If you held back your Prek child for another year..

[Anonymous]

because you didnt feel like they were ready for K yet. Curious, where did you do it? did you hold back at current school so he had same teacher 2 years in a row? How did you explain to your child? Or did you move to a new school? Public schools wouldnt allow this, right?

[Anonymous]

I knew in preschool 3 I was going to hold my son back so that's the year I did it. No, public does not allow you to hold back your child. There has to be significant performance issues.

[Anonymous]

I loved the response from a Principal and it seemed to make a ton of sense.....When the decision is made to give an extra year, the current teacher asks for a volunteer to be a leader in the classroom next year...the children inevitably all raise their hands (per the Principal) the teacher chooses the child who will be returning to the classroom. At this school the child stays with the teacher for a 2nd year and is that teacher's helper and leader in the classroom. What a positive way to look at giving time to a child! In theory it sounds great though I have not seen it done in practice.....this is a Public School Principal Good luck! (and the question was raised about repeating Kindergarten) I will say, I do know of a handful of children who did a 2nd year of Kindergarten in public school (usually kids with summer and early fall birthdays)

[Anonymous]

My son was voluntarily held back in PreK because of his fine motor skills. The teacher suggested it and I agreed. He started OT the following year.

When he started first grade an older student made a few rude remarks about finally moving from the baby floor. That night my son cried and said he was teased about being left back. I made a terrible mistake by keeping him in the same school while he repeated PreK. I should have gone for the promotion and the OT.

[Anonymous]

We have a September birthday so we were forced to hold back. I would not have. Like the PP, get your kid services or tutoring if they need extra help but don't hold them back. We changed this year to a more academic preschool but he aready knows most of what he is being taught so it really makes no sense to hold him back to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son was voluntarily held back in PreK because of his fine motor skills. The teacher suggested it and I agreed. He started OT the following year.

When he started first grade an older student made a few rude remarks about finally moving from the baby floor. That night my son cried and said he was teased about being left back. I made a terrible mistake by keeping him in the same school while he repeated PreK. I should have gone for the promotion and the OT.

Oh, OP, you really didn't make a terrible mistake keeping him at the same school. Kids can be cruel every and any where.

[Anonymous]

sorry, PP; not "OP."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I loved the response from a Principal and it seemed to make a ton of sense.....When the decision is made to give an extra year, the current teacher asks for a volunteer to be a leader in the classroom next year...the children inevitably all raise their hands (per the Principal) the teacher chooses the child who will be returning to the classroom. At this school the child stays with the teacher for a 2nd year and is that teacher's helper and leader in the classroom. What a positive way to look at giving time to a child! In theory it sounds great though I have not seen it done in practice.....this is a Public School Principal Good luck! (and the question was raised about repeating Kindergarten) I will say, I do know of a handful of children who did a 2nd year of Kindergarten in public school (usually kids with summer and early fall birthdays)

This is a terrible, incredibly unfair practice to kids who have no need to repeat. I would have some serious issues with this if I had my on-time child in the classroom. BTW, I'm an educator.

[Anonymous]

We moved DC to a private Junior Kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

Please please please don't redshirt your kid. I'll save you the majority of the developmental babble, but the short version is that your kid will be developmentally ahead (due to his age) of his peers next year. Though this might seem like an advantage, it's actually preventing him from cognitively challenging himself, potentially stalling him from taking on academic risks in the future once he's "no longer on top." The kids who come out ahead in the end are those who are sent to pre-K a year early, based on the same logic. Even if your kid is slightly "behind" (in any way that you interpret this), it is nearly guaranteed that he will be on par in a year or two, especially if you take some additional time to work on his deficiencies at home!

[Anonymous]

We knew where we wanted our late September son to be. We sent her to a nursery program and then applied to private schools that that nursery up. Best decision ever. Years into it, he is right where he is supposed to be. Cannot imagine him the youngest in the class, no way. He didn't make any of the deadlines anyway so I suppose not really red shirting but could have gotten in our FFC public for K if we had wanted (Oct 1 deadline at least years back when we did this as I have no idea if it has changed).

[Anonymous]

I think the key is you don't repeat a year at the same school. Best to switch and do it as young as possible. This is not always possible but if you know, then do it.

[Anonymous]

A boy had been in my daughter's class (small parochial school) for PK/K and 1. He repeated Gr. 1. My daughter is now in Gr. 8 and has no recollection that he was ever in her class. He has a bunch of Gr. 7 friends and does really well. It doesn't have to be the drama others are describing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please please please don't redshirt your kid. I'll save you the majority of the developmental babble, but the short version is that your kid will be developmentally ahead (due to his age) of his peers next year. Though this might seem like an advantage, it's actually preventing him from cognitively challenging himself, potentially stalling him from taking on academic risks in the future once he's "no longer on top." The kids who come out ahead in the end are those who are sent to pre-K a year early, based on the same logic. Even if your kid is slightly "behind" (in any way that you interpret this), it is nearly guaranteed that he will be on par in a year or two, especially if you take some additional time to work on his deficiencies at home!

Bullsh*t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please please please don't redshirt your kid. I'll save you the majority of the developmental babble, but the short version is that your kid will be developmentally ahead (due to his age) of his peers next year. Though this might seem like an advantage, it's actually preventing him from cognitively challenging himself, potentially stalling him from taking on academic risks in the future once he's "no longer on top." The kids who come out ahead in the end are those who are sent to pre-K a year early, based on the same logic. Even if your kid is slightly "behind" (in any way that you interpret this), it is nearly guaranteed that he will be on par in a year or two, especially if you take some additional time to work on his deficiencies at home!

Bullsh*t.

I have to agree that this is total hogwash. You need to make the decision based on your assessment of your kid, with appropriate input from your child's current teacher. Pre-K is the time to do an additional year, if you feel your child needs it. OP, does your child need to have the same teacher? My younger brother did an additional year of pre-K, so three years total at the same school, each with a different teacher. This was at a small private school. As a PP noted, they're so young at that point that they don't really notice who is in which classes. No one cared or said anything in the intervening years. He's been very successful (great colleges, PhD), so it seems to have worked out in the long run.

My DS has a late fall birthday, which under current rules (September birthday cutoff) meant he turned 6 in K. Back in my time, he would have been scheduled to go to K a year earlier (December birthday cutoff). He would not have been ready, socially if not academically, and I would have definitely held him back in pre-K. Do what's best for your kid.