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Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
September birthdays
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Anonymous
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If your kid has a September birthday, can you tell me if they started public school kindergarten the year they turned 5 or the year they turned 6. Are you happy with that decision?
I have a just turned 4 year old girl and my understanding is that you can send September birthdays to K in Fairfax county at 5 or 6. I'm leaning towards 5 because she seems to do well socially in her preschool class where she is the youngest, she's tall, and she seems as academically prepared as reasonable for a 4 year old (recognizes her own name but only writes some of the letters, can count to 50 but doesn't know addition, loves coloring, etc). But I would appreciate the feedback from parents that have been there before. How does your kid feel about being the youngest? |
Anonymous
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OK, I'll probably get flamed, but I'd really think about it.
We started our 5 yo in kindergarten (she had just turned 5 that August). Like you we thought she was ready, very good socially and seemed to be ready to get started. It didn't go well. She ended up repeating and it went much, much better. What I will say I noticed the second time around: I couldn't believe how many kids were the same age as my then 6 yo! This class was much more here peers -- age wise and academically. I really worried she was going to be older, but she wasn't. She went from being the very youngest to much more middle of the pack. We have an older child who's birthday is in March. I've found she's typically one of the last kids in her class to have their birthday. |
Anonymous
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My 5 yr. old started kinderg. this year. He turned 5 at the end of July. He seems to be doing fine. The law in VA says that your child has to be 5 by Sept. 30 in order to start kindergarten.
You will hear anecdotes on both sides. No one can tell you what to do. In some areas, it is almost unheard of to send a child born in May or later to school as a 5 yr. old. In other areas (mine), there are a decent number of kids who start on time even though they are summer bdays. So, it varies. No one can tell you the absolute answer. Just do your best in deciding, listen to the preschool teacher (who sees lots of kids for comparison) and watch your child's development. It's not a race or a competition... it's kindergarten and it's your child. |
Aimee4
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| We are in the same predicament with our son. DH prefers for him to wait a year, and be the oldest in the class. He is small for his age, so I think waiting is good for him. I've heard that girls that are on the younger end of the spectrum often do just fine, but its more difficult for boys. |
Anonymous
| OP, google dcurbamom.com and the term, "redshirting". |
Anonymous
| Sent our August birthday DC to school on time and have not regretted it at all. DC is now in 6th grade in AAP and doing great. |
Anonymous
OP here. I thought redshirting was holding your kids back a year from when they were age appropriate to start? Am I wrong about that? My understanding is that September kids, unlike other birthday months are age appropriate to start kindergarten either the year they turn 5 or 6. I read a bunch of the redshirting threads, but they seem to deal mainly with holding back June, July, August birthdays. |
Anonymous
| The cutoff date is September 30, so if you hold your child back till they turn 6 in September you will be redshirting him or her since the cutoff is September 30. It is much more common for September birthdays though than other months around here. In other areas where the cutoff is December 31, children who are redshirted have November and December birthdays. In Montgomery County, July and August birthdays are redshirted since their cutoff is September 1st. |
Anonymous
| PP is right. If your child will turn 5 in September and you wait until he/she is 6 to start K, then you will be redshirting. |
Anonymous
I wouldn't suggest doing this. All the hate comes from the anti-redshirters. But you have to make this decision for your child. Talk with his/her teachers and do what you think is best for your family. Don't let the haters sway you. |
Anonymous
| I'm not OP but for those who regret sending their just turned 5 year olds- were they reading and writing then? Just curious.. we have October kids so no choice.. |
Anonymous
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Yes, as a previous poster said, holding back a September birthday is redshirting. I am so tired of the redshirters and the automatic "summer boy" holdback. The deadline has to be somewhere. There will always be a youngest and an oldest kid. Unless you have a specific reason grounded in fact/evidence send your kid to school. Your kid will be fine. This area is so competitive that people want their kid to be the smartest, tallest, fastest ... and they think they can get that by making their kid the oldest. This hypercompetitive behavior is totally altering the makeup of the grades. I wish the schools would clamp down on redshirting.
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Anonymous
| I knew 20:46 and the like couldn't keep on topic. The question asks about personal experiences for September birthday K's. We know you're "so tired" 20:46, you've told us so many times. |
Anonymous
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20:46 - ITA. Why so unreasonably defensive 22:15? Did you redshirt and now you regret it?
From what I have seen (LOTS), redshirting does not help. I wouldn't want anyone to be disappointed thinking redshirting is the automatic solution to an underlying problem (learning disability, etc.). It will just mask it and create BIG problems. NP here. as PP said, every kid is in fact different. They are NOT a birthdate. I know plenty of "young" kids in AAP, and plenty of "old" kids not. This is probably the usual. OP, get your child assessed and consider all professional opinions if you are that worried. But moms in the DC area are NOT who to ask. They have their eye on bigger, faster, older, blah, blah, blah........ridiculous! |
Anonymous
| OP (and 22:24): Don't mean to distract by actually answering your question but no, I don't regret having a September 6yo K DS and I don't know of ANY parents who regret their decision to give their child an extra year. As 22:24 said, don't listen to the irrelevant opinions stated here. |