Entering Kindergarten at 6

[Anonymous]

Multi-age classrooms can work great if the model is intentional (see Montessori). My kids have benefited immensely from the freedom to move ahead academically and to be nurtured by older students in their public Montessori elementary program. If red-shirting is going to be the new normal, with an age range of between 2-3 years in a single classroom, traditional public teachers deserve proper training on how to manage the multi-age classroom, and principals and administrators need to stop pretending that "grade 2" means anything much. The more red-shirting there is, the more differentiation of instruction there must be. The social part can be managed quite beautifully (again, see Montessori), but only with the proper knowledge and training to the teacher on how to make that work effectively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did I say I was HAPPY?

So why did you make such a bad decision for your child? Does this make you a better mother than me (I don’t think so)

Of course it doesn't make her a better mother, but it does make her a better member of society.

I am actually really grateful that DC has public PK3 and PK4 because I think for many of us who have kids with August and September birthdays, it's a pretty low-risk way to start them on time and see how they do. If they are clearly unready or struggling or show that they need additional learning supports, 1) public school is an excellent place to get them and 2) the school and parents can decide that retention is a good option at K or 1st. I actually think that is a MUCH better outcome than redshirting, for both the kid in question and their peers of all ages.

So in order to be a supposedly better member of society (because I can think of many scenarios where the opposite is true) she decided to do a disservice to her child. Well I am happy to have done the opposite. I would never do something that’s i think will be worse for my DD to do right by other kids. My DD is happier among kids that are younger or same age. Why would I put her in a class where she would be the youngest? She told me she wants to be the oldest, why should I do differently? So I can be a “better” member of society? I am not braking any laws

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did I say I was HAPPY?

So why did you make such a bad decision for your child? Does this make you a better mother than me (I don’t think so)

Of course it doesn't make her a better mother, but it does make her a better member of society.

I am actually really grateful that DC has public PK3 and PK4 because I think for many of us who have kids with August and September birthdays, it's a pretty low-risk way to start them on time and see how they do. If they are clearly unready or struggling or show that they need additional learning supports, 1) public school is an excellent place to get them and 2) the school and parents can decide that retention is a good option at K or 1st. I actually think that is a MUCH better outcome than redshirting, for both the kid in question and their peers of all ages.

?? So deciding to have a kid repeat PK4 is being a bad member of society, but retaining the kid in K is just fine? You make no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Multi-age classrooms can work great if the model is intentional (see Montessori). My kids have benefited immensely from the freedom to move ahead academically and to be nurtured by older students in their public Montessori elementary program. If red-shirting is going to be the new normal, with an age range of between 2-3 years in a single classroom, traditional public teachers deserve proper training on how to manage the multi-age classroom, and principals and administrators need to stop pretending that "grade 2" means anything much. The more red-shirting there is, the more differentiation of instruction there must be. The social part can be managed quite beautifully (again, see Montessori), but only with the proper knowledge and training to the teacher on how to make that work effectively.

You forgot. "Multi-age montessori classroom" = wonderful pedagogy, especially if it helps my kid stay out of his local DCPS! Redshirting = bad member of society because there must not be more than a 12-month age range in the classroom!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Multi-age classrooms can work great if the model is intentional (see Montessori). My kids have benefited immensely from the freedom to move ahead academically and to be nurtured by older students in their public Montessori elementary program. If red-shirting is going to be the new normal, with an age range of between 2-3 years in a single classroom, traditional public teachers deserve proper training on how to manage the multi-age classroom, and principals and administrators need to stop pretending that "grade 2" means anything much. The more red-shirting there is, the more differentiation of instruction there must be. The social part can be managed quite beautifully (again, see Montessori), but only with the proper knowledge and training to the teacher on how to make that work effectively.

You forgot. "Multi-age montessori classroom" = wonderful pedagogy, especially if it helps my kid stay out of his local DCPS! Redshirting = bad member of society because there must not be more than a 12-month age range in the classroom!

Are you dense? Multi-age Montessori classroom = more classroom instructors who provide differentiation in their instruction. Multi-age traditional classroom in which there is just one teacher = making it far tougher for educators to meet the needs of all students.

[Anonymous]

The situation is very simple. I am sure there are pros and cons of redshirting. The parents that redshirt think the pros outweigh the costs for their children.
People bashing the redshirting parents are jealous and regret their own decision to not redshirt. The ones that are happy with the decision to send their child ontime could not care less if there are kids that are 12 or 14 months older than their kids.
Stop being jealous, stop trying to make other people feel bad when they are trying to what’s best for their children, just stop. Own your own decision and be happy with YOUR situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did I say I was HAPPY?

So why did you make such a bad decision for your child? Does this make you a better mother than me (I don’t think so)

In this particular instance, yes, the mother who sent her child on time is acting as the better mother. She is following the guidelines; she has confidence in her child’s abilities; she will do what it takes to get her ready; she is not placing her insecurities onto her small child; she is not giving her child an unnecessary and unproven advantage at the expense of other children; she is not setting an example of entitlement and exceptionalism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The situation is very simple. I am sure there are pros and cons of redshirting. The parents that redshirt think the pros outweigh the costs for their children.
People bashing the redshirting parents are jealous and regret their own decision to not redshirt. The ones that are happy with the decision to send their child ontime could not care less if there are kids that are 12 or 14 months older than their kids.
Stop being jealous, stop trying to make other people feel bad when they are trying to what’s best for their children, just stop. Own your own decision and be happy with YOUR situation.

