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What's the deal with holding boys back in school to gain a competitive advantage in sports?
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Anonymous
| The other REALLY annoying thing on these threads is the assumption that every kid held back must have been held back to gain a competitive advantage. I know a (not huge) number of children who started K a year late because of concerns about some aspect of maturation - academic, social, organizational, fine motor, etc. I sincerely doubt that their parents will be introducing them as, "Hi, this is my son John, yes he's old for grade but we held him back because he was so immature". |
Anonymous
| Come on people, most boys held back are summer birthdays so you don't need to worry about 6 year olds in pre-k! They won't turn 6 until the summer, duh! So during the entire school year, they will still only be 5. |
Anonymous
Exactly. What's the big deal? As PP said, someone produce a list of schools with the number of 6 year olds in Pre-K and I'll believe their is a problem. Until then, these same old tired arguments are wearing thin. |
Anonymous
| Some of you seem to be missing the point. The problem is not 6-yr olds in Pre-K, if they exist at all; rather, the trouble begins in middle school with far too many 8th graders who are 15 years old, and even a few who turn 16 in 8th grade! This seems to be a problem at certain schools, not most, or maybe not even at a majority of schools. It's unfair, unethical, and (for contact sports) dangerous. |
Anonymous
|
I personally know a family who has a child who just turned six in March 2009, who just finished PreK. He had previously done PreK, applied for K to a competitive private school, was accepted at said school only to PreK and not to K, and they accepted, rather than turn down the school. So this child will turn *seven* this upcoming academic year, in kindergarten.
Granted, this is only one anecdote, but it most certainly does exist; it is not fiction as some PPs have surmised. (Of course, in this case it wasn't the parents who pushed for the redshirting but the school. The parents went along, however.) |
Anonymous
| I would rather not name the school I am most familiar with, but suffice it to say, there are plenty of 6 year olds who just completed pre-kindergarten. It is not uncommon. |
Anonymous
Fine. Name a school, and tell us how many kids were 15 at the time they started 8th grade.
Were these children 6 when they started pre-K, or did they turn 6 during the school year? I was not the one to lay down the challenge, but I've seen it offered before on DCUM (with no credible takers), and I think the challenge is to identify schools where kids are starting pre-K at age 6, not just turning 6 by the end of pre-K. I suspect there are several kids that start pre-K one year "late" and thus turn 6 sometime during the school year. (Statistics I've read suggest it's about 4-9% nationwide.) But some anti-redshirters on DCUM often claim that many kids are being held back to the point they're two years older than their peers, and that's what usually generates a challenge. So, could you please clarify your comment? If that's what you meant (starting pre-K at age 6), then I apologize for even asking the question. |
Anonymous
| Read the opening post if you're looking for the guilty schools |
Anonymous
| In my child's class, there were at least four kids who were already 6 when the school year started, and another 5 who turned 6 during the year. |
Anonymous
How many total kids in the pre-K class? Because 9 kids out of 60 (15%), is different than 9 kids out of 20 (45%). And what school? If there are at least 9 kids age 5+ at beginning of pre-K, the school is clearly big enough that you're not outing yourself by naming it here, so I am sure there's no objection to naming it. Thanks. |
Anonymous
| PP here from 9:16. Just to be clear -- I'm not attacking you or doubting you. I am genuinely curious because the number of kids you claim is higher than anyone else has ever offered in response to that challenge. |
Anonymous
You are saying 4 kids who were already 6 and starting PRE-K?? I just don't buy it. Name the school and I'll be glad to call and confirm it. Otherwise, statements like "I'm aware of eleven 22 year olds in the senior class at a certain school in a certain city" just does not cut it. The reason NO ONE EVER responds directly to this challenge (name the school and the # of kids) is because they are FULL OF BS and the problem just is not as pervasive as they would love you to believe. Yes, I'll buy that one anecdotal case here and there might exist, but I just don't believe you guys that this is some kind of widespread problem until you produce some VERIFIABLE DATA. BTW, there is NO GOOD REASON why a parent should be unwilling to name a school... this is an anonymous board and we or the school would never know who you are. So "show us the data"... |
Anonymous
|
8:04 here, were 25 kids in the class that year, so yes a significant number. From what I understand the age rates in the grades have remained somewhat constant (ie % of 6 year olds versus 5 year olds and 4 year olds in the class).
It is a school that is discussed often in this forum. |
Anonymous
Not credible. Name the school. |
Anonymous
YOU are missing the point!! There are very few 6 year olds in pre-K! Most of the children held back are may-august b-days. Stop creating a myth and making things up. If they are 6 they are turning 6 at the end of the year. This is even rare, as I have friends at all of the schools talked about on these boards and have discussed this issue with them and hands down 95% of the kids ever held back are still ONLY 5 during the pre-k year! They don't turn 6 until AFTER pre-k!! |