Help! Appeal for MCPS Early Kindergarten

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started kindergarten early back in the 80s and graduated high school a month before turning 17. The difference in maturity was there in elementary school, pretty much disappeared as a teen, but did impact me college. Both socially and academically. I did fine, but know I could have achieved more if I was more mature. I’m very grateful my kids have winter birthdays and would always be the older kids in the class.

The discussion is not a 16 year old.

[Anonymous]

Op, if your child is not even in preK at the moment how could you possibly think they are ready for K. There are kids who have had 3 years of academic preK plus the socialization that comes with that...while your kid has been in a daycare. Seems like you didn't really do a lot of research on this as the kids who are admitted early, as many pps note, are surpassing K expectations and harmed if not allowed to start K. This means they can read well likely and are doing low level maths AND have the social and emotional maturity to keep up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, if your child is not even in preK at the moment how could you possibly think they are ready for K. There are kids who have had 3 years of academic preK plus the socialization that comes with that...while your kid has been in a daycare. Seems like you didn't really do a lot of research on this as the kids who are admitted early, as many pps note, are surpassing K expectations and harmed if not allowed to start K. This means they can read well likely and are doing low level maths AND have the social and emotional maturity to keep up.

Day care is the same as preschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get why you would want to. It isn’t a rush to finish k-12. Better for her be the smartest in the class than middle of the pack

+1

You can still be the smartest and one of the younger students. What kid wants to be 18 all of senior year and be the oldest? Someone hast be the oldest, someone has to be the youngest. In HS, with a lot of elective and math classes, the kids are mixed age anyway. Mine will be in an elective with seniors as a freshman.

What? First of all, your premise is wrong…it was great to be one of the very first ones to turn 18 (and 16, and 21…) - that is pretty universally seen as a great thing.

But also, that’s not what we’re talking about here. OP’s kid would turn 17 at the very beginning of senior year, and wouldn’t turn 18 until she’s already moved into college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dunno, OP. My kid went into kindergarten reading level 2 books and writing (poor, but complete) sentences, and certainly wasn’t the only one in her class. Sounds like she didn’t qualify for kindergarten because she didn’t have those academic skills yet. You just have to trust the process. Or move to DC.

It’s very principal subjective. Level two books is average. Many kids are reading much higher. Mine were. Mine had all the skills but the principal would not let any child in early entry. Kid thrived starting earlier.

Not totally. There are tests and the scoring is objective. Then there is the observation which is subjective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started kindergarten early back in the 80s and graduated high school a month before turning 17. The difference in maturity was there in elementary school, pretty much disappeared as a teen, but did impact me college. Both socially and academically. I did fine, but know I could have achieved more if I was more mature. I’m very grateful my kids have winter birthdays and would always be the older kids in the class.

The discussion is not a 16 year old.

So what is recommended for kids who turn 5 at the end of August, and would also fail the entrance exam? 🤔 Send them because they're within thr cutoff, or hold back for a year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started kindergarten early back in the 80s and graduated high school a month before turning 17. The difference in maturity was there in elementary school, pretty much disappeared as a teen, but did impact me college. Both socially and academically. I did fine, but know I could have achieved more if I was more mature. I’m very grateful my kids have winter birthdays and would always be the older kids in the class.

The discussion is not a 16 year old.

So what is recommended for kids who turn 5 at the end of August, and would also fail the entrance exam? 🤔 Send them because they're within thr cutoff, or hold back for a year?

Choose based on maturity and personality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started kindergarten early back in the 80s and graduated high school a month before turning 17. The difference in maturity was there in elementary school, pretty much disappeared as a teen, but did impact me college. Both socially and academically. I did fine, but know I could have achieved more if I was more mature. I’m very grateful my kids have winter birthdays and would always be the older kids in the class.

The discussion is not a 16 year old.

So what is recommended for kids who turn 5 at the end of August, and would also fail the entrance exam? 🤔 Send them because they're within thr cutoff, or hold back for a year?

We are talking mcps. There is no test for august kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dunno, OP. My kid went into kindergarten reading level 2 books and writing (poor, but complete) sentences, and certainly wasn’t the only one in her class. Sounds like she didn’t qualify for kindergarten because she didn’t have those academic skills yet. You just have to trust the process. Or move to DC.

It’s very principal subjective. Level two books is average. Many kids are reading much higher. Mine were. Mine had all the skills but the principal would not let any child in early entry. Kid thrived starting earlier.

Not totally. There are tests and the scoring is objective. Then there is the observation which is subjective.