I’m happy that my child went on time even though she’s young, and would never have this discussion in public. I do feel sorry for the giant kids who look like second graders but are still in kindergarten, and it does make me question the parents’ judgment and values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The situation is very simple. I am sure there are pros and cons of redshirting. The parents that redshirt think the pros outweigh the costs for their children.
People bashing the redshirting parents are jealous and regret their own decision to not redshirt. The ones that are happy with the decision to send their child ontime could not care less if there are kids that are 12 or 14 months older than their kids.
Stop being jealous, stop trying to make other people feel bad when they are trying to what’s best for their children, just stop. Own your own decision and be happy with YOUR situation.

I’m happy that my child went on time even though she’s young, and would never have this discussion in public. I do feel sorry for the giant kids who look like second graders but are still in kindergarten, and it does make me question the parents’ judgment and values.

And I feel sorry for your kid. How unlucky to be born to such a bully as yourself

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it weird that parents on dcum will do a LOT for their children's education however some of the same people won't work with their kids to get them K ready and just wait an extra year.

Getting ready for K can mean sitting for long stretches of time silently, listening to prolonged instruction and having limited/hardly any free play. This isn’t what Kindergarten ever was and kids haven’t changed but K has. On the first day at our school kindergarteners were asked to write a sentence about their summer. I am sure lots of people will respond how their 4 year old loves writing sentences, but most kids can’t do that before K and they shouldn’t be. Kids felt confused and bad that they couldn’t do it. Not a great first experience to school.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/04/06/in-massachusetts-a-disturbing-trend-in-kindergarten/

Yes, it was how K always was. You are idealizing it in your mind and preschools need to do a better job preparing kids as parents are not.

If you read the article it clearly says it didn’t use to be like this and why it’s bad for kids. “Preparing” then younger for more academic work is not the answer and burns kids out. This is a huge reason in the uptick in redshirting IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The situation is very simple. I am sure there are pros and cons of redshirting. The parents that redshirt think the pros outweigh the costs for their children.
People bashing the redshirting parents are jealous and regret their own decision to not redshirt. The ones that are happy with the decision to send their child ontime could not care less if there are kids that are 12 or 14 months older than their kids.
Stop being jealous, stop trying to make other people feel bad when they are trying to what’s best for their children, just stop. Own your own decision and be happy with YOUR situation.

I’m happy that my child went on time even though she’s young, and would never have this discussion in public. I do feel sorry for the giant kids who look like second graders but are still in kindergarten, and it does make me question the parents’ judgment and values.

If you are so happy, stop being jealous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The situation is very simple. I am sure there are pros and cons of redshirting. The parents that redshirt think the pros outweigh the costs for their children.
People bashing the redshirting parents are jealous and regret their own decision to not redshirt. The ones that are happy with the decision to send their child ontime could not care less if there are kids that are 12 or 14 months older than their kids.
Stop being jealous, stop trying to make other people feel bad when they are trying to what’s best for their children, just stop. Own your own decision and be happy with YOUR situation.

I’m happy that my child went on time even though she’s young, and would never have this discussion in public. I do feel sorry for the giant kids who look like second graders but are still in kindergarten, and it does make me question the parents’ judgment and values.

IF YOU ARE HAPPY, WHY DO YOU CARE?!?!?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The situation is very simple. I am sure there are pros and cons of redshirting. The parents that redshirt think the pros outweigh the costs for their children.
People bashing the redshirting parents are jealous and regret their own decision to not redshirt. The ones that are happy with the decision to send their child ontime could not care less if there are kids that are 12 or 14 months older than their kids.
Stop being jealous, stop trying to make other people feel bad when they are trying to what’s best for their children, just stop. Own your own decision and be happy with YOUR situation.

Bingo! But people certainly have sour grapes, thus a 37 page DCUM redshirting thread every other month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The situation is very simple. I am sure there are pros and cons of redshirting. The parents that redshirt think the pros outweigh the costs for their children.
People bashing the redshirting parents are jealous and regret their own decision to not redshirt. The ones that are happy with the decision to send their child ontime could not care less if there are kids that are 12 or 14 months older than their kids.
Stop being jealous, stop trying to make other people feel bad when they are trying to what’s best for their children, just stop. Own your own decision and be happy with YOUR situation.

I’m happy that my child went on time even though she’s young, and would never have this discussion in public. I do feel sorry for the giant kids who look like second graders but are still in kindergarten, and it does make me question the parents’ judgment and values.

IF YOU ARE HAPPY, WHY DO YOU CARE?!?!?!

Because it’s annoying that we live in a culture where upper middle class white people so often think the rules shouldn’t apply to them. It’s a symptom of entitlement that’s unfortunate for everyone, even if it doesn’t affect my child personally.

[Anonymous]

Yep - and it dovetails so nicely with the residency cheating thread in terms of who must follow the rules and who is "above" them.