Should we redshirt for Kindergarten?

[Anonymous]

You'll see a whole range of ages - in MontCo we have EEK, which allows kids 6 weeks past the cut off to apply and take a test for entry to K. And there are a lot of red shirts - my child had a classmate in K who turned 7 in March! At the beginning of the K year, there can be 4,5 and 6 year-olds. Each one is there because their parent thought it was the best choice for that individual kid - there is no "right" or "wrong" decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you nailed it when you said you wanted him to fit in. In school, there's nothing more important than blending in with your classmates. You don't want to do something to your child will cause them stand out, and since the vast majority of summer kids are 5 their entire Kindergarten year and 17 their entire senior year of high school, being 6 your entire Kindergarten year and 18 your entire senior year of high school is a recipe for awkwardness. There's nothing more important than making sure your child is in the majority, and the vast majority of students go on time.

And, most of the kids will turn eighteen during the school year--not the following summer. OP, if your kid fits in now--he is probably okay. If he is more immature than the others, go with your gut and keep him back a year.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid born shortly before the cutoff - his experience has been that other kids with September birthdays are split about 50-50 in his classes in terms of redshirt vs. non-redshirt. Whatever you decide, your kid will have plenty of company.

[Anonymous]

No. Setting your child up to be behind in life is downright cruel.

[Anonymous]

PP, how is it cruel? Education is not a race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, how is it cruel? Education is not a race.

OP here. How is sending a child to school on time racing? I don't plan to have him skip any grades. I plan to send him on time and have him do the normal 13 years of school. If I thought of education as a race, I would be planning to push DS to skip every other grade. Don't you ever read about kids who graduate high school at 12 or 13? It's those kids whose parents thought of education as a race, but I fail to see how graduating high school right before turning 18 is racing. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do.

[Anonymous]

Sent our Aug bday boy on time. Preschool teacher and others advised waiting but the only reason any of them ever gave was he was a boy with a summer bday. I almost red-shirted because I thought everyone must know more than me. Even put a deposit down on a junior kindergarten. But DS kept asking why he wasn't going to K with his friends and insisting he wanted to go. I realized I couldn't give him a good reason he wasn't ready. Yes, he was a small guy but he would always be on the small side. No he couldn't read but they teach reading in K. He was well behaved, got along well with his peers and had good impulse control. At the last minute we sent him on time. He was fine. He's now in MS and still fine. Lots of friend. Good grades. You know your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sent our Aug bday boy on time. Preschool teacher and others advised waiting but the only reason any of them ever gave was he was a boy with a summer bday. I almost red-shirted because I thought everyone must know more than me. Even put a deposit down on a junior kindergarten. But DS kept asking why he wasn't going to K with his friends and insisting he wanted to go. I realized I couldn't give him a good reason he wasn't ready. Yes, he was a small guy but he would always be on the small side. No he couldn't read but they teach reading in K. He was well behaved, got along well with his peers and had good impulse control. At the last minute we sent him on time. He was fine. He's now in MS and still fine. Lots of friend. Good grades. You know your child.

This!

It's about social skills as much as academic. If he did not fit in with those kids, it would have been better to stay back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Setting your child up to be behind in life is downright cruel.

Please define "behind in life"............

If your kid is not ready for K, would it not be cruel to send him and set him up for failure?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, how is it cruel? Education is not a race.

OP here. How is sending a child to school on time racing? I don't plan to have him skip any grades. I plan to send him on time and have him do the normal 13 years of school. If I thought of education as a race, I would be planning to push DS to skip every other grade. Don't you ever read about kids who graduate high school at 12 or 13? It's those kids whose parents thought of education as a race, but I fail to see how graduating high school right before turning 18 is racing. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do.

NP - but you are going to ignore the advice of your DC'a current teachers, who do not think he is ready. That is pushing him forward too soon in my view.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, how is it cruel? Education is not a race.

OP here. How is sending a child to school on time racing? I don't plan to have him skip any grades. I plan to send him on time and have him do the normal 13 years of school. If I thought of education as a race, I would be planning to push DS to skip every other grade. Don't you ever read about kids who graduate high school at 12 or 13? It's those kids whose parents thought of education as a race, but I fail to see how graduating high school right before turning 18 is racing. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do.

It's not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, how is it cruel? Education is not a race.

OP here. How is sending a child to school on time racing? I don't plan to have him skip any grades. I plan to send him on time and have him do the normal 13 years of school. If I thought of education as a race, I would be planning to push DS to skip every other grade. Don't you ever read about kids who graduate high school at 12 or 13? It's those kids whose parents thought of education as a race, but I fail to see how graduating high school right before turning 18 is racing. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do.

It's not.

Curious, OP. Why did you bother to ask the question on this thread? You clearly just want affirmation that you are doing the right thing. When people disagree, you get defensive. So, why did you bother to ask?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are red shirting our August boy bc he is small, immature and barely can write letters and can't read at all. He just wasn't ready. Only you can make the decision bc only you know your child best. I have 2 older kids who went on time but were ready. So I know what I was looking for.

Why wouldn't you just take the time this summer to help him write and learn to read. My child could read well but couldn't write when he went to K. Funny thing, he picked it up quickly. We sent him as a September kid. He will always be small so who cares.

Most kids can't read when they start kindergarten. Seriously. It is not a reason to hold them back.

[Anonymous]

Most kids can't read when they start kindergarten. Seriously. It is not a reason to hold them back.

Agree--but PP also said that he was immature. Immaturity is a very good reason to hold him back. K teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Most kids can't read when they start kindergarten. Seriously. It is not a reason to hold them back.

Agree--but PP also said that he was immature. Immaturity is a very good reason to hold him back. K teacher.

Aren't all rising kindergarteners immature, basically by definition?