Introducing The Next Generation Of Leaders And Thinkers

What It’s Like To Have Skipped A Grade At School

I am 13 years old. But, I am in Year 10 at school (sophomore). Why is that, you ask?

When I was in Pre-Primary (If you don’t know what that is, it’s like another grade after Kindergarten, before you get put into Year 1), my Mum thought that I wasn’t being challenged enough. Now you may be thinking “Pre-Primary isn’t a time for children to be challenged too hard, they just need to have fun!” Well, I taught myself to read when I was 2 or 3 years old. When I was in Kindergarten, Mum told my teacher that I could read. My teacher didn’t believe her. But when I started to read, my teacher was amazed. Unfortunately, my Pre-Primary teacher didn’t know that I could read incredibly well, so I was dumbed down a lot. We learned about basic phonics, sounds and words. So one day, when Mum saw the other kids playing around in the classroom and me sitting in the corner watching sand pour out of a jug, she knew she had to do something.She got in contact with my principal and after spending 3 terms in Pre-Primary, I spent the last term of the year in Year 1. I was moved straight up into Year 2.

When I was in Year 6, we took the Gapadol Reading Test, which determined your reading age. It was a pretty open ended test. My score was off the scale. My teacher was mind-blown. I was 10 years old at the time, but I had a reading age of 16.

When I transitioned from primary school to high school, I was put into the academic extension English class, and one of the lowest level Maths classes. I was 11 when I went into Year 8. When I turned 12 in May that year, I hadn’t told anyone my age. I had gotten myself a good group of friends, but I would sit there in silence while my friends exchanged “twelvie” jokes. They obviously didn’t know my age. I gradually started telling people my age, and once I told my friends, they immediately stopped with the jokes. Whenever I would tell someone my age, I’m usually met with “How the hell are you still 13?” “You’re two years younger than me but you’re two feet taller than me!” “How come you’re in Grade 10?”. One of my friends in my friend group always say that I’m the most mature out of the group!

Being 1-2 years younger than everyone else in my year hasn’t really fazed me. I barely even think about how I’m younger than everyone else. But, when I see 13 year olds outside of school, I always think if I didn’t skip a year, would I be as immature as them?

I enjoy being surrounded by people a little older than me. If I was surrounded by kids my own age, I think I would die of boredom. At school, my friends and I have some very…interesting conversations (hello if you guys are reading this by the way!)

I’m always surprised at how people find my story really interesting. I guess it’s because I’ve been in this situation my whole life. So maybe you’ll find my story interesting!

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