Did your child take the early entrance test for K, and did they pass?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be careful OP with redshirting, your kid might not be as advanced as you think as there will be kids two years older. Also if you are thinking of a gifted program in the future wouldn't you be disappointed if your child missed the cut off by like 2 point. One of my friend's had a child that started early and missed the highly gifted program cut off by two points.

Can you explain "missed the highly gifted program cut off by two points"? So there is cutoff for entering HGC?

BTW, DS is accepted through early admission this year. He could do some reading and math, but definitely not so advanced compared to the kids mentioned by PPs. We didn't prepare for the test either.

[Anonymous]

The K curriculum is incredibly easy. In fact, MCPS should be embarrassed its do bad. Its even worse that MCPS discourages kids from starting early and in some cases pushes red shirting. I honestly think that part of the way MCPS operates is to increase the likelihood that as many kids as possible already know 2 years ahead of the material so the system looks good with a crappy curriculum and variable quality of teachers. There is still a good deal of sitting in K even though its not as bad as 1 st grade. They are looking to see if your child will sit still and behave while doing boring activities.

The only thing to prep would be to have your child familiar with the way MCPS gives assignments and worksheets. If you are coming from Montessori there are a few things that they wouldn't have seen before such as tally charts etc. These are very simple for a kid to learn but keep in mod that MCPS is all about kids repeating the same thing over and over again.

[Anonymous]

This is exactly what we were told in our post test meeting. And, from the examples we were given of questions on the test, I actually believe it. When I talked to a k teacher friend about our post meeting, she was extremely surprised at the information early entrance kindergartener a were expected to know.

My DD took the test in May 2012 and did not pass. No post-test meeting, and I did not have any of the information about 7 subject areas, etc. They took my DD away and then brought her back to me 30-40 min later, with no explanation (other than what I could glean from her). Then 2-3 weeks later, a letter arrived in the mail stating that she would not be offered early entrance. Granted, I did not contest this or demand more information.

I was on the fence about starting her early anyway. She is physically big/tall and advanced, and seemed as "ready" as my older DD when she started (and quite frankly, more ready than plenty other children who we saw at orientation). I was on the fence because I didn't see a huge interest in sitting down for longer periods of time and working on letters/etc. Her ability to sit still and work on things like this definitely increased by a large margin over the last year. I just hope she won't be bored when she starts this fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Be careful OP with redshirting, your kid might not be as advanced as you think as there will be kids two years older. Also if you are thinking of a gifted program in the future wouldn't you be disappointed if your child missed the cut off by like 2 point. One of my friend's had a child that started early and missed the highly gifted program cut off by two points.

Maybe parents of kids who test don't really think they are so incredibly advanced..but just as ready for Kindergarten as another child born 10 days earlier. And as to missing a center spot (there is no such thing as missing by 2 points since it is not just test based), maybe for a younger kid they will get what they need from a neighborhood school. Maybe they would miss it either year. About 97% of MCPS kids do not attend centers.

[Anonymous]

Her ability to sit still and work on things like this definitely increased by a large margin over the last year. I just hope she won't be bored when she starts this fall.

All the kids are bored so she will not be alone.

[Anonymous]

My daughter took it for PG Co and passed with 98%, 95% and 98% in the three areas of testing. We heard over and over that the testing was insanely difficult and were really pleased at how well she did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The K curriculum is incredibly easy. In fact, MCPS should be embarrassed its do bad. .

And yet, for as many people as there are who agree with you, I bet there are just as many people who say it's awful that we're demanding such an academic load in kindergarten, when children should be playing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I just hope she won't be bored when she starts this fall.

Probably she will not be the only child in the class with her academic skills, and the teacher will put them in a group -- especially if the teacher is a good teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The K curriculum is incredibly easy. In fact, MCPS should be embarrassed its do bad. Its even worse that MCPS discourages kids from starting early and in some cases pushes red shirting. I honestly think that part of the way MCPS operates is to increase the likelihood that as many kids as possible already know 2 years ahead of the material so the system looks good with a crappy curriculum and variable quality of teachers. There is still a good deal of sitting in K even though its not as bad as 1 st grade. They are looking to see if your child will sit still and behave while doing boring activities.

The only thing to prep would be to have your child familiar with the way MCPS gives assignments and worksheets. If you are coming from Montessori there are a few things that they wouldn't have seen before such as tally charts etc. These are very simple for a kid to learn but keep in mod that MCPS is all about kids repeating the same thing over and over again.

+1000. They kept talking about how hard it was! My first grader was doing the 4th grade work.

[Anonymous]

What is early entrance test for k. My DS is going to Kindergarten this year. May be i can let her to take this test.

[Anonymous]

If she is already starting K this year, there is no need. This is for kids born just after the cutoff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The K curriculum is incredibly easy. In fact, MCPS should be embarrassed its do bad. Its even worse that MCPS discourages kids from starting early and in some cases pushes red shirting. I honestly think that part of the way MCPS operates is to increase the likelihood that as many kids as possible already know 2 years ahead of the material so the system looks good with a crappy curriculum and variable quality of teachers. There is still a good deal of sitting in K even though its not as bad as 1 st grade. They are looking to see if your child will sit still and behave while doing boring activities.

The only thing to prep would be to have your child familiar with the way MCPS gives assignments and worksheets. If you are coming from Montessori there are a few things that they wouldn't have seen before such as tally charts etc. These are very simple for a kid to learn but keep in mod that MCPS is all about kids repeating the same thing over and over again.

They dumbed down the education for all the illegal kids entering who don't speak English and are as dumb as can be. No child left behind and amnesty will mean Math 1.5 soon, lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
They dumbed down the education for all the illegal kids entering who don't speak English and are as dumb as can be. No child left behind and amnesty will mean Math 1.5 soon, lol.

Why are you commenting on DCUM? Aren't there some articles on WTOP that you should be commenting on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This is exactly what we were told in our post test meeting. And, from the examples we were given of questions on the test, I actually believe it. When I talked to a k teacher friend about our post meeting, she was extremely surprised at the information early entrance kindergartener a were expected to know.

My DD took the test in May 2012 and did not pass. No post-test meeting, and I did not have any of the information about 7 subject areas, etc. They took my DD away and then brought her back to me 30-40 min later, with no explanation (other than what I could glean from her). Then 2-3 weeks later, a letter arrived in the mail stating that she would not be offered early entrance. Granted, I did not contest this or demand more information.

I was on the fence about starting her early anyway. She is physically big/tall and advanced, and seemed as "ready" as my older DD when she started (and quite frankly, more ready than plenty other children who we saw at orientation). I was on the fence because I didn't see a huge interest in sitting down for longer periods of time and working on letters/etc. Her ability to sit still and work on things like this definitely increased by a large margin over the last year. I just hope she won't be bored when she starts this fall.

Our rejection letter offered a meeting. We didn't contest the decision, but felt like we needed information to make decisions. Based on what we learned we enrolled our DD into private school. On the other hand, I've been talking to the mom of one of the kids who did pass and they are really sorry they pushed for early entrance. They would like to hold their child back now and the school is not allowing it.

[Anonymous]

I am pretty sure my July bday boy would not pass the test since he is barely reading and his writing is not that great. I am glad though for these early entrance kids so maybe there will be some kids close to his age.