Ok so I may be crazy here, but Mikenna is in Kindergarten and I think she should be in first grade. She is smart, she is social, she can read, write, knows her colors, letters, days of the week, months, etc. Seriously? Isn't that what you learn in Kindergarten?
Maybe it is my fault. I put her in preschool almost a year early (technically not, because she is 5 days off the cut off) and so she had 2 years of preschool, 1 year of early learner and NOW she is kindergarten. How many years can one child repeat the same thing?
I don't know what to do. Do I call the teacher? Am I too late? How do I get her tested and do I really want to subject her to testing just to get her into a grade higher? Am I doing this for her or for me?
When I talked to the person who was testing for Kindergarten readiness last year, I received the patronizing answer that if they felt she was ready then they would have sent her, if they feel she is ready in Kindergarten class they will move her up, it will be to her advantage that she is older than the other kids, she will be smarter... blah blah blah. I was the youngest. I survived. I took AP classes. I thought I was smart. (little did I know :)) I am just frustrated.
I don't feel like she will "learn" anything this year and seriously how many times does she need to learn the SAME thing. She has the same reading and math books this year that she did last year. She ALREADY did the work. While I appreciate the option to send kids who just miss the cut off to school, I really think they should CHANGE the curriculum instead of having them REPEAT it AGAIN.
I am fit to be tied. I just don't know what to do.... Last year I didn't have it in my to fight it and this year I am regretting that I didn't.
10 comments:
It's not too late. Brad's sister Amy had this same decision, and in the end, she talked to the principal and the teacher and her son was promoted about a month into kindergarten. It's not too late.
And, by the way, this year (fifth grade--supposed to be fourth) he tested into ELP, so that argument about being smarter and older just doesn't fly.
All parents think their kids are smart, but sometimes it really is in their best interest to be promoted. You're her mom and you know her best. Fight if you think you should. I've found very few others in the school system will.
Good luck!
Here's our story with that:
Rachel missed the cut off by 11 days. I was told that she couldn't skip kindergarten (although in Utah it wasn't legally required) but when she started 1st grade, she could skip to 2nd.
I got the same patronizing answer. I was also told that I could insist that they test my child (because really, are they really LOOKING for K-ers who are ready for 1st grade?) but that they didn't test until 1st grade for 2nd grade readiness.
I would think you could insist, if they let you skip kindergarten in Arizona.
I didn't have the fight in me (don't know if you know Daniel's story) at that time for Rachel, so I just left her where she was. And, really, she had already repeated stuff already, I felt like the boredom had been done and she would enjoy 1st grade.
Now that she is turning EIGHTEEN in a week and she is a Senior in High School I am so glad that she is still home. She's had fun dating more of her high school years and driving more of them (I've been glad since we've always had early morning Seminary.)
Maybe that's a little selfish of me, but when she is gone to her life, she will never be back the same and it nice to have her here one more year. One more year in the shelter of the home and family before taking on the big scary world.
Kids can take college classes in high school - most states even let you get an associates degree at the same time so she can get ahead that way.
I have two friends with children the same age and we all are glad that we didn't push them through to skip the grade, even though they could have done it socially, emotionally, and academically.
Oh, my brother Jon skipped kindergarten - the teacher was sending him to the library every morning to do reports because he knew it all AND he was disruptive. He has HORRIBLE penmanship, but he's a Dr now so who cares, right? My sister took kindergarten twice, she was the youngest.
Maybe get her in a charter school where they are more flexable to put them where they need to be. It also depends on the teacher. I had the same issue with Kyle and they told me they didn't really do anything until 1st grade. He had a really good teacher and when she gave the class a word to write she would give Kyle a sentence. She would send home harder books and do all she could. He just started first grade and I'm waiting for all the testing. I don't want him to move up because he is already so small. He goes to Eduprize a charter school which I love. And they only move the kids up in the areas they need (reading, math, ect). But they stay at their grade level. It is a hard decision and what ever you choose will work out. Good luck!
Oh yeah, what Cara said reminded me that my brother, Jason, had his daughter go to other classes above her grade level to meet her education needs.
Don't worry, I've only got one more brother and he doesn't have any kids... so I'm done.
