Did you repeat K for your 5 yo boy?

[Aludlam]

You're homeschooling. You don't have to repeat "grade levels."

 

My very strong recommendation is to refer to your ds as a first grader in the fall, but to work with him according to his academic ability. Unless he has some actual learning disabilities, he will catch up--whatever that means--and when he does, you won't then have to figure out how to skip a grade to put him where he "should" be.

 

:iagree:

[KrissiK]

We really messed things up in our family. My boys are 9 months apart and I was very anxious to start homeschooling when they were young, so I started them on the A Beka K4 program when DS1 was 4 and DS2 was 3. Actually, they both did very well. We continued through K5 program together DS2 had trouble with handwriting so I didn't push him there. So, now, here we are DS1 is 7 having successfully completed A Beka's 1st grade program. DS2 (6 years old) is reading like a second grader, but he just floundered the first week of first grade math, so I dropped that and bought him a K math book from Costco and we did that all year, plus other things I could dig up for him. I guess you could say he repeated Kindergarten, because he was really a kindergartner age-wise last year, but he's reading at least a grade level or 2 ahead. We put him in VBS at my mom's church this summer and called him a first grader when we registered so he'd be in class with kids his age.

[Lovedtodeath]

I vote other. :) We did a combo of K/1st and 1st/2nd with no pressure and now with summer school we are on track for 3rd anyway... so I would do a combo of K/1st, maybe adding a little in January. This applies to my very wiggly immature girl, with some special needs rather than a boy.

 

Also keep in mind that things aren't set in stone. I started out in K late but was able to skip a grade later.

[jlcejb6]

After reading everyones comments we decided not to "re-do" K. My ds turned six in March and I feel much happier with what we have chosen now. We will just drop a couple of books that we feel are inappropriate for his age and supplementing with others! Thanks for the op for asking this question. Its been a big help to us too!:001_smile:

[Medieval Mom]

FWIW, I have never heard anyone regret holding their son back a year.

 

I have heard many, esp. in ps. The boys were bored, so they either acted up or gave up, getting behind in their subjects or having major behavioral problems. By the time the expectations in the classroom are higher, the boys have completely lost interest and end up behind. Just because a boy is squiggly, doesn't mean he isn't ready to learn. Didn't the first chapter in TWTM share a similar story about S's brother?

 

As I mentioned before, many boys/men have lived with the thought that their mothers had so little confidence in them that they had to REPEAT KINDERGARTEN! A man told me, "Who has to repeat K? My mom must have thought I was a complete idiot! I hated always being the big dummy in my class." :confused: I am NOT saying this is true, I am just sharing what he thought/thinks. It's not always fun being the eldest in your group, or having to correct strangers every week who innocently ask what grade you're in, either.

 

Obviously, all these issues are lessened by homeschooling. But I truly don't see the advantage of red-shirting. Teach the child where they are. What is so rigorous about 1st grade that the average boy couldn't handle? There are some VERY gentle first grade programs out there. Learn the alphabet, start learning about numbers, begin learning to read, enjoy read alouds, play with crayons... It is FIRST grade!

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

I have heard many, esp. in ps. The boys were bored, so they either acted up or gave up, getting behind in their subjects or having major behavioral problems. By the time the expectations in the classroom are higher, the boys have completely lost interest and end up behind. Just because a boy is squiggly, doesn't mean he isn't ready to learn. Didn't the first chapter in TWTM share a similar story about S's brother?

 

As I mentioned before, many boys/men have lived with the thought that their mothers had so little confidence in them that they had to REPEAT KINDERGARTEN! A man told me, "Who has to repeat K? My mom must have thought I was a complete idiot! I hated always being the big dummy in my class." :confused: I am NOT saying this is true, I am just sharing what he thought/thinks. It's not always fun being the eldest in your group, or having to correct strangers every week who innocently ask what grade you're in, either.

