Application and testing process for early Kindergarten entrance

[Anonymous]

Our preschool is moving my Sept. birthday kid up to a pre-K class this year, so our options next year are either public K, private K for no credit (if there is space at our current school), or repeat pre-K in a different class, which our school implies will be a waste of time. I really hope we get into K with early admission, but the uncertainty is awful!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My twins (b/g) have early October bdays. They looked ready for kindergarten all during their prior preschool year. I had them both tested by MCPS, and both were offered early admission to K. The principal then asked me to come to a meeting where she and the K "team leader" tried to convince me to keep them home another year and "let them play."
After leaving that meeting in tears, I enrolled them in K. They are now completing 3rd grade at mcps, and have been top of their class for 4 years. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
You have to know your own kid. Yes, I am still concerned about differing levels of "maturity" when they get to middle school and high school. But I couldn't hold back kids who were obviously ready for kindergarten. Principals often have another agenda, one that leads them to prefer older students.

My son was a year ahead because we were overseas when he started school. When we moved back here, I was torn about whether to keep him ahead or have him repeat 1st grade to be with kids his age. His teachers had all insisted he should go to second grade because he was so smart and such a leader. My mom, a teacher, who had skipped a grade when she was younger, encouraged me to hold him back. In the end, he came here and redid 1st grade, which cost him nothing academically as far as I can tell. But the real benefits came when kids started growing in 6th grade and he turned out to be one of the late bloomers. It was a brutal couple of years, now past, but I can only imagine how bad it could have been if he would have gone through middle school with kids a year or more older than he was.

I learned you sometimes can't know what's ahead and there's more to school than academics. In fact, being a little advanced early on academically, is an advantage that goes away quickly as others catch up. No one was more surprised than I was to see my smart, popular child's grades dip because of social issues/difficulties at school at 12 and 13, but it happened.

Just something to keep in mind...

[Anonymous]

PP, thanks for posting. This is excellent advice I think.

[Anonymous]

13:32 of still out there can you please send me a copy of your appeal letter. Thanks in advance. [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone,

I applied for EEK for my daughter, got denied. I'm so confident my daughter is good to go. She is socially, academically and physically ready. I would be the first to hold her back if I thought she was not. So I am going to appeal. Any tips??
Thanks

[Anonymous]

I would also like a copy of the appeal letter. thanks. [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Definitely appeal, and get a letter of support from your preschool director, if possible. Someone from our preschool did this successfully a few years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My twins (b/g) have early October bdays. They looked ready for kindergarten all during their prior preschool year. I had them both tested by MCPS, and both were offered early admission to K. The principal then asked me to come to a meeting where she and the K "team leader" tried to convince me to keep them home another year and "let them play."
After leaving that meeting in tears, I enrolled them in K. They are now completing 3rd grade at mcps, and have been top of their class for 4 years. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
You have to know your own kid. Yes, I am still concerned about differing levels of "maturity" when they get to middle school and high school. But I couldn't hold back kids who were obviously ready for kindergarten. Principals often have another agenda, one that leads them to prefer older students.

My son was a year ahead because we were overseas when he started school. When we moved back here, I was torn about whether to keep him ahead or have him repeat 1st grade to be with kids his age. His teachers had all insisted he should go to second grade because he was so smart and such a leader. My mom, a teacher, who had skipped a grade when she was younger, encouraged me to hold him back. In the end, he came here and redid 1st grade, which cost him nothing academically as far as I can tell. But the real benefits came when kids started growing in 6th grade and he turned out to be one of the late bloomers. It was a brutal couple of years, now past, but I can only imagine how bad it could have been if he would have gone through middle school with kids a year or more older than he was.

I learned you sometimes can't know what's ahead and there's more to school than academics. In fact, being a little advanced early on academically, is an advantage that goes away quickly as others catch up. No one was more surprised than I was to see my smart, popular child's grades dip because of social issues/difficulties at school at 12 and 13, but it happened.

Just something to keep in mind...

+1

It's not all about academics. It's also about developmental progress and social-emotional maturity - not only in K, but for the following 12 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi Everyone,

I applied for EEK for my daughter, got denied. I'm so confident my daughter is good to go. She is socially, academically and physically ready. I would be the first to hold her back if I thought she was not. So I am going to appeal. Any tips??
Thanks

Apparently, MCPS disagrees that she is socially, academically, and physically ready.

What is your rush?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi Everyone,

I applied for EEK for my daughter, got denied. I'm so confident my daughter is good to go. She is socially, academically and physically ready. I would be the first to hold her back if I thought she was not. So I am going to appeal. Any tips??
Thanks

Apparently, MCPS disagrees that she is socially, academically, and physically ready.

What is your rush?

Its to MCPS advantage not to have to educate one child that year. Maybe it isn't about the kids but about the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My twins (b/g) have early October bdays. They looked ready for kindergarten all during their prior preschool year. I had them both tested by MCPS, and both were offered early admission to K. The principal then asked me to come to a meeting where she and the K "team leader" tried to convince me to keep them home another year and "let them play."
After leaving that meeting in tears, I enrolled them in K. They are now completing 3rd grade at mcps, and have been top of their class for 4 years. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
You have to know your own kid. Yes, I am still concerned about differing levels of "maturity" when they get to middle school and high school. But I couldn't hold back kids who were obviously ready for kindergarten. Principals often have another agenda, one that leads them to prefer older students.

