PreK instead of K?

[Anonymous]

Our daughter turns 5 in mid-July, she was the youngest child in her PreK class this year. We applied for K but have been offered a PreK spot at one of the Big 3 instead.

Would love to hear people’s thoughts about this. She has been doing well in PreK this year so we were a bit surprised by the feedback that she was young for K, just want to do the right thing for her.

[Anonymous]

What do her current teachers think?

[Anonymous]

Can you get into a school you like for K? If not, I would take the pre-k spot. Youngest kids in grades are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD (not that being the youngest causes it) but they a can be scrutinized more as they don’t seem as mature as their peers who can be almost a year older than them.

[Anonymous]

My guess is that their comment is also a product of so many people red-shirting their kids. My DC was born in January, so I assumed they'd be one of the oldest in the class, but no, they're firmly middle of the pack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My guess is that their comment is also a product of so many people red-shirting their kids. My DC was born in January, so I assumed they'd be one of the oldest in the class, but no, they're firmly middle of the pack.

It’s not redshirting when your child with a Sept, Oct, Nov or Dec goes to K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My guess is that their comment is also a product of so many people red-shirting their kids. My DC was born in January, so I assumed they'd be one of the oldest in the class, but no, they're firmly middle of the pack.

The cut off is usually September 1. Why would you assume your January birthday kid would be among the oldest? Being in the middle makes sense in an academic year that runs September-August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our daughter turns 5 in mid-July, she was the youngest child in her PreK class this year. We applied for K but have been offered a PreK spot at one of the Big 3 instead.

Would love to hear people’s thoughts about this. She has been doing well in PreK this year so we were a bit surprised by the feedback that she was young for K, just want to do the right thing for her.

Normal at our Big 3.

My younger daughter, with a sister at the school, is the only kid I know with a July birthday that was asked to go ahead. She’s in class with kids more than a year older and maturity wise she’s just now at 10 catching up. The difference is mainly social - she’s definitely not a leader. She’s still very academically advanced - 8th grade math in 5th grade, reading at the 7th grade level, etc. If I had it to do again, I would have kept her back - for social reasons. The school will accommodate them academically wherever they are and social development is at its own pace. My DD is also tiny, which doesn’t help - she’s the size of a 3rd grader and very skinny.

[Anonymous]

Not a fan of kids staying back a year or going forward a year unless absolutely exceptional case. Feel like staying back a year/older kindergartners happening more; not sure why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My guess is that their comment is also a product of so many people red-shirting their kids. My DC was born in January, so I assumed they'd be one of the oldest in the class, but no, they're firmly middle of the pack.

It’s not redshirting when your child with a Sept, Oct, Nov or Dec goes to K

Wait, what? Isn’t the cutoff all around
Dc in September?

OP is the prek full day? Do they nap? That was the big thing for me - my dd near the cut off was definitely ready for a full day and no nap. If it’s a robust, full day prek with no nap I wouldn’t sweat the details. If it’s another year of day care, I would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you get into a school you like for K? If not, I would take the pre-k spot. Youngest kids in grades are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD (not that being the youngest causes it) but they a can be scrutinized more as they don’t seem as mature as their peers who can be almost a year older than them.

Yes and view this as a positive thing. Gifted children with extra time perform better than everyone else. We all know they don’t really have ADHD, but will take the diagnosis. Just refuse the medication and get them an executive functioning coach that goes to the school a few days a week.

[Anonymous]

If you wouldn't have done it without this admission decision, I wouldn't. We're at one of the "Big 3" schools and my daughter is one of the younger girls (late July bday). She is doing great and it's now been a few years. I have a friend who held her daughter because she badly wanted admission, but there was no reason to and she is now considering leaving the school, but has complicated how to move/apply to another school and reclass her daughter to her "real" grade. I am almost certain the schools do it because the K spots are fewer and there are more fitting/better students they want to offer those spots to and they roll the dice on how much they think a family is willing to accept any spot just to be admitted.

[Anonymous]

My June birthday DD went on time and is doing just fine. There’s always going to be kids older and younger. A year is a wide range to have together.
Unless your kid is struggling to write their name, or listen to instructions, has no interest in being read to, or us socially behind I would send on time.

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP. don’t alter your original plan for the school, the school is doing what’s best for them not what’s best for your child. If DD is ready for K she is going to get bored in another year of pre-k

[Anonymous]

As a K teacher I think the benefits of an extra year outweigh any perceived negatives for ALL students with a summer birthday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with PP. don’t alter your original plan for the school, the school is doing what’s best for them not what’s best for your child. If DD is ready for K she is going to get bored in another year of pre-k

Really agree with this. Not the way it used to be - you got into K, or you didn't. Most kids do best not being held back/not skipping.
-Product of all DC privates