How to get your post-August born child into an older class year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Try the Montessori schools. You may have to wait until Jafter the December/January when he has already turned 3 but the classrooms are a mix of kids at 3,4, and 5. You could also ask to start in a 2s room in September and transfer into an older room in January. They prefer to not transfer kids around as haphazrdly as some of the daycare rooms but I know they made an exception cases similar to yours. He would need to be potty trained to be in the older room.

The other option is to look at daycares with preschool program. If they have an unfilled spot in a room they tend to take a fill it first, balance the class ages second approach. The preschools fill up but the daycares for older kids can have more spots open if you are in the burbs.

I am actually a fan of how my daycare with a preschool has handled this issue and I would not call it haphazard, at least at my school. Children are moved to the next classroom based on age and readiness. There is an infant room, a 1 year old room, a 2 year old room, and a 3/4 year old room/preschool. My daughter was always ready to move on as she approached those milestones and they tended to move her a month or two early because she was clearly ready.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the kind of thing I am thinking about now. My DS has a late September bday so would make the cutoff date for Fairfax schools but I don't want him to be the youngest in the class esp. as a boy. My brother, who was an August bday, was the youngest in his class and he said he hated it and so much so that he repeated a grade when he switched to a prep school and he was so much happier. My mom reminded me of this when I had my son because she said she choose to send him to school a little early because he was big and mature for that time and didn't realize the effect. Sooo beyond giving OP some perspectve, I am wondering what do parents do who want their kid to not be the youngest but want to keep them involved with kids. Do you start out at one preschool and then switch so they aren't doing two years at the same school?

My friends who have decided to hold their fall Summer/Fall birthday boys have built an extra year in at the same preschool. One I know is repeating the 3 year old class. Another is planning to do the three day four year old program and then follow it with a five day fours option the "extra" year. Switching schools is a possiblity, but I think probably not necessary and possibly disruptive.

[Anonymous]

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