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When to switch to public school
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Anonymous
| DS is in a private pre-k this year. This is his first year there and he is there in large part because we wanted to give him an extra year before kindergarten and because we felt that he would benefit from some additional time in a small school/class size environment. We like the school, but never really intended to do private school for an extended period of time. When we decided on this school, DH and I agreed to take it year by year to decide how long to keep him there before switching to our local public. I would like to keep him where he is for another year so he doesn't have to go to 3 different schools in 3 years and to give him another year to build his confidence socially, etc. in a smaller environment, but don't want to make the transition to public more difficult by not starting when most of the other kids start in kindergarten. Putting aside the larger public versus private debate, I'm curious to get opinions on whether waiting until first grade to start at a public elementary school will make the transition more difficult and/or whether there are other advantages/disadvantages of waiting. FWIW, our local public school is very big with several kindergarten classes so my sense is that many of the kids will end up with new kids in their first grade classes anyway. Thoughts? |
Anonymous
| where are you? DC? MD? NOVA? |
Anonymous
| MD (MoCo) |
Anonymous
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For purely the social aspect of school, I'd start him in the public schools in kindergarten. Yes, they'll end up with new kids in their 1st grade classes, but cliques will have already formed in kindergarten and kids will generally split off in those. If you have an outgoing child, I wouldn't worry about this in the least. But it can be a bit more stressful for a more introverted child.
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Anonymous
I disagree with the above. First, in public schools, they shuffle the classes every year so there are always tons of kids in each class who don't know one another to start out with, so your child wouldn't be the only one, not even close. Plus, in young elementary, kids do welcome new kids easily. It's not like it's middle school! 
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Anonymous
| OP, our situation is very similar to yours! Like you, we have been taking it year by year (DC is in first grade now) and so far, we have kept DC in private for a variety of reasons. Right now we're trying to decide whether to make the jump to public in 2nd or wait another year or two. We are really torn! I think about the same types of things as you, but I also remind myself that there really is no perfect time to switch, so either way will truly be fine. |
Anonymous
| OP, I did private for my oldest through first grade and moved him to public in second. It was a mistake. The cirriculums are completely different and my son had a lot of catching up to do. It's not that one is better than the other. It's just that they learn things in different grades. I started my younger kids in public in kindergarten and don't regret that decision at all. |
Anonymous
I am 7:28--could you please elaborate? What did your child need catching up with? How are the curriculums different? Also, how did your child do socially when moving in second grade? Thanks! |
Anonymous
| 8:29 here - This is awhile ago, but this is what I remember. In MCPS, they start your basic math really young, I believe in kindergarten. In the private, the major thing my son did was adding doubles (3+3, 4+4, etc.) so he had to catch up with all math facts. In the private, they spent a lot of time working on drawing inferences from reading whereas in public, there was more focus on writing and on learning about the parts of a story. Also, the spelling curriculum was different. I can't remember the specifics, but he was behind on the "wall words" which are sight words, when he hit public school. There was more music and art in private. None of this is really major in and of itself, but it was a lot to have some catching up in each subject. I never had the impression that one cirriculum was superior to the other. But my son does not have the personality that relishes academic challenges so second grade was more difficult for him (and me) than it would have been had we made a different decision. As far as socially, I don't think it was a big deal to make the change in second grade. |
Anonymous
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OP here. Thanks for the helpful responses. 8:29, I hadn't really thought as much about the differences in curriculum; definitely something to think about.
7:28, I agree that there really is no right or wrong here. There are certainly benefits either way you go, which is why I'm agonizing so much! Good luck! |
Anonymous
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We've switched schools with our kids - albeit not public, but between privates with different philosophies. However, it did have a big shift in curriculums. Many of the privates in this area, including those seen as the very top, have a lot of depth in the extras and a different approach to math, reading, spelling. I don't view this as a "bad" thing as some argue less worksheets, etc is fine and engages children more. Also agree that it targets different learning areas.
My understanding from parents with older children is that ramp up in many private seems to be more around 3rd / 4th grade. So that said, if you do a "switch" in first, second, or third grade your child can be behind. Its hard sometimes to get a straight answer on this as the private we switched from said they always taught at grade ahead - they didn't relative to schools in this area. Agree you have to look at specifics Private school board has threads on this around math. My child moved beautifully socially to new school But like pp, it was a push to catch up - and a lot on parent time. Similar issues - sight words. We still have close friends at old private and can see the difference - less homework, spelling, sight words, math facts simpler. Good luck. Hope this was helpful. |
Anonymous
I agree with this poster. If your child is comfortable in his current school, he is undoubtedly developing confidence and skills that will serve him well in a larger public school. As long as you can manage it, why not keep him in this setting, where he seems to be doing well? The early elementary years are quite elastic in terms of classes and an influx of new students. I wouldn't worry about starting public at K, but would wait until I felt my son would thrive in the new, larger public school setting. |
Anonymous
| I would save my money and send the child to public for the early years and then switch to private for high school because too public many high schools in this area are busting at the seams with kids and don't have enough sports spots for all of the kids who might be good enough to play a given sport. |
Anonymous
| I would start him at K when the other kids start, for social reasons, curriculum, everything. I don't think the arguments to keep him in private if you are definitely going to move him are as sound. I would worry about him getting off on the very best foot possible at his local school rather than characterizing it as 3 schools in 3 years. It is always easier to start when everyone else does. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| I switched to public in 1st for youngest and 3rd for oldest. After being in Montessori preschools at the time the public Kindergarten curriculum was non academic and the children were already reading and well into math. That has changed in recent years and public Kindergarten is more academic than most privates except for Montessori schools. The point being you want your child to continue to make academic progress and you need to know what they know and what they will learn when you make the move. Forget the social part because the schools are so big now they will be with new friends every year in public. |