Redshirting question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If I had to do it over, I would have had all of my kids born in August and I would have redshirted them. Even the girls.

Why not just have all your kids in January, so that they would be the oldest by default?

Holy sh*t you are really not getting it. The cutoff isn’t 12/31 here!!!!! It’s only 12/31 or 12/1 in your little NYC-area bubble. The entire rest of the country has a cutoff of 9/30 or earlier. A kid with a January birthday is middle of the pack, birthday/age-wise.

Okay, so in that case, they should have all their kids in October. The bottom line, if you want child to be the oldest, you should have them right after the cut-off, whenever that is. Then you don't have to worry about redshirting. The point I'm trying to make is that parents who redshirt their kids are breaking the rules to fix a problem that they created for themselves.

Again, nope. The literal law in Virginia (can’t speak to MD or DC) is that the compulsory age for education is 6. Not 5. If redshirting was illegal, parents across the country would be in jail or fined for it. But it’s not. You just have to inform the school that your kid won’t be attending K right when he/she turns 5 and that’s it.

[Anonymous]

Personally I think it should be based on the child's needs not parents ideals. My child didn't thrive at a play based program. We removed him to a structured academic program and he thrived. Play based are probably why kids are not prepared for K. K. is not academic at all.

That is so sad that your child does not enjoy playing.

A good play based K program is the best. Perhaps, your program did not have good teachers. There is a lot more structure in a good play based program than you know.
I was a K teacher back in the day. A play based program does not exclude academics. Every child in my class (which was socio-economically diverse) was reading by the end of the year--with the exception of a very bright child with a learning disabilty. And, FWIW, the cut off was DEC 31 in those days.

A good play based program encourages thinking skills which are not developed as much in a so-called "academic" program where the children are drilled and controlled all day.

I especially remember the wonderful large blocks that we had in my class. I would randomly assigned groups which changed from week to week. At the beginning of the year the kids would take the blocks and build by themselves. By the end of the year, they were working with their group to build wonderful "cities." They were learning to work together and develop terrific learning skills.

So sad that is no longer happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Personally I think it should be based on the child's needs not parents ideals. My child didn't thrive at a play based program. We removed him to a structured academic program and he thrived. Play based are probably why kids are not prepared for K. K. is not academic at all.

That is so sad that your child does not enjoy playing.

A good play based K program is the best. Perhaps, your program did not have good teachers. There is a lot more structure in a good play based program than you know.
I was a K teacher back in the day. A play based program does not exclude academics. Every child in my class (which was socio-economically diverse) was reading by the end of the year--with the exception of a very bright child with a learning disabilty. And, FWIW, the cut off was DEC 31 in those days.

A good play based program encourages thinking skills which are not developed as much in a so-called "academic" program where the children are drilled and controlled all day.

I especially remember the wonderful large blocks that we had in my class. I would randomly assigned groups which changed from week to week. At the beginning of the year the kids would take the blocks and build by themselves. By the end of the year, they were working with their group to build wonderful "cities." They were learning to work together and develop terrific learning skills.

So sad that is no longer happening.

My child enjoys playing but not free roaming for 2-4 years in a classroom with little structure or activities. Playing with blocks an entire year is not worth paying for preschool for.. they can do that at home. I was shocked at our play based how little the 4 year olds knew in terms of basics like letters, numbers, colors and basic reading. Between the parents and school, the kids should have known the basics. That's why K. is hard - parents and teachers are failing our kids in not preparing them. Kids need play and academics.

My kid had SN but having SN has nothing to do with reading abilities. Some kids pick it up quicker. All the kids at our preschool were reading at 4 or so. Mine was reading at 3.5.

Play bases is for the "teachers" who really aren't qualified as teachers to sit back and relax while the kids play so they don't have to put any effort into the kids.

[Anonymous]

Twin mom here. Mine have August birthdays as well. We are red shifting them! I have a boy and a girl and while the girl twin is fine socially and emotionally, her brother is a bit behind socially. We will keep them in Montessori an extra year and then put them in public kindergarten. I am in education and I don't believe on the academic push that happens in kindergarten now anyhow. It isn't developmentally appropriate at all so I am not worried about the extra year.

[Anonymous]

If parents are just going to redshirt every kid born in Sept/Aug why not just make the cutoff July 30 instead of Sept 30? Same result.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If parents are just going to redshirt every kid born in Sept/Aug why not just make the cutoff July 30 instead of Sept 30? Same result.

Most parents of borderline birthday kids do what they're supposed to do and send their kids on time. It's only a tiny minority of parents who feel they should be able to conceive whenever, and then bend the rules instead of owning up to their poor planning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If parents are just going to redshirt every kid born in Sept/Aug why not just make the cutoff July 30 instead of Sept 30? Same result.

States and school districts are increasingly moving the cutoff up to July 30th, especially as the trend is also for an earlier start to the school year. I’m sure a 9/30 cutoff made sense back when K was half-day and school started after Labor Day, and when 1st grade was when many kids learned to read, and when there was barely any standardized testing until middle school. But now maybe an earlier cutoff makes sense.

And no, it’s not “cheating” or whatever PP wants to say - it’s explicitly allowed by the public and private schools in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If parents are just going to redshirt every kid born in Sept/Aug why not just make the cutoff July 30 instead of Sept 30? Same result.

