Recent experience - repeating K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, OP, I don't think you are going to be able to do it, given the MCPS Reg: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/jebra.pdf The promotion section makes clear that for kindergarteners, promotion is based on age and that kids who are behind should get extra help. The only options to repeat K would be private or homeschooling. But if your child is struggling, you could use that as evidence that him an IEP or at least a 504 plan. I would think of the specific supports and accommodations you think will help him succeed.

I don't think all schools follow this as we did private for a few years and despite all top grades, MCPS tried to get us to hold back our younger for the grade child. We refused and they allowed the proper grade but they heavily pushed it calling multiple times.

That’s not analogous to OP’s situation.

The point is they do allow it but its not a good idea.

No they don’t. You’re talking about transferring in. OP wants to hold her MCPS kid back. Entirely different situations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tried this with my late summer bday boy a few years ago with no luck. I was told that unless kids are completely failing all benchmarks, they won't allow it.
My son was definitely towards the bottom of the class academically, which is sad to say about a k student, but he was managing. I was getting constant emails from the teacher about his focus and behavior. The following year he was diagnosed with ADHD and received a 504 plan. I would encourage you to ask for your son to be evaluated by the school. You just email the admin and ask and they legally have to do it.

Being a younger boy with attention issues was and continues to be a huge struggle for my son. His self-esteem suffered greatly from being made to feel subpar for his behavior.

OP here. Thank you for your advice. We are meeting with the school to discuss evaluation.

[Anonymous]

Here's my strong recommendation as a kindergarten teacher who has seen kids repeat. Don't. It just delays the student from getting an evaluation and a diagnosis for a disability. If your child is struggling this much in K, get an eval. It might be he just needs time, but better to know early.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tried this with my late summer bday boy a few years ago with no luck. I was told that unless kids are completely failing all benchmarks, they won't allow it.
My son was definitely towards the bottom of the class academically, which is sad to say about a k student, but he was managing. I was getting constant emails from the teacher about his focus and behavior. The following year he was diagnosed with ADHD and received a 504 plan. I would encourage you to ask for your son to be evaluated by the school. You just email the admin and ask and they legally have to do it.

Being a younger boy with attention issues was and continues to be a huge struggle for my son. His self-esteem suffered greatly from being made to feel subpar for his behavior.

OP here. Thank you for your advice. We are meeting with the school to discuss evaluation.

You are welcome. Do the private evaluation too but you can get a 504 with checklists and diagnosis from pediatrician. Also if you really think he needs to be held back and they won’t do it, pull him out and do private for a year. My son was miserable for years. It’s better now on medication and being older but I wish I had not left him in his current grade still.

[Anonymous]

My nephew was slow. This included motor skills like dressing himself with buttons. He failed first grade, and his parents put him in a small private school where they mixed first and second grade together.

I think it was a collosal waste of money. The boy was just too young and slow. But his parents didn't want him to be embarrassed by repeating a grade in the same elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My nephew was slow. This included motor skills like dressing himself with buttons. He failed first grade, and his parents put him in a small private school where they mixed first and second grade together.

I think it was a collosal waste of money. The boy was just too young and slow. But his parents didn't want him to be embarrassed by repeating a grade in the same elementary school.

You sound pretty terrible. If he failed first grade, he had to be held back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My nephew was slow. This included motor skills like dressing himself with buttons. He failed first grade, and his parents put him in a small private school where they mixed first and second grade together.

I think it was a collosal waste of money. The boy was just too young and slow. But his parents didn't want him to be embarrassed by repeating a grade in the same elementary school.

You sound pretty terrible. If he failed first grade, he had to be held back.

Yeah stop saying "slow" that's just mean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks everyone.

How do I actually make the request? Is there a formal process? Or just an email? The private testing probably won't happen until August so it'll probably be too late to use it in my request.

Repeating in private isn't a option because of cost.

How about homeschool? Kindergarten should be focused on age appropriate activities, rather than the current Chromebook mess. Don't get your child labeled for simply arriving at developmental milestones at a different time, unless you think there are real disabilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My nephew ... failed first grade, and his parents put him in a small private school where they mixed first and second grade together.

I think it was a collosal waste of money. The boy was just too young and slow. But his parents didn't want him to be embarrassed by repeating a grade in the same elementary school.

