Preschool Is “Redshirting” DD
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Anonymous
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I just found out that my late summer brithday DD is being grouped with kids who will enter K a year later than she will for preschool in the fall, and I’m not thrilled about it! This past year, DD’s class consisted of kids who will be in the younger half of the grade when they enter K in fall 2027. Now she will be in a class with kids who will be in the older half of the grade entering K in fall 2028.
DD’s birthday is two weeks before the K cutoff in our district. We plan to send her to K on time (fall 2027). However, it now looks like she will spend preschool with kids who will be a grade behind her when they enter elementary. I guess it doesn’t matter so much for this year, but I’m unhappy that she will spend the year before she enters K with a class of kids who are not going to K in the fall. (Because of the way the class sizes/progression work out, she is very likely to spend the rest of her time at preschool with this younger cohort.) It sounds like the decision to group DD with the younger kids was truly just based on numbers and not readiness. All August birthdays and at least one earlier summer birthday from her current class are being “held back,” which is not typical at our preschool. Our current teacher gave me a heads up about the situation and was apologetic. DD has loved her current class and will be super sad to leave her friends. And I’m unhappy that she likely won’t be getting to do the “pre-K” year before she heads to Kindergarten. Am I out of line to be disappointed by this? I don’t think complaining to the admin will change anything since she’s not even the oldest kid in this situation. |
Anonymous
| Is this a daycare center rather than a preschool? |
Anonymous
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Having been a preschool teacher and now working in elementary school, I would encourage you to not worry too much about this.
Think of preschool as a time for them to gain independence and learn how to be a student. Stand in line, take directions from the teacher, sit quietly in a circle, take turns, develop fine and gross motor skills that will help them when they hit K. If she’s happy and in a classroom that is fun and engaging, she will be absolutely fine in K. She might thrive as a leader in that classroom and go into K with confidence that she’s capable. At home keep reading to her, talking about books, making predictions, talking about characters. Let her get messy, try new things, be a kid. She will do great! |
Anonymous
| OP here - It’s a preschool that has daycare classrooms. DD’s placement basically means she is doing another year of daycare when we expected her to move up to preschool, which is a big part of the reason we’re so disappointed. (That seemed too complicated to get into in my OP.) |
Anonymous
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This is annoying.
If she’s ready, I would honestly look into a different preschool. Your daughter is not going to be with her friends no matter what, so why not at least get a real preschool experience? It’s worth complaining about. |
Anonymous
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Reach out to the director.
Explain that your concerns, listen to what they are saying. It sounds like the 4s and 3s class is overenrolled so they kept those who are not yet 3 in with the 2YOs for another year. See how the year goes - don't borrow worry or stress. It might be great as she gets to be a leader in the classroom or she gets more naps and needs them. |
Anonymous
| This is not a preschool decision. Talk to them. |
Anonymous
| (Agree with teacher PP but) I don’t think you should just accept this if you feel she is ready to be in the other group. Get a mtg with the director to see what they are thinking. Then review your options. |
Anonymous
| This is not acceptable. She needs to be in the cohort that will be going to K next year or she will be behind in her K readiness. They need to plan better. |
Anonymous
The child is not starting K for 2 years. Fall of 2027! A lot can happen. |
Anonymous
| They did that at a daycare we used for several months for my Sept birthday daughter. I think they just assumed she would be redshirted. I went to the director and said we planned to have her start K on time. After some discussion, we moved her to the next older class the following week. She actually did much better with that cohort so it wasn't ever an issue again. |
Anonymous
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OP here - thanks all for validating that this is something worth discussing with the director. I was worried that we might seem overbearing if we raise the issue. I don’t know that it will ultimately change anything since numbers seem to have dictated this decision and DD is not even the oldest child who is being held back. I’ll feel better if we do what we can though.
Those pointing out that DD is not going to K next fall either way are right! I’d still prefer that she move up with her current class to the younger 3s preschool room. (She will be 3 for the entire school year.) DD is also very confident, social, and tall for her age. She seems so much older than the kids she has been grouped with for next year. I don’t think being one of the youngest in her current class has been a disadvantage at all. One other factor contributing to our disappointment - other families we know at the school have not had the best experience with the “older 2s” class DD has been placed in. We’ve heard that it’s super unstructured. We weren’t too worried about it since we assumed DD would skip that classroom along with the rest of her current cohort. We will, of course, make the best of the situation if that’s where she ends up, but it’s not what we hoped for for multiple reasons. |
Anonymous
Oh then I read it wrong. I thought she one had one more year. Yeah with another 2 I wouldn't be as concerned. It's the year before K that's critical. |
Anonymous
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This would really bother me. I don't know that there's a solution, and I don't know what I would do, so I don't know how helpful I am (sorry!) but as a parent of a late summer kid who also started school on time (though in DC where everybody does) I can see how this would have been a real disadvantage.
It's clear the daycare leaders also know it's a problem, which is why they gave you a heads up, but their solution kinda sucks. Is there something to suggesting that they just mix it up? If there is (for sake of argument) essentially 20 kids who should be in the 4s class (including your daughter) and 16 that should be in the 3s class, and they're holding two kids back so that there is 18 in each, could they instead just mix everybody up and do two classes that are a true mix of 3s and 4s? Lots of schools do that anyway. Anyway, just solidarity in your angst. |
Anonymous
Oh sorry PP here, I just realized I was off and she's being held out of essentially the 3s classroom this year. Yeah, I'd be looking for another preschool. And I'd let your current center know (nicely, and with understanding!) that you're looking because you want her in preschool and not daycare since she's starting on time. You'll either find another school or they'll figure out a different solution. But I'd want two years of true preschool before K, especially for a younger K kid who seems ready for preschool now. |