Dear Parent,

Thank you for your question! 

Your daughter sounds as though she may be ready to move on to 1st grade material.  However, let me give you a rough idea of CHC's Kindergarten Lesson plans, and what your daughter might be learning.  Maybe this will help you in your decision.

In the Kindergarten language arts program, a solid phonics foundation is laid.  In math your daughter will learn the numbers 1-20, telling time, calendars, money, fractions, simple addition and subtraction and measurement.  In this grade, your child will also learn about basic religion topics, such as the Ten Commandments, Lent, Advent, and other important holy days.  In the non-core subjects, your child will learn about holidays and traditions, exploring nature, colors and shapes, and appreciation of music and singing.  It sounds as though your daughter has mastered many of these tasks.  However, I always hesitate at skipping an entire grade.  You might find that she is way ahead in some ways, but also right at age level in other areas. 

There are several options you could take, depending on the readiness of your daughter.  You could skip Kindergarten altogether and start her in first grade.  Or, you could start her in Kindergarten at an accelerated pace, since if she has already mastered the reading covered it will move quickly.  However, if she has missed some of the skills covered, this will give you an opportunity for her to learn them.  It's critical that she have a complete foundation before moving on to first grade.  Finally, another option you could consider is combining both grades, into one, pulling certain areas from each lesson plan, depending on her abilities.  CHC has its own reading program which progresses farther than most programs, but if you feel more comfortable using a different reading program, you could easily incorporate them into the lesson plans, or use them for enrichment, while using CHC's reading program.

Good luck and God bless you and your family!

Laura Nicholson