Kindergartener immature

[phonelady61]

In my opinion this teacher is making a big deal out of nothing , how long has she had contact with your daughter ? does she have any of her own children ? yes having your own children does make a difference with teaching . When my son was about 5 yrs old and in kindergarten I overheard his teacher raising her voice and stating " I said left ", left darnit " , left " well I got upset and asked her at 5 yrs old did you know your left from right ? I think not . I think some teachers expect too much out of 5 yr olds and don't realize that they are only 5 and 6 yrs old and many are older and no longer have patience for some younger ones so Im saying you should probably investigate this matter a little farther is all . again just my opinion.

[Oldhag1]

Originally Posted by Spazkat9696

Yep, people call it red shirting. Only its school not sports. It's to give their kids a better chance later in school because they are more mature and able to handle more advanced concepts. Plus kids grow up so fast why rush them?

I think you see more of this now than in the past because it is needed more now. We have made the early years of education much more academic than in the past. If you compare the curriculum in kindergarten and the early primary years between now and 20-30 years ago, you will notice that everything has shifted 1-2 years earlier. Nobody explained to the kids that they were supposed to develop eariler. A child can not learn to read until they are developmentally ready. Nor can they sit or stay focused for long periods of time until they are ready. Just because some children can do it eariler doesn't mean they all can.

I personally think this eariler academic shift was a mistake, and is among the reasons more kids are being labeled special education. Just like trying to potty train a child before they are developmentally ready takes longer, is frustrationing for all involved, and can lead to long term issues that probably wouldn't have happened if the parent just waited, the same is true for academic skills. Kids have developmental windows when learning something is optimal and missing them, whether it is early or late, makes acquiring that skill more difficult. But since the educational establishment isn't to change, parents need to do what is right for their own child. In more cases than it happens, that means holding the child back.

[krmb]

Originally Posted by Oldhag1

I think you see more of this now than in the past because it is needed more now. We have made the early years of education much more academic than in the past. If you compare the curriculum in kindergarten and the early primary years between now and 20-30 years ago, you will notice that everything has shifted 1-2 years earlier. Nobody explained to the kids that they were supposed to develop eariler. A child can not learn to read until they are developmentally ready. Nor can they sit or stay focused for long periods of time until they are ready. Just because some children can do it eariler doesn't mean they all can.

I personally think this eariler academic shift was a mistake, and is among the reasons more kids are being labeled special education. Just like trying to potty train a child before they are developmentally ready takes longer, is frustrationing for all involved, and can lead to long term issues that probably wouldn't have happened if the parent just waited, the same is true for academic skills. Kids have developmental windows when learning something is optimal and missing them, whether it is early or late, makes acquiring that skill more difficult. But since the educational establishment isn't to change, parents need to do what is right for their own child. In more cases than it happens, that means holding the child back.

I agree. I usually work with kids who have progressed to middle school and high school. Many of them have reading comprehension and writing issues. I think this earlier shift is to blame. Kids aren't deficient if they just need a little more time. We aren't giving it to them, though. The more I observe, the more I worry. It feels like America has gutted the modern education system, for the most part, by replacing teacher training with study of theories disconnected from the classroom, eliminating the possibility for meaningful mentorships by plaguing teachers with the stress of high stakes testing and getting children ready to meet standards that they are not developmentally ready for, and subjecting children to rigid testing that sucks the curiosity and fun out of learning. Oh, what have we done to the American public education system, and can't we protest to bring things back to normal?

[CHAIN5]

Some food for thought here as I consider whether to keep my youngest home for one more year...

There was actually an article recently discussing people keeping their kids out one more year to give them an advantage in sports. Just to add that thought.

---

I was wondering if the OP's child is in a half or full day kindergarten program. Although understandable in this day and age, I really don't like full day kindergarten. It's just too much intensity for such young children, imo.

Here are some of my thoughts, they may piggyback on what others have said.
- Kindergarten, imo, is one of the most important school years. It is setting the stage for their entire school careers. Children can have a wonderful experience and anticipate the following year(s) with excitement, or they can have a terrible experience that affects them for years afterwards (maybe their whole school careers). First and foremost, kindergarten should be a time to make learning fun, so that students will want to continue. If your kid is having fun and wants to keep learning, leave her in. If she's coming home in tears every day and/or getting in trouble all the time, consider pulling her out and waiting until next year to start again.

