Has anyone “redshirted” a January kid?

[Anonymous]

We are not trying to give him an athletic or academic edge. This is not an ideal situation for us. We would love to not have this conversation, not pay for another year of private school. We are availing ourselves of every appropriate therapy and service and I am an outstanding advocate for my kid within the school system. We really would rather not be in such a situation, but January is around the corner so we have to make sure all options are open come August.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are not trying to give him an athletic or academic edge. This is not an ideal situation for us. We would love to not have this conversation, not pay for another year of private school. We are availing ourselves of every appropriate therapy and service and I am an outstanding advocate for my kid within the school system. We really would rather not be in such a situation, but January is around the corner so we have to make sure all options are open come August.

What does his diagnosis and IEP say? At his age he should already have both of those and if not you should have them in hand before deciding how to proceed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are not trying to give him an athletic or academic edge. This is not an ideal situation for us. We would love to not have this conversation, not pay for another year of private school. We are availing ourselves of every appropriate therapy and service and I am an outstanding advocate for my kid within the school system. We really would rather not be in such a situation, but January is around the corner so we have to make sure all options are open come August.

But you don’t have to make the decision now or even in January. You have 3/4 of a year to decide. You can register him in preschool AND Kindergarten and then make the decision In august. A lot can happen between now and then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The fact remains that most kids finish kindergarten without tutors, struggling, repeating K, or redshirting. So it can’t be that hard.

I’ve actually noticed a few Kindergarteners in my Kindergartener’s class that are repeating from last year as we saw them in Kindergarten in my 4th grader’s yearbook from last year. Kindergarten certainly has not been a breeze for my kid , either, and it’s only been a month , and she’s one of the oldest in the class, just missing the cut off by a week. I know the kids younger than her may be struggling even more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not trying to give him an athletic or academic edge. This is not an ideal situation for us. We would love to not have this conversation, not pay for another year of private school. We are availing ourselves of every appropriate therapy and service and I am an outstanding advocate for my kid within the school system. We really would rather not be in such a situation, but January is around the corner so we have to make sure all options are open come August.

But you don’t have to make the decision now or even in January. You have 3/4 of a year to decide. You can register him in preschool AND Kindergarten and then make the decision In august. A lot can happen between now and then.

If she wants a decent preK spot somewhere next year she’ll need to register in Jan likely. And forfeit her deposit(s) if she decides to send to K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact remains that most kids finish kindergarten without tutors, struggling, repeating K, or redshirting. So it can’t be that hard.

I’ve actually noticed a few Kindergarteners in my Kindergartener’s class that are repeating from last year as we saw them in Kindergarten in my 4th grader’s yearbook from last year. Kindergarten certainly has not been a breeze for my kid , either, and it’s only been a month , and she’s one of the oldest in the class, just missing the cut off by a week. I know the kids younger than her may be struggling even more.

Doubtful. Most K’s at this point in the year are barely past letter names and sounds. If your child learned these in preschool it shouldn’t be an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not trying to give him an athletic or academic edge. This is not an ideal situation for us. We would love to not have this conversation, not pay for another year of private school. We are availing ourselves of every appropriate therapy and service and I am an outstanding advocate for my kid within the school system. We really would rather not be in such a situation, but January is around the corner so we have to make sure all options are open come August.

What does his diagnosis and IEP say? At his age he should already have both of those and if not you should have them in hand before deciding how to proceed.

Of course we have an IEP but it addresses THIS year. He gets significant special ed support this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not trying to give him an athletic or academic edge. This is not an ideal situation for us. We would love to not have this conversation, not pay for another year of private school. We are availing ourselves of every appropriate therapy and service and I am an outstanding advocate for my kid within the school system. We really would rather not be in such a situation, but January is around the corner so we have to make sure all options are open come August.

What does his diagnosis and IEP say? At his age he should already have both of those and if not you should have them in hand before deciding how to proceed.