States and school districts are increasingly moving the cutoff up to July 30th, especially as the trend is also for an earlier start to the school year. I’m sure a 9/30 cutoff made sense back when K was half-day and school started after Labor Day, and when 1st grade was when many kids learned to read, and when there was barely any standardized testing until middle school. But now maybe an earlier cutoff makes sense.

And no, it’s not “cheating” or whatever PP wants to say - it’s explicitly allowed by the public and private schools in this area.

So you see nothing wrong with 2 kids in the same grade being more than 365 days apart? It's perfectly okay with you if the youngest kid doesn't turn 5 before the oldest kid turns 6?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If parents are just going to redshirt every kid born in Sept/Aug why not just make the cutoff July 30 instead of Sept 30? Same result.

States and school districts are increasingly moving the cutoff up to July 30th, especially as the trend is also for an earlier start to the school year. I’m sure a 9/30 cutoff made sense back when K was half-day and school started after Labor Day, and when 1st grade was when many kids learned to read, and when there was barely any standardized testing until middle school. But now maybe an earlier cutoff makes sense.

And no, it’s not “cheating” or whatever PP wants to say - it’s explicitly allowed by the public and private schools in this area.

So you see nothing wrong with 2 kids in the same grade being more than 365 days apart? It's perfectly okay with you if the youngest kid doesn't turn 5 before the oldest kid turns 6?

HUH? That will always be true regardless of whether you redshirt or not. If the cutoff is Sept 30, then there will be kids with an Oct 1 birthday and kids with a September birthday the following year. Redshirting doesn't change that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If parents are just going to redshirt every kid born in Sept/Aug why not just make the cutoff July 30 instead of Sept 30? Same result.

Then the parents of kids born in May/June/July will be wringing their hands about when to send their kid to school. Someone has to be the youngest.

My kid was born in mid-September and went to K a couple months before he turned 5. He is thriving academically, has been the top of his class every year, and will be in AAP next year. He's got friends and is OK socially. He does seem to have some trouble with impulse control and I get calls from the school every couple months. I'm guessing waiting a year might have helped this, and will always question our decision. But... I have a feeling we would have had different issues if he'd been the oldest and the smartest in the class instead of the youngest and the smartest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If parents are just going to redshirt every kid born in Sept/Aug why not just make the cutoff July 30 instead of Sept 30? Same result.

Then the parents of kids born in May/June/July will be wringing their hands about when to send their kid to school. Someone has to be the youngest.

My kid was born in mid-September and went to K a couple months before he turned 5. He is thriving academically, has been the top of his class every year, and will be in AAP next year. He's got friends and is OK socially. He does seem to have some trouble with impulse control and I get calls from the school every couple months. I'm guessing waiting a year might have helped this, and will always question our decision. But... I have a feeling we would have had different issues if he'd been the oldest and the smartest in the class instead of the youngest and the smartest.

It’s (generally, I’m sure there are some parents who are more shallow about it but I personally haven’t met them) not about not wanting your kid to be “the youngest,” it’s about whether a just turned 5 year old is ready for full day K or not. Some are, some aren’t. I’m sure there’s some holding back of the June/July kids when there’s a July 31st cutoff but I don’t know if there’s any more than when the cutoff was 9/30 - either the kids are ready or they aren’t.

And no, I don’t see anything wrong with, essentially, a 15 month age range in a grade vs. a 12 month age range. The oldest redshirted kids I know have a June birthday and even that is pretty rare. So a kid with a June birthday the year before is in class with a kid with an August or September birthday the next year - that is not a big deal, it’s not like the kids are 2 full years apart.

[Anonymous]

August Twin Boys - - Yes. And I don't like red-shirting, but Op you should. Most of all, you should keep them in the same grade. There is a strong likelihood one of them needs red shirting. Twins are usually behind. And they're boys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If parents are just going to redshirt every kid born in Sept/Aug why not just make the cutoff July 30 instead of Sept 30? Same result.

States and school districts are increasingly moving the cutoff up to July 30th, especially as the trend is also for an earlier start to the school year. I’m sure a 9/30 cutoff made sense back when K was half-day and school started after Labor Day, and when 1st grade was when many kids learned to read, and when there was barely any standardized testing until middle school. But now maybe an earlier cutoff makes sense.

And no, it’s not “cheating” or whatever PP wants to say - it’s explicitly allowed by the public and private schools in this area.

So you see nothing wrong with 2 kids in the same grade being more than 365 days apart? It's perfectly okay with you if the youngest kid doesn't turn 5 before the oldest kid turns 6?

Np. I don't see anything wrong with it. DD is one of the youngest or maybe the youngest in her grade. Has lots of friends more than a year older and always has from the first day of K, and she's not one of those super mature girls either. She had the normal immaturity of a new kindergartener!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:August Twin Boys - - Yes. And I don't like red-shirting, but Op you should. Most of all, you should keep them in the same grade. There is a strong likelihood one of them needs red shirting. Twins are usually behind. And they're boys.

Yeah, we all know that girls are smarter than boys. In fact, I can't think of a single male as smart as Alberta Einstein, Isabel Newton, Charlotte Darwin, Amadea Mozart, Marcia Zuckerberg, Bilia Gates, or Stephanie Hawking.

[Anonymous]

OP what do the preschool teachers think?