Testing in to Kindergarten in Montgomery Country if you miss the age cutoff

[Anonymous]

We will likely be moving to Montgomery County before our daughter starts Kindergarten, but she was born in mid-September and misses the September 1 cutoff date to turn 5. I know kids born up to the end of September can test in. Has anyone had to do this? What is the process?

If she doesn't test in, what about sending her to private kindergarten for the year - then does Mont. Cty. automatically have to take her for first grade?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Our next door neighbors had their daughter tested in. Her birthday is in early September. They have been very happy with their decision and I don't think it was a big deal to do the testing. I don't know the exact process, but I'm sure it's on the website. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

First grade has a 6 by 9/1 requirement too..after that you could switch back from private...

[Anonymous]

I've heard the test in is much harder than you would expect-- I know someone who ended up going private because they missed testing in (based on something that kids wouldn't even learn until first grade, IIRC).

[Anonymous]

Did not do this but considered it. We ended up doing private K and then public K. There is a test (search for Kindergarten Early Entrance on the MCPS site) and from what I hear it is quite difficult. At most schools a very low percentage of kids pass the test since it is testing for the child being able to do the kindergarten work already.

If you do private K then you also have to do testing to start in first grade. At our school they require the child to be in the kindergarten class for up to 6 weeks before they can move to first grade.

There are some other threads on this site dealing with this issue that you might want to search for.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the responses. I did search the MCPS site and didn't find much information beyond the fact they have to test in and the timeline. I will give them a call to see what other details they may give out. Appreciate knowing that it isn't an easy test.

[Anonymous]

OP, try this link and then click on the links within the document for even more information.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/earlychi/earlyentranceprocedures.shtm

[Anonymous]

MoCo Kindergarten teacher here. I have dealt with both students that have passed the tests and came to K for "early entrance" and those who waited the year with another year of preschool or private K. While it obviously depends on the abilities and readiness of your child, my recommendation to friends who are in a similar situation is always to wait a year. While they may be ready academically, we often see that the kids that come in early are not ready socially or emotionally. While they might only be a few days short of the cutoff it can sometimes make a big difference. The challenge is to make sure they are not bored but instead stimulated academically if they wait a year but also giving them time to adjust emotionally. I have known a number of students who have repeated their K year or even a later year simply because they were socially and emotionally young compared to their peers after having started early. You can contact your home school to inquire about early entrance and what it would mean coming into K or 1st grade early and make the most informed decision based on your child. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We will likely be moving to Montgomery County before our daughter starts Kindergarten, but she was born in mid-September and misses the September 1 cutoff date to turn 5. I know kids born up to the end of September can test in. Has anyone had to do this? What is the process?

If she doesn't test in, what about sending her to private kindergarten for the year - then does Mont. Cty. automatically have to take her for first grade?

Thanks.

No, MCPS does not have to automatically take her for 1st grade. We know a kid in our neighborhood who was mid-September birthday and went to private kindergarten. At the end of her private K, she still was not reading very well. She repeated K in MCPS and flourished. Also, we know other kids in our neighborhood who did private K but then did MCPS K (even with better reading skills). Honestly, I don't know what "type" of private K the first girl did - Montessori-type, etc.

Honestly, I've never heard a parent say "Wow, I'm really glad we pushed our kid ahead." But have heard many people say "I'm glad we waited" or "I wish we had waited." It's one thing to be turning 5 when others are 5.5 (and even 6). It's another thing to be turning 12 or 13 and others are 6-12 months ahead of you. (Or... the LAST kid to get your driver's license.) Take it from someone who's been there...

[Anonymous]

We plan on sending our child - he's two weeks after the cut off and you can't tell me there is a huge difference between a child born on 8/31 vs. 9/12 in terms of readiness. I realize they need to do a cut off, but to me it should be 10/30 or later. If Montgomery County will not take him, we'll either move, pay private or homeschool (not my first choice at all but I don't want him to miss that strong year of learning though regardless we'd heavily supplement at home).

[Anonymous]

Why would an October cut off make more sense than the August 31 cut off? I could see you saying the cut off should be the first day of school, but a month later? Then why not November, or December 31? How about the cutoff being any child who turns 5 during the school year? They have to put the cut off somewhere. Making everyone the minimum age by the start of school is the most logical choice. (I have one child who was born the week before the cutoff and one who was born the week after. Both went at the appropriate times.)

[Anonymous]

Funny.... my husband has a 9/20 birthday and the cutoff for him was 10/1. His mother wasn't sure what to do, but thought "Well, he is the right age. He should go." We always do what we think is RIGHT for our child. My husband has said numerous times how he really wished his parents had waited. My MIL said she even wished she had waited. Of course, you do what you think is best and hope it really is.

Anyhow, to the person who thinks there is no difference in 2 weeks between a 8/31 birthday and 9/12, I agree. And I would also strongly hesitate to start my own child in Kindergarten who has an early or mid August birthday.

And you want the cutoff to be 10/30 (or later!) - so TWO+ months after school begins? Wow. Clearly, we have very different backgrounds.