Of course we have an IEP but it addresses THIS year. He gets significant special ed support this year.

They don’t just evaporate. IEP’s get reviewed/updated annually. If the current IEP isn’t working, that should be addressed.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It’s bothers me that schools even allow this. Why not just let 10 year olds in K?? I mean wouldn’t they perform better then? /s.

I don’t understand why this bothers you. If he’s not successful in K he’s going to have to repeat at the expense of the school district and will still be older than everyone plus he’ll have to deal with the emotions fall out of repeating while his classmates advance. It’s the same outcome.

It is a slippery slope. This lady thinks it’s fine to send a 6y8m old kid to K. If that’s fine, why not 7? 7.5? At some point the answer just has to be NO.

Maybe the schools shouldn’t have made kindergarten so developmentally inappropriate; then fewer people would have reservations about all-day desk work, 20” lunch and no recess for 5 year olds.

Just because a few kids struggle doesn’t mean K should be dumbed down for the rest or kids should be allowed to start as late as their parents want. Already they’ve moved the cutoff from 12/31 that it was when we were kids. And no one redshirted then.

Who is this “we”? The cutoff was 11/1 when I was a kid.

And there were minimal academic expectations of kindergarteners then.

Yeah, I’ve always lived in places with a 9/30 cutoff and plenty of redshirted kids. I have a summer birthday and was not redshirted, but I had friends who were a year older than me in the same grade, and my age in the grade below. I was born in the mid 80s and grew up in the Midwest.

So honest question for all those who think it’s totally fine, how old is too old for K. Please specify an exact age.

Non-summer birthdays, because then you turn 7 in K and 19 before graduating HS. Of course, that’s totally normal in private schools. Redshirted summer birthday kids will be 6 for all of K, and 18 for all of senior year of HS. Most kids turn 6 during K and 18 during high school anyway.

[Anonymous]

Our cut off was Dec 30. January baby. Really wanted to send early before cut off. But waited instead. It worked out well. If you redshirt near the cut off it’s only a few months difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact remains that most kids finish kindergarten without tutors, struggling, repeating K, or redshirting. So it can’t be that hard.

I’ve actually noticed a few Kindergarteners in my Kindergartener’s class that are repeating from last year as we saw them in Kindergarten in my 4th grader’s yearbook from last year. Kindergarten certainly has not been a breeze for my kid , either, and it’s only been a month , and she’s one of the oldest in the class, just missing the cut off by a week. I know the kids younger than her may be struggling even more.

Doubtful. Most K’s at this point in the year are barely past letter names and sounds. If your child learned these in preschool it shouldn’t be an issue.

Doubtful that the other kids are struggling or that there is 3 kids repeating? This was my post and my kid goes to a public school in MD and this is what my 17 year old was doing in K but no that is not what his sister is doing now. She knew all of her letters and sounds. She’s expected to write “stories” with correct punctuation. She’ll constantly ask me, “Is this right? Is this where I’m supposed to put a period or do I use a comma?” She comes home with sight words and little books to read. She’s currently supposed to be researching and dressing up as a character and writing and delivering a speech in a couple weeks. She also spends most of her day at a desk except for when they’re walking to specials classes. The times I’ve volunteered they’re constantly telling the little boys,” stop kicking your feet under the desk” , “ stop hitting your pencil on the desk” , “quit doing that with your hands.” Then making them sit in the hall. These kids are bored and fidgety at their desks, my kid is very shy and a rule follower so she’s not doing these things but I imagine she feels like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:It’s bothers me that schools even allow this. Why not just let 10 year olds in K?? I mean wouldn’t they perform better then? /s.

I don’t understand why this bothers you. If he’s not successful in K he’s going to have to repeat at the expense of the school district and will still be older than everyone plus he’ll have to deal with the emotions fall out of repeating while his classmates advance. It’s the same outcome.

It is a slippery slope. This lady thinks it’s fine to send a 6y8m old kid to K. If that’s fine, why not 7? 7.5? At some point the answer just has to be NO.

