Almost 7 year old in kindergarten!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my DD's kindergarten class a boy turned 7 in February, and it does not impact the class in any way. The boy is repeating K and I applaud the family for looking out for their child's best interest long-term. After all, they could have refused the recommendation and sent him to 1st, but they chose to focus on his needs. No big deal to his current (and former) classmates.

Seriously? So he'll turn 8 in K?

No - he just turned 7 in February. He will turn 8 next February in 1st grade.

If the child is struggling that much, I'd be far more concerned about what is going on that they need to be held back that much. Child need and IEP and parents need to supplement academics at home and get him services. I know my child will struggle with some concepts and needs more support, so we heavily work with him at home and during the summer. We can see the different it makes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you concerned exactly?

Yeah, OP. Does the presence of this kid some how tarnish the sheen on your shiny snowflake?

Because the redshirted kids seem to be the ones behaving badly - and constantly taking the teachers' attention away from the kids who are the right age.

Sincere question: how do you know who's redshirted in your child's class?

We get a phone list with all the kids birthdays.

Is this a private? I can't imagine a public doing this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my DD's kindergarten class a boy turned 7 in February, and it does not impact the class in any way. The boy is repeating K and I applaud the family for looking out for their child's best interest long-term. After all, they could have refused the recommendation and sent him to 1st, but they chose to focus on his needs. No big deal to his current (and former) classmates.

Seriously? So he'll turn 8 in K?

No - he just turned 7 in February. He will turn 8 next February in 1st grade.

If the child is struggling that much, I'd be far more concerned about what is going on that they need to be held back that much. Child need and IEP and parents need to supplement academics at home and get him services. I know my child will struggle with some concepts and needs more support, so we heavily work with him at home and during the summer. We can see the different it makes.

The child in question was held back once. For K. Its hardly a travesty

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MYOB.

I disagree with this attitude. Those who put kids in Kindergarten who will be turning 7 DO affect others. I should be able to send my summer child on time without kids being THAT much older than them (unless there was good reason). Now my kid, who is following the age guidelines, is going to feel short or possibly behind in someway, when really they should be within the standard of normal. Older kids in the class also change the teachers expectations of normal, and therefore DO affect others!

It is everyone business, but especially five year old boys (or active girls) who behave in an age appropriate way for five year olds.

A bunch of seven year olds in a kindergarten classroom skews the expectations for behavior, and turns those kids behaving or misbehaving in age appropriate ways and learning at age appropriate paces into problem children or in need of remediation.

If parents hold them out to the point they are going to turn seven during the kindergarten year (the age of many second graders) then the schools need to test them for kindergarten mastery and move them into first grade.

My nephew in New York started THIRD grade at 7 years old as did many of his classmates. The cutoff there is you have to turn 5 by December of your kindergarten year. Since he was born in November he went on time to kinder at age 4 years, 9 months. He started 1st grade at age5, second grade at 6, and was 7 the first three months of school. I think my brother mentioned to get into the gifted kindergarten program you can't redshirt your kid.

This was me. Honestly, I felt quite impressed with myself when I graduated at 17, published academic research at 20, graduated at 21, and started grad school at 25, post doc at 26...Except for the "gifted" part. I didn't earn that label.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


That's a lot of time for tweens. Over a year of time for maturity, puberty. You do realize that, right? You would be ok with your 12 yr old girl hanging out with a 14 yr old boy? I wouldn't.

If you don't think the other kid is appropriate for your kid to hang out with, then don't let them hang out together. This isn't that hard.

Face it - there are always going to be a few kids who are older due to red-shirting or being held back a grade. Just monitor who your own kid is hanging out with. And just because a kid is older doesn't necessarily mean they are trouble...

When I was a 14-year-old girl in high school, I dated a 16-year-old boy who was in my same grade. (He was a year and a few months older than me because his birthday was right after the cut-off and I skipped a grade.) Whereas when my friend was a 14-year-old girl in high school, she dated a 16-year-old boy who was a grade ahead of her. (Her birthday was right before the cut-off.) What's the difference?

