I need help making a Kindergarten decision

[Leajess99]

And this is the tragedy of the late year cut off which yes can cause such extremes. The cut off should be as close to the start of the school year as possible potentially avoiding that situation.

The typical person who "redshirts" only does it when the birthday is within a month or so of the cut off, especially if that cut off is before the school year. The scenario plays out to a larger age differential when the age cut off occurs after a month or so of the start of school.

Please provide documentation on this about redshirting. I would love to see where you got that from as redshirting often occurs for sports to give the child an advantage in high school. The term "redshirting" even comes as a result of sports and was originally termed as a keeping college freshmen benched for a year so they could mature and become better athletes.

Here is a good article for those considering redshirting to think about. http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Redshirting_Whats_All_About/

 

[dizneechic]

Please provide documentation on this about redshirting. I would love to see where you got that from as redshirting often occurs for sports to give the child an advantage in high school. The term "redshirting" even comes as a result of sports and was originally termed as a keeping college freshmen benched for a year so they could mature and become better athletes.

Here is a good article for those considering redshirting to think about. http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Redshirting_Whats_All_About/

What type of documentation do you want? We are having a discussion and Google can be your friend just as well as mine. There are points when you Google to support both sides of the equation, and my statements support what is the "norm" for academic redshirting (the term you should use when researching) respective to the many parents who do this where we live.

I am very well aware the terminology comes from College sports, as many words are adapted from others with similar implications. I can not imagine a parent retaining a child for the sole purpose of sports at the kindergarten level, which is what this discussion is about.

http://www.sonomafamilylife.com/news.php?viewStory=181

http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Academic_Young/

 

[Leajess99]

What type of documentation do you want? We are having a discussion and Google can be your friend just as well as mine. There are points when you Google to support both sides of the equation, and my statements support what is the "norm" for academic redshirting (the term you should use when researching) respective to the many parents who do this where we live.

I am very well aware the terminology comes from College sports, as many words are adapted from others with similar implications. I can not imagine a parent retaining a child for the sole purpose of sports at the kindergarten level, which is what this discussion is about.

http://www.sonomafamilylife.com/news.php?viewStory=181

http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Academic_Young/

Did you seriously read either one of these links you provided?? I did and neither states what you did about the "norm". I did find something quite interesting about it though. Long-term Effects. Proponents of redshirting often point out that there is no definitive evidence to show that redshirting harms children in the long term. However, Byrd et al. (1997) found that adolescents whose school entry had been delayed exhibited more behavioral problems than their classmates. Moreover, in light of evidence of a higher use of special education by redshirted youths, there is a great deal of speculation that many individuals who were redshirted as kindergartners may have had special needs that were misdiagnosed as immaturity and that should have been treated by some form of direct intervention other than delayed entry (May et al., 1995; Graue & DiPerna, in press).

That is interesting and something parents need to look at as well.

 

[jellybeans0607]

You are confsued. I wante to send her LAST year./ She would have been 4 turning 5 and the youngest in the class not the oldest. Her b'day is Oct 25th and the cutoff is Sept 1. We didn't meet the age requirments for K and had to wait a year, so she was 5 turning 6 which should have made her one of the oldest in her class; NOT something I wanted. So many parents held back that she was actually somewhere in the middle. If you adhere to the cutoff kids like DD who turn six early on in K would be in the minority and most kids would be 5 for a good portion of the year.

So I wasn't going to comment on this thread, being a 3rd grade teacher and having strong feelings about red shirting made me not want to be part of this discussion, but I read this and I'm bewildered by it.
You have spent this entire thread complaining about older kids in your daughters Kindergarten class. That people shouldn't red shirt as it is unfair to your child because they are older. Then here you say you would have started her earlier and have sent her with ALL children who are much older then her, if you could have. If that is truly the case, then you wouldn't be SO upset that your child is "in the middle" of the pack. It seems you need to make up your mind whether having older kids in the class is such a detriment or if you wanted her with older kids.

