Send to K or Hold?

[Anonymous]

I think the issue is that kindergarten is too academic and it can be hard for kids to sit still. The research is so clear that play based curriculums are best for preschool, and it is a really abrupt shift to kindergarten, at least in most settings I am familiar with.

I don’t think you can decide now. I’d wait until it’s time to apply/register for K and decide based on what happens based on where your child is at that point. Although older kids often do better, plenty of young ones do fine too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Almost all modern research done with the current kindergarten curriculum points to kids, boys especially but all kids, doing drastically better at 6 rather than 5. Statistically, 5 year olds struggle an unnecessary amount more than 6 year olds.

And yes, DCUM poster whose 5 year old did *fantastic* in K and who can never ever ever IMAGINE someone making a different decision, we have heard you. Over and over again. Your anecdotal experience is not relevant when there is a plethora of data available.

Of course they do. A year in development is a year in development at that age. Maybe the US needs to start K at 6, but then kids would start at 8.of course a year in development makes a difference.

This speaks to the state of education in this country. This is not the way research works. No, almost 8 year olds would not do well in Kindergarten as they’d be developmentally well past the curriculum and expectations. I can’t believe that needs to be said.

[Anonymous]

Send her to Public K and see how it goes. Maybe you will love it and no longer prefer the private. Maybe you be happy to send her to private K the following year. Gives you lots of options.

That said my late August kid went on time and we never had any concerns. She did very well academically and socially, played sports in HS, and is now an ivy grad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hold. I so regret sending my 7 yo son with a mid/late August birthday on time. His teacher has recommended getting him evaluated for ADHD because of his behavior at school and his immaturity, and if he does have it, letting him stay another year would have been so beneficial.

It's actually worse for ADHD kids who are a full year older than everyone else. They act out more because they are bored. You made the right decision.

[Anonymous]

Send her on time. It's stupid that private schools won't let children in on time because they are so, so worried about test scores.

[Anonymous]

Hold if you can. All the kids in my DD’s K class had birthdays by May latest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Almost all modern research done with the current kindergarten curriculum points to kids, boys especially but all kids, doing drastically better at 6 rather than 5. Statistically, 5 year olds struggle an unnecessary amount more than 6 year olds.

And yes, DCUM poster whose 5 year old did *fantastic* in K and who can never ever ever IMAGINE someone making a different decision, we have heard you. Over and over again. Your anecdotal experience is not relevant when there is a plethora of data available.

I haven't read up on this in a while, but before my late summer child was this age, all the research I saw showed better outcomes in the early years only. Studies from abroad further showed no advantage in the high school years.

Another year of preschool or daycare is expensive for a short term benefit for many families.

[Anonymous]

We are in VA so the cutoff is Sept 30 and I sent my mid Sept birthday girl to public FCPS K last fall a few weeks before she turned 5.

I suspect a lot of how this goes depends on birth order. My daughter is second born so I feel like she has a lot of social skills developed like negotiating, taking turns, telling kids to stop xyz etc, that a first born sometimes struggles with. We actually did a trial last summer at daycare where she was the oldest in the group and her behavior regressed to baby behavior. Then we put her in another group where she was the youngest and the staff couldn't believe she was completely engaged, stimulated, happy, a totally different child they said. They also thought she was likely bored in the first group. So we continued onto K and she's done great. She is above grade level in both math and reading, and has a regular group of kids she associates with. I was really surprised the class only has 1 redshirted summer boy and the rest are a very even spread of birthdays throughout the academic year. The reports from the teacher are always positive. I have absolutely no regrets at this time.

[Anonymous]

I have a daughter born 14 days before our cutoff and I’m planning to hold her.

[Anonymous]

Send, there is no reason to hold a child back. I sent min and they did great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a daughter born 14 days before our cutoff and I’m planning to hold her.

