replesco
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Post by replesco on Jan 16, 2014 15:23:54 GMT -5
We have a July baby and my husband is completely set on holding her back for a year. The cut off is Sept 1 in our system. I struggle daily with it even though we have a year to decide. Socially she is a little awkward, but I worry about holding her back and when/if the realization hits her that all of the kids she grew up with are a grade ahead of her.
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Jan 16, 2014 17:22:27 GMT -5
We have a July baby and my husband is completely set on holding her back for a year. The cut off is Sept 1 in our system. I struggle daily with it even though we have a year to decide. Socially she is a little awkward, but I worry about holding her back and when/if the realization hits her that all of the kids she grew up with are a grade ahead of her. Don't worry about it. I was the absolute youngest in my class (cutoff was a week before my b-day and I was waviered in). I had friends in my own class, but by far I had many more friends the year behind me (my age/slightly older/younger) and the year ahead of me (2 years older). I think part of that is going through a very tiny school system though. My friends who were 'held back' were good, and for some of them it was really good. For me, putting me in ahead was good because I was ready for all day school and pre-k wasn't meeting that need.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2014 13:02:23 GMT -5
We have a July baby and my husband is completely set on holding her back for a year. The cut off is Sept 1 in our system. I struggle daily with it even though we have a year to decide. Socially she is a little awkward, but I worry about holding her back and when/if the realization hits her that all of the kids she grew up with are a grade ahead of her. I don’t think I’d worry about the friends thing that much. If she has a group of neighbors that play all day and have gone to preschool together, then maybe you can make the argument. But part of the reason to put her on schedule would be that she plays great with kids in her grade so maybe that’s evidence that she doesn’t need to be held back. But if you’re hesitant, then now is the time to make the decision (or next year) and not when they are further along in grades. I worried about that with my son, but it was slightly different because none of the kids he was going to school with were from our neighborhood and he wasn’t going to gradeschool with any of them. The only hard part is when he started talking about kindergarten when we knew we were holding him back, but he got over that quick. All in all, I’m really happy we did it because we can kinda be at peace with the decision. In a few years if he’s struggling with a subject or with friends, I won’t look back and wonder if we should’ve just held him back. Personally I don’t see it as a big deal at all. Ages for this year’s kindergarten class range from June 2007-August 2008 (he’s july 2008). For next year, they will range from June 2008 to August 2009. It’s not like he’s going to be a full year older than the other kids…most of the class will be within 6 months from him.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Jan 17, 2014 13:43:24 GMT -5
Dh spoke with the teacher today, and dh said that his gut is saying hold back. We'll still go to everything, get ds signed up for kindergarten, but will probably reserve him a spot in preschool too. Sent from my ADR6410LVW using proboards Is K mandatory where you are? Is there a reason you can't just send him to 1st grade once he turns 6? Bc that's what we would have done if we decided not to homeschool.
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shelby
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Post by shelby on Jan 18, 2014 12:08:26 GMT -5
My youngest was born in June he could be in kindy right now but we decided on another year of pre-k. He started last year pre-k about mid year so didn't have the full year of learning, also they changed the curriculum this year to be more like kindy than pre. I had no concerns other than he will be one of the youngest in class, with boys most of the time that is an issue. Also from everything I have heard people were happy they were/or did hold back and many times if not wished they would have. So we are planning on all day kindy and it should not be a shock to him after 1.5 years of 3 day a week pre-k.
I am sure he will be fine either way, but I understand the stress of trying to make the right choice.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 20, 2014 9:15:07 GMT -5
If I had always lived in Florida where the cut off is sept 1, I'd have held DS who had a July birthday. But I started him and academically he was fine, way ahead, but maturity? Whew! It does even out in second grade or at least it did for him but 1st grade was not much fun. Of course his teacher hated boys so that didnt help. DD is a jan birthday so was a very old K which made her miserable. So many times I wish my kids birthdays were reversed because it would have been best for both of them. You do, as a parent, the best you can. Sometimes you F up but not for lack of trying.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Jan 20, 2014 9:37:01 GMT -5
Dh spoke with the teacher today, and dh said that his gut is saying hold back. We'll still go to everything, get ds signed up for kindergarten, but will probably reserve him a spot in preschool too. Sent from my ADR6410LVW using proboards Is K mandatory where you are? Is there a reason you can't just send him to 1st grade once he turns 6? Bc that's what we would have done if we decided not to homeschool. I'm not sure but will do some checking. I like the idea of it though. Sent from my ADR6410LVW using proboards
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2014 11:52:54 GMT -5
Is K mandatory where you are? Is there a reason you can't just send him to 1st grade once he turns 6? Bc that's what we would have done if we decided not to homeschool. I'm not sure but will do some checking. I like the idea of it though. Sent from my ADR6410LVW using proboards I wouldn't skip kindergarten if I were you. I think that would make it harder for your child if you're worried about their transition. Kindergarten is more rigorous that it was when I was in school so I think it's almost required these days. My son was held back so he is basically in his 3rd year of pre-k right now. When he was the youngest in the class, he definitely seemed like he was the youngest. While he had friends within the class, I always thought that he just seemed like he wasn't on the same wavelength with other kids with certain things. Even with interests, a lot of his friends were into action hero type stuff and legos and he just was so naive with it, I don't think he even understood what they were talking about so he ended up just following kids around. That's obviously very minor, but it's just a small example. I guess I'm more inclined too because my brother and sister were both, what is now considered, late b-days and they both struggled. My brother was really small for his age and struggled academically. My sister was very shy until she hit her stride as she got older and more confident, but she ended up becoming friends with girls that were in the grade below her. I don't the move to change my son from a more cautious kid into a daredevil or from a good student to a great student. I just think it's about finding the best fit for your kid and which grade he'd be more comfortable in.