My son was a year ahead because we were overseas when he started school. When we moved back here, I was torn about whether to keep him ahead or have him repeat 1st grade to be with kids his age. His teachers had all insisted he should go to second grade because he was so smart and such a leader. My mom, a teacher, who had skipped a grade when she was younger, encouraged me to hold him back. In the end, he came here and redid 1st grade, which cost him nothing academically as far as I can tell. But the real benefits came when kids started growing in 6th grade and he turned out to be one of the late bloomers. It was a brutal couple of years, now past, but I can only imagine how bad it could have been if he would have gone through middle school with kids a year or more older than he was.

I learned you sometimes can't know what's ahead and there's more to school than academics. In fact, being a little advanced early on academically, is an advantage that goes away quickly as others catch up. No one was more surprised than I was to see my smart, popular child's grades dip because of social issues/difficulties at school at 12 and 13, but it happened.

Just something to keep in mind...

+1

It's not all about academics. It's also about developmental progress and social-emotional maturity - not only in K, but for the following 12 years.

Holding a child back with a younger peer group is not always best. They cannot develop and progress if everyone is a year younger and those are the models they have for them. Some kids do but many kids will rise to the occasion and do just fine. We hold back and it was a huge mistake and had to skip a grade.

[Anonymous]

Our DC started early (mid-Sept birthday), and it was the right choice for the child (and us). But each child is different, and being the youngest in the class can have its disadvantages. There are kids who are 18+ months older than DC in DC's class, and the physical differences are marked, as DC is not a large person to begin with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My twins (b/g) have early October bdays. They looked ready for kindergarten all during their prior preschool year. I had them both tested by MCPS, and both were offered early admission to K. The principal then asked me to come to a meeting where she and the K "team leader" tried to convince me to keep them home another year and "let them play."
After leaving that meeting in tears, I enrolled them in K. They are now completing 3rd grade at mcps, and have been top of their class for 4 years. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.
You have to know your own kid. Yes, I am still concerned about differing levels of "maturity" when they get to middle school and high school. But I couldn't hold back kids who were obviously ready for kindergarten. Principals often have another agenda, one that leads them to prefer older students.

My son was a year ahead because we were overseas when he started school. When we moved back here, I was torn about whether to keep him ahead or have him repeat 1st grade to be with kids his age. His teachers had all insisted he should go to second grade because he was so smart and such a leader. My mom, a teacher, who had skipped a grade when she was younger, encouraged me to hold him back. In the end, he came here and redid 1st grade, which cost him nothing academically as far as I can tell. But the real benefits came when kids started growing in 6th grade and he turned out to be one of the late bloomers. It was a brutal couple of years, now past, but I can only imagine how bad it could have been if he would have gone through middle school with kids a year or more older than he was.

I learned you sometimes can't know what's ahead and there's more to school than academics. In fact, being a little advanced early on academically, is an advantage that goes away quickly as others catch up. No one was more surprised than I was to see my smart, popular child's grades dip because of social issues/difficulties at school at 12 and 13, but it happened.

Just something to keep in mind...

+1

It's not all about academics. It's also about developmental progress and social-emotional maturity - not only in K, but for the following 12 years.

Holding a child back with a younger peer group is not always best. They cannot develop and progress if everyone is a year younger and those are the models they have for them. Some kids do but many kids will rise to the occasion and do just fine. We hold back and it was a huge mistake and had to skip a grade.

The late bloomer might also be an "early bloomer" and have similar social issues. It can be as hard for some kids to be the first to develop. DD has an August bday and we sent her "on time" to K, even though some suggested giving her the "gift of time". Even as one of the youngest in the class, she was one of the first to develop breasts and get her period. So thankful we didn't hold her back and have her deal with this as a 4th grader.

My point isn't to sway anyone in one direction or another, it's just to say you can't predict the future. You need to make the best decision you can for YOUR kid in YOUR situation with the information you have at the time. Sometimes issues are just part of a child's personality and extra time won't change a thing, some kids bloom early, some kids bloom late, some kids will rise to a challenge, some kids will shut down if bored when younger.... there is no one right or wrong answer.

(And we never have the benefit of seeing what "would have happened" if you made the opposite choice. You can guess, but you won't know. Maybe my early developing DD would have been more confident being one of the oldest kids in the class and it would have been a non-issue. Maybe PPs late bloomer would have developed other gifts... )

[Anonymous]

Just another viewpoint/choice on this issue. I have kid with Oct 22 birthday his academics were great the year he turned 5 and he is a very tall kid always mistaken for older then his age. But I choose to give him another year at his daycare/pre-k school. When he did enter K his teacher realized he was too advanced for his peers so in the middle of the year he moved into 1st grade. That was a bit of an adjustment getting used to new kids but honestly not really that bad. I think the fact that he was moving up with kids "older" then him at 6 and not barely 5 made a big difference for him being able to handle being the youngest kid in the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi Everyone,

I applied for EEK for my daughter, got denied. I'm so confident my daughter is good to go. She is socially, academically and physically ready. I would be the first to hold her back if I thought she was not. So I am going to appeal. Any tips??
Thanks

Apparently, MCPS disagrees that she is socially, academically, and physically ready.

What is your rush?

Its to MCPS advantage not to have to educate one child that year. Maybe it isn't about the kids but about the school.

That is nonsensical. The number of years of schooling is the same.

Unless, of course, the student is not ready for kindergarten upon entrance, and has to repeat a grade later. Now *that* costs MCPS some money.