OP, I have had kids in both public and private schools (K-12). I think private schools are great for "average" kids. Smaller classes allow teachers to get to know their students well, identify what they are really good at and what they need to work on. Because teachers know students well, they can encourage kids to join things based on their interests and they are more likely to reach out to kids to pull them into things. Teachers are available for extra help when kids need it and often study halls are built into the day. I think these students can get lost in public schools between the truly high flyers and the kids who get services for special needs. Just out experience but hope it helps. Good luck.

My kid is average but at that age did score in the 98% on the test.

TBH looking back now that my child is much older I think they really only consider kids who score in the top range not because they are brilliant but because they are likely thinking the kids with the best scores had the ability to focus long enough to take the test and process information very well will doing it. Ultimately, the private schools want classes of kids who are all on par with each other behavior wise and development wise. Yes, there will be one or two outlines but they don't stick around long.

I think it is average kids who benefit most from private schools.

The top students are better off in good publics, in my experience.

Anonymous wrote:Right, the question is whether the average as opposed to the above average can be successful in good private elementary schools. Thanks.

One of the things I like most about our private is that my "average" kids don't get lost in the crowd. The teachers really get to know them and are able to support them where they're weak and get the best out of them.

I think your DC will be fine in private. But the resources for identifying and providing services to kids with learning disabilities are much better in public. So I guess really what I'm saying is if your DC is "actually just average," then no problem. But if your DC is 2e (both gifted and learning disabled) then it might take private longer to figure that out.

Anonymous wrote:Right, the question is whether the average as opposed to the above average can be successful in good private elementary schools. Thanks.

Yes of course, they are full of average students, some of whom have terrible behavior problems which won't be tolerated in public schools.

Right, the question is whether the average as opposed to the above average can be successful in good private elementary schools. Thanks.

And by the way what's wrong with being average? Most of us are...

OP your child is not "average" they simply scored an average score on one test taken on one day.

Seriously you need to not stick this inappropriate label on your poor 3 year old!!!

Anonymous wrote:She will be fine. The schools likely won't admit her unless they think she will do OK.

You don't know if your child is average as she may not have done as well as she could have with the language delays. The language delays need to be addressed before you decide if she is average.

Anonymous wrote:She'll be fine but I'd send her to a regular preschool and get speech therapy. At 3 and language delays, she should not be tested with full verbal tests and they should have used non-verbal tests as well. However, even if they used non-verbal, they still could be inaccurate.

+1.

She will be fine. The schools likely won't admit her unless they think she will do OK.

She'll be fine but I'd send her to a regular preschool and get speech therapy. At 3 and language delays, she should not be tested with full verbal tests and they should have used non-verbal tests as well. However, even if they used non-verbal, they still could be inaccurate.

Yes - your kid will be just fine.

We applied to good, but not the most elite privates for our 3 year old, but our child tested in the 55th percentile on the WPPSI. S/he has some speech issues that appear to be impacting processing, but we are not certain. In the event that our kid is is actually just average (we are ok with it, we are successful academics), I am asking whether s/he could do OK in one of the area PK through 8 schools. Thanks.