Anyone knows the Early Entrance Exam to Kindergarten?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
Former K - 2nd grade teacher here, turned school admin. I have taught kids like yours. If your child is 3 to 4 years ahead in math, he's not going to be in the same place as the other kids next year or the year after. If you feel that his happiness is going to depend on being passibely academically challenged every minute, you're going to be disappointed. It sounds like he learns at a different pace than other kids, so even if you accelerate him he won't spend the whole year on the same level as his peers. A better strategy is to encourage him to enjoy the social aspects of school, and to learn to find ways to challenge himself. I was a gifted child, and I know that I did a lot of that -- taking assignments and making them harder. Using the time after I finished an assignment to read or write. Thinking up ways to turn "easy" problems into "hard" problems. I'll also say that my schools didn't quite know what to make of my academic skills and moved me back and forth several times (e.g. up a grade, and then down a grade). To be honest, I wasn't "happier" or "unhappier" up or down. My happiness at school was far more dependent on whether I had a teacher who allowed me some wiggle room to challenge myself, whether they were teaching interesting content (e.g. science, social studies, etc . . . ), and who the other kids were in a group. As far as socially, often times when kids play best with older kids, it's because they can't negotiate the give and take that comes with playing with same age peers. When older kids play with younger kids, they tend to take on the role of deciding who will lead. Sometimes they let the little kid lead, or at least think he's leading, and sometimes they take on that role, but they're always the one deciding. Playing with same age peers is much more challenging, as it requires more give and take. It's also the skill he'll need when he's an adult and age differences kind of disappear. |
Anonymous
| This: passibely should be this: passively |
Anonymous
|
To 23:20,
They do indicate in the letter that they are available to answer questions and offer to meet in person for a conference if desired. In the future, you might consider adding value to this message board instead of being presumptuous. Besides, since you have never applied to EEK, yours was not the learned guidance I was seeking. |
Anonymous
I found it helpful in making decisions for my child. The information I got was the score on all of the subtests (if I am remembering correctly, there are 7 and your child has to pass each of the seven - it's not an overall average). I was able to get information about the subject matter of the questions she got wrong on the subtests and what time of day she took those tests. At the time, I had three options: appeal the decision, repeat pre-k or enroll her in private kindergarten. Based on the information I received, I decided to go with private kindergarten. I doubt I would have appealed regardless of the information I got. I know that one PP was successful, but she is definitely in the minority when you look at the MCPS statistics on this. Also it's a very time consuming process and I would have nad to make my private school decisions before the decision on the appeal was issued. One of the things I was told by the school is that to pass the EEK test, your child has to score proficient for an end of the year kindergartener who is about to go into first grade, not proficient for a kid ready for kindergarten. So, if your child did not pass, that doesn't mean your child isn't ready for kindergarten. |
Anonymous
| Which school is your daughter apply for? |
Anonymous
Whatever.... I just wanted to you to carefully consider having the school administration spend time on this. Unless you have kids in public school already (not assuming), you may not realize how stretched the school personnel are already. |
Anonymous
|
Absolutely get feedback from the school on the rejection, scores, etc.
It can help you decide how to proceed, not to mention that's part of their job and your tax dollars in action. |
Anonymous
| To 9:04 and 21:24 - Thank you for your helpful feedback! I appreciate it. |
Anonymous
Ha, yeah I tried that in my last job too, before I was fired for laziness and a bad attitude: "Sorry customer, please go talk to some other people in order to figure out just how super busy I might be. Then carefully consider if you ask me any more relevant questions about my work, product or service. Particularly my decisions involving your child, I def don't wanna hear about that." |
Anonymous
|
Hi- It's 10:30 again: When I got the letter of rejection I made an appointment to meet with the principal to review the decision. While she couldn't show me the documents, I gently pressed for as much specific information as I could get. What lead the committee to think that she was too immature? Why did the committe think that her fine motor skills were not advanced enough? Etc... It was hard because I wasn't able to meet with the "commitee" so all the principal could tell me was what was on the form (whether she witnessed it or not). In my strongly worded request for an appeal I address every single issue point by point using as much relevant detail as I could. When I called to make sure that my letter of appeal had been recieved, the person thanked me for submitting such a detailed letter. I wonder if the appeal letters are usually emotional rants. I also got a "letter of recommendation" from DD's pre-K teacher. Who was shocked when I told her that DD was denied. I asked her to provide specific information in the areas of 'concern'. I'm a realist and I know that DD, while super awesome, is not perfect. If I thought that the committee's observations were valid I would have sucked it up and moved on. Good luck!! Dear 10:30 parent, Thank you so much for your advice on the appealing process. I am going through the same thing and would really appreciate the chance to hear more about it or possibly see the sample of your appeal letter. If you wouldn't mind, please email me back at chanigan@gmail.com. It would be very very helpful for my appeal. |
Anonymous
| For the poster who said she just told her kid they were going to K orientation and that they would be pulled aside for some questions, what were you planning to tell him/her if he/she was not accepted? I just wouldn't want to get my daughter's hopes up for K and have her be disappointed. She really wants to go to K!! |
Anonymous
I just told my son we were going to have a tour of the elementary school. I didn't tell him anything about the assessment. |
Anonymous
| Do NOT try EEK at Travilah ES in North Potomac. Principal at the school is very horrible. When you go get the form for orientation, She will tell you that she will not accept EEK. |
Anonymous
|
Does anyone have experience with EEK at Garrett Park
ES? |
Anonymous
My daughter has been asking about K since her cousin started K over a year ago. So if we go to orientation, I don't think there's any way to avoid her asking me if that means she is starting K. She asks me this on a somewhat regular basis.  So I'm worried about what I would tell her when she asks if it means she is starting K. I would hate for her to be disappointed since all of her ore-school friends are moving on and she wants to do so too.  All of this over a birthday just a few days past an arbitrary cut off frankly seems silly. Her teacher feels she is right on par with the class in every way. She shared that unsolicited, so that isn't about me being pushy.
|