Anonymous wrote:You sound pretty terrible. If he failed first grade, he had to be held back.

Yes, but he could have repeated at his public school for free. That private school tuition would have paid for college, instead of putting the family in debt.

So I support OP. A few months make a huge difference in development at a young age. Children are wonderfully resilient, and the extra year can be quite helpful.

I was the opposite, put into kindergarden one year early. Then we moved, and my new school offered me the opportunity to repeat kindergarden in the "big, colorful room". That made me skeptical. I figured that if it was really good, then they would have bragged about the academic rigor and placement instead of baiting me with the room. Mostly, I wanted to be with the "big boys".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My nephew ... failed first grade, and his parents put him in a small private school where they mixed first and second grade together.

I think it was a collosal waste of money. The boy was just too young and slow. But his parents didn't want him to be embarrassed by repeating a grade in the same elementary school.

Anonymous wrote:You sound pretty terrible. If he failed first grade, he had to be held back.

Yes, but he could have repeated at his public school for free. That private school tuition would have paid for college, instead of putting the family in debt.

So I support OP. A few months make a huge difference in development at a young age. Children are wonderfully resilient, and the extra year can be quite helpful.

I was the opposite, put into kindergarden one year early. Then we moved, and my new school offered me the opportunity to repeat kindergarden in the "big, colorful room". That made me skeptical. I figured that if it was really good, then they would have bragged about the academic rigor and placement instead of baiting me with the room. Mostly, I wanted to be with the "big boys".

You’re really a piece of work. You have no room to judge. I had a kindergartener who struggled as you described and MCPS refused to let him repeat. It turned out he did have a disability and an extra year in K would have made no difference at all. Private school isn’t a waste if the alternative is failure in public school. And it certainly can save a child’s self-esteem. And, as for your own experience, your reaction seems extremely odd and unlikely for a child that age. Academic rigor? You seem really smug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's my strong recommendation as a kindergarten teacher who has seen kids repeat. Don't. It just delays the student from getting an evaluation and a diagnosis for a disability. If your child is struggling this much in K, get an eval. It might be he just needs time, but better to know early.

OP here. If we are in the process of getting evaluation and diagnosis and want to repeat K on addition to that...does your recommendation still stand? Curious about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Then we moved, and my new school offered me the opportunity to repeat kindergarden in the "big, colorful room". That made me skeptical. I figured that if it was really good, then they would have bragged about the academic rigor and placement instead of baiting me with the room. Mostly, I wanted to be with the "big boys".

Anonymous wrote:
You’re really a piece of work. You have no room to judge. I had a kindergartener who struggled as you described and MCPS refused to let him repeat. It turned out he did have a disability and an extra year in K would have made no difference at all. Private school isn’t a waste if the alternative is failure in public school. And it certainly can save a child’s self-esteem. And, as for your own experience, your reaction seems extremely odd and unlikely for a child that age. Academic rigor? You seem really smug.

Lighten up, Francis. I'm obviously joking about academic rigor. But I did not want to be excluded like a "baby" when I had earned the right to to attend school like a "big boy". The larger point is that this stuff is specific to the development and personality of the child.

The public school wanted my nephew to repeat first grade. Instead, he repeated it at a private school. There was no disability, my nephew was fine and just needed an extra 6-12 months to catch up developmentally. In this case, private school was an expensive way to save the parents' self-esteem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks everyone.

How do I actually make the request? Is there a formal process? Or just an email? The private testing probably won't happen until August so it'll probably be too late to use it in my request.

Repeating in private isn't an option because of cost.

Sadly, you pay for it now or you pay for it later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's my strong recommendation as a kindergarten teacher who has seen kids repeat. Don't. It just delays the student from getting an evaluation and a diagnosis for a disability. If your child is struggling this much in K, get an eval. It might be he just needs time, but better to know early.

OP here. If we are in the process of getting evaluation and diagnosis and want to repeat K on addition to that...does your recommendation still stand? Curious about this.

In the meanwhile, get your child tutoring and support now. The longer you wait the harder it is.

[Anonymous]

You could enroll your kid in private school for a year and then come back. MCPS will honor where they are placed in the private school upon return