Maybe the schools shouldn’t have made kindergarten so developmentally inappropriate; then fewer people would have reservations about all-day desk work, 20” lunch and no recess for 5 year olds.

Just because a few kids struggle doesn’t mean K should be dumbed down for the rest or kids should be allowed to start as late as their parents want. Already they’ve moved the cutoff from 12/31 that it was when we were kids. And no one redshirted then.

Who is this “we”? The cutoff was 11/1 when I was a kid.

And there were minimal academic expectations of kindergarteners then.

Yeah, I’ve always lived in places with a 9/30 cutoff and plenty of redshirted kids. I have a summer birthday and was not redshirted, but I had friends who were a year older than me in the same grade, and my age in the grade below. I was born in the mid 80s and grew up in the Midwest.

So honest question for all those who think it’s totally fine, how old is too old for K. Please specify an exact age.

Non-summer birthdays, because then you turn 7 in K and 19 before graduating HS. Of course, that’s totally normal in private schools. Redshirted summer birthday kids will be 6 for all of K, and 18 for all of senior year of HS. Most kids turn 6 during K and 18 during high school anyway.

I was asking the question to the people agreeing with OP. You don’t agree with OP because her child will be 7 in Jan of K if she redshirts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s bothers me that schools even allow this. Why not just let 10 year olds in K?? I mean wouldn’t they perform better then? /s.

I don’t understand why this bothers you. If he’s not successful in K he’s going to have to repeat at the expense of the school district and will still be older than everyone plus he’ll have to deal with the emotions fall out of repeating while his classmates advance. It’s the same outcome.

It is a slippery slope. This lady thinks it’s fine to send a 6y8m old kid to K. If that’s fine, why not 7? 7.5? At some point the answer just has to be NO.

Maybe the schools shouldn’t have made kindergarten so developmentally inappropriate; then fewer people would have reservations about all-day desk work, 20” lunch and no recess for 5 year olds.

Stop with the hyperbole. No kinder class has all day desk work, 20 minute lunch or no recess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s bothers me that schools even allow this. Why not just let 10 year olds in K?? I mean wouldn’t they perform better then? /s.

I don’t understand why this bothers you. If he’s not successful in K he’s going to have to repeat at the expense of the school district and will still be older than everyone plus he’ll have to deal with the emotions fall out of repeating while his classmates advance. It’s the same outcome.

It is a slippery slope. This lady thinks it’s fine to send a 6y8m old kid to K. If that’s fine, why not 7? 7.5? At some point the answer just has to be NO.

Maybe the schools shouldn’t have made kindergarten so developmentally inappropriate; then fewer people would have reservations about all-day desk work, 20” lunch and no recess for 5 year olds.

Just because a few kids struggle doesn’t mean K should be dumbed down for the rest or kids should be allowed to start as late as their parents want. Already they’ve moved the cutoff from 12/31 that it was when we were kids. And no one redshirted then.

How dim. Cutoffs have varied nationally since the 1960s (and K wasn't even mandatory). I went to a school with a September cutoff and I was born in the 1970s. I had redshirted classmates too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s bothers me that schools even allow this. Why not just let 10 year olds in K?? I mean wouldn’t they perform better then? /s.

I don’t understand why this bothers you. If he’s not successful in K he’s going to have to repeat at the expense of the school district and will still be older than everyone plus he’ll have to deal with the emotions fall out of repeating while his classmates advance. It’s the same outcome.

It is a slippery slope. This lady thinks it’s fine to send a 6y8m old kid to K. If that’s fine, why not 7? 7.5? At some point the answer just has to be NO.

Maybe the schools shouldn’t have made kindergarten so developmentally inappropriate; then fewer people would have reservations about all-day desk work, 20” lunch and no recess for 5 year olds.

Stop with the hyperbole. No kinder class has all day desk work, 20 minute lunch or no recess.

Where do you live?