https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:59:12 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2097321 Thu, 05 Mar 2015 20:53:15 +0000 blackbird 2097321@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@shellio: a little age gap could definitely help! I worried about this a decent amount with our kids solely because of personal/anecdotal experience. My brother was the youngest in the class (sept 1 bday) and started K at 4...he was always behind-size, age, maturity, interests, etc, and red shirting him couldve helped. Plus being only one year behind me and constantly being compared did him zero favors. I hope your DS likes P1! Immersion school sounds amazing </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2097084 Thu, 05 Mar 2015 17:00:19 +0000 erinpye 2097084@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Research has shown over and over that placing kids with their intellectual peers actually means they fare *better* socially, despite fears of the opposite. So, if he ends up being bored, I'd move him up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2096799 Thu, 05 Mar 2015 14:09:40 +0000 Torchwood 2096799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't have an answer, but it's worth mentioning that I started kindergarten relatively early (my bday was 2 days after the cutoff, but they let me anyway) so I was the youngest in my class pretty much throughout my school career. But I've always been a little behind in maturity, so it wasn't a good thing for me at all. I don't know how I would have done if I'd waited a year either, since I was already bored in all of my classes, but in terms of maturity it would have been better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2096690 Thu, 05 Mar 2015 13:05:18 +0000 shellio 2096690@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For anyone interested, we've decided on the P1 classroom. We spoke to the admissions coordinator at the school who said that if parents are on the fence, they recommend the younger group. That was enough for DH! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2095125 Wed, 04 Mar 2015 15:47:30 +0000 shellio 2095125@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Great points - I will check with the school to see what most parents do. Also, since the expectations will be slightly higher in the P2 class, I don't want him to feel like he can't have fun or anything and want to be sure he enjoys himself.</p> <p>@Mamaof2: My DH doesn't get why I care if the kids are 2 or 3 years apart. They are only 22 mos apart in age and it is so weird to me to think of them being 3 years apart in school. Glad to hear your DS is doing great! Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2094062 Wed, 04 Mar 2015 08:02:35 +0000 Mamaof2 2094062@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DS has a Sept bday so he missed the cut-off for K as well - he started and a few weeks later turned 6 - right now he is the oldest in the class.</p> <p>He is doing wonderfully!</p> <p>I would pick Pre-School 1 - also I think its good to know a few kids when doing a transition!</p> <p>As a side my DH also didn't want our kids 3 yr apart in school which would have happened if we had put him in private K to start a year earlier - so as it stands now they will be 2 yrs apart </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2094038 Wed, 04 Mar 2015 07:41:06 +0000 looch 2094038@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son has a December birthday and is eligible to go to kindergarten next year, but we are repeating the 4s year in preschool. The issue for us is social and emotional maturity. Right now my son loves school and he wants to go everyday, even on weekends, so I want to continue that experience for him, rather than turn school into a situation where he is constantly being reprimanded because he simply can't sit still and do the tasks that are being asked of him.</p> <p>I hope that makes sense...I found the whole decision to be very difficult to make, but one thing that made it easier was that a lot of parents in my area seem to hold their Sept-Dec born children back (school cut off is Dec 31) so I feel as though the decision has been made for me by the parents before me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2094034 Wed, 04 Mar 2015 07:34:34 +0000 shellio 2094034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsBananaGrabber: Thanks for the positive feedback about the school :) It is definitely more $ than we ever intended to spend on school, especially for preschool, but we really love the language immersion concept. </p> <p>@hellocupcake: I am concerned about him keeping up, in particular the first year or two they will require a little more focus than the younger class. (Obviously not that much more, it is still preschool.) </p> <p>@birdofafeather: Most schools around here have (I think) Oct 1 cut off. My DH is convinced that putting him ahead at this time will help his confidence and self esteem... I just don't see it that way. By the time he starts 9th grade and turns 14 halfway through the year, when some of the kids will be turning 15 before the year even starts, I feel like it would be hard on a boy. </p> <p>@jetsa: Thanks so much for those articles! I've heard the same thing about waiting longer for boys to allow them to mature a little more. