Clearly repeating a grade level carries a connotation from peers, parents, and others of underachievement that can be ill-timed. It also attaches a perceived stigma which can be destructive if not addressed properly. There are instances where children are "pigeon-holed" or "slotted" among groups with a similar aptitude. The sometimes temporary forces, which are seen as cause for repeating a grade, are mistakenly or even purposely overlooked as in pigeon-holing. It is well documented that children who fail to choose a curriculum path by the time they reach middle school are often targeted and limited from that time on as to the academic choices offered in each successive year. Falling behind for what ever reason is a good way to become targeted.

Among the valid reasons for repeating a grade, there are positive motivations which are less demeaning, such as social skills in one such case the inability to connect with others in a class environment. Our first daughter was placed in preschool for a two year term; they only attend a half-a-day or less. Our interest in quality education inspired us to open a business with resources designed to mentally stimulate preschool and kindergarten age children. After finishing preschool, our daughter went on to private school at a very early age and progressed in memorizing, reciting and enunciation skills well ahead of her class. Our business schedule was such that my wife and I frequented restaurants daily.

We never imagined what we were about to encounter regarding our daughter and elementary school. Exposed to the restaurant environment so often, our daughter was nicknamed "restaurant baby" privately, as she was well behaved and sociable, if you will, at least to those who waited tables. Kindergarten went smoothly, or so we thought. It was around the end of the school year that our second daughter was born, and within a few months our eldest entered first-grade.

The subject of this article becomes more relevant at this stage. As first-grade progressed, the teacher alerted us to the fact that our daughter was having difficulty in social skills. More clearly, she was doing the activities first-graders do very well, but it became increasingly evident that her learning ability clearly out paced the other children in class. Concerned, we sought counseling on the matter - of social imbalance, and were assured not to take this seriously at such an early stage in the education process; after all time was

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