 

Obviously, all these issues are lessened by homeschooling. But I truly don't see the advantage of red-shirting. Teach the child where they are. What is so rigorous about 1st grade that the average boy couldn't handle? There are some VERY gentle first grade programs out there. Learn the alphabet, start learning about numbers, begin learning to read, enjoy read alouds, play with crayons... It is FIRST grade!

That's because they were in public school. Redshirting a homeschooled child doesn't mean holding them back academically like it does with public school.

[Jugglin'5]

That's because they were in public school. Redshirting a homeschooled child doesn't mean holding them back academically like it does with public school.

 

:iagree:

[Embassy]

I keep my dc in the grade with their age-mates, regardless of ability.

 

 

:iagree: But if you do decide to have him repeat I would refer to the 2 Kindergarten years as Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten and not a repeat of Kindergarten.

[Jugglin'5]

The only thing is, who are his age-mates? If I have a child born in July, she is actually closer in age to the Sept. and Oct. kids who are a few months younger, than to the Sept. and Oct. kids who are almost a whole year older. Just because the school system suggests that he should be grouped with the older kids, doesn't mean that they know what is best for my child. Maybe I know from observation that another year of maturity would be beneficial, and that the child would fit in better with the younger group. That is what happened with my oldest daughter.

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

I have heard many, esp. in ps. The boys were bored, so they either acted up or gave up, getting behind in their subjects or having major behavioral problems. By the time the expectations in the classroom are higher, the boys have completely lost interest and end up behind. Just because a boy is squiggly, doesn't mean he isn't ready to learn. Didn't the first chapter in TWTM share a similar story about S's brother?

 

As I mentioned before, many boys/men have lived with the thought that their mothers had so little confidence in them that they had to REPEAT KINDERGARTEN! A man told me, "Who has to repeat K? My mom must have thought I was a complete idiot! I hated always being the big dummy in my class." :confused: I am NOT saying this is true, I am just sharing what he thought/thinks. It's not always fun being the eldest in your group, or having to correct strangers every week who innocently ask what grade you're in, either.

 

Obviously, all these issues are lessened by homeschooling. But I truly don't see the advantage of red-shirting. Teach the child where they are. What is so rigorous about 1st grade that the average boy couldn't handle? There are some VERY gentle first grade programs out there. Learn the alphabet, start learning about numbers, begin learning to read, enjoy read alouds, play with crayons... It is FIRST grade!

 

What that man said just cracked me up. :D (eta. I hope it wasn't offensive that it humored me so much considering it was obviously an issue for him .. I was thinking of it more in the light of us mothers .. hope that made sense).

 

I'm actually kind of confused by all this and now understand why people simply refer to their children, if/when necessary, according to the grade they would be in if they had been enrolled in PS that year. Apart from those instances that may come up I'm swinging towards abandoning grade labels altogether. I just want to teach at my child's pace - whatever that is from week to week. :tongue_smilie:

Edited July 9, 2010 by RecumbentHeart

[Lovedtodeath]

It will mean she will graduate at 18 and leave for college at barely 19' date=' instead of graduating at 17. [/quote']We had K/1st and 1st/2nd grade designations and I still plan on my daughter graduating early. There are a ton of college programs that can be done from home. I would love to give her a two year head start on college credits. I really wish I had that opportunity. I felt so stuck. I feel like I was more than academically ready for college in my sophomore year.

[Sahamamama]

... my sister's two boys were summer babies. What can I say? To this day -- and they are turning 13 and 15 this summer, yikes! -- she wishes that she had waited another year. They went to ps, so there was less of a decision about what to cover at home. But her overall verdict over the years has been, "I wish I would have waited another year to start them in Kindergarten." Sigh.

 

The oldest does just okay academically, but he's the smallest student in his entire class. It's so pathetic to see him come out of the high school, surrounded by all these huge, muscular, bearded, :001_huh: man-like students -- and he honestly looks like he's 10 or 11. No muscles on this boy, no height, no weight (think 85 pounds, dripping wet), and I don't even want to think about where he may or may not have hair. :tongue_smilie:

 

The younger boy is so squirrely. Just 13, but acts more like 9, on a good day. ;) He struggles with writing, spelling, mechanics, organization, being on time, being prepared for anything, neatness, paying attention -- the boy has issues, let me tell you. But he's a bright kid, funny, unique in many ways. It's just so hard for the school set up to bring his good qualities out, KWIM?

