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

[Anonymous]

Interesting issue.

Can anybody provide any specific examples of "right-aged" children being harmed or negatively impacted by redshrted kids in the classroom?

It is hard to get my head around the issue either way because all of the arguments have been conceptual and theoretical.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]... my three children have been in classrooms with students who were as much as two years older. [/quote]
Are your children "right aged" for the classroom? Or did you push them ahead a year?[/quote]

All three of my children turned 6-years-old during K with January, February and April birthdays. My May-birthday child was in K with a girl who turned 8-years-old in February of K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:... my three children have been in classrooms with students who were as much as two years older.

Are your children "right aged" for the classroom? Or did you push them ahead a year?

All three of my children turned 6-years-old during K with January, February and April birthdays. My May-birthday child was in K with a girl who turned 8-years-old in February of K.

First, you're confusing things when you change the months around. Is it an April or May child? Since we're counting months here, it matters.

Second, am I reading you correctly? That means the 8yo child started K at age 7.5, while all other "right aged" children were starting at age 5? Is she developmentally delayed? Or is this a "redshirting" issue? (If a developmental delay, I think we'd all agree that puts a very different spin on the whole discussion.)

Third, if no developmental delay, I quite frankly have difficulty believing you. Please name the school so others can verify your claim. Also, that way, people will know which school is willing to engage in such extreme redshirting.

[Anonymous]

In all honesty, I am happy that you've had no problems with this issue.

Just to be clear, though, the issue is not that kids with summer birthdays are waiting a year to enter K; the problem is that my three children have been in classrooms with students who were as much as two years older. We have managed just fine by, in the early years, explaining that there was no reason to worry about competing in school because school is for learning.

But make no mistake about it: if this was not a real issue there would not be 23 pages of posts written during the summer recess! One of my DDs was asked in K, by an older-by-two-years classmate, Why are you in K. DD is too precocious by far and so had her retort ready: The real question is why are you in K. I don't like that my DD undoubtedly hurt this child's feelings but I like it even less that she was put in that position by the school.

Empty barrels make the most noise.
The more noise the less of a real issue.
Check out our government in Washington.
Check out the Tea Baggers.
Reams of print and prose (>>>> 23 pages) and shrill drivel from talking heads lacking any expertise.
No real issues here; simply adult "child-like" entertainment for the 5 and 7 year-olds in K classes throughout the land.

[Anonymous]

An example of right aged kids being "harmed" is when kids who are in the same class, but are 18 months older assume the alpha-kid roles at the expense of those who had exhibited the same with their peers in previous settings. It's easy to be the alpha kid when you are that much older/bigger/more athletic etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An example of right aged kids being "harmed" is when kids who are in the same class, but are 18 months older assume the alpha-kid roles at the expense of those who had exhibited the same with their peers in previous settings. It's easy to be the alpha kid when you are that much older/bigger/more athletic etc.

PP here. Ok. Is that something that has specifically happened to your DC? Because they way you phrased it is very hypothetical to me. So if your DC was the alpha kid through pre-K, it would upset you if your kid got to K and wasn't the alpha kid anymore because of some 6 YO? So it is the competitive advantage/disadvantage concerns that worry you? The fear that one's child will no longer be top dog because of the older kids? Thanks for the answer. I am still on the fence about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An example of right aged kids being "harmed" is when kids who are in the same class, but are 18 months older assume the alpha-kid roles at the expense of those who had exhibited the same with their peers in previous settings. It's easy to be the alpha kid when you are that much older/bigger/more athletic etc.

See, its just about parents feeling competitive.

[Anonymous]

No, it is about kids feeling intimidated because they are being paired with others who should be in an older grade.

It is also about the older kid who feels shamed because the 'right aged' kids are wondering to their face why they are in "their" grade rather than the one older.

It is a no-win all around for the kids who do not have any other issues other than their parents sending them the message that they cannot make it with their peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My point is that it is sex discrimination and that it is tolerated. It is blatant. If it was blatant race discrimination it would never happen. They would not be so direct and the community as a whole would not tolerate it. Plus they would be sued. Also, do you think if someone believes that boys can not sit still that it is impossible for them to think that other races are inferior or can not keep up. It becomes a slippery slope. When you believe one sterotype you are likely to believe another. What about black boys? Is the age cut-off different for black boys? Do you think they would give a black summer birthday the benefit of the doubt? What about April?

