My son's kindergarten class has several 7 yr olds in it.

[Anonymous]

They don't need to be "ready" for Kindergarten! At the end of the school year, you will know what they are "ready" to do!
This is why they do not need to be held out of Kindergarten, get it??!!

Shucks. We are talking about Kindergarten folk when kids eat, play and poop. Who cares if the kid is 3 and 1/2 or 7 and 1/2. Recall the days when all grades were held in one room with all ages. Produced a much smarter and more accomplished generation than the spoiled, entitled, tutored and hovered over generations of today who can't even get up in the morning without assistance.

[Anonymous]

DS (now in high school) started on time when the cutoff was 12/31, so he was 4 1/2. He has consistently been one of the youngest, or the youngest, in the class. He has also been generally seen as one of the brightest kids in the class, so no disadvantage there. He is middle of the pack socially and athletically. He was behind for years on fine motor skills, but would have been behind if he were two grades behind too. He entered puberty at the typical age; some kids were very late, so he was never the smallest/least developed. He has a good friend with a late birthday who was the first kid in his grade to shave.

DS was behind the girls socially during middle school, but so were all of his friends, even those who are a year older than him. Compared to other boys, there are some boys I would prefer he not hang with (drinking, etc) who are 15 months older than him, but other partiers are within a few months of his age, and he also has good friends who are more than a year older than him.

Sometimes I think that most (but not all) of the parents worried about older kids are the parents of very young kids, where a few months actually does make a big difference developmentally. In my experience, by first grade the effect is minimal, and by fifth grade it has disappeared.

Typical middle and upper class neurosis of parents with disposable income and time to develop spread sheets of the ages of their children's classmates always seeking fleeting advantage, accommodation and making excuses for their own children on the basis of older children in the classroom. They seem to forget the kids don't care as their micromanaging mothers entangle themselves in speculative psychotic knots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish one or more elite private schools in DC would, for once and all, put children in the correct grade. When the admission committee is holding the application of a nearly 6 yr old, I wish, say, Sidwell's admission committee would have the balls to say Hey guess what? You don't belong in kindergarten. I wish that Beauvoir, for example, would put 4 year olds in preK and 5 year olds in K. The applicants whose child will turn 7 will have to apply elsewhere, in my dream scenario.

why does the op think the admissions at Beauvoir and Sidwell are placing kids in wrong grades?

[Anonymous]

Because she is an expert and knows the proper grade level for the children of others applying to these schools. We should hire this educational expert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish one or more elite private schools in DC would, for once and all, put children in the correct grade. When the admission committee is holding the application of a nearly 6 yr old, I wish, say, Sidwell's admission committee would have the balls to say Hey guess what? You don't belong in kindergarten. I wish that Beauvoir, for example, would put 4 year olds in preK and 5 year olds in K. The applicants whose child will turn 7 will have to apply elsewhere, in my dream scenario.

why does the op think the admissions at Beauvoir and Sidwell are placing kids in wrong grades?

Are you so naive to think that admissions officers at these schools aren't subject to external pressures, like pushy parents, heavy donors, the culture of "red-shirting," and general expectations of elite private schools? While I am sure that admissions officers at these schools are very, very good, I am also sure that they are sometimes placed in compromising positions because of factors beyond the children themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, people are resdshiritng boys!!!! It has nothing to do with anything else but trying to give them an age advantage. According to my neighbors, it will help them get bigger, faster, and more mature. How mature must one actually be to attend K and 1st grade? It is very typical in both public and private schools.

All we are asking is do not hold our children out of school based on age, if they are ready to move forward. Create a class for the reshirt crew, and let my child move on at his rapid pace. This has nothing to do with competition or fear. Why can't we accept that some humans are simply more advanced than others, and therefore, should not be stifled by the system that wants to dumb down everything and everyone?

Why are we holding back academically prepared kids (especially boys) because of age? It is wrong!!!! We do the same crap on jobs - shut down and harass smart workers.

Montgomery County Mom

As one who was 3 years younger than my classmates throughout the process from elementary school all the way to professional school I was not at any disadvantage. Leave the older kids alone and take care of your own business if you wish to succeed. We do not need other mothers and fathers to police whose kid is ready or not ready for school. Join the real world folk.

FYI – I started Kindergarten at 4, like my kid did last year. He and I both began reading, adding, subtracting, and etc. very early; not because of competitive parenting either. I started first grade at 5. My son cannot do so, because of the system that insists he is too young compared to the redshirts and others. I think that is what people are complaining about - their children are being told they cannot start, while other people don’t want their kids to start. I, like many, have been told it is because he is a boy! There is a global assumption that boys are incapable of succeeding socially in early life. That is a problem for those who can do it, even when they are not forced. Get it….??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I'm at a school where they redshirted 2 boys in preK. Neither has any kind of learning disability, etc. I asked. It's ridiculous looking at them because they are nearly a head taller than their peers. If I had a son I surely wouldn't want him in there with these little men. I just hope they aren't bored and disrupt the other kids.

Typical of posters who are similarly overly concerned about the race, ethnicity, religion, kids with genetic defects (e.g., trisomy 21), SES, and gender of the kids their children attend school with. Simple minds loaded with preconceived notions.

Your post makes no sense, and your reference to trisomy 21 is just random and bizarre.

The original post was on target! Why do you assume it is a demographic issue? No one mentioned race, religion or any of that. This is about the age of Kindergarten entry. Trisomy 21 and SES don't apply here. The 7 year-old Kindergarden kid is going to feel stupid when he realizes how much older he is by third grade. Not only is he going to think he is stupid, his peers will too. I hear my friends and neighbors saying "Oh he is not ready." and "He is not book smart." That is so sad to me.

