what is the world coming to (test prep edition)

[Anonymous]

I live in chicago and just got an email from a kids play space called NY Kids Club (not sure if they've made it to dc yet) and just got an email for "Gifted and Talented Test Prep Classes" for children as young as 4! What's wrong with people?! I know the argument that they're tracked so young, this gets them into great public options blah blah blah...but they're 4! They have a lifetime to stress and prep and prepare, let them just be what they are for a bit!

It just makes me so sad. Even if NYKC isn't in DC yet, I'm sure things like this exist in dc too, I went to TJ back in the day and have seen the very active alumni debate on getting rid of the test and how early test prep starts for it now. Fortunately, that was before my time

[Anonymous]

Well, rich parents in New York have employed 'educational consultants' - and test prepping - to get into a desired private kindergarten forever. Test prep for 4-year-olds somehow doesn't shock me. It's wrong but hardly any news.

[Anonymous]

It’s been going on for decades, OP. Nothing new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s been going on for decades, OP. Nothing new.

+1. In my culture, Asian, preK prep would be considered late! What were you waiting for?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s been going on for decades, OP. Nothing new.

+1. In my culture, Asian, preK prep would be considered late! What were you waiting for?!

True. I am Asian, and parents sign up many activities & classes starting at pre-k age in my culture. That is not to lose at the starting point.

I tell myself that I won’t be a tiger mom, and not to stressed on Kid’s academic. I want to push sports & social skill because they are my weakness. I am introvert, and I am sucks at all kinds of sports. And, my 4 year old ends up being above in academic, does multiplication & reads first grade chapter books. Well, he learns all these from daycare & youtube videos. He is self motivated to push himself on academic, and he loves to drill on workbooks by himself. My main point is that I try to push sports, and it does not work well. He is sucks on all kinds of sports. And, I don’t want to push academic, but he is eager to learn.

[Anonymous]

In DC, there are no public schools my kid is going to get into if we test prep - not until high school, and even then it's way less straightforward than in New York or Chicago. If test prepping my kids had meant we could live anywhere in the city and my kids would have access to good schools then, yes, I would absolutely be test-prepping my four year old. People pay significantly upwards of a million dollars to buy into neighborhoods here for the schools. Test prepping is a heck of a lot cheaper than that.

[jsmith123]

I agree OP. That's insanity.

I'm just resigning myself to average kids, I guess.

[Anonymous]

This has definitely been a thing in Chicago for a long time. Maybe not that specific company, but test prep for CPS.

[Anonymous]

The parents using this service are not the parents you have to worry about. You need to worry about the parents who will tear your kid down to get their kid ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s been going on for decades, OP. Nothing new.

+1. In my culture, Asian, preK prep would be considered late! What were you waiting for?!

Wow. When is “ on time” in your community???