Also… I actually have three kids with fall birthdays (we’re in NY where the public school cutoff is 12/31 but most private schools are 9/1 or 10/1, except for ours). I held my oldest back, a boy, no brainer. My girls are 6 weeks and 2 weeks before the cutoff. While I think tbe decision is more nuanced for girls, I think that kids are pressured to grow up too fast these days. If they are close to the cut off and I can buy them an extra year of childhood, extra play based time, extra time without a phone, or sleepaway camps, or the pressure of high school, social media… I think that’s a good thing.

My oldest is in kindergarten (he turned 6 instead of 5) and it’s a very long, highly structured day. They get one hour of lunch and recess and that’s it for outdoor time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the issue is that kindergarten is too academic and it can be hard for kids to sit still. The research is so clear that play based curriculums are best for preschool, and it is a really abrupt shift to kindergarten, at least in most settings I am familiar with.

I don’t think you can decide now. I’d wait until it’s time to apply/register for K and decide based on what happens based on where your child is at that point. Although older kids often do better, plenty of young ones do fine too.

Its not too academic. Its school. Play based is not best for all kids. We removed our child from a play based preschool to a more academic one where they thrived and were prepared. People like you don't prepare their kids and then have all kinds of excuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Almost all modern research done with the current kindergarten curriculum points to kids, boys especially but all kids, doing drastically better at 6 rather than 5. Statistically, 5 year olds struggle an unnecessary amount more than 6 year olds.

And yes, DCUM poster whose 5 year old did *fantastic* in K and who can never ever ever IMAGINE someone making a different decision, we have heard you. Over and over again. Your anecdotal experience is not relevant when there is a plethora of data available.

Your comments are strange as you cannot compare a 5-year-old to a 6-year-old. You seem to think no one can make a different decision than you as you are the one ranting and telling people to hold back. There is also data on why you shouldn't hold back. Most studies are there to prove the evaluators point so they are extremely bias.

I have a high school kid who we sent. As a high schooler, they took classes with Sophomores to Seniors and still weren't challenged. They are the only one in their grade in a math and electives. Academics in ES were painfully slow, as were in middle school. Socially I cannot see them a year younger and that would have hurt them academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a daughter born 14 days before our cutoff and I’m planning to hold her.

Also… I actually have three kids with fall birthdays (we’re in NY where the public school cutoff is 12/31 but most private schools are 9/1 or 10/1, except for ours). I held my oldest back, a boy, no brainer. My girls are 6 weeks and 2 weeks before the cutoff. While I think tbe decision is more nuanced for girls, I think that kids are pressured to grow up too fast these days. If they are close to the cut off and I can buy them an extra year of childhood, extra play based time, extra time without a phone, or sleepaway camps, or the pressure of high school, social media… I think that’s a good thing.

My oldest is in kindergarten (he turned 6 instead of 5) and it’s a very long, highly structured day. They get one hour of lunch and recess and that’s it for outdoor time.

Ok, lets see, you hate boys. You aren't buying your kids an extra year of childhood as that's impossible. You are slowing them down for your needs. Play based will not prepare them for school so kids will be ahead of yours. Its not a long day if you prepared your kids and they were in a full day preschool. You don't get them an extra year of sleep away camp - if you want them to stay kids, why send them away as most go by age and grade, and get off your phone if you are against social media.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the issue is that kindergarten is too academic and it can be hard for kids to sit still. The research is so clear that play based curriculums are best for preschool, and it is a really abrupt shift to kindergarten, at least in most settings I am familiar with.

I don’t think you can decide now. I’d wait until it’s time to apply/register for K and decide based on what happens based on where your child is at that point. Although older kids often do better, plenty of young ones do fine too.

Its not too academic. Its school. Play based is not best for all kids. We removed our child from a play based preschool to a more academic one where they thrived and were prepared. People like you don't prepare their kids and then have all kinds of excuses.

Uh okay. My kids are doing great in school so I don’t need excuses. Nevertheless I thought most agreed that K these days has too much sitting, too much testing, too much pressure. I think it’s a shame but my kids have been fine thank you.