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2093977 Wed, 04 Mar 2015 01:36:01 +0000 MrsBananaGrabber 2093977@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was moved ahead a few years and it was perfectly fine. My brother was moved ahead a year in elementary school, and my mom quickly opted to move him back to his age group (even though academically he was ready for advancement). I agree with @jetsa that generally, boys are better off starting later.</p> <p>Also, just wanted to add that I used to teach in a Spanish immersion school, and it was wonderful. It was amazing how the kids not only became fluent in a language that they otherwise wouldn't have started learning until high school, but how learning a secondly language so obviously helped them in every other subject as well. I wish there was some sort of school like that around us! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2093973 Wed, 04 Mar 2015 01:17:06 +0000 hellocupcake 2093973@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you think he will be able to keep up (not sure what word to use there) with the older kids, I would do P2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2093967 Wed, 04 Mar 2015 00:51:48 +0000 birdofafeather 2093967@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would also think of older grades, not just the one he's in now. Most schools around me have a September 1 cut off, so his Decemeber birthday would put him in the younger class if that was the cut off. Since it's so close, I would prefer the younger class so he's always in the older/middle section. I don't think that would be a huge difference! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2093958 Wed, 04 Mar 2015 00:35:26 +0000 jetsa 2093958@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Anecdotally I've heard that you should start boys later because their maturity needs that additional year to develop so I say P1.</p> <p>I also just read this article which suggests it as well: <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9266592/Bright-children-should-start-school-at-six-says-academic.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9266592/Bright-children-should-start-school-at-six-says-academic.html</a> and this one which states a snippet from Malcolm Gladewell's book: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/fashion/22Cultural.html?pagewanted=all&#038;_r=0" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/fashion/22Cultural.html?pagewanted=all&#038;_r=0</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-picking-a-class-for-my-preschooler#post-2093898 Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:35:03 +0000 shellio 2093898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would appreciate any feedback from all you teachers, educators, researchers, etc out there. My DS is going to a Spanish immersion school next year. It is a private preschool through 8th grade school and we plan to keep him there through 8th. Their age cutoff for their preschool 1 class is turning 3 by Dec 31. He turned 3 this past December, so he will be turning 4 in 2015 and is eligible for the preschool 2 class. They had an observation day and got a referral from his current preschool, and the school staff feel he would be appropriate for either class. We just need to decide where we want him. This is a really tough decision for us. </p> <p>Preschool 1: There are 1-2 other kids he would know from his current preschool, although there are 2 classrooms so they might not even be in his classroom. He would be one of the oldest kids in his class. I think his maturity level is appropriate for his age and he does fine with younger kids, he is our oldest. I also feel like P1 might be a gentler transition for him since he will be going full time for the first time, and so will everyone else. We also have a 15 mo old who will be attending the same school and his bday is in November. I want the kids to be 2 years apart in school, not 1, not 3. I have no idea whether my younger DS will be ready next year at almost 3 to start full time school and I would want to enroll him in P1 at that time so he would be 2 years behind his brother. </p> <p>Preschool 2: He would be one of the youngest in his class. He is big for his age, and DH thinks he uses his size to his advantage in his current class... Not a bully by any means but is learning he has a physical advantage over the other kids. Being with slightly older kids might level the playing field so to speak. DH found a lot of articles describing benefits to kids by starting them with kids slightly older than they are (in other words that "redshirting" kindergarteners might be detrimental for their long term development). I am worried that when he hits 9th grade and moves on to a different high school, being younger than almost everyone else might be tough socially for a boy. DH feels very strongly that we should start him in P2. </p> <p>I know this is long. Thanks for reading, I'm probably overthinking it but I really don't know what to think. </p>