And yes, I am black. I do not think there are a ton of spots for black kids in a lot of the privates that I looked at. Maybe 1 to 3 spots per grade but that was it, not sure how many applicants but if there was 4 qualified black applicants 1 was getting left out.

Not to worry, I think you can reenroll your child, I think they stop checking age either entering 2nd or 3rd.

Please communicate your message a bit more responsibly, and recognize you cannnot frame this as a race issue. I cannot support you on framing that aspect of the thread in a manner that can be misinterpreted. It is very critical that we stick to the facts. The facts are: 1- There is a cutoff date for enrollment. 2 - Private school enrollment is way down in many areas because of the overall economic uncertainty, with the exception of a few schools. 3 - Yes, particularly in Montgomery County and other areas that might have less diversity in certain zip codes, there are very few (0 in some schools) Blacks enry dolled in private schools outside of Silver Spring and Kensington. It is more of a regional demographic issue, than I believe it is a discrimination issue. 4 - Most of the private schools will take almost any child who shows up right now, because they need the money. So, if you feel they are discriminating against your child, he or she does not need to be there, regardless. Go somewhere else. Be glad they are showing they discriminate, if they are, in your face. It is not right, but it is reality. Your child is better off somewhere else.

I, too, am a Black person, and I have no problem finding "spots" for my child in private schools. I have been to all excpet 5 in Montgomery County, and they all seemed more than willing to take my $15 to $30k a year for tuition.

Please do not make this a racial issue.

I do not think that my post is irresponsible because it is in the form of a question. Questions spur answers and debate. The question is, if someone is sexist, is really too far to think that they could be racist as well. So my question stands, you acknowledged that the policies are sexist and that a lot of us accept these policies, so would it be okay if they were redshirting based off of race? Then why is okay based off of sex.

I guess, at the top private schools I do not feel that all you need to do is write a check, sure there are some catholic schools and other schools that enrollment is really down and the standards have changed but the prep schools that I looked at were still pretty competitive and yes my late summer birthday boy has a difficult time competing with kids academically 1 year older. He is a slightly above average kindhearted adorable 5 year old and can meet appropriate 5 year old standards but probably not standards designed for 6 year olds.

[Anonymous]

The harm comes from K teachers having to address the different physical and intellectual needs of 7 year olds, when the rest of the class if 5. Unless the 7 year old is intellectually delayed, the K curriculum is going to be too easy. The K teacher is now spread thin, having to develop and monitor activities to meet an age range that spans 24-30 months, rather than 12. If the K teacher does not do this, the 7 year old gets bored and acts out.

[Anonymous]

Do you know anything about population distribution to assume that all 5-year-olds are the same? Can one have overlapping distributions between 5, 6 and 7-year-olds?

The ignorance on this board is astounding. All these gifted, 99.9 percentile children, have dumb parents with low IQs. And even these low IQs will distribute in Bell shape fashion!

[Anonymous]

I am sure there are parents out there who redshirt their kid because he isn't ready for K. The vast majority of redshirts I see are done so to ensure that he is the oldest and has an advantage of size, socialization, academics and/or athletics. In most districts, a class should be made up of kids born Sept - August. If you are holding back a kid born in June, Huly or August you are putting kids a year younger at a disadvantage. I am more angry at administrators who do not protect regular age kids from this parasitic practice.

[Anonymous]

For those that are angry at the state of affairs I doubt removal of the older children in your child's classroom will make your child a star, more alpha, smarter or a leader. You will then look for some other excuse.

[Anonymous]

And the converse...those putting a dinosaur in a classroom of younger children will not be smarter, the leader, more alpha or a star.

Stardom is not the entitlement of the older child. One must earn it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
An example of right aged kids being "harmed" is when kids who are in the same class, but are 18 months older assume the alpha-kid roles at the expense of those who had exhibited the same with their peers in previous settings. It's easy to be the alpha kid when you are that much older/bigger/more athletic etc.

See, its just about parents feeling competitive.


Not sure how I see this argument as valid? Why would being upset that an older kid is in with younger kids be just about "parents being conmpetitive"?