Why do some privates seem to hold back (want older kids) for K?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11:56 - thank you for your perspective.

I wonder if instead of redshirting kids, schools should consider how they divide their early grades classrooms. Older Kindergarten (those born between Sept. and mar) and younger kindergarten (born between April and August).

Or go to more single sex classrooms esp. in the early grades.

I don't think this would work. It makes the assumption that age is the best indicator of maturity and K readiness. There will likely be students from each class that would have been better served in the other.

I think that redshirting, while not ideal at least takes the individual child's needs into consideration rather than putting them in one of two classes based on birthdate alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:11:56 - thank you for your perspective.

I wonder if instead of redshirting kids, schools should consider how they divide their early grades classrooms. Older Kindergarten (those born between Sept. and mar) and younger kindergarten (born between April and August).

Or go to more single sex classrooms esp. in the early grades.

I don't think this would work. It makes the assumption that age is the best indicator of maturity and K readiness. There will likely be students from each class that would have been better served in the other.

I think that redshirting, while not ideal at least takes the individual child's needs into consideration rather than putting them in one of two classes based on birthdate alone.

ITA. In my limited observation, there are kids who at 3.5 have much better impulse control and attention span and are better able to follow directions than kids who are 4.5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:12:07 here again. I have heard that a few schools, somewhere, have a transitional 1st grade. I assume the kids in a transitional 1st grade are those who had been a transitional kindergarten, in my son's class, May through Novemeber birthdays. In this way, essentially, it is a different definition of which kids belong grouped together than a full year - I have also heard that many years ago, there were 6 month divisions between "grades" of kids. It mioght be that for many kids, a 6 month window will work better for them for more years than in pre-school, and perhaps some school somewhere could develop more of this type of grouping system. Then, it isn't remedial vs. advanced, or what have you, but a tighter grouping, with less variability in social maturity.

I think remedial vs. advanced with levels in between is a better way to meet the the needs of the individual children. There could be advanced children who are young and older children that are struggling. I think we need less age grouping in our schools and more academic needs based grouping. Easier said than done....I know. For the time being it's just better to redshirt or accelerate.

I am not saying that children of the same age but differing academic needs should be separated. I just think there needs to be a more fluid system that allows children to be with the age peers for socialization but has the flexibility of needs based grouping per subject.