OP, as a teacher I just wanted to say, good for you! We do not have enough parents that really listen to their own kids needs. We see kids way too often that should have waited. The kids struggle to keep up with the class. More often then not the children who are the biggest disruption to a class are the younger set. They feel younger and have a more difficult time fitting in. This is especially true with boys. If you feel that your child isn't ready then as someone else said, it's a no brainer. Don't listen to all the static about, well this isn't fair to MY child. There will always be "those" parents who want to blame their child having a difficult time in school on some one else. You need to only do whats best for your child, and it sounds like you have a good understanding of what your child needs. I wish him the best of luck

 

[brymolmom]

So I wasn't going to comment on this thread, being a 3rd grade teacher and having strong feelings about red shirting made me not want to be part of this discussion, but I read this and I'm bewildered by it.
You have spent this entire thread complaining about older kids in your daughters Kindergarten class. That people shouldn't red shirt as it is unfair to your child because they are older. Then here you say you would have started her earlier and have sent her with ALL children who are much older then her, if you could have. If that is truly the case, then you wouldn't be SO upset that your child is "in the middle" of the pack. It seems you need to make up your mind whether having older kids in the class is such a detriment or if you wanted her with older kids.

OP, as a teacher I just wanted to say, good for you! We do not have enough parents that really listen to their own kids needs. We see kids way too often that should have waited. The kids struggle to keep up with the class. More often then not the children who are the biggest disruption to a class are the younger set. They feel younger and have a more difficult time fitting in. This is especially true with boys. If you feel that your child isn't ready then as someone else said, it's a no brainer. Don't listen to all the static about, well this isn't fair to MY child. There will always be "those" parents who want to blame their child having a difficult time in school on some one else. You need to only do whats best for your child, and it sounds like you have a good understanding of what your child needs. I wish him the best of luck

WOW - Can I just say that as one of "those" parents I am surprised by this as a teacher's viewpoint....One of my main reasons I am against it is for the teacher's sake. I honestly think that in some cases it is too much to ask a teacher to handle 4 year old 'still learning their letters' kids along with 6 year old already reading kids in the same classroom with parents insisting on them recieiving 1st and 2nd grade work since the K curriculum is too easy for them.

My dd is doing fine in school and not having a difficult time at all. And if she was - I would find a way to solve that issue whatever it takes.

I guess in your classroom you'd be happier if every parent concentrated SOLELY on their own child's needs and constantly pulled you in their kids direction instead of, as some of us think, the greater good and fairness of the whole classroom (teacher included) being considered.

Almost makes me want to throw in the towel and become unopinionated on this topic. If a teacher can't see a bunch of 'would be 1st graders' negatively affecting a child on the low end and wanting to help every child in that classroom to have the same chance, then I guess I shouldn't want to either.

 

[jellybeans0607]

WOW - Can I just say that as one of "those" parents I am surprised by this as a teacher's viewpoint....One of my main reasons I am against it is for the teacher's sake. I honestly think that in some cases it is too much to ask a teacher to handle 4 year old 'still learning their letters' kids along with 6 year old already reading kids in the same classroom with parents insisting on them recieiving 1st and 2nd grade work since the K curriculum is too easy for them.

My dd is doing fine in school and not having a difficult time at all. And if she was - I would find a way to solve that issue whatever it takes.

I guess in your classroom you'd be happier if every parent concentrated SOLELY on their own child's needs and constantly pulled you in their kids direction instead of, as some of us think, the greater good and fairness of the whole classroom (teacher included) being considered.

Almost makes me want to throw in the towel and become unopinionated on this topic. If a teacher can't see a bunch of 'would be 1st graders' negatively affecting a child on the low end and wanting to help every child in that classroom to have the same chance, then I guess I shouldn't want to either.

I would love it if every parent could concentrate on their childs needs, unfortunately there just aren't enough parents who care or have the time. I find the parents that are truly involved in their child's education to be far less demanding them those that just want me to do it all. They are much more willing to work with me.
As a teacher I can promise you that we are well equipped to deal with a classroom of kids who all have individual needs. Thats reality. Never have I expected that every child in the class would come in with the exact same knowledge. If I did I would be let down every single time.
We have lots of things we do to group kids at different times of the day. It's not just me teaching these kids. I have an assistant and other 3rd grade teachers.
The same is true for Kindergarten. When I taught K we would group kids for reading, writing and math. Even if every child in my class was 5 they would all still be on different academic levels. I would have 5yos who came to me knowing how to read and 6yos who came not knowing their alphabet. It was never a problem, we adapt to them. If we didn't we wouldn't be very good at our job.

 

[Kit'smommy]

Is holding a child back like this a relatively new practice? I never had anyone in my classes growing up that was more than a few months older or younger than I, unless they had been held back a year later than K-5 for academic reasons.

