Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
For me, it was the middle 70's. In high school, we could choose our own electives...sophomores, juniors, and seniors could be together taking the same class.
Yup, and we could leave school for lunch if we wanted to,all so my school had a smoking patio
As far as redshirting goes, I spent several years working in kindergarten. With how intense kindergarten is now, I simply wish most schools would push back the starting age so most kids were closer to 6 than 5. If we expect kindergarteners to sit in a classroom all day (even if that includes constant movement, changing of activities, free play time, etc.) learning we need to realize that while 5 year olds are certainly bright enough to learn how to read, write, add and subtract many are simply not mature enough for the standards set for most kindergarten classroom. (I'm not saying all, but many are.) I don't think redshirting should exist because I believe we either need to relax the standards we hold these kids too or increase the age at which they begin at school.
I totally agree with this. At least some parents redshirt because the standards have changed. They know their kids aren't ready so they wait.
At least some parents redshirt because the standards have changed. They know their kids aren't ready so they wait.
Possibly. Our youngest was in kindergarten over two decades ago, and due to advice from her teacher later that she was emotionally less mature than her classmates—she was barely 5 when school started--we agreed to have her retained her for a second year of kindergarten. The next year, she was the same age as many of the older students. I recall a couple of mothers asking me, "If she was that young, why didn’t you just hold her out a year?" My weak answer was that she had passed the kindergarten readiness test that the school required. We had no idea that people held their kids out. I don’t believe I'd ever heard the term "redshirting" back then.
Yup, and we could leave school for lunch if we wanted to,all so my school had a smoking patio
Our school also had an area where students were allowed to smoke, too (with a note from parent). A lot of the kids who didn't have permission smoked there, too, and it was basically overlooked.
Our "activity" bus driver allowed smoking as well. The activity bus dropped kids off after after-school extracurricular activities (or detention). He just asked students to smoke in the back of the bus, and clean up their butts afterwards. He kept an empty coffee can back there.
This back and forth on thread is hilarious. Different strokes people; there isnt one answer to this issue.
I was a young-for-grade student due to skipping and did well but looking back.... I probably would have been fine with kids my age had I been given me extra work/ allowed me to skip ahead curriculum-wise. That was too much logistics for my school so they just bumped me up.
My kid is in a school where the norm is that at least 20% of kids at any grade level (college prep private school) are majorly red-shirted.(Kids with anywhere from spring to summer birthdays).
This is so normal in the private school circles in fact that some schools, rarely admit a young-for-grade kid (meaning summer birthday) no matter how highly they score on aptitude tests.
Maturity is a BIG thing for these schools and (especially in elementary/middle school grades) being younger for the grade ordinarily works against an applicant to the school. The end result is that the majority of the younger kids at any grade in these schools will be somewhere between the middle to older kids in public school.
Most of the parents have no trouble paying for an extra year or pre-school/ kinder so there’s almost no objection to this practice and it has existed for decades now.
Oldest grandson met with the elementary principal for an interview and testing. She was impressed with his sentence structure and vocabulary at only the age of 4 and a few months. She administered testing, of which he blew through to enter Kindergarten. Next, they require he have a 3 hour battery of psychological testing. He's doing that next month. The principal agrees he does not need preschool at this point.
He's reading and writing at a first grade level (and is doing second grade math). DD hired a college student majoring in elementary education to work with him twice a week. He's learning to play chess and also takes piano lessons. The only thing lacking in his curriculum is TV. He's allowed very, very little TV (unless it's a special family oriented movie they all watch together). If he passes an academic "milestone" (counting to 200, learning the 2 and 3 times tables), he gets a prize, usually a Lego set. He types out simple sentences on his computer (they got him a real computer for academics only, no games allowed on it).
When I babysit (I spend a great deal of time with him), I'm supposed to incorporate some education into what we do...but we just play. The sillier play the better...and lots of it playing outside (I taught him to make and throw water balloons, and snow balls). I think water balloons and snow balls are an important life skill. This summer we're going to the park at least twice a week to play with other kids.
DD is balking at the idea of sending him to school at all. She thinks it will "hold him back", he'll learn "bad habits" (aka acting like a boy), and wants to home school him. I disagree...I think he needs the socialization. Son-in-law (his dad) agrees with me, that he needs the school experience...but he also wants him to achieve his full potential. I know they want to give him advantages, but I think DD is pushing him just a little too hard. I'm watching the "Big Bang Theory" and seeing him in 20 years.
Last edited by Mrs. Skeffington; 04-17-2018 at 01:00 PM..
DD is balking at the idea of sending him to school at all. She thinks it will "hold him back", he'll learn "bad habits", and wants to home school him. I disagree...I think he needs the socialization. And I think she's pushing him just a little too hard.
Why don't you ask her what social activities she is planning for him? A child doesn't need to attend a school for a certain number of hours every day in order to be involved with other kids. There are other outlets. Will he participate in sports? Cub Scouts? A homeschooling group? Playdates with neighbor kids?
If she's planning to keep him completely away from other children, then that is a problem.
Why don't you ask her what social activities she is planning for him? A child doesn't need to attend a school for a certain number of hours every day in order to be involved with other kids. There are other outlets. Will he participate in sports? Cub Scouts? A homeschooling group? Playdates with neighbor kids?
If she's planning to keep him completely away from other children, then that is a problem.
They live in a rural area...no kids his age in the vicinity (trust me, I've searched...looked for any signs like a swing set). She's investigated a possible local homeschooling group...but found the group staunchly Christian oriented (she and her DH are atheists and are raising their kids as such). She's signed him up for soccer next month, maybe he'll like that. He currently takes swimming lessons every Saturday with a group of kids, which he enjoys.
He doesn't stay home all day...but his social world is her business (where she takes him and his one year old brother everyday). He interacts with her employees and customers constantly...only he's exposed to very few kids.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
