This age discrepancy due to "redshirting" is ridiculous

[Anonymous]

Birthday does not tell you how mature any individual child is. Kids develop at different rates so it is important that the school system take individual differences into account.

[Anonymous]

Believe me, as a teacher, if a September boy is immature for his age, I think he should stay back. Why put him into a situation for which he is not ready?

[Anonymous]

I have family in MA where the cutoff is January 1st. Their kid was born at the end of December and went to K when he was supposed to. He is now a fine and happy young man, a student in a good college, and it does not appear that the traumatic experience of being (one of) the youngest kid in class affected him at all.

[Anonymous]

No one said it is "traumatic", but many with kids on the cusp, have said they would have held them back a year, if they had known.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, Mass. cut off is mostly August 31 now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have family in MA where the cutoff is January 1st. Their kid was born at the end of December and went to K when he was supposed to. He is now a fine and happy young man, a student in a good college, and it does not appear that the traumatic experience of being (one of) the youngest kid in class affected him at all.

I was skipped a grade and it worked out really well, but that doesn't mean I'm going to advocate that it should be the norm for everyone.

[Anonymous]

19:51 Two school districts I know of there are still Dec. 31st.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It also boosts his self-esteem to be in a higher grade than his friends who are around the same age

Really? It usually works in reverse.

NP here. Your statement is silly. How do you know what is usually the case? I was a year younger than those in my grade and it totally boosted my confidence to excel academically and be younger. I also had no social problems.

[Anonymous]

NP here. Your statement is silly. How do you know what is usually the case?

Because I taught kids who were immature and didn't fit in. I also have seen high school kids who struggled with this issue. Sure, some are okay--but more would benefit if they are immature.

[Anonymous]

This isn't a real problem. No one in public does this. With rare exception kids are the same age. Ditto in certain privates - such as Potomac - kids are the same age, just older, in each grade. May help with test scores or such, making the school seem academic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Red shirting does your child no favors.

Kids learn not only from the teacher but from their peers.

Do us a favor and stay within the guidelines. They are there for a reason.

Signed,

A former teacher

I guess during your time as a teacher you NEVER met a child who was helped by redshirting There should be no exceptions to rules because all kids are the same. Glad you are a FORMER teacher.

My issue with this former teacher's statement is that she wants us to stay "within the guidelines"- what guidelines? if you're 5 by 9/30 must go to school- but then you have some exceptions and then simple redshirting- so the system allowed major loose decisions before age 5 but - oh no- if you are 2 day past that date- well, we have that date for a reason. The "guidelines" should be a lot firmer on the other end to prevent this huge age discrepancy in grades.

The cut-off in our area is September 1st, and DS was born September 9th. At first, we were somewhat relieved that he would have to wait till he was almost 6, but in the months leading up to his 5th birthday, it was very clear that he was ready for K and that waiting another year would drive him crazy. So we had him take an early entrance and he passed with flying colors, so he started kindergarten right before he turned 5. So technically, we didn't follow the rules either. Why? Because if we had just blindly followed the guidelines, he would be bored to tears. He's now 8 and in 3rd grade, reading at a 5th grade level, gets his work done early, and his teacher still has to find extra work to give him. I can't imagine what it would be like if he were in 2nd grade. The bottom line is that not one size fits all. If we had a child who made the cut-off, but had not been ready for K, we would have held him or her back. Kids need to be grouped by ability, not age. Just because a child misses the cut-off does not mean that he or she isn't ready for K, and just because a child makes the cut-off does not mean that he or she is ready for K. It all boils down to the individual.

[Anonymous]

They should split the kinders by age. If they have 100 kinders and four classes, group the kids together by closer ages.

[Anonymous]

Because I taught kids who were immature and didn't fit in. I also have seen high school kids who struggled with this issue. Sure, some are okay--but more would benefit if they are immature.

ditto
+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. It's weird that my 4 year old is in a kindergarten class with a boy who just turned 7.

The 4 year old should not be in K...

[Anonymous]

Agree that the four year old should not be there. Neither should a boy who has already turned 7. That is not "redshirting"--that is holding back.