DH, DBrother and I are early August, July and June b'days respectively. We all started school just after turning 5. We all graduated at 17. DH went into the Marines and 6 years later college. DB and I both graduated from college at 21 and I had a master's degree at 22. All three of us graduated in the top 3% of our classes and non of us really struggled at any time, even in challenging private schools.

I would not have felt right about holding my son back from an academic perspective as he was 5.5 when he started K-5 because he already knew his numbers, letters a ton of sight words and could read very simple books. On the other hand, he is shy, clingy and still kind of a cry baby even at 6 years and a few months. Sorry, but even with the minor emotional issues we have deal with this year as a result of his social immaturity, he has been more than ready to handle the curriculum, including the computer and Spanish classes he takes. If I had held him back a year, the curriculum would have been completely inappropriate to his academic development. And this was an IUGR baby who has some minor developmental issues and even now looks like a Pre-K4 student.

I understand a lot of people's concerns about their children, but K-5 curriculum is designed for that age group and not children that have been held back a year and who have (hopefully) continued to learn new academic concepts.

 

[brymolmom]

I would love it if every parent could concentrate on their childs needs, unfortunately there just aren't enough parents who care or have the time. I find the parents that are truly involved in their child's education to be far less demanding them those that just want me to do it all. They are much more willing to work with me.
As a teacher I can promise you that we are well equipped to deal with a classroom of kids who all have individual needs. Thats reality. Never have I expected that every child in the class would come in with the exact same knowledge. If I did I would be let down every single time.
We have lots of things we do to group kids at different times of the day. It's just me teaching these kids. I have an assistant and other 3rd grade teachers.
The same is true for Kindergarten. When I taught K we would group kids for reading, writing and math. Even if every child in my class was 5 they would all still be on different academic levels. I would have 5yos who came to me knowing how to read and 6yos who came not knowing their alphabet. It was never a problem, we adapt to them. If we didn't we wouldn't be very good at our job.

It wasn't a problem because it wasn't the epidemic that it is becoming in other areas. Honestly, you can tell me that if a LARGE bunch of the kids should be in first grade and a handful of should be in K kids at the lower end are in the same class - you don't think it will affect their esteem? confidence? drive to learn? social skills? I struggle with that but am no expert - just seems logical that if a 4 year old is constantly compared to MANY 6 year olds there will be repercussions (and even tho the school doesn't "compare" them - THEY KNOW - they know who is in the 'highest' reading group even without being told).

I expect that good teachers can handle a natural tendancy toward differing abilities - a bell curve. NATURAL - not created because everyone wants their child to be the oldest, most mature, most socially advanced, most academic. This skews the natural part of it. I'm not a fan of a teacher teaching first grade AND Kindergarten at the same time which is what redshirting in some areas is causing. Even if he/she is the best teacher in the world - I think he/she could be a BETTER teacher if they are given a classroom with natural (not age based) differences.

 

[RF536]

I don't know if this has been mentioned but please consider the impact of putting your son in the Kindergarten class will have on the rest of the students. I help out in my DS7's K-1 class and there is one kid who is obviously not ready to be in Kindergarten yet. The teachers spend a great deal of time dealing with him and trying to keep him from bothering the other kids. I feel bad that this one kid takes up so much of the teachers' time. This boy started Kindergarten with-in the state cut off date, but is just not ready yet, and his parents are not listening to the teachers.

 

[jellybeans0607]

It wasn't a problem because it wasn't the epidemic that it is becoming in other areas. Honestly, you can tell me that if a LARGE bunch of the kids should be in first grade and a handful of should be in K kids at the lower end are in the same class - you don't think it will affect their esteem? confidence? drive to learn? social skills? I struggle with that but am no expert - just seems logical that if a 4 year old is constantly compared to MANY 6 year olds there will be repercussions (and even tho the school doesn't "compare" them - THEY KNOW - they know who is in the 'highest' reading group even without being told).

I expect that good teachers can handle a natural tendancy toward differing abilities - a bell curve. NATURAL - not created because everyone wants their child to be the oldest, most mature, most socially advanced, most academic. This skews the natural part of it. I'm not a fan of a teacher teaching first grade AND Kindergarten at the same time which is what redshirting in some areas is causing. Even if he/she is the best teacher in the world - I think he/she could be a BETTER teacher if they are given a classroom with natural (not age based) differences.

