Homeschool to Public School Placement

My daughter will turn 6 this month. I have been homeschooling her for the past two years. However, I have just found out that I will need to return to work next year, and she will have to go to a public school. I don't know if I should put her in first or second grade. She can already read beginning readers as well as add and subtract. -- Puzzled
Answer: The decision about what grade to place your child in is not likely to be yours. The school will put her where they think she will fit best. In making this decision, they will weigh her abilities with what they consider the benefits of staying with kids her own age.
Talk to the school now. If the principal is not there, find out when he or she will return. You definitely want to resolve this matter before the first day of school.
Incidentally, at any level, homeschoolers who plan to have their children attend public school later on should talk to the school about what is involved in this transfer. It is usually a simple process. Children who enter in the middle of their high-school years, however, can have problems showing what credits they have earned toward graduation.