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econstudent
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Post by econstudent on Jan 20, 2014 12:20:36 GMT -5
Is K mandatory where you are? Is there a reason you can't just send him to 1st grade once he turns 6? Bc that's what we would have done if we decided not to homeschool. I'm not sure but will do some checking. I like the idea of it though. Sent from my ADR6410LVW using pro boards We're thinking about this. M is a December baby, but I don't want to start her in kindergarten early (if I even could, not sure what the private school's rule is.) However, I'm also not sure if I want to start her in kindergarten when she's almost six. PA rules say kindergarten is not compulsory, and a kid can start first grade if they are at least 5 years and 7 months. A lot can change in the next couple years, but as of right now, I'm liking this idea.
Edit after reading the post above mine. My now-3 year old is the youngest in her preschool class, and she also happens to be one of the tallest. She's always seemed a little ahead developmentally (not in a "my kid is better than yours" way, she just seems to grow up fast). Obviously we won't know for sure until she is actually that age, but I don't think she would struggle from being one of the younger ones in her grade.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Jan 20, 2014 12:28:45 GMT -5
Kindergarten is not required. Compulsory education in the USA begins at age six.
I know it's a tough decision. I've been on the recommending side of it as an educator. As a parent my children were born in January, so I didn't have to make that decision.
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geenamercile
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Post by geenamercile on Jan 20, 2014 16:56:57 GMT -5
We had to decided with ODD what to do, as her birthday was 4 days before the cut off. If she had been born on her due date there would have been no choice. We did go ahead and start her because we did feel she was ready.
One other thing to keep in mind, at least in the districts around here are national standardized test which are one of the things used to determined gifted and talented and special education services. These test do not use the grade the child is in, but their age at the time of the test, normally to the 1/2 year mark. For kids who are red shirted this can make them look behind on paper, even if they are doing great in that grade since most of their age-peer group is in the higher grade.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Jan 20, 2014 20:35:51 GMT -5
Kindergarten is not required. Compulsory education in the USA begins at age six. I know it's a tough decision. I've been on the recommending side of it as an educator. As a parent my children were born in January, so I didn't have to make that decision. Compulsary age is determined by the state. The compulsary age in PA is 8
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jan 21, 2014 9:23:50 GMT -5
Make sure your state does not require kindergarten. Some do and some don't.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on Feb 2, 2014 12:19:26 GMT -5
Well, every time I think I've made a decision I start to doubt myself and change my mind.
We are going to register for preschool, and 2 kindergartens a half and full day so that we have options. Since he'll be registered for kindy he can stay in the elementary schools summer daycare program so that we at least will still have that routine.
At the kindergarten open house the overwhelming message was if he's ready academically to do kindergarten. But from talking to the preschool teachers more he just isn't ready. He still wants a lot of help with coats and shoes and they have to really push him to do his school papers-which is interesting to me because he loves to do "paper work" at home and asks to do it. She said that he can and does sit down and listen and he loves to learn so would be ok in that sense but overall her message is that without changes in the next few months she'd have him wait.
I guess the other thing I should look into is the montessori schools. Maybe that would fit his personality more, but we can't spend a ton on private school and I think having neighborhood friends is important.
And I'm sorry to say that finances will.play a part in our ultimate decision. If dh gets this new job that would switch him to days then all day free kindergarten would certainly go up in my opinion.
Sent from my ADR6410LVW using proboards
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CarolinaKat
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Post by CarolinaKat on Feb 4, 2014 12:24:04 GMT -5
Well, every time I think I've made a decision I start to doubt myself and change my mind. We are going to register for preschool, and 2 kindergartens a half and full day so that we have options. Since he'll be registered for kindy he can stay in the elementary schools summer daycare program so that we at least will still have that routine. At the kindergarten open house the overwhelming message was if he's ready academically to do kindergarten. But from talking to the preschool teachers more he just isn't ready. He still wants a lot of help with coats and shoes and they have to really push him to do his school papers-which is interesting to me because he loves to do "paper work" at home and asks to do it. She said that he can and does sit down and listen and he loves to learn so would be ok in that sense but overall her message is that without changes in the next few months she'd have him wait. I guess the other thing I should look into is the montessori schools. Maybe that would fit his personality more, but we can't spend a ton on private school and I think having neighborhood friends is important. And I'm sorry to say that finances will.play a part in our ultimate decision. If dh gets this new job that would switch him to days then all day free kindergarten would certainly go up in my opinion. Sent from my ADR6410LVW using proboards FWIW before i entered kindergarten i knew how to write well. But when I got there, I discovered that the teachers would write your names on your work if you 'pretended' not to know how. So I spent at least half the year 'not knowing' how to write because I thought they had pretty hand writing. My parents blew the whistle on me after christmas and I had to do it after then. Point being, is it possible he's pretending not to do things at school because he can get away with it?
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Feb 4, 2014 12:30:50 GMT -5
Caleb wrote his name all by himself for the 1st time yesterday. And I did the paperwork for him to be in K4 at his sister's school come fall. I wanted to list the neighborhood Montessori school but it wasn't in the drop down list.
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