I have never seen the majority of kids red shirted. It's usually one or two. It's seems silly to exaggerate it to "the majority" when thats just not even close to reality. You can play the "what if" game if you want, but thats just not what we see.
I'm sorry, but from someone who has been teaching elementary school kids for the last 14 years, I can promise you that red shirting isn't having this profound effect on the bell curve that you seem to think it is. For the most part that child or two that have waited to start K with the other kids, IS performing at the same speed as the other kids. Which is why they waited in the first place.

 

[VAN]

I'm basing my answer on the original post only, not any of the responses.

This needs to be a joint decision between you and your DH, so you BOTH need to be on the same page whatever you decide.

Since he is in pre-school now, I would consult with his teacher. I would also have him tested at the local school. They will let you know if he needs another year before he starts.

My nephew has a September birthday and was tested and started at his 5th birthday; other's in the testing group that were older, were turned down.

With your DS being small and young and a boy, I'd be tempted to go another year of pre-school. HOWEVER, I'd get some advise/guidance from the school (above). Whatever you do, make sure you and your DH are on the same page; otherwise, if something goes wrong, you will never hear the end of it!!! LOL.

 

[jellybeans0607]

I don't know if this has been mentioned but please consider the impact of putting your son in the Kindergarten class will have on the rest of the students. I help out in my DS7's K-1 class and there is one kid who is obviously not ready to be in Kindergarten yet. The teachers spend a great deal of time dealing with him and trying to keep him from bothering the other kids. I feel bad that this one kid takes up so much of the teachers' time. This boy started Kindergarten with-in the state cut off date, but is just not ready yet, and his parents are not listening to the teachers.

This is far closer to what we see then what some of the other replies have insinuated. We are almost always spending more time helping the kids that are behind rather then the ones that are ahead. In fact we use those students that are ahead to help us. Helping us, helps them.

 

[Kit'smommy]

Nevermind...

 

[princessmom29]

So I wasn't going to comment on this thread, being a 3rd grade teacher and having strong feelings about red shirting made me not want to be part of this discussion, but I read this and I'm bewildered by it.
You have spent this entire thread complaining about older kids in your daughters Kindergarten class. That people shouldn't red shirt as it is unfair to your child because they are older. Then here you say you would have started her earlier and have sent her with ALL children who are much older then her, if you could have. If that is truly the case, then you wouldn't be SO upset that your child is "in the middle" of the pack. It seems you need to make up your mind whether having older kids in the class is such a detriment or if you wanted her with older kids.

OP, as a teacher I just wanted to say, good for you! We do not have enough parents that really listen to their own kids needs. We see kids way too often that should have waited. The kids struggle to keep up with the class. More often then not the children who are the biggest disruption to a class are the younger set. They feel younger and have a more difficult time fitting in. This is especially true with boys. If you feel that your child isn't ready then as someone else said, it's a no brainer. Don't listen to all the static about, well this isn't fair to MY child. There will always be "those" parents who want to blame their child having a difficult time in school on some one else. You need to only do whats best for your child, and it sounds like you have a good understanding of what your child needs. I wish him the best of luck

Here goes:
My DD was academically and socially ready at 4 turning 5 to be in K, but we chose to respect the rulse of the school and not challenge them to send her early. She likely COULD have done the work, and i would have liked to have given her the chance. She is doning fine in K this year, but is a little bored. We deal with it. The kids in her class that turned 7 early in the year should have been in K last year as some of the oldrst children in the class already. They likely would have been in the same situation as my DD this year, a little bored but ok. Their parents chose to wait another year, and now they are totally developmentally unsiuted to the class that they are in. THAT is my problem, not who is older or yonger or where my DD's age fits in the mix, but the fact that having a 2 year age span in one classroom means that someone, and that would be either the oldest or the youngest, is just not going to get what they need. Trying to fix that means that the teacher cannot do as much as she would like with the other children. If the age span in K were narrowed to only a 12 month window and no more there would be fewer children way ahead or way behind the others. I could care less wether DD si oldest youngest or somewhere in the middle, I just wish that all of the kids in the class were closer to the same age. It would eliminate so many of the problems I am seeing with trying to teach so many different ages and ability levels in one room.

