Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We recently found out that DS is going to prefirst. It's the right decision for him based on the expectations of first grade, but I'm still finding myself a little disappointed that he's spending another year in what seems mostly like a repeat of K. I know it'll be good for him in the long run, but still. Anybody else recently hear that their kindergartener is going to prefirst?

One of the benefits of prefirst is it really isn't just a repeat of K. The kids I know who went to prefirst had a great year with a great curriculum that was a good mix of K and 1st, and were kept intellectually and socially engaged throughout the year, and were fully ready to move on to 1st grade the following year. The prefirst kids at our school are the leaders when they and the K kids mix, and that leadership tends to hold for the rest of their lower school careers. For kids who might not have been leaders in their K year, it's pretty amazing to see the difference.

Anonymous wrote:We recently found out that DS is going to prefirst. It's the right decision for him based on the expectations of first grade, but I'm still finding myself a little disappointed that he's spending another year in what seems mostly like a repeat of K. I know it'll be good for him in the long run, but still. Anybody else recently hear that their kindergartener is going to prefirst?

Anonymous wrote:The question dominant in my mind is parallel to yours. We have boy with a late birthday. We are waiting on decisions from Baltimore schools for K.

In the meanwhile, a school outside of the Baltimore has given us their decision: they recommend their Transitional Kindergarten program, which would mean at TK/K/1 sequence. They are looking mainly at developmental markers (i.e., how well he can copy shapes, shaky letter-writing, how many pieces of a man he includes in a picture). I don't know if this conversation is a good hint that we're about to be disappointed by admissions decisions in Baltimore and should have delayed a year. More important, I also don't know if there is a reason (other than financial) for us to consider TK/K instead of K/Pre-First.

If we run through the TK/K sequence, I have no idea how this lines up with Baltimore independent pacing and placement.

Any thoughts on determining the right fit? Even we don't have the option to start off school in Baltimore, we'd still like to apply down-the-road. Of course, we can also just jump into K in the neighborhood public.

Anyone who has been through the TK/K or K/Pre-1 sequences have thoughts on how it went? I'm getting a little lost, with the local public, independent, parochial schools all following their own patterns, yet with the same age cutoffs.

Anonymous wrote:Bump. Kindergarten parents, have you heard anything about pre-first or first grade for your kid yet? I have heard from other families that teachers start dropping hints about pre-first in the fall/winter. We haven't heard anything either way. Just trying to read the tea leaves before we get the official word.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Talk to people whose kids are 16, not 6, about Pre-First. Ten years out, I've literally never heard a single person regret doing pre-First. I have heard a few regret not doing it.

It stinks now - expensive and, for some, a blow to the ego. But it is an investment that will pay you back.

My son is 16 with a summer birthday. He was recommended for Pre-First, we opted to send him to first. The school felt we were making a mistake, but given our personal experiences and our knowledge of our child, we felt Pre-First would have been a mistake. He is doing very well. We have no regrets about not having him do Pre-First, nor does he. He remains at the school that recommended him for Pre-First, he is at the top of his class.

Ask the school to talk to families who took advantage of Pre-First and if possible families who didn't.

I don't think it's optional in most cases. In other words, if the school tells you your kid should go to pre-first, either you do it or you leave. I have heard of a few families where the kid was on the bubble and they let the parents choose, but not many. The cynic in me thinks that pre-first exists because it's a way for the schools to (a) get an extra year of tuition from that group; and (b) improve the performance of its students in college admissions.

Maybe it's because I work in a school, but this always bothers me a little. Do you really think the kindergarten and 1st Grade teachers, the Lower School principal, and the Admissions Director and Business Office are all in a conspiracy to milk an extra year's tuition out of pre-first families? You know if they did away with Pre-First and just moved all those kids into an additional First Grade section, there would still be the same number of kids in the school, right? Or are they playing the long con, and eagerly planning the day they'll all cash in together 12 years down the line when that kid is still in school for that one extra year?

I choose to believe that the teachers at my kids' school have their students' best interests at heart, and are making the recommendations that they believe will help a kid most, even if that recommendation results in a difficult conversation with a family who doesn't believe their child could benefit from another year.

With my son walking out the door for college in 3 weeks, it suddenly feels like every moment together is precious. Aside from all the good pre-first did for him academically and socially, I'm very appreciative of the extra year he spent under my roof. He has grown into a kind, confident young man - so much more ready to be on his own than he was this time a year ago. Not only is he prepared to be successful in college, it was a special family year in a lot of ways. Instead of riding herd on a growing teen, it felt like we got to enjoy the company of a young adult. So, yes, I'm overly nostalgic right now, but I still believe pre-first has benefits that might not manifest themselves until a lot farther down the line.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm newish to balto and the first time I heard this term I laughed out loud. It's just a fancy word for "held back," thrown around by schools to placate parents and ensure the next great generation of lacrosse superstars. It probably helps kids academically because, HELLO, they are a year older and received an additional year of school. I don't begrudge the parents their "pre-first year" because they pay a lot of money for it, but to imply that it's anything other than a fancy way to pad the nest for a kid who probably isn't all that stellar academically, is pretty ridiculous.

Welcome to Baltimore.

Sure, the kids at Gilman and Bryn Mawr are doing PF because they're kinda slow.

Anonymous wrote:I'm one of the Pre-1st advocates above -- just want to say I appreciate the tone of this conversation and the good points made on both sides. Well-meaning, informed people sharing their views, even if they differ.

I'm not a Baltimore native and after 15 years, I find many things kind of stultifying here sometimes. But there is also a lot that makes it an astonishingly good place to live, and particularly to raise a family.