 

Hopefully, by homeschooling your son, you can just keep going along the continuum of learning, not placing much emphasis on the progression of levels/grades, at least until he's clearly a "second grader" or solidly a "third grader." Isn't it nice to get to do what works? HTH.

[Guest Cheryl in SoCal]

... my sister's two boys were summer babies. What can I say? To this day -- and they are turning 13 and 15 this summer, yikes! -- she wishes that she had waited another year. They went to ps, so there was less of a decision about what to cover at home. But her overall verdict over the years has been, "I wish I would have waited another year to start them in Kindergarten." Sigh.

 

The oldest does just okay academically, but he's the smallest student in his entire class. It's so pathetic to see him come out of the high school, surrounded by all these huge, muscular, bearded, :001_huh: man-like students -- and he honestly looks like he's 10 or 11. No muscles on this boy, no height, no weight (think 85 pounds, dripping wet), and I don't even want to think about where he may or may not have hair. :tongue_smilie:

 

The younger boy is so squirrely. Just 13, but acts more like 9, on a good day. ;) He struggles with writing, spelling, mechanics, organization, being on time, being prepared for anything, neatness, paying attention -- the boy has issues, let me tell you. But he's a bright kid, funny, unique in many ways. It's just so hard for the school set up to bring his good qualities out, KWIM?

 

Hopefully, by homeschooling your son, you can just keep going along the continuum of learning, not placing much emphasis on the progression of levels/grades, at least until he's clearly a "second grader" or solidly a "third grader." Isn't it nice to get to do what works? HTH.

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: My ds who has a late September b-day (currently 14, almost 15) has always been huge and has been one of those huge, muscular, bearded, man-like students since he turned 14 last year in 8th grade (he's 6'1", scraggly beard, etc) but still fit in best maturity wise with the 8th graders than the high schoolers. He's academically advanced, which gives him extra time for advanced classes in high school.

[Jugglin'5]

We had K/1st and 1st/2nd grade designations and I still plan on my daughter graduating early. There are a ton of college programs that can be done from home. I would love to give her a two year head start on college credits. I really wish I had that opportunity. I felt so stuck. I feel like I was more than academically ready for college in my sophomore year.

 

Well, my daughter can certainly do dual credits next year if she wants. Right now, the college she wants to go to is clear across the country, so I feel pretty good about her being a year older. :tongue_smilie: Though, if something were to change and she really needed to graduate at seventeen, she'll have more than enough credits. :001_smile: Her education will be so much better than either my high school or college education, that I don't expect boredom with the academics to be an issue. Now, just wanting to leave the nest? Sure, it could happen.

[Medieval Mom]

What that man said just cracked me up. :D (eta. I hope it wasn't offensive that it humored me so much considering it was obviously an issue for him .. I was thinking of it more in the light of us mothers .. hope that made sense).

 

I'm actually kind of confused by all this and now understand why people simply refer to their children, if/when necessary, according to the grade they would be in if they had been enrolled in PS that year. Apart from those instances that may come up I'm swinging towards abandoning grade labels altogether. I just want to teach at my child's pace - whatever that is from week to week. :tongue_smilie:

 

Nope. Not offensive! He was laughing as he said it, too!:D

 

I whole-heartedly agree that dropping the ideas of grade level is ideal. I love that chapter in Understood Betsy where she goes to the country school and wants to know what grade she's in. She placed in first grade math, was reading out of the sixth grade reader, and in a different grade for spelling. She wanted to know, "Am I in second grade, or not?" :lol: Really, isn't the ability to tailor an individual's education just one of the HUGE blessings of homeschooling? :)

 

Ah, well. The bottom line, I guess, is to do what YOU and your DH feel is best for YOUR child. Either way, it'll be fine. :grouphug:

Edited July 9, 2010 by Medieval Mom

[SnowWhite]

We are going ahead to first grade. I have seen such a variety in expectations regarding K- some schools teach kids the alphabet, others expect them to be reading strongly by the end. Since my ds finished his K math book well and knows the basics of reading, I decided another year of more advanced K work would be overkill.