No, it’s not objective and mcps will not give parents results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get why you would want to. It isn’t a rush to finish k-12. Better for her be the smartest in the class than middle of the pack

+1

You can still be the smartest and one of the younger students. What kid wants to be 18 all of senior year and be the oldest? Someone hast be the oldest, someone has to be the youngest. In HS, with a lot of elective and math classes, the kids are mixed age anyway. Mine will be in an elective with seniors as a freshman.

What? First of all, your premise is wrong…it was great to be one of the very first ones to turn 18 (and 16, and 21…) - that is pretty universally seen as a great thing.

But also, that’s not what we’re talking about here. OP’s kid would turn 17 at the very beginning of senior year, and wouldn’t turn 18 until she’s already moved into college

It’s not great but you tell yourself that. You are lecturing someone with a September kid. I understand all about it. My kid will turn 18 a few week into college. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get why you would want to. It isn’t a rush to finish k-12. Better for her be the smartest in the class than middle of the pack

+1

You can still be the smartest and one of the younger students. What kid wants to be 18 all of senior year and be the oldest? Someone hast be the oldest, someone has to be the youngest. In HS, with a lot of elective and math classes, the kids are mixed age anyway. Mine will be in an elective with seniors as a freshman.

What? First of all, your premise is wrong…it was great to be one of the very first ones to turn 18 (and 16, and 21…) - that is pretty universally seen as a great thing.

But also, that’s not what we’re talking about here. OP’s kid would turn 17 at the very beginning of senior year, and wouldn’t turn 18 until she’s already moved into college

It’s not great but you tell yourself that. You are lecturing someone with a September kid. I understand all about it. My kid will turn 18 a few week into college. No big deal.

My nephew repeated second grade with a spring birthday. My sister regrets it. He had a terrible time in HS. Getting his license as a freshman was not a good thing. He wanted so much more freedom than he had in hs as a 19 year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get why you would want to. It isn’t a rush to finish k-12. Better for her be the smartest in the class than middle of the pack

+1

You can still be the smartest and one of the younger students. What kid wants to be 18 all of senior year and be the oldest? Someone hast be the oldest, someone has to be the youngest. In HS, with a lot of elective and math classes, the kids are mixed age anyway. Mine will be in an elective with seniors as a freshman.

What? First of all, your premise is wrong…it was great to be one of the very first ones to turn 18 (and 16, and 21…) - that is pretty universally seen as a great thing.

But also, that’s not what we’re talking about here. OP’s kid would turn 17 at the very beginning of senior year, and wouldn’t turn 18 until she’s already moved into college

It’s not great but you tell yourself that. You are lecturing someone with a September kid. I understand all about it. My kid will turn 18 a few week into college. No big deal.

My nephew repeated second grade with a spring birthday. My sister regrets it. He had a terrible time in HS. Getting his license as a freshman was not a good thing. He wanted so much more freedom than he had in hs as a 19 year old.

You can find just as many stories the other way. My niece barely made the cut off and then they moved states later in elementary where she wouldn’t have. She was younger than most in the grade. All was fine until middle school, which was horrible for her when suddenly she seemed very young and more socially immature. She had difficulty making friends and was bullied. She became anxious, depressed and is still in counseling.

[Anonymous]

You only get a certain number of years to be a kid. Why rush it. This isn’t going to be the difference between being a surgeon or a sign spinner on Rockville Pike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being the youngest in your class is not good socially once you get to middle and high school. They will be the last to drive so they will be riding around with their fool friends in their cars. They will be faced with making important decisions earlier like sex, drug use and drinking. Even at 18 you can tell the younger ones.

Driving last is not a bad thing if as a parent you are willing to drive your child. They will still experience all those issues regardless of their age. Holding back isn't doing anything and as parents you need to talk to your kids and provide support and supervision. Socially it's been fine for my kid. They know they will not be riding with friends when their friends get their licenses. And, they will not be driving anyone else around in our cars when they get theirs.

Oh boy. So fun to meet your friends there. Also neato to have your mom drive you on a date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get why you would want to. It isn’t a rush to finish k-12. Better for her be the smartest in the class than middle of the pack

+1

You can still be the smartest and one of the younger students. What kid wants to be 18 all of senior year and be the oldest? Someone hast be the oldest, someone has to be the youngest. In HS, with a lot of elective and math classes, the kids are mixed age anyway. Mine will be in an elective with seniors as a freshman.

What? First of all, your premise is wrong…it was great to be one of the very first ones to turn 18 (and 16, and 21…) - that is pretty universally seen as a great thing.

But also, that’s not what we’re talking about here. OP’s kid would turn 17 at the very beginning of senior year, and wouldn’t turn 18 until she’s already moved into college

It’s not great but you tell yourself that. You are lecturing someone with a September kid. I understand all about it. My kid will turn 18 a few week into college. No big deal.

It is universally seen as better to turn 19 a few weeks into college versus 18. Lol.