 

[princessmom29]

I have never seen the majority of kids red shirted. It's usually one or two. It's seems silly to exaggerate it to "the majority" when thats just not even close to reality. You can play the "what if" game if you want, but thats just not what we see.
I'm sorry, but from someone who has been teaching elementary school kids for the last 14 years, I can promise you that red shirting isn't having this profound effect on the bell curve that you seem to think it is. For the most part that child or two that have waited to start K with the other kids, IS performing at the same speed as the other kids. Which is why they waited in the first place.

It isa 50/50 split in DD's class. 5 out of 15 were 6 before September 1, which is the cutoff. MY DD and 2 others turned 6 in october, and all but 2 children were 6 before christmas with 2 turning 7 before christmas. The majority of kids redshirting is becoming a huge issue in private schools here. The curriclum most schools are using is designed to meet the needs of 5 year olds, not 6 year olds. The teachers are having to go outside the curriclum for more and more of their material because what they have is inadequate.

I have heard some peole say that they redshirt because we shouldn't be pushing kids to read at 5. A generation ago everyone learned in first grade at 6. What teachersa are finding however is that after 2-3 years or more of preschool the 6 year olds they are getting in K are more than ready for the material and they are having to find new stuff to keep them engaged.

 

[hmacmahony]

I was so going to stay out of this, I really was. We leave in a few hours for the happiest place on earth...but
I have to call you out.
There is NO WAY YOU WOULD sacrifice your child for the good of the whole, if you really felt they needed an extra year! NO WAY!! And for you to claim you would is just plain silly.
I think every teacher would be thrilled if the parents concentrated SOLELY on their childs needs, thats MY concern....MY CHILD!!! I don't really give a darn how the rest of the class does, I care about MY child, and HER future.
I have said it a million times WE HAVE NEVER TALKED TO A TEACHER WHO SAID 'REDSHIRTING" is bad...EVER!! And we did extensive research on this topic.
And, you can find evidence for anything you want.
We found much evidence to show that the younger a child is when they start K, the more likely they are to drop out, to do drugs, to drink, have sex, not go onto college, even suicide.
I understand the way statistics work, I understand with the internet you can find sites to back up anything you want, so in the end we went with real life experience. Once again, not a single teacher we talked to had a bad thing to say about redshirting, all were very pro redshirting!! As a matter of fact, most teachers said they wished MORE parents would do this, because our kindergarten is VERY academic, and many young kids just can't keep up with the program.
If my child has had the same amount of preschool as your child, just because their birthday is a few weeks before the cutoff, how does that make them so much more ahead???? Most parents who redshirt, know this before they even start kindergarten, and they adjust preschool as well.
Glad your kid is doing fine, find it amazing YOU would find a way to solve her problems by whatever it takes. BUT WHEN people solve their problems, and its NOT the way you think it should be solved, you complain that its unfair to YOUR child, and we weren't thinking about the good of the class.

Oh, and I have pointed out this as well, our state is CHANGING the cutoff date, so kids MUST be 5 when school starts (sept 1 will be the new cutoff). So, as far as I am concerned, my redshirting MY kids is 100% valid, considering the state feels the same way I do.

WOW - Can I just say that as one of "those" parents I am surprised by this as a teacher's viewpoint....One of my main reasons I am against it is for the teacher's sake. I honestly think that in some cases it is too much to ask a teacher to handle 4 year old 'still learning their letters' kids along with 6 year old already reading kids in the same classroom with parents insisting on them recieiving 1st and 2nd grade work since the K curriculum is too easy for them.

My dd is doing fine in school and not having a difficult time at all. And if she was - I would find a way to solve that issue whatever it takes.

I guess in your classroom you'd be happier if every parent concentrated SOLELY on their own child's needs and constantly pulled you in their kids direction instead of, as some of us think, the greater good and fairness of the whole classroom (teacher included) being considered.

Almost makes me want to throw in the towel and become unopinionated on this topic. If a teacher can't see a bunch of 'would be 1st graders' negatively affecting a child on the low end and wanting to help every child in that classroom to have the same chance, then I guess I shouldn't want to either.

 

[jellybeans0607]

It isa 50/50 split in DD's class. 5 out of 15 were 6 before September 1, which is the cutoff. MY DD and 2 others turned 6 in october, and all but 2 children were 6 before christmas with 2 turning 7 before christmas. The majority of kids redshirting is becoming a huge issue in private schools here. The curriclum most schools are using is designed to meet the needs of 5 year olds, not 6 year olds. The teachers are having to go outside the curriclum for more and more of their material because what they have is inadequate.

