Anonymous wrote:

Why is it so hard to understand that larger older kids who belong in first grade DO AFFECT the kids who were not held back. (I'm talking about kids who are simply held back for reshirting purposes. There is no way that many kids were not developmentally ready). You have turned the kindergarten class into an 18-month span in age. It makes the age appropriate kids seem younger than they are! Of course we care when you hold back your kids just to give them an edge! It is very self centered to think that inappropriate ages don't aaffect the whole class. (btw, affect is a verb. Effect is a noun).

The last line came as no surprise given the general nature of this comment but both words can be properly used as both nouns and verbs. In the title to this thread "affect" was used incorrectly but "affect" can be used as a noun (e.g. "she was conspicuous in her lack of affect") or verb (e.g. "your opinion does not affect me"). "Effect" may also be used as a noun ("the effect of your comment was a lengthy sigh and rolling of eyes") or a verb (e.g. "if only you could proofread, your comments might effect an intelligent response").

Anonymous wrote:

Why is it so hard to understand that larger older kids who belong in first grade DO AFFECT the kids who were not held back. (I'm talking about kids who are simply held back for reshirting purposes. There is no way that many kids were not developmentally ready). You have turned the kindergarten class into an 18-month span in age. It makes the age appropriate kids seem younger than they are! Of course we care when you hold back your kids just to give them an edge! It is very self centered to think that inappropriate ages don't aaffect the whole class. (btw, affect is a verb. Effect is a noun).

The last line came as no surprise given the general nature of this comment but both words can be properly used as both nouns and verbs. In the title to this thread "affect" was used incorrectly but "affect" can be used as a noun (e.g. "she was conspicuous in her lack of affect") or verb (e.g. "your opinion does not affect me"). "Effect" may also be used as a noun ("the effect of your comment was a lengthy sigh and rolling of eyes") or a verb (e.g. "if only you could proofread, your comments might effect an intelligent response").

Why is it so hard to understand that larger older kids who belong in first grade DO AFFECT the kids who were not held back. (I'm talking about kids who are simply held back for reshirting purposes. There is no way that many kids were not developmentally ready). You have turned the kindergarten class into an 18-month span in age. It makes the age appropriate kids seem younger than they are! Of course we care when you hold back your kids just to give them an edge! It is very self centered to think that inappropriate ages don't aaffect the whole class. (btw, affect is a verb. Effect is a noun).

Anonymous wrote:Why is it so hard to understand that larger older kids who belong in first grade DO AFFECT the kids who were not held back. (I'm talking about kids who are simply held back for reshirting purposes. There is no way that many kids were not developmentally ready). You have turned the kindergarten class into an 18-month span in age. It makes the age appropriate kids seem younger than they are! Of course we care when you hold back your kids just to give them an edge! It is very self centered to think that inappropriate ages don't aaffect the whole class. (btw, affect is a verb. Effect is a noun).

Anonymous wrote:We're sending our August DS on time. I like to tell people, "We decided not to hold him back" rather than, "We decided to push him forward" because that is the truth!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If your small boy is bookish and not interested in athletics, maybe he won't care as much.

But if he's small yet athletic, it's a big problem come middle school and high school.

Not if he wrestles

—mom of tiny bad-ass

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am the PP whose town posted a notice that kids need to start Kindergarten at age 5. Yes, if you show up with your 6.5 year old kid, they will be almost always be put in first grade. If the student has special needs, they will be given support services, in their grade, for their age. The school has a great team of special educators and they keep kids in their grade for their age with a ton of support. An occasional student will be held back, but that is rare.

If you are planning to have your child attend public school, and you are holding them back from kindergarten, do talk to the school soon so you are clear before you make a decision. You may have a first grader next year, instead of a kindergartener.

This is not what I experienced when I went to a Fairfax County public school to discuss whether my May 5-yr-old should go to their kindergarten in the fall. They were very open to the discussion, agreed that some children are not ready and let me observe and decide what was best for my son. The school counselor had a boy who she did not hold back. He came to her at the end of second grade and told her that he was not ready for third grade. She held him back and absolutely thinks it was the right decision but for the fact that she would liked to have done it in kindergarten to avoid having him separated from his friends. Her observation: "I don't know any parents who regret holding a child back. I know many that regret not holding a child back." I do not think they would allow my son to go to first grade next year because he won't be prepared for their first grade.

It is an individual decision. What I found so strange about this thread is all the angry, accusatory posts are from parents who did not hold their children back. Congratulations that your wonderful children were ready for school when the U.S. thinks they should be ready but why do you care if someone else's kids are not ready?

to me, it seems that the parents are the ones that aren't ready.

Anonymous wrote:

I am the PP whose town posted a notice that kids need to start Kindergarten at age 5. Yes, if you show up with your 6.5 year old kid, they will be almost always be put in first grade. If the student has special needs, they will be given support services, in their grade, for their age. The school has a great team of special educators and they keep kids in their grade for their age with a ton of support. An occasional student will be held back, but that is rare.

If you are planning to have your child attend public school, and you are holding them back from kindergarten, do talk to the school soon so you are clear before you make a decision. You may have a first grader next year, instead of a kindergartener.

This is not what I experienced when I went to a Fairfax County public school to discuss whether my May 5-yr-old should go to their kindergarten in the fall. They were very open to the discussion, agreed that some children are not ready and let me observe and decide what was best for my son. The school counselor had a boy who she did not hold back. He came to her at the end of second grade and told her that he was not ready for third grade. She held him back and absolutely thinks it was the right decision but for the fact that she would liked to have done it in kindergarten to avoid having him separated from his friends. Her observation: "I don't know any parents who regret holding a child back. I know many that regret not holding a child back." I do not think they would allow my son to go to first grade next year because he won't be prepared for their first grade.

It is an individual decision. What I found so strange about this thread is all the angry, accusatory posts are from parents who did not hold their children back. Congratulations that your wonderful children were ready for school when the U.S. thinks they should be ready but why do you care if someone else's kids are not ready?

I am the PP whose town posted a notice that kids need to start Kindergarten at age 5. Yes, if you show up with your 6.5 year old kid, they will be almost always be put in first grade. If the student has special needs, they will be given support services, in their grade, for their age. The school has a great team of special educators and they keep kids in their grade for their age with a ton of support. An occasional student will be held back, but that is rare.

If you are planning to have your child attend public school, and you are holding them back from kindergarten, do talk to the school soon so you are clear before you make a decision. You may have a first grader next year, instead of a kindergartener.