 

That said, I am not choosing the advanced first grade stuff I did for his brother whose birthday was 6 months earlier in the year. We're doing an easier first grade track.

 

Another thought--- Who says advancement has to happen in August? You could do K until Dec and then advance to 1st if that suited your structure. I considered that with Andrew until he started reading.

[Medieval Mom]

We are going ahead to first grade. I have seen such a variety in expectations regarding K- some schools teach kids the alphabet, others expect them to be reading strongly by the end. Since my ds finished his K math book well and knows the basics of reading, I decided another year of more advanced K work would be overkill.

 

That said, I am not choosing the advanced first grade stuff I did for his brother whose birthday was 6 months earlier in the year. We're doing an easier first grade track.

 

Another thought--- Who says advancement has to happen in August? You could do K until Dec and then advance to 1st if that suited your structure. I considered that with Andrew until he started reading.

 

 

That, SnowWhite, is a BEAUTIFUL solution!! :)

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

Another thought--- Who says advancement has to happen in August? You could do K until Dec and then advance to 1st if that suited your structure. I considered that with Andrew until he started reading.

 

Exactly. Who says?! :tongue_smilie:

[FloridaLisa]

As you can see from your responses, you will get folks who feel strongly about both sides. We decided to redshirt three of our late summer bday dc -- two late July, one mid August. I love that they spend their 18th year in our home, rather than off at college. And, I'm happy that they are dual-enrolling as just-turned-17 years olds in their junior year, rather than just-turned-16 yos. In my experience, I've not met anyone who regrets redshirting, but I know a handful who wish that they had.

 

HTH,

Lisa

[Homeschooling6]

I have heard many, esp. in ps. The boys were bored, so they either acted up or gave up, getting behind in their subjects or having major behavioral problems. By the time the expectations in the classroom are higher, the boys have completely lost interest and end up behind. Just because a boy is squiggly, doesn't mean he isn't ready to learn. Didn't the first chapter in TWTM share a similar story about S's brother?

 

As I mentioned before, many boys/men have lived with the thought that their mothers had so little confidence in them that they had to REPEAT KINDERGARTEN! A man told me, "Who has to repeat K? My mom must have thought I was a complete idiot! I hated always being the big dummy in my class." :confused: I am NOT saying this is true, I am just sharing what he thought/thinks. It's not always fun being the eldest in your group, or having to correct strangers every week who innocently ask what grade you're in, either.

 

Obviously, all these issues are lessened by homeschooling. But I truly don't see the advantage of red-shirting. Teach the child where they are. What is so rigorous about 1st grade that the average boy couldn't handle? There are some VERY gentle first grade programs out there. Learn the alphabet, start learning about numbers, begin learning to read, enjoy read alouds, play with crayons... It is FIRST grade!

 

5 of my dc are the older students. Most because they barely missed the 'cut' off date and some because I wanted them to be 6yr. old. They have never had to correct a stranger about their grade.

FWIW my dh had to repeat K and he never felt like a big dummy ;) I had to repeat K and never felt like a big dummy either :D

I don't see anything wrong with waiting.

Blessings,

[Homeschooling6]

What that man said just cracked me up. :D (eta. I hope it wasn't offensive that it humored me so much considering it was obviously an issue for him .. I was thinking of it more in the light of us mothers .. hope that made sense).

 

I'm actually kind of confused by all this and now understand why people simply refer to their children, if/when necessary, according to the grade they would be in if they had been enrolled in PS that year. Apart from those instances that may come up I'm swinging towards abandoning grade labels altogether. I just want to teach at my child's pace - whatever that is from week to week. :tongue_smilie:

 

We use grade levels because it's just easier when people ask. Also our church uses the school grade levels as well.

To tell you the truth I don't like my children saying, "I'm homeschooled I don't no."