianne
Overview with a checklist of ways to approach hesitant administrators.

Should Gifted Students Be Grade-Advanced? by Sharon J. Lynch
Addresses the pro's and con's of acceleration and suggests some alternatives to simple grade-skipping.

Early Entry into Kindergarten for Gifted Children by Carol Bainbridge
This article is specifically about the pro's and con's of early entry to kindergarten, and doesn't address factors that concern older children. But it includes a good number of points about whether a four-year-old is ready to be with older kids.

Myths and Misconceptions of Acceleration by Daniel Anderson (pdf)
This paper goes more in depth than the other citations. The author cites many studies and dissects all the arguments against acceleration. He also explores the reason for reluctance to accelerate gifted students, which is useful for parents who are working with a reluctant school administration.

Hoagies' Gifted Education Page
This is a page of links to a variety of arguments for acceleration, as well as some books.