Is she "aware" that the teacher is addressing "issues" with you - or is it mostly behind the scenes stuff between you and the teacher? Try not to involve her directly into all that drama. And, I guess I'm confused about what she's apologizing for exactly - for acting her age? That's not to say it's never appropriate to apologize, but not every occasion warrants it.

- Homework in elementary school can be a pretty controversial topic. If homework is assigned, the "official" recommendation by experts is 10 minutes per grade (they're counting that from 1st grade), so, 10 minutes in 1st grade, 40 minutes in 4th grade, etc. - you get my meaning. Not an hour.

This might not apply to your situation, but in my children's school, many of the teachers are young without kids of their own. Sometimes I think they don't realize how exhausted or unproductive young kids can be in the evening hours at home. It's up to parents to keep connected with the teachers, don't just assume the teacher knows because "they're teachers" - some things have to be experienced to attain full understanding.

The National PTA recommendations fall in line with general guidelines
suggested by researcher Harris Cooper: 10-20 minutes per night in the first
grade, and an additional 10 minutes per grade level thereafter (e.g., 20 minutes
for second grade, 120 minutes for twelfth). High school students may sometimes
do more, depending on what classes they take (see Review of Educational
Research, 2006).

NEA - Research Spotlight on Homework

Hints to Help Reduce Homework Stress - National PTA


- People have mentioned kids reacting differently with a parent in the classroom. There's a little of that, but it usually calms down fairly quickly, in my experience. Of course, teachers can act differently, too. So, you may not be seeing how a teacher normally handles a variety of situations.

- As for volunteering, there are some teachers who might like "regular" volunteers (if that's doable for you). An art teacher, for example, may welcome your help every week, and gives you more of an opportunity to see what's going on with your child, her class, different teachers, the school, etc. Plus, working with another teacher, you'll get another perspective from someone who actually sees your child fairly often (more than the principal, I hope ). Not every school allows this, but if they do, it is well worth the time. Other places you might volunteer are in the lunchroom, mystery reading, field trips, etc.

Hope your school year will start progressing more smoothly. Keep us updated.

[CHAIN5]

Originally Posted by kmb501

I agree. I usually work with kids who have progressed to middle school and high school. Many of them have reading comprehension and writing issues. I think this earlier shift is to blame. Kids aren't deficient if they just need a little more time. We aren't giving it to them, though. The more I observe, the more I worry. It feels like America has gutted the modern education system, for the most part, by replacing teacher training with study of theories disconnected from the classroom, eliminating the possibility for meaningful mentorships by plaguing teachers with the stress of high stakes testing and getting children ready to meet standards that they are not developmentally ready for, and subjecting children to rigid testing that sucks the curiosity and fun out of learning. Oh, what have we done to the American public education system, and can't we protest to bring things back to normal?

I think it's doable, but it requires parents willing to stand up and say "enough". The issue there is that some parents are driving themselves and everyone into a frenzy to intensify everything, while others could care less than less. Not enough people in the middle are speaking up.

Also, kids need recess. They need it. And band/choir, and other extracurricular activities. And time with their families. Time for chores. Time for doing nothing.

Some days I feel like we're setting them up to become automatons for big corporations.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Mach50

The maturity thing is real, my daughter was an older Kindergartner (5 -3/4 yr @ start) and there is a huge difference between her listening/comprehension vs. a new 5.. not always but most of the time. Out of 23 kids in her KG last year about 4 of the younger ones were held back another year.

I think you should be open minded and be prepared to listen(not argue) with the school, it might be in your best interest to think about holding her back for her development.

Also I think 1hour of homework in KG is insane for a new 5 year old. We go to a 10/10 school here in Denver and have about 30min in 1st grade.

Seriously, 4 parents let the school FAIL a kindergartner?

[Oldhag1]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

Seriously, 4 parents let the school FAIL a kindergartner?

No. Four parents most likely agreed that their child was struggling, most likely because they were younger than the average child, and recognized that there is a difference between failure and not being ready.

[toobusytoday]

I think one solution to kindergarten and it's increased rigor is to make it full day, and NOT make that a full day of academics. I have two friends that are kindergarten teachers and one, in the local public, constantly talks of how her curriculum has changed from one of learning through play to fast paced desk learning so the kids will be prepared for a test. This contrasts with my other friend who teaches in a parochial school, full day kindergarten. She said that what she found to be the biggest difference was that she feels that she gets a full day of learning in each day. I hadn't thought of that until I asked her about it. Our school district is just starting to think about full day kindergarten.

[Spazkat9696]

Any updates from the OP?