If your parents let you skip a grade, then they knew this could happen. So, I guess they didn't mind. Some parents do mind.

[Anonymous]

Shoot graduated with a doctorate at 25. Totally shot myself in the foot there, didn't i?

I think about this b/c I plan to send my daughter on time who will turn 5 in Sept. of her K year, which is fine. I do worry about her being compared to kids over one full year older than her but I don't want to red-shirt. I want free school ASAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you concerned exactly?

Yeah, OP. Does the presence of this kid some how tarnish the sheen on your shiny snowflake?

Because the redshirted kids seem to be the ones behaving badly - and constantly taking the teachers' attention away from the kids who are the right age.

Sincere question: how do you know who's redshirted in your child's class?

We get a phone list with all the kids birthdays.

In public school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you concerned exactly?

Yeah, OP. Does the presence of this kid some how tarnish the sheen on your shiny snowflake?

Because the redshirted kids seem to be the ones behaving badly - and constantly taking the teachers' attention away from the kids who are the right age.

Sincere question: how do you know who's redshirted in your child's class?

We get a phone list with all the kids birthdays.

Is this a private? I can't imagine a public doing this.

Private, I was surprised too but it is helpful for when we do our parties to make sure we invite everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


That's a lot of time for tweens. Over a year of time for maturity, puberty. You do realize that, right? You would be ok with your 12 yr old girl hanging out with a 14 yr old boy? I wouldn't.

If you don't think the other kid is appropriate for your kid to hang out with, then don't let them hang out together. This isn't that hard.

Face it - there are always going to be a few kids who are older due to red-shirting or being held back a grade. Just monitor who your own kid is hanging out with. And just because a kid is older doesn't necessarily mean they are trouble...

When I was a 14-year-old girl in high school, I dated a 16-year-old boy who was in my same grade. (He was a year and a few months older than me because his birthday was right after the cut-off and I skipped a grade.) Whereas when my friend was a 14-year-old girl in high school, she dated a 16-year-old boy who was a grade ahead of her. (Her birthday was right before the cut-off.) What's the difference?

If your parents let you skip a grade, then they knew this could happen. So, I guess they didn't mind. Some parents do mind.

A 14-year-old tenth-grader dating a 16-year-old tenth-grader vs. a 16-year-old eleventh-grader -- what's the difference, exactly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my DD's kindergarten class a boy turned 7 in February, and it does not impact the class in any way. The boy is repeating K and I applaud the family for looking out for their child's best interest long-term. After all, they could have refused the recommendation and sent him to 1st, but they chose to focus on his needs. No big deal to his current (and former) classmates.

Seriously? So he'll turn 8 in K?

No - he just turned 7 in February. He will turn 8 next February in 1st grade.

If the child is struggling that much, I'd be far more concerned about what is going on that they need to be held back that much. Child need and IEP and parents need to supplement academics at home and get him services. I know my child will struggle with some concepts and needs more support, so we heavily work with him at home and during the summer. We can see the different it makes.

The child in question was held back once. For K. Its hardly a travesty

More is going on if a child is held back from K. The school failed him by not giving him enough support and services. Its impossible to guess home life but the requirements for K. are very basic so there is far more going on and someone failed this child by not helping as much as they could. If he has SN, they need to be address vs. failing him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


That's a lot of time for tweens. Over a year of time for maturity, puberty. You do realize that, right? You would be ok with your 12 yr old girl hanging out with a 14 yr old boy? I wouldn't.

If you don't think the other kid is appropriate for your kid to hang out with, then don't let them hang out together. This isn't that hard.

Face it - there are always going to be a few kids who are older due to red-shirting or being held back a grade. Just monitor who your own kid is hanging out with. And just because a kid is older doesn't necessarily mean they are trouble...

