Good point on telling him it's an option. in elementary school, I only became aware of grade skipping when I encountered a student who had done so.

I had a similar experience. Apparently, I was offered the choice to skip a grade, but my parents decided (without involving me in the discussion) that it would hurt my social growth. This was irksome to find out. Their concerns were valid - I didn't connect well with my peers - but skipping a grade actually would have helped. In the end, the friends who drew me out of my shell, and had the greatest positive impact on me, were all two or three years older.