One boy with a late Spring birthday started pk at 4
One boy with a late summer birthday, ie right before the 9/1 cut off, started pk at 5. Spring boy very tall for his age and is doing well in school summer boy average height but emotionally a bit young and is also doing very well in school. People should not be concerned about the age of other kids in the class. As long as your child is learning and thriving, what business is it of anyone how old another child is?

Anonymous wrote:So is this redshirting phenomenon mostly a boy thing or are people seeing girls being held back? I am not sure how I feel about it for my own dd. She has an Aug 31st bday in a state with a Sept. 1 cutoff. She would be the youngest for sure if she started on time. My plan was to always start her on time but now I’m worried she would be so young.

Same exact situation here starting soon. I intend to ask her Kindergarten teachers how many of the 20-some students have a birthday within four months of her (i.e. May-August 2015 DOBs). I will also ask how many students are in her class are already age 6 when we start.
Then just monitor it.
If the school cannot handle it in a healthy manner or the social issues it creates having a large concentration of boys AND girls 13-18 months older than others (Feb 2014-Aug 2015 DOBs), we will make a change in school either with less redshirting or repeating a grade (only if needed) at another private. Would basically like to know what they do for non-redshirted summer kids, especially since they never brought it up.

So is this redshirting phenomenon mostly a boy thing or are people seeing girls being held back? I am not sure how I feel about it for my own dd. She has an Aug 31st bday in a state with a Sept. 1 cutoff. She would be the youngest for sure if she started on time. My plan was to always start her on time but now I’m worried she would be so young.

Anonymous wrote:Nearly all independent schools in the area strongly encourage redshirting for boys, amd in some cases, girls. I guess they don’t agree with the dcum geniuses about how horrible it is.

A school only experiences benefits (eg, academic and social competitiveness). The negatives accrue to the students — both the redshirted ones and their classmates.

Anonymous wrote:We have two boys with spring birthdays. They both started "on time."

They both have classmates more than a full year older.

Can you comment on what school?

Anyone get in to a certain grade - pk, k- and quickly decide in the Fall they wanted to redshirt due to disparities in age span in child’s class?
Do Big 5 schools entertain this or take the try it out tact?

Haha

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nearly all independent schools in the area strongly encourage redshirting for boys, amd in some cases, girls. I guess they don’t agree with the dcum geniuses about how horrible it is.

This is bizarre. Why don’t these schools just move the start age if they cannot create age-appropriate curriculum? If kids are ready academically but not socially, then let them just skip K and start first grade with everyone else their age.

But then they wouldn’t get the extra year of tuition.

We have two boys with spring birthdays. They both started "on time."

They both have classmates more than a full year older.

Baltimore boys school. All summer boys are recommended to do an extra year. The ones whose parents objected - and there are a few - really stand out, unfortunately.

Anonymous wrote:Do schools really post each child's birthdate? My kids went to elementary public school in another state and I had no idea of other kid's ages until you were invited to a birthday party and saw the candles.

Not OP but I know almost all these kids from PK4 so I already know who is older and younger from birthdays/parents saying so.

Do schools really post each child's birthdate? My kids went to elementary public school in another state and I had no idea of other kid's ages until you were invited to a birthday party and saw the candles.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nearly all independent schools in the area strongly encourage redshirting for boys, amd in some cases, girls. I guess they don’t agree with the dcum geniuses about how horrible it is.

This is bizarre. Why don’t these schools just move the start age if they cannot create age-appropriate curriculum? If kids are ready academically but not socially, then let them just skip K and start first grade with everyone else their age.

I don't think most private school have a "start age" the way public schools do.

Anonymous wrote:Nearly all independent schools in the area strongly encourage redshirting for boys, amd in some cases, girls. I guess they don’t agree with the dcum geniuses about how horrible it is.

This is bizarre. Why don’t these schools just move the start age if they cannot create age-appropriate curriculum? If kids are ready academically but not socially, then let them just skip K and start first grade with everyone else their age.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please post the name of the school! I’m thinking of starting my October child in K at 4 and it would be really helpful to know how many kids are redshirted at different schools making her super young. Thanks!

Don’t start your kid early and then complain about redshirting!

Exactly. As I understand it, you would like a school willing to bend the rules on cutoff for your child but not others? If you feel you are best able to assess when your child is ready for K, why not other parents? Maybe they don't want to be surrounded by super young kids.

We want the scoop, not a scrubbed down non answer.

Better Q for the school is what do they and the teachers do to successfully manage a class range of 18 mos and challenge the redshirted and not demoralize the kids who started on time. I have faith and trust that a pricey school w real childhood development experts can handle all, just fine. Otherwise, why be there.