When I was a 14-year-old girl in high school, I dated a 16-year-old boy who was in my same grade. (He was a year and a few months older than me because his birthday was right after the cut-off and I skipped a grade.) Whereas when my friend was a 14-year-old girl in high school, she dated a 16-year-old boy who was a grade ahead of her. (Her birthday was right before the cut-off.) What's the difference?

If your parents let you skip a grade, then they knew this could happen. So, I guess they didn't mind. Some parents do mind.

Seriously. You can't protect your snowflake forever.

A 14-year-old tenth-grader dating a 16-year-old tenth-grader vs. a 16-year-old eleventh-grader -- what's the difference, exactly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I care too. Because it's a "trend" -- it's not a one off thing. It's not good for the kids who are held back or for the kids who are the regular age.

Maybe let's let the parents of the kids decide what's good for them.

Then let's do this with starting K early. Or skipping grades. To only do it with holding children back makes no sense. Parents are only the best judge when it comes to retaining children, but when it comes to acceleration schools are the best judge?

There is a child in my child's middle school who is 2 years old for grade due to some unusual circumstances. In lower elementary school, that child was fairly reasonably placed but gradually growing into their own. By later elementary school, the child was top of the class and socially ahead of their peers, the parents would have been interested in doing a grade skip had it been something they could do. Now in middle school, the child is obviously bored, should clearly be at least the grade ahead if not in their correct-grade-for-age, and the parents hands are tied by a decision they made when their child was considerably younger. Back then, the school was supportive and it was no problem, they fully understood the situation and the parents choices. Now? Oh no, the child's doing fine, don't rock the boat. It's nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my DD's kindergarten class a boy turned 7 in February, and it does not impact the class in any way. The boy is repeating K and I applaud the family for looking out for their child's best interest long-term. After all, they could have refused the recommendation and sent him to 1st, but they chose to focus on his needs. No big deal to his current (and former) classmates.

Seriously? So he'll turn 8 in K?

No - he just turned 7 in February. He will turn 8 next February in 1st grade.

If the child is struggling that much, I'd be far more concerned about what is going on that they need to be held back that much. Child need and IEP and parents need to supplement academics at home and get him services. I know my child will struggle with some concepts and needs more support, so we heavily work with him at home and during the summer. We can see the different it makes.

The child in question was held back once. For K. Its hardly a travesty

More is going on if a child is held back from K. The school failed him by not giving him enough support and services. Its impossible to guess home life but the requirements for K. are very basic so there is far more going on and someone failed this child by not helping as much as they could. If he has SN, they need to be address vs. failing him.

How do you know the issues weren't addressed? I know two kids who were held back in K - and issues were clearly addressed but a decision was made to repeat the grade as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


That's a lot of time for tweens. Over a year of time for maturity, puberty. You do realize that, right? You would be ok with your 12 yr old girl hanging out with a 14 yr old boy? I wouldn't.

If you don't think the other kid is appropriate for your kid to hang out with, then don't let them hang out together. This isn't that hard.

Face it - there are always going to be a few kids who are older due to red-shirting or being held back a grade. Just monitor who your own kid is hanging out with. And just because a kid is older doesn't necessarily mean they are trouble...

When I was a 14-year-old girl in high school, I dated a 16-year-old boy who was in my same grade. (He was a year and a few months older than me because his birthday was right after the cut-off and I skipped a grade.) Whereas when my friend was a 14-year-old girl in high school, she dated a 16-year-old boy who was a grade ahead of her. (Her birthday was right before the cut-off.) What's the difference?

If your parents let you skip a grade, then they knew this could happen. So, I guess they didn't mind. Some parents do mind.

Exactly - you can't protect your snowflake forever. Just teach them good values and hope they make good decisions....

A 14-year-old tenth-grader dating a 16-year-old tenth-grader vs. a 16-year-old eleventh-grader -- what's the difference, exactly?

[Anonymous]

Sincere question: how do you know who's redshirted in your child's class?

I am always curious when people ask this question. People have birthday parties. Also, if you volunteer at school or chat with kids when they come over for play dates or meet at the park, things like their birthday and age come up, even if you aren't intentionally looking for the info.