Is EEK (early entrance to kindergarten) getting harder?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a fall bday kid and did not even try EEK. K-3 was frustrating. Started w the magnets in 4th and its been great. Heading to MS now and I am beyond glad with our decision. I would rather some boredom here and there versus having him have to grow up too quickly.

How are they growing up too quickly? So, basically you dumb down your kid to meet your needs.

Haven't dumbed anything down. He is in the grade he should be based on a cutoff. Single best decision we have made in his schooling hands down (for us).

Clearly when you are a grade ahead you grow up more quickly. Kids get family life class in 5th grade for one, 5th graders are getting cell phones and on all sort of social media. And obviously they head off to college earlier. He gets an extra year to be a kid.

I am not getting the issue. I have a September kid who I went ahead and he'll have a cell phone earlier than 5th most likely as its for my need, not his. If my kid was allowed to have one now, he'd have it at school. You just don't give him the download passcode and put major restrictions on it. He already is asking questions about 6 regarding family life - who cares where it came from but I'm glad he's coming to us first. You cannot protect kids forever and I'm a very protective parent. Holding them back does not protect them, parenting does. When you keep them behind, they act much younger based on the younger age group they are with vs. their peers which indirectly makes them less mature because of the situation they are placed in.

You're talking about something like redshirting, though. All the poster who you're quoting did is have her child enter school at the age he was supposed to, rather than make him apply for early admission. There was no "holding back" or "keeping him behind." Early admission is certainly not for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You're talking about something like redshirting, though. All the poster who you're quoting did is have her child enter school at the age he was supposed to, rather than make him apply for early admission. There was no "holding back" or "keeping him behind." Early admission is certainly not for everyone.

Exactly. I think many people think they need to do EEK because they think their kids are so advanced. Really need to think ahead.... Depending on the school there are MANY advanced kids. Sure its a little painful in early grades when things move so slow. In the end though I am glad we did not do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You're talking about something like redshirting, though. All the poster who you're quoting did is have her child enter school at the age he was supposed to, rather than make him apply for early admission. There was no "holding back" or "keeping him behind." Early admission is certainly not for everyone.

Exactly. I think many people think they need to do EEK because they think their kids are so advanced. Really need to think ahead.... Depending on the school there are MANY advanced kids. Sure its a little painful in early grades when things move so slow. In the end though I am glad we did not do it.

Sometimes its so painful that its ridiculous. My DD skipped ahead a grade because she was advanced and she is still in the top reading/ spelling groups now that she has skipped ahead. So she is getting the academic challenges she needs, but at top of the grade level. If we had not put her ahead she would have languished forever, not just those first painful years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Sometimes its so painful that its ridiculous. My DD skipped ahead a grade because she was advanced and she is still in the top reading/ spelling groups now that she has skipped ahead. So she is getting the academic challenges she needs, but at top of the grade level. If we had not put her ahead she would have languished forever, not just those first painful years.

Not true. HGC starts in 4th. Still a bit slow at times but the magnets offer a MAJOR improvement. You just have to be patient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sometimes its so painful that its ridiculous. My DD skipped ahead a grade because she was advanced and she is still in the top reading/ spelling groups now that she has skipped ahead. So she is getting the academic challenges she needs, but at top of the grade level. If we had not put her ahead she would have languished forever, not just those first painful years.

Not true. HGC starts in 4th. Still a bit slow at times but the magnets offer a MAJOR improvement. You just have to be patient.

I don't want her in HGC and as far as I can see, the only viable alternative to HGC is being ahead a grade and doing well in it.

[Anonymous]

I just met with the principal to get the results of my child's test, and it was a complete waste of time. Th meeting was 5 mins long and she just said essentially "she didn't pass the test. It's a secure test, and we can't tell you more. You are welcome to appeal." So, I don't think there is any point of meeting with a principal for those of you who are wondering how your child did. I got the sense that there is no point in appealing--the school controls the test and has discretion in the scoring of the results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just met with the principal to get the results of my child's test, and it was a complete waste of time. Th meeting was 5 mins long and she just said essentially "she didn't pass the test. It's a secure test, and we can't tell you more. You are welcome to appeal." So, I don't think there is any point of meeting with a principal for those of you who are wondering how your child did. I got the sense that there is no point in appealing--the school controls the test and has discretion in the scoring of the results.

As it should be!

[Anonymous]

What? That is ridiculous. If I were you I would call the main office that administers this policy (Elementary Integrated Curriculum Team at 240-453-2570) and ask them to confirm that this is what is supposed to happen (the school does not discuss the results with you, does not disclose the scores, etc). The principal (or the EIC office) should at least give you the scores so that you know if it was "close" or not. A girl from our preschool was denied last year, but somehow (I don't know if it was through the principal or otherwise) they found out what her "deficiency" was (it was minor) and decided to appeal it with a letter of support from the preschool director and the decision was overturned.

Transparency is critical, and we all should demand it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just met with the principal to get the results of my child's test, and it was a complete waste of time. Th meeting was 5 mins long and she just said essentially "she didn't pass the test. It's a secure test, and we can't tell you more. You are welcome to appeal." So, I don't think there is any point of meeting with a principal for those of you who are wondering how your child did. I got the sense that there is no point in appealing--the school controls the test and has discretion in the scoring of the results.

Why do you say that? Shouldn't a child be subject to transparent criteria that are consistent across the county? This is what everyone is arguing for in all of these Choice Program discussions lately - consistent and transparent criteria that are applied equally to everyone. Why should a child be "punished" because of where his/her home school is and what kind of mood the principal is in that week? Or how many other "smart" kids go there?

[Anonymous]

As it should be!

Sorry - I was trying to reference this PP, not the other one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What? That is ridiculous. If I were you I would call the main office that administers this policy (Elementary Integrated Curriculum Team at 240-453-2570) and ask them to confirm that this is what is supposed to happen (the school does not discuss the results with you, does not disclose the scores, etc). The principal (or the EIC office) should at least give you the scores so that you know if it was "close" or not. A girl from our preschool was denied last year, but somehow (I don't know if it was through the principal or otherwise) they found out what her "deficiency" was (it was minor) and decided to appeal it with a letter of support from the preschool director and the decision was overturned.

Transparency is critical, and we all should demand it.

Great idea, I will definitely do this.

[Anonymous]

I'm frustrated to hear that EEK for a September birthday is so much harder than redshirting for an August birthday. Our DS has an August birthday, so if we send him to K on time, he will be a year of schooling ahead of OP's daughter who has a September birthday, even though they may be only a few weeks apart in age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm frustrated to hear that EEK for a September birthday is so much harder than redshirting for an August birthday. Our DS has an August birthday, so if we send him to K on time, he will be a year of schooling ahead of OP's daughter who has a September birthday, even though they may be only a few weeks apart in age.

I agree!
- September child parent

[Anonymous]

Well clearly they have to have some kind of cutoff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? That is ridiculous. If I were you I would call the main office that administers this policy (Elementary Integrated Curriculum Team at 240-453-2570) and ask them to confirm that this is what is supposed to happen (the school does not discuss the results with you, does not disclose the scores, etc). The principal (or the EIC office) should at least give you the scores so that you know if it was "close" or not. A girl from our preschool was denied last year, but somehow (I don't know if it was through the principal or otherwise) they found out what her "deficiency" was (it was minor) and decided to appeal it with a letter of support from the preschool director and the decision was overturned.

Transparency is critical, and we all should demand it.

Great idea, I will definitely do this.

Great way to start off at your kids new school. Good luck with that.