Developmental vs Academic First Grade

My son was reading at age 4. At the age of 5, he was identified as gifted. I enrolled him in the most academic kindergarten in our area. The school gave him all sorts of challenges and even talked of his skipping grades.
This year, we moved to a new area and enrolled him in a very developmental private school for first grade. He absolutely loves this school. They focus on art, music, drama, foreign language and even gardening. The artistic elements really appeal to him, especially music, as he already plays the piano. And he delights in playing with the other children and has tons of friends. Academically, they didn't even start to teach formal reading in first grade. I try to give him academic challenges at home that he is missing at school, but we don't work well together.
Should he stay at this school he absolutely loves? If he does, will he lose his academic skills? His teacher says that he needs balance in his life, not just academic challenge. -- Decision Time
Answer: The two schools that your son has attended are poles apart in their educational philosophy. The big difference is that your son is very happy at his current school. He did not enjoy the previous school and its academic push even though he was a superstar student. This is an important consideration.
While your son may not be doing much formal academic work, he is still learning. Think of the lifetime interest that he is developing in the arts and the social skills he is acquiring.
Just because the current school is not pushing academics, he definitely will not lose the skills he has in this area. When this school begins to introduce more academics, it will probably be done in a way that entices him to learn. Then his skills in these areas will soar.