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Preschool and Daycare Discussion
kindergarten that takes 4.5 year olds?
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Anonymous
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Are there any great private kindergartens that take 4.5 year olds in the Bethesda/Kensintgon, MD area?...that don't cost an arm and a leg...
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Anonymous
| From what I've seen here the trend is for kindergarden to start at later ages, lots of almost 6-year olds... |
Anonymous
I agree. Especially, in Bethesda area... |
Anonymous
| Why would you want to put a 4.5 year old in Kindergarten? No offense, but as the youngest in my class I will tell you there were times growing up that it was PURE hell. I started K before I turned 5, but was the last to hit puberty, last to drive, etc., etc. The social ramifications of starting a child that young can be difficult for the child and will not show up until the child is well into their school years. You may *think* your child is ready because they've been reading for 2 years or are "bored" in preschool, but I encourage you to find an academic pre-K program that will challenge the child without forcing them to start real school so early. |
Anonymous
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No offense? Right. I was also the youngest in my class since MCPS had a cut off date of Dec. in those days. I managed to survive...someone has to be the first and someone has to be the last.
Just asking about private k/s- RELAX |
Anonymous
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Most all public schools in the DC are require that a child by 5 before tha start of kindergarten. They occasionally make exceptions (after testing the child) for children within one month of the cut-off date, i.e. a child who is 4 years, 11 months old. I don't know of any public schools that would accept a child who is only 4 years 6 months into kindergarten.
From what I have read on these boards, private schools in the DC area also want children to be at least 5 before the start of kindergarten, and if the children are born after March and there is any question about school readiness, they often times encourage parents to leave the children in a preK program for one more year (i.e. red-shirting) before starting the kindergarten year. That is in practice, the schools seem to want kindergarteners to be more like 5 and a half before the start of kindergarten. A 4 and a half year old at the start of kinergarten would be most unusual. |
Anonymous
| Don't know if this is a place you would consider but I know someone who started their child at 4.75 (nov. birthday) at Hebrew Day School in Rockville. Maybe other religious privates would allow too? |
Anonymous
| I am the PP, and the school was actually Hebrew Day Institute at Tikvah Israel. |
Anonymous
Is it better to be the first to hit puberty?? |
Anonymous
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Certainly not, which is why I'm against holding kids back as well. There is a reason for a cut-off date and why kindergarten starts at age 5. Of course someone is going to be first/last, but why increase your child's chances of being that one?
Who wants their 4th grader to get her period or be wearing a size C cup?? |
Anonymous
Yikes. Sure somebody has to be the first and somebody has to be the last. But why would you want to FORCE your child to be the first? |
Anonymous
Maybe you should RELAX and not push your child into kindergarten at age 4.5. What is the big hurry? I never said I didn't survive, I actually thrived in school and loved it, but I am saying there was a definite downside to being the youngest by far. |
Anonymous
| I also think 4.5 is too young . . . though I acknowledge this is not what OP asked. But, it is also not totally unrelated. I think 4.5 is unusual, you will find. I have friends who teach the wee ones in public school and the things I hear make me cringe. Parent trying to push their kids into Kindergarten at that age and they just are not developmentally ready (but it is "free daycare" to quote one parent --- I'm not saying that is you OP but there are those out there). I've heard that some kids are allowed to continue but it is difficult for them. Some are told to come back next year. I would just urge you to really talk to the school about whether this is best. |
Anonymous
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To answer the OP's question ... Rock Spring Children's Center in Bethesda has a pre-K class. I believe a number of children in the class have Fall birthdays and just missed the cut-off for kindergarten, so it might be what you are looking for. We're extremely happy with the school. It is near Walter Johnson and Montgomery Mall. We live in Kensington and it is easy to get there. I think they may be having some open houses in January, so check the website -- www.rockspringchildrenscenter.com
Good luck |
Anonymous
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To the OP, I'm in a similar boat with a November child. I looked high and low and the best I could find were a handful of Montessori schools that use Dec 31st as a cutoff (subject to space and teacher approval). There are no guarantees that your public school will accept that as kindergarten but the policy for early entrance 1st grade as it stands now will take into account prior kindergarten and your child will be tested, and technically starts in kindergarten and a decision will be made to move your child up to 1st grade within six weeks. All that said, a Montessori normally won't take someone without prior Montessori over the age of 4 i.e. you would need to be there for Pre-K and Kindergarten.
The other option is there are some schools that offer a Pre-K plus specifically for kids that miss the cutoff. Rock Spring Children's Center is one place. Georgetown Hill is another that has a Trans-K program. As for the pros and cons of starting your child early - I think this is just as personal a decision as people that choose to start his/her child late. I went thru a period of angst where a few people I spoke to were very against it - oh give your child the gift the time, someone else that started their son within the cutoff (right on the cusp) but he really needed more time and ended up repeating when she switched him to private school, someone else had a sibling that started early and was socially at a disadvantage. But for all those stories I polled my friends - I surprisingly had quite a few that are Oct/Nov/Dec birthdays and I consider them all bright, well educated, well-adjusted people. No one felt they suffered being the youngest in their class. No one said, if only my parents had held me back a year. In fact one friend said she was reading in kindergarten (this is back in the day when you were ahead if you knew your ABCs, colors, and shapes when starting kindergarten) and not only did the teacher not believe her mom but she was frankly not being challenged in class so her mom ended up putting her in private school. So being held up a year so she wouldn't have been the youngest would have made the situation worse. My thought is that there are so many variables that can impact your child, how good is the teacher your child gets, if there is a family situation going on i.e. divorce etc., the other group of kids going to that school in your child's class and if there is someone that your child bonds with etc. and your child's personality that I don't know if there is a make a break thing that can predict how successful your child will be in school regardless of being the oldest, the youngest, or smack in the middle of the pack. |