I have heard some peole say that they redshirt because we shouldn't be pushing kids to read at 5. A generation ago everyone learned in first grade at 6. What teachersa are finding however is that after 2-3 years or more of preschool the 6 year olds they are getting in K are more than ready for the material and they are having to find new stuff to keep them engaged.

I hate to correct your math but 2 kids out of 15 being older then the rest of the class is no where near 50% of the class. As you've said the rest of the class has already turned 6, so the rest are all the same age group.
I do find it quite interesting that you know all the birthdays of the kids in your daughters class. You must spend a lot of time asking questions.

I have never heard that as a reason to red shirt, and I've been doing this for 14 years.In those 14years I have yet to have a student come through my doors with complete knowledge of the years material. Even those that could read already got something out of their time with me. I never had to struggle to keep them engaged. But, on the other hand the kids that are a year younger then the rest do have a problem staying engaged because they aren't ready.

 

[princessmom29]

I was so going to stay out of this, I really was. We leave in a few hours for the happiest place on earth...but
I have to call you out.
There is NO WAY YOU WOULD sacrifice your child for the good of the whole, if you really felt they needed an extra year! NO WAY!! And for you to claim you would is just plain silly.
I think every teacher would be thrilled if the parents concentrated SOLELY on their childs needs, thats MY concern....MY CHILD!!! I don't really give a darn how the rest of the class does, I care about MY child, and HER future.
I have said it a million times WE HAVE NEVER TALKED TO A TEACHER WHO SAID 'REDSHIRTING" is bad...EVER!! And we did extensive research on this topic.
And, you can find evidence for anything you want.
We found much evidence to show that the younger a child is when they start K, the more likely they are to drop out, to do drugs, to drink, have sex, not go onto college, even suicide.
I understand the way statistics work, I understand with the internet you can find sites to back up anything you want, so in the end we went with real life experience. Once again, not a single teacher we talked to had a bad thing to say about redshirting, all were very pro redshirting!! As a matter of fact, most teachers said they wished MORE parents would do this, because our kindergarten is VERY academic, and many young kids just can't keep up with the program.
If my child has had the same amount of preschool as your child, just because their birthday is a few weeks before the cutoff, how does that make them so much more ahead???? Most parents who redshirt, know this before they even start kindergarten, and they adjust preschool as well.
Glad your kid is doing fine, find it amazing YOU would find a way to solve her problems by whatever it takes. BUT WHEN people solve their problems, and its NOT the way you think it should be solved, you complain that its unfair to YOUR child, and we weren't thinking about the good of the class.

Oh, and I have pointed out this as well, our state is CHANGING the cutoff date, so kids MUST be 5 when school starts (sept 1 will be the new cutoff). So, as far as I am concerned, my redshirting MY kids is 100% valid, considering the state feels the same way I do.

I am a teacher who HATES the idea of redshirting, and I am not alone. DD's school is moving to solve this problem by making all kids whose parents want to redshirt come in and take the readiness test. If they pass and the parents choose not to send them on time, then they need to find anotherschool to send them to. This is being done because the K TEACHERS say that it is a problem, not because of parents. Apparently they think a 7 year old in K is a bad idea too.

I think it is selfish for a parent to not even consider that you are creating a huge set of problems for everyone else by holding your child back, and I think having that attitude sends the message to children that they are more important than everyone else and only their needs matter. I am trying to teach my DD just the opposite. We care about EVEYONE around us and how our actions effect them. For me it is part of being a good citizen, and something I want to teach DD to emulate. I don't find it hard to believe at all that a parent would consider what is best for the whole group when deciding placement for thier child. It is what we did, and apparently what others are doing as well. Just becuase YOU didn't consider it doesn't mean no one would. I want DD to enjoy school, and fit in with her friends as well. The fact that she is not vastly different in age helps with that as well, and factored nito our decision not to challenge the cutoff. We did what we felt was fair for everyone involved, including DD. I just cannot stomach taking the attitude that my child is the only thing that matters, and to h**l with what everyone else needs. It is just not in my nature to think that way. I would feel guilty everytime I looked at the other children in that class if I had pushed my DD ahead and it ended up causing them to get less.