Don't pretend you don't know it is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In general publics do not allow as much redshirting as independents.

not true in our Arlington school where the youngest child has an early July bday and the oldest child has a mid July birthday (will turn 7). There were 3 boys who turned 6 before K started.

Yup, so true.....Montgomery County public and private schools are doing it, too. It is actually a national issue.

[Anonymous]

The original post was on target! Why do you assume it is a demographic issue? No one mentioned race, religion or any of that. This is about the age of Kindergarten entry. Trisomy 21 and SES don't apply here. The 7 year-old Kindergarden kid is going to feel stupid when he realizes how much older he is by third grade. Not only is he going to think he is stupid, his peers will too. I hear my friends and neighbors saying "Oh he is not ready." and "He is not book smart." That is so sad to me.

Don't pretend you don't know it is true.

You are the only pretender here. Are you in the head of the 7-year-old who is feeling stupid when he realizes how much older he is by third grade? It appears you are also in the head of his peers who will think he is stupid? How do you know how 3rd graders think? "I hear my friends...he said ... she said ... logic". It appears you have identical thoughts to third graders; thus, probably paranoid schizophrenia with hallucinations or someone with a similar budding level of intellectual accomplishment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The original post was on target! Why do you assume it is a demographic issue? No one mentioned race, religion or any of that. This is about the age of Kindergarten entry. Trisomy 21 and SES don't apply here. The 7 year-old Kindergarden kid is going to feel stupid when he realizes how much older he is by third grade. Not only is he going to think he is stupid, his peers will too. I hear my friends and neighbors saying "Oh he is not ready." and "He is not book smart." That is so sad to me.

Don't pretend you don't know it is true.

You are the only pretender here. Are you in the head of the 7-year-old who is feeling stupid when he realizes how much older he is by third grade? It appears you are also in the head of his peers who will think he is stupid? How do you know how 3rd graders think? "I hear my friends...he said ... she said ... logic". It appears you have identical thoughts to third graders; thus, probably paranoid schizophrenia with hallucinations or someone with a similar budding level of intellectual accomplishment.

I am laughing because I can't even get offended by your denial. You and I both KNOW children will be children, and they will tease and torment the other child who is much older.

By the way, I have 2 master's degrees in early child development and a PhD in Psychology, in case you think I am hallucinating!

Peace and honesty from the realist!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I wish one or more elite private schools in DC would, for once and all, put children in the correct grade. When the admission committee is holding the application of a nearly 6 yr old, I wish, say, Sidwell's admission committee would have the balls to say Hey guess what? You don't belong in kindergarten. I wish that Beauvoir, for example, would put 4 year olds in preK and 5 year olds in K. The applicants whose child will turn 7 will have to apply elsewhere, in my dream scenario.

If you don't like it send your kids to public schools where you belong. Our private schools neither have to release their student's test scores nor admit students to their classrooms based on your cookie cutter theory of strict age-based assignments. Why do you think the schools are called private schools? Be banished to the public school boards!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The original post was on target! Why do you assume it is a demographic issue? No one mentioned race, religion or any of that. This is about the age of Kindergarten entry. Trisomy 21 and SES don't apply here. The 7 year-old Kindergarden kid is going to feel stupid when he realizes how much older he is by third grade. Not only is he going to think he is stupid, his peers will too. I hear my friends and neighbors saying "Oh he is not ready." and "He is not book smart." That is so sad to me.

Don't pretend you don't know it is true.

You are the only pretender here. Are you in the head of the 7-year-old who is feeling stupid when he realizes how much older he is by third grade? It appears you are also in the head of his peers who will think he is stupid? How do you know how 3rd graders think? "I hear my friends...he said ... she said ... logic". It appears you have identical thoughts to third graders; thus, probably paranoid schizophrenia with hallucinations or someone with a similar budding level of intellectual accomplishment.

.....and stop diagnosing people. Don't be mad. Let's just be honest about all this.

[Anonymous]

I am laughing because I can't even get offended by your denial. You and I both KNOW children will be children, and they will tease and torment the other child who is much older.

By the way, I have 2 master's degrees in early child development and a PhD in Psychology, in case you think I am hallucinating!

Peace and honesty from the realist!!

You have just confirmed the psychiatric diagnosis/disorder. The only other issue relates to multiple personality disorder .... in the apparition of 3rd Graders!

[Anonymous]

You are the only pretender here. Are you in the head of the 7-year-old who is feeling stupid when he realizes how much older he is by third grade? It appears you are also in the head of his peers who will think he is stupid? How do you know how 3rd graders think? "I hear my friends...he said ... she said ... logic". It appears you have identical thoughts to third graders; thus, probably paranoid schizophrenia with hallucinations or someone with a similar budding level of intellectual accomplishment.


.....and stop diagnosing people. Don't be mad. Let's just be honest about all this.

I shall only if you stop speaking for 3rd Graders and their peers. Are you a 3rd Grader? Why do you think the older 3rd grader and peers will all think the older kid is stupid? This is what the parents think and say --- or indoctrinate their children with. Most of these kids only parrot what their parents say in the car pool lane. So much for your multiple master degrees in psychology?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I am laughing because I can't even get offended by your denial. You and I both KNOW children will be children, and they will tease and torment the other child who is much older.

By the way, I have 2 master's degrees in early child development and a PhD in Psychology, in case you think I am hallucinating!

Peace and honesty from the realist!!

You have just confirmed the psychiatric diagnosis/disorder. The only other issue relates to multiple personality disorder .... in the apparition of 3rd Graders!

Haaahahhaaa - you are a funny guy/gal! I love it!

Anyway, nonetheless, on a more serious note: I wish all of you and your children all the best.

Cheers,

The Realist