Anonymous
Post 03/28/2025 09:26     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
We stuck out K-2 in a middling public. Just got accepted to a great K-8 for next year. Our public boundaries are very weird, so out elementary is high poverty with some MC and UMC pockets (most of them go charter, magnet, or private). But for middle school, the MC and UMC neighborhoods go to a good MS, while the low income neighborhoods get sent to a poorly performing MS--don't get me started on the whole me. Our zoned high school is one of the top 3 in the county.

So, we made the decision to apply for third grade because our top choice adds a small handful of kids at that grade. And we are so fortunate DS got accepted. We'll reevaluate when the time comes if he should go to public MS or staying private through 8th grade.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 20:28     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
DP. We are doing roughly what OP outlined. It ensures DC has a really solid academic foundation. We picked a private that has much much less EdTech than FCPS has in those grades. It explicitly teaches handwriting, spelling, reading, grammar, math, history, and science. Lots of written work at school. Some homework most nights, but not a ton. It works well for us, but YMMV.
Anonymous
Post 03/27/2025 13:51     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
It depends on finances. If it's a stress for your family, stay public. If it's not and you're unhappy with your current school, try changing.

We found benefits to moving in 3rd but not enough to make it work a financial stretch/strain.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2025 16:59     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If DC is behind and current school is academically weak, the only two choices are *heavy* supplementing at home or change schools.

Without a solid foundation from 3rd-5th grades, then 6th grade and beyond will only get academically worse for DC.


That is my worry. If we put him in a better school for 3rd-5th hopefully he can build up and get a solid foundation. The public ramps up with gifted services in 5th, 6th, so coming back in 6th when the kids transition middle school might make sense. The middle has kids coming from other elementary schools so DC wouldn't be the only one joining new in 6th.


My kids are in 7 and 9 in private. They were public until 5 and 6 grades.

You aren't really seeing homework before 5/6. So prepping them for gifted for honors 5th is dumb. When you have young kids you have no idea that MS is when things actually start to get real. Before that it's nothing. Even in private. You can do at home until 6.

It's from 5/6 onward that you get more of a taste of real work but also a sense of the kid. Kids change a lot. Between 2 and 5/6 is a damn lifetime for a kid.

When you have young kids you don't really appreciate this. Trust me, as the mom of 3 kids now in MS and HS you really see how much they change from elementary. Night and day. Could be better, could be worse. Kids are not like you and me. They got hormones and they are growing. You just have to get to that 5/6 grades for it to be meaningful in a manner of speaking. We're looking at 12 yrs of school. Grade 3 is like infant stage. LOL!


If you moved your kid to private in 5th or 6th grade, you have no idea if private 3rd-5th would be worth it. IMO 1nd-3rd grade are actually really important.
Anonymous
Post 02/27/2025 07:21     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If DC is behind and current school is academically weak, the only two choices are *heavy* supplementing at home or change schools.

Without a solid foundation from 3rd-5th grades, then 6th grade and beyond will only get academically worse for DC.


That is my worry. If we put him in a better school for 3rd-5th hopefully he can build up and get a solid foundation. The public ramps up with gifted services in 5th, 6th, so coming back in 6th when the kids transition middle school might make sense. The middle has kids coming from other elementary schools so DC wouldn't be the only one joining new in 6th.


My kids are in 7 and 9 in private. They were public until 5 and 6 grades.

You aren't really seeing homework before 5/6. So prepping them for gifted for honors 5th is dumb. When you have young kids you have no idea that MS is when things actually start to get real. Before that it's nothing. Even in private. You can do at home until 6.

It's from 5/6 onward that you get more of a taste of real work but also a sense of the kid. Kids change a lot. Between 2 and 5/6 is a damn lifetime for a kid.

