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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote]When I was 5 in the first grade, I recall the older children starting to notice we were different ages. By the time we reached third grade, younger children and older children began segregating themselves, based on the fact the older children had lower scores and anwered questions more slowly in class. Without anyone ever saying it, it was clear many of the much older children were not as bright academically and they had some social shortcomings. I remember older children losing interest in school, because they were not being accomodated appropriately, too.

I see it at my daughter's school, too. Kids know who the slower, older children are; and they talk about it. Like it or not, no matter what you teach or preach at home, children have a world and life outside of you.

Realist [/quote]

Did it occur to you that these kids may have been a little slower developmentally which explains why they started school later or are older than their peers?  Just as some of the very young kids in classroooms tend to be more precocious and smarter (explaining why they were advanced, accelerated or plainly were ready to start school earlier)?

Or do you subscribe to the theory that starting school (brick and mortar) at a late age or being older than everyone else makes you dumber in time while the converse, if you are much younger than your peers you become smarter with time?  In which case, I'll put my 3-year-old in K so she becomes smart over time.[/quote]

To answer your questions very candidly - yes, yes, and no.

Peace![/quote]

Two of my closest friends have been pediatricians for decades.  Their two warnings to me when I was pregnant was to watch out for educational consultants and people with advanced degrees in childhood development.  I understood about the consultants, and I'm beginning yo understand about child development folks.  [/quote]

All of my friends who are pediatricians and primary school educators recommend redshirting, too. I will continue to disagree with them.
:-)[/quote]

I think that the assessment of what is most relevant to academic success is highly debatable and likely varies widely among children, communities, and cultures.  That said, I also think that one of the best ways to figure out how to be successful at something is to look to people who have actually been at the top of that field and seek their views.  Not the views of people who study the area, but the people who have actually excelled.  In this case, I think it's pretty telling that you even mention that all of your pediatrician friends are in favor of red shirting.  They spend their lives addressing issues with children.  They also presumably have succeeded academically, both in college and well beyond, and who have likely been surrounded by, and formed communities of, people highly intelligent, academically-oriented.  That speaks volumes to me.  And while you may be highly intelligent and academically-oriented yourself (I obviously have no way of knowing and mean absolutely no offense), I think that turning to child development folks on issues like this is like turning to HR departments to learn how to identify and cultivate business leaders.  May work, but my bet is on top executives having a much better sense of what it actually takes.    
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