I am there with Brit! My birthday is Dec. 13th and I started school at 4 years of age, and I was still bored. I can't imagine being held back (it gave me a bias), but every child is different. My eldest daughter's birthday is Sept 14th she started early (she could read, etc) and has always done well (she is now in 11th grade)! My youngest daughter's birthday is Nov. 25th (in Arizona that was pushing it), but like yours she had already completed "Pre-K" and other preschool classes for the previous two years and was chompin' at the bit to go to school. She could read, do math and was super social, so eventhough I did get the she will do better if she is the oldest speech - I had her tested and she started early. She still was bored in kindergarten. I actually had problems with her because she started to view school as a social thing only. She was not being challenged enough. I can't imagine if I had held her back. She has always tested in the top percentage nationwide and socially is a butterfly. She is now going into 8th grade - no regrets...
You are your child's advocate! Of course the schools want us to hold our children back. Think about it, if you have kids that should be in 3rd grade in 2nd (and so forth) think about their standardized test scores.... That is my two-cents, and remember I did warn you that I am biased...
Good luck to you! (:
Love, Tamara
Hey Britt,
This is a basic list of questions that Mikenna should be able to complete well in order to be ready for 1st grade. My suggestion... try her out, see if she can do all of these, then, talk to the principal and get permission for you and her to sit in a first grade classroom at her school for an entire day (if they aren't too excited about that, let me know, and I can ask Mike who to call to pull the right strings). After that, ask Mikenna what she thought and get a feel from her. If she's up for the challenge and totally excited about the idea, I say go for it, do all you can to make sure it happens. If she is more content where she's at, I say let her stay and be top notch brilliant.
1. Does your child know the entire alphabet, along with all the accompanying sounds in capital and lowercase?
2. Does your child read two and three letter words easily?
3. Does your child count from 1 to 100 and back down from 100 to 1?
4. Does your child understand, create, and identify simple patterns?
5. Does your child write his/her first and last name?
6. Does your child write simple sentences, such as "The cat is fat"?
7. Does your child write all 26 letters in capital and lowercase? (Note: They don't have to be perfectly neat, just legible and not upside down or backwards)
8. Does your child recognize and identify all of the basic colors
9. Does your child skip count by 2's, 5's, and 10's up to at least 100? (2,4,6,8...and 5,10,15,20...)
10. Does your child write all of the numbers between 1 and 100?
11. Does your child know basic word families? (at, bat, cat, fat go together & an, ban, can, Dan, fan go together)
12. Does your child recognize and identify basic shapes?
13. Does your child recognize and identify basic coins (dollar coin, 50 cent piece, quarter, dime, and nickel) and their value?
14. Does your child know the difference between consonants and vowels?
15. Does your child understand comparisons/opposites? (greater than/less than, hot/cold, shorter/taller...)
16. Does your child know that sentences start with a capital letter?
17. Does your child know that sentences end with a period?
18. Does your child know that questions end with a question mark?
19. Does your child tell time on the hour and half hour?
20. Does your child understand and recognize rhyming words?
21. Does your child recognize and understand one-half?
22. Does your child speak in complete sentences?
23. Does your child mark vowels in a word or sentence if asked?
24. Does your child complete assignments based on oral direction? (draw a red line over the cat, circle the blue monkey...)
25. Does your child read months and days on a calendar?
Here's my two cents. JJ did pre-k and then kindergarten as well. Personally with my boys I have found that my battles are better spent insisting on good teachers who will provide enrichment activities that push them and keep them excited about learning regardless of the grade level. I liked the post above about the teacher that expected a sentence from her child rather than just a word. That is what you need. Meet with the teacher and principal, tell them your concerns and don't back down until you get what you need. It took testing JJ for ELP as a Kindergartener for them to start to take me seriously at Field, but hopefully you can just take in the list from Amy R and convince them they need to take action. You could always switch her to Ricky's class at Highland :) Good luck and I really know how you feel.
I think you should just leave in Kindergarten with her peers and relax. She will be fine unless you convince her that she is too smart for "that class".
I'm sure she is smart and social, we parents all think that about our children. I'm sure her teacher will challenge her and let her work to her capacity. Why be in such a hurry to make her grow up????
Deann
Britt-
When I approached our 1st grade teacher about what to do with Reagan after she sat in her kinder class COMPLETELY bored (I was thinking about skipping her to 2nd), and she told me that there is jumping to the next skill or going deeper in the skills. I took her word for it and she was Reagan's first and now 2nd grade teacher. She has done a great job and challenging her in little ways yet keeping her level headed and not making her think she is the Queen Bee (like her kinder teacher had done). I would sit down with the teacher and the principal and voice your concerns.
As a teacher, it's not too late. In fact, it's perfect timing. You can request that the 1st grade teacher observe her, and "test" her if necessary. I'm sure that the 1st grade teacher will find that she'll fit perfectly into first grade! Best of luck!
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