 

[princessmom29]

I hate to correct your math but 2 kids out of 15 being older then the rest of the class is no where near 50% of the class. As you've said the rest of the class has already turned 6, so the rest are all the same age group.
I do find it quite interesting that you know all the birthdays of the kids in your daughters class. You must spend a lot of time asking questions.

I have never heard that as a reason to red shirt, and I've been doing this for 14 years.In those 14years I have yet to have a student come through my doors with complete knowledge of the years material. Even those that could read already got something out of their time with me. I never had to struggle to keep them engaged. But, on the other hand the kids that are a year younger then the rest do have a problem staying engaged because they aren't ready.

50% of the class could have been in K last year according to the cutoff, so 50% were redshirted. Most of those were only redshirted one year so they turned six either just before school started or Between Ag 5th when we started and the sept 1 cutoff. They were all close to the same age because so many parents kept them back. 2 of them sat out 2 years. We had 2 7 year olds and 2 5 year olds in March. Surely you can see how that would be an issue? The birthdays are posted on a huge timeline in the room, so everyone sees them everytime we go into the room. They use it as part of thier calendar lesson. It would be hard to spend any time at all in the clasroom and not know the kids birthday month, plus we were invited to 13 out of 15 parties. Mabye it is a curriclium difference, because what our K teachers are seeing is just the opposite. The young ones do just fine, but the older ones get bored and start acting out. Anyone who can already read is bored for the first quater at least because those who can read typically know numbers to 100, the value of money, and most of the other material coverds first quarter. The point I am trying to make is that there shouldn't be sucvh a large gap between the 2 5 year olds and the 2 7 year olds in the class. Either move the cutoff up to 6 before sept 1, or don't allow redshirting at all to eliminate the gap. If you just move the cutoff up there will still be parents who want "one more year" so it will never completely eliminate the problem. That is what I say not allowing redshirting is the better solution to correct the problem. Until you stop allowing it, there will be people who abuse the system because what they want for thier child is more important than what is good for the whole.

 

[jellybeans0607]

I am a teacher who HATES the idea of redshirting, and I am not alone. DD's school is moving to solve this problem by making all kids whose parents want to redshirt come in and take the readiness test. If they pass and the parents choose not to send them on time, then they need to find anotherschool to send them to. This is being done because the K TEACHERS say that it is a problem, not because of parents. Apparently they think a 7 year old in K is a bad idea too.

I think it is selfish for a parent to not even consider that you are creating a huge set of problems for everyone else by holding your child back, and I think having that attitude sends the message to children that they are more important than everyone else and only their needs matter. I am trying to teach my DD just the opposite. We care about EVEYONE around us and how our actions effect them. For me it is part of being a good citizen, and something I want to teach DD to emulate. I don't find it hard to believe at all that a parent would consider what is best for the whole group when deciding placement for thier child. It is what we did, and apparently what others are doing as well. Just becuase YOU didn't consider it doesn't mean no one would. I want DD to enjoy school, and fit in with her friends as well. The fact that she is not vastly different in age helps with that as well, and factored nito our decision not to challenge the cutoff. We did what we felt was fair for everyone involved, including DD. I just cannot stomach taking the attitude that my child is the only thing that matters, and to h**l with what everyone else needs. It is just not in my nature to think that way. I would feel guilty everytime I looked at the other children in that class if I had pushed my DD ahead and it ended up causing them to get less.

Does your child go to a public school? Because if she does your school can not legally do that. The school actually has absolutely no right to force kids, not yet in school, to come in for testing. There are laws that enforce kids to be in school already in place.
You are the only teacher I have met, though you don't really count because I don't really know you, who is so against red shirting. I also find your reasoning to be quite odd and it makes me wonder your actual intentions on this thread.
You do need to focus solely on your child education. I'm sorry but this "I do whats best for everyone" is not going to get your child very far. Which is why we have AP classes, we know that each child needs to get the most out of themselves and not be held back by a classroom.
I am surprised that as a teacher yourself you hold the opinion that kids learn as a whole. They don't, each child is learning at their own pace with in the classroom. Each parent should also be teaching their child at home, which is completely individualized and shows no regard for the rest of the class. I have to say I am left perplexed by your attitude that your child should be held back by her class because that is whats best for them.
What do you teach and how long have you been teaching?