When you have young kids you don't really appreciate this. Trust me, as the mom of 3 kids now in MS and HS you really see how much they change from elementary. Night and day. Could be better, could be worse. Kids are not like you and me. They got hormones and they are growing. You just have to get to that 5/6 grades for it to be meaningful in a manner of speaking. We're looking at 12 yrs of school. Grade 3 is like infant stage. LOL!


Every public school system will be different, even within a state, and even if the state controls curriculum centrally (e.g., Texas). It is not al all obvious that PP has the same public school system as OP.
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2025 20:35     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
No
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2025 20:29     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If DC is behind and current school is academically weak, the only two choices are *heavy* supplementing at home or change schools.

Without a solid foundation from 3rd-5th grades, then 6th grade and beyond will only get academically worse for DC.


That is my worry. If we put him in a better school for 3rd-5th hopefully he can build up and get a solid foundation. The public ramps up with gifted services in 5th, 6th, so coming back in 6th when the kids transition middle school might make sense. The middle has kids coming from other elementary schools so DC wouldn't be the only one joining new in 6th.


My kids are in 7 and 9 in private. They were public until 5 and 6 grades.

You aren't really seeing homework before 5/6. So prepping them for gifted for honors 5th is dumb. When you have young kids you have no idea that MS is when things actually start to get real. Before that it's nothing. Even in private. You can do at home until 6.

It's from 5/6 onward that you get more of a taste of real work but also a sense of the kid. Kids change a lot. Between 2 and 5/6 is a damn lifetime for a kid.

When you have young kids you don't really appreciate this. Trust me, as the mom of 3 kids now in MS and HS you really see how much they change from elementary. Night and day. Could be better, could be worse. Kids are not like you and me. They got hormones and they are growing. You just have to get to that 5/6 grades for it to be meaningful in a manner of speaking. We're looking at 12 yrs of school. Grade 3 is like infant stage. LOL!
Anonymous
Post 02/26/2025 20:23     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
God no!

Go either 5-8 or 9-12. Or 6-12. Or even 5-7. But not before 5th!

-signed parent of 3 kids in MS and HS who were in both public and private
Apples
Post 02/15/2025 22:13     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
Anonymous wrote:What do you think? Are these years crucial to learning or is it not worth the potential social struggle? His current school is about a year behind most state standards and we are working hard to supplement at home but there’s only so much time and energy in the day.


If you can afford it and it’s keeping the students up to standards, why not? Math gets harder in 4th grade for a lot of kids. Do they teach a language? I had a much easier time in middle school French because it started in 3rd grade. Anything to help the transition to 6,7,8 is worth it.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2025 21:22     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
Anonymous wrote:If DC is behind and current school is academically weak, the only two choices are *heavy* supplementing at home or change schools.

Without a solid foundation from 3rd-5th grades, then 6th grade and beyond will only get academically worse for DC.


That is my worry. If we put him in a better school for 3rd-5th hopefully he can build up and get a solid foundation. The public ramps up with gifted services in 5th, 6th, so coming back in 6th when the kids transition middle school might make sense. The middle has kids coming from other elementary schools so DC wouldn't be the only one joining new in 6th.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2025 19:44     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
If DC is behind and current school is academically weak, the only two choices are *heavy* supplementing at home or change schools.

Without a solid foundation from 3rd-5th grades, then 6th grade and beyond will only get academically worse for DC.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2025 19:32     Subject: Re:Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
No. Not unless the school is K-8 and you intend to keep him there, or feeds into a private MS you are interested in.

Better to save your $ for private HS or MS.

3rd-5th is really not that important. Supplement at home or via other programs.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2025 19:03     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
No. Go private in middle school if you have the means.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2025 18:45     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
Not at all. It’s so easy to supplement academics in elementary school. Harder to do in middle - high school so its better to move on to private at that point.
Anonymous
Post 02/15/2025 18:41     Subject: Worth it to go private for 3rd-5th only?
What do you think? Are these years crucial to learning or is it not worth the potential social struggle? His current school is about a year behind most state standards and we are working hard to supplement at home but there’s only so much time and energy in the day.