Alternatives to traditional kindergarten education in the fall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids never went to kindergarten. They walked right in to first grade no problem. For k, they just ,,,, kept doing what they'd done all the years prior.

Which was what? Preschool? Or at home? And, what year was this? Just curious, I've never heard this before in recent times in the DC area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids never went to kindergarten. They walked right in to first grade no problem. For k, they just ,,,, kept doing what they'd done all the years prior.

Which was what? Preschool? Or at home? And, what year was this? Just curious, I've never heard this before in recent times in the DC area.

No, they never went to school before 1st grade. One is in 3rd and one is in 4th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids never went to kindergarten. They walked right in to first grade no problem. For k, they just ,,,, kept doing what they'd done all the years prior.

Which was what? Preschool? Or at home? And, what year was this? Just curious, I've never heard this before in recent times in the DC area.

No, they never went to school before 1st grade. One is in 3rd and one is in 4th.

Where do you live?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If remote school is happening in the fall I will homeschool my incoming kindergartner. Forcing him to do Zoom sessions with a teacher and students he doesn't know and worksheets at home every day sounds horrible. I'm very fortunate that I work part-time from home and my husband also has a flexible work schedule so we can make it work.

This is a very good point. The children will not know each other, nor their teacher, so the online format will be awful for kids that young. It really breaks my heart. I think Kindergartners have the worst lot of any kids in this.

I am debating keeping my 5 year old in preschool for another year, even though I never would have considered that if it's not for COVID. He has a summer birthday, so it would be fine to send him to K as a newly turned 6 year old the following year.

That is what I would do. Homeschool or red shirt. Even as a mom of 12 and 9 yo’s, if the school announces more distance learning I may withdraw them and purchase a proper homeschool curriculum. Our school stuff has been terrible this quarter.

[Anonymous]

You mentioned forest school, maybe look into Waldorf school programs.

[Anonymous]

Thank you to PP who said Kindergartners may have the worst of the lot. That is really validating even if it’s arguably not true. Mine has a spring birthday or we would redshirt her. My worries for next year are partly shaded by my own wonderful kindergarten memories. It’s such a special, hands-on, social year that can’t be replicated with similar experiences in other grades. I can’t imagine any combination of virtual/partly virtual arrangement for K that won’t be chaotic or pointless. I know I’m supposed to suck it up and pretend it will be fine for DD’s sake, but I cycle between furious and heartbroken for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to PP who said Kindergartners may have the worst of the lot. That is really validating even if it’s arguably not true. Mine has a spring birthday or we would redshirt her. My worries for next year are partly shaded by my own wonderful kindergarten memories. It’s such a special, hands-on, social year that can’t be replicated with similar experiences in other grades. I can’t imagine any combination of virtual/partly virtual arrangement for K that won’t be chaotic or pointless. I know I’m supposed to suck it up and pretend it will be fine for DD’s sake, but I cycle between furious and heartbroken for her.

Luckily, kindergarten has gotten a lot worse over time. Less special hands-on activities. More Chromebook and testing. So your DD is not going to miss much.

[Anonymous]

Virginia does not require K. If you are there, I'd skip it. Virtual school is painful in Fairfax with a young kindergartener.