Birthdate for kindergarten!

[Anonymous]

Will he be forced into first if he turns 6 this summer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will he be forced into first if he turns 6 this summer?

You can hold him back if you want to.

[Anonymous]

Are you in DC or VA? You have posted on both.

[Anonymous]

Has he been in k yet? If so, then yes, he will be forced into first.

[Anonymous]

Unless he has a special need/circumstance, I don't think holding a child back is generally in their best long-term interest.

--a teacher of upper elementary school students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless he has a special need/circumstance, I don't think holding a child back is generally in their best long-term interest.

--a teacher of upper elementary school students

COMPLETELY disagree. It almost ALWAYS benefits them to be older than younger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless he has a special need/circumstance, I don't think holding a child back is generally in their best long-term interest.

--a teacher of upper elementary school students

I’m not OP but my DS has an August 29 bday. Older child’s private school has already said they don’t think I should send. Would you recommend I do? He’s a totally normal kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless he has a special need/circumstance, I don't think holding a child back is generally in their best long-term interest.

--a teacher of upper elementary school students

I’m not OP but my DS has an August 29 bday. Older child’s private school has already said they don’t think I should send. Would you recommend I do? He’s a totally normal kid.

They want your pre K money for another year.
Send him to K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless he has a special need/circumstance, I don't think holding a child back is generally in their best long-term interest.

--a teacher of upper elementary school students

COMPLETELY disagree. It almost ALWAYS benefits them to be older than younger.

Funnily enough, that’s not what the research says...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless he has a special need/circumstance, I don't think holding a child back is generally in their best long-term interest.

--a teacher of upper elementary school students

I’m not OP but my DS has an August 29 bday. Older child’s private school has already said they don’t think I should send. Would you recommend I do? He’s a totally normal kid.

I'm the PP teacher. Will your child still be in private school? If so, what is the birthday cut off for that school? If the cut off were September 1, I think holding back a August 29 birthday could be a reasonable choice, since it wouldn't make the child dramatically older than his classmates. The places where I think it is problematic is when students are substantially older than their classmates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless he has a special need/circumstance, I don't think holding a child back is generally in their best long-term interest.

--a teacher of upper elementary school students

COMPLETELY disagree. It almost ALWAYS benefits them to be older than younger.

Funnily enough, that’s not what the research says...

I'm the PP teacher, and in my experience students who are substantially older than their grade level peers often end up feeling out of place both socially and academically. I think it can be an appropriate choice in some cases (some SPED situations, some situations where there was early childhood trauma, maybe birthdays just days away from the cut-off and general immaturity), but as a general rule I think it hurts more often than it helps. That's just my experience as a teacher, and I'm sure that there are exceptions.

[Anonymous]

I believe it depends on the age and school you are looking at. I have a five year old who is turning five in August and am dealing with this situation. He has done K in DCPS but I want him redshirted. So here are my options:

1) get the principal to agree to hold him back, which in our very particular situation is on the table, but if your kid doesn’t have special needs and struggled this school year, it’s
Unlikely you will qualify here.

2) If school does not agree to hold back, I withdraw him from DCPS for the year and put him into private K then enroll him
Back in DCPS for 1st grade next year. I may also opt to homeschool this year depending on what the coronavirus situation is.

If your child has not done a formal K yet, no, they cannot force him into 1st grade. You just enroll him into K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will he be forced into first if he turns 6 this summer?

Yes!!! Most people who are holding kids back a year are doing it because their kid turned 5 that summer. But your kid will be 6 this summer. There is no way any public school is going to allow you to red shirt a 2nd year. Do you really want your child turning 20 in high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless he has a special need/circumstance, I don't think holding a child back is generally in their best long-term interest.

--a teacher of upper elementary school students

I’m not OP but my DS has an August 29 bday. Older child’s private school has already said they don’t think I should send. Would you recommend I do? He’s a totally normal kid.

They said don’t send him. I wouldn’t with that late of a birthday and distance learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will he be forced into first if he turns 6 this summer?

Yes!!! Most people who are holding kids back a year are doing it because their kid turned 5 that summer. But your kid will be 6 this summer. There is no way any public school is going to allow you to red shirt a 2nd year. Do you really want your child turning 20 in high school?

I don’t think you are understanding. Most people are holding 5 year olds back from beginning kindergarten - so they don’t enroll them as a 5 year old in K. Op is now where those parents are a year after after making that decision - whether to put her 6 year old in K or 1. The ones who held their kid out of K now have a 6 year old starting K which is what OP wants. It’s the same thing.