Anonymous wrote:

It's kinda mindboggling to think that if he was born three weeks premature, with all the brain risks it involves, he would have qualified for K.

Really? OP. There are lots of kids like that--and you know what the smart parents do? They wait them out a year. However, three weeks premature hardly brings that much "brain risk". Good grief.

DD was born at just over 34 weeks, and came home with me. No one ever suggested there was brain risk involved (they did try hard to keep from coming until lung maturity). I have certainly have never thought it a Miracle that she was developmentally normal and even (gasp!) became an extremely bright AAP student.

In an academically competitive county full of very bright kids who are routinely reading 3-4 years above grade level and are 2 years advanced in math in the AAP program (and where 15-20% of kids as being in the top 2% of IQ) I think you might be overestimating your child's uniqueness. And underestimating his need to learn the ropes of attending school and become a part of the school environment. You do him no favors by making him the youngest kid in a class of other kids who have all been together for a year, and who all know how to change classes for specials, interact with other kids in the lunchroom, etc. And who are all friends. Especially since boys lag behind girls in in social emotional development. Every year, a group of parents makes an appointment to see the principal to convince him or her that K is a waste for her little snowflake. There is a reason principals usually say no.

We did private K for my son because I thought it would be better and I regretted it. It was too academic, much more so than FCPS. This was years ago. DD has a birthday the same week as your son and I am glad she will have an extra year at preschool. Both children will attend FCPS. I decided there is no reason to rush school.

Anonymous wrote:

It's kinda mindboggling to think that if he was born three weeks premature, with all the brain risks it involves, he would have qualified for K.

Really? OP. There are lots of kids like that--and you know what the smart parents do? They wait them out a year. However, three weeks premature hardly brings that much "brain risk". Good grief.

I thought smart parents do what's best for every individual kid, they don't make them at a factory, you know.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
+100. I've known a few people who skipped a grade or more and not a single one had a normal social life. Most had tiger parents (speaking of parenting style, not ethnicity) who focused on academic achievement above all else. Please don't do this to your child.

And as for how it fits with redshirting, there is a reason Maryland schools only allow early admittance to kids born in September and then, only after they pass a readiness test. If you know redshirting is the norm in your school, why would you want to move your child a grade ahead?

Because I don't want him to STILL spend his time with the classroom full of kids just learning their ABCs more than a year from now when he's already a good reader TODAY.

Most of his kids will be reading too, your kid is not as unique as you think.

It's kinda mindboggling to think that if he was born three weeks premature, with all the brain risks it involves, he would have qualified for K.

Really? OP. There are lots of kids like that--and you know what the smart parents do? They wait them out a year. However, three weeks premature hardly brings that much "brain risk". Good grief.

Anonymous wrote:

Except, it hasn't. Because you are in here wondering why you have no class for your kid next year, who isn't old enough for K.

Well it's always full or waitlisted, and it turned my 4-year old into a avid English reader with zero instruction at home, so they must be doing something right.

I am not interested in people's opinions on his preschool; just in the mechanics of moving to first grade after private K, if that looks like the best thing to do. Thanks to those who provided helpful advice on the subject of the thread.

It's kinda mindboggling to think that if he was born three weeks premature, with all the brain risks it involves, he would have qualified for K.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be concerned about how bored you are expecting him to be and his lack of attention ... those would sway me against it.

Anyway, from the Fcps website: http://www.fcps.edu/parents/start/keligible.shtml

Basically, you need to call your base school because each school has the discretion to decide what criteria they will use in taking younger kids who did private K. So what someone else did at some other school isn't going to help you.

But do they HAVE to have these criteria? Or can they refuse to test outright?

FCPS principals have a lot of authority in how they run their schools. These are guidelines. There is no guarantee your principal will be interested in putting him a grade ahead. Or, she might be fine with it. Every FCPS elementary school is like its own little fiefdom.

I would just find a better preschool for next year. One that doesn't focus on academics.

Lot of FCPS kids go into K reading well (both my DC did-- one of them was reading the Little House series the summer before K). That's why K classes all have IAs-- because there is a lot of differentiated instruction-- especially in reading. The ABC kids are taught separately from the already confident readers (and every K class in an affluent or strong has a group of these kids). When DC started MS, I was so glad he was not a year younger than his peers. Sure he was smart. Mature & organized? He would have never hacked it at 11-- especially in an AAP Center. Talk to the school before you skip k (and listen!!!-- it seems like your mind is already made up).

Anonymous wrote:I would be concerned about how bored you are expecting him to be and his lack of attention ... those would sway me against it.

Anyway, from the Fcps website: http://www.fcps.edu/parents/start/keligible.shtml

Basically, you need to call your base school because each school has the discretion to decide what criteria they will use in taking younger kids who did private K. So what someone else did at some other school isn't going to help you.

But do they HAVE to have these criteria? Or can they refuse to test outright?

I would be concerned about how bored you are expecting him to be and his lack of attention ... those would sway me against it.

Anyway, from the Fcps website: http://www.fcps.edu/parents/start/keligible.shtml

Basically, you need to call your base school because each school has the discretion to decide what criteria they will use in taking younger kids who did private K. So what someone else did at some other school isn't going to help you.

Maybe its a home daycare/preschool and that's why its all janky and non sensical.

I wonder what that daycare does with other fall birthday kids. They moved up to the "pre-k" class when they turned 4, but won't start K until they are almost 6. So they spend two years in the same class?

That is a very odd set-up.

So at the beginning of the school year, there are two classes. One has 30 month olds up until almost 4 year olds, and one has 4 year olds? And then as each child turns 4, he moves to a different class? So that class gets bigger and bigger all year, and the younger class gets smaller and smaller? What?