https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:16:14 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/3#post-2456719 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 12:22:54 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2456719@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: I don't disagree with you. My main concern is the amount of recess...Currently in pre-k they have 50 minutes in the middle of the day. And 40 minutes of nap. The two big chunks of time in the morning and afternoon are conducted in centers (like stations) and just a short circle time to open and close the day. I am worried about the amount of "academic" time in relation to free play time.<br /> And I am totally in agreement that home doesn't always mean learning; it depends a lot on the parents/environment/opportunity etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/3#post-2456565 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 11:22:06 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2456565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Baby Boy Mom: I think most every school (even play based schools) will give you a "schedule" like that. Its what they do in that scheduled time that makes the difference. Is math time simply worksheets or is it centers and hands on activities to help with different learning styles and levels. </p> <p>I believe kids do learn a lot through home/natural environments, but unless you are really making an effort, a trip to the grocery store is just a trip to the store unless you make the effort to count the items, add up the costs, categorize fruits/veggies etc. So just keeping them home doesn't always = more learning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/3#post-2456553 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 11:19:36 +0000 avivoca 2456553@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Chillybear: My aunt did something similar for my cousin. The cutoff for Kindergarten was Aug. 31 and her birthday is Sept. 2, so she put her in private kindergarten and she moved to the public schools for first grade. I wish I could do that now for H but the trend in my area is for the private schools to have earlier kindergarten deadlines to prevent parents from doing that. Public schools are 5 before Aug. 1 and the private schools are 5 before June 1. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/3#post-2456531 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 11:07:38 +0000 Adira 2456531@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We won't be skipping! And here's the schedule for our Kindergarten:</p> <p>8:10-8:30 Children arrive (morning yoga)<br /> 8:30-8:50 Morning Meeting (calendar, attendance, greeting, music and movement)<br /> 8:50-9:30 Language and Word Study<br /> 9:30-10:00 Reading Workshop<br /> 10:00-10:15 Morning Recess (until November 1)<br /> 10:15-11:00 Writing Workshop<br /> 11:00-11:20 Lunch<br /> 11:20-11:50 Recess<br /> 11:55-12:15 Quiet time and bathroom break<br /> 12:15-1:15 Math<br /> 1:15-1:30 Snack/Pack Up<br /> 1:30-2:20 Specials<br /> 2:30 Dismissal </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/3#post-2456482 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 10:48:41 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2456482@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am not for a second a fan of a ton of sitting and structured time in K, but the trend right now is making Pre-K available to more and more people because it's been shown to make such a difference in later success in education. </p> <p>We will enroll in any and all educational options offered, but I will look for programs that are less structured, have more play time as much as possible. And even though teachers post the schedule and it says "language arts" that doesn't mean it's not an engaging activity or even centers where the kids rotate doing 3 different activities... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/3#post-2456466 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 10:41:50 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2456466@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What a great question! We are now in the midst of investigating K options for next year. We will probably move, but if we don't, then our zoned school is awful and I will definitely homeschool. DH and I always comment that the kids learn just as much if not more on days we are home/doing other stuff. The schedule that @T.H.O.U.: posted is pretty much my worst nightmare for my DS. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/3#post-2456454 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 10:35:14 +0000 Chillybear 2456454@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: From what I understand, (both my BIL and SIL teach in our district) is that it would count as kindergarten and either scenario she would probably need to be evaluated or have some communication between the school district and her preschool to make sure she would succeed in 1st grade without having to go through a "2nd" year of kindergarten. We're in PA so kindergarten isnt mandatory. </p> <p>I was similar in that i was one of the youngest in my academic grade (august birthday) and while I hated being younger than my friends, I always did well academically. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/3#post-2456422 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 10:08:38 +0000 MrsLonghorn 2456422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>our district has 2 montessori elementary schools. It gets more traditional as they are older, but for PK, K, 1.... it is pretty true to the montessori style. I don't know if it will be right for DS (he is only 16m now!) but I plan to look into it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456357 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 09:26:24 +0000 lawbee11 2456357@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wouldn't skip it regardless but we're doing public schools so we're basically counting down until K starts just from a cost-savings perspective. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456346 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 09:21:38 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2456346@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Definitely not! Kindergarten is super important for teaching kiddos how to be a student. I would never want them to go into 1st grade unprepared. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456209 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 08:01:22 +0000 brownepiano 2456209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're planning on homeschooling at least for the first few years, so this is a bit different for us. I'm not going to skip kindergarten, but I think by doing home school it will allow my kid to learn while also having plenty of play time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456162 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 06:06:01 +0000 dagret 2456162@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh and our daycare's kindergarten program is considered a private kindergarten - they provide curriculum aligned with the public school standards. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456106 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 00:25:23 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2456106@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope I would not skip. I can't believe it's not mandatory now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456099 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 00:11:27 +0000 loveisstrange 2456099@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would never, ever consider it. I feel like it would just be starting out her education a step behind. </p> <p>C currently attends full day preschool in our district, and she has learned soooo much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456090 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 23:48:17 +0000 Mrs. Pink 2456090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think we'd totally skip-- but it is nice to know that if she wasn't ready say at 5, we could wait a year on our own.... </p> <p>we have a November birthday so she'll probably be almost 6 anyways by the rules here! (I grew up in California so I started at 4 with an October birthday, but those rules seem to have changed to 5 by August or September in most places now!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456064 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 23:07:23 +0000 Mrs.KMM 2456064@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would never even consider having my child skip kindergarten. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456059 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 22:58:52 +0000 LilSprinkles 2456059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Coming from someone who has taught kindergarten and first grade is a state that didn't require kindergarten, don't skip kindergarten! They have upped the academics in Kindergarten, and it's nothing like it was when we were younger. Also, the social and school skills learned in kindergarten are crucial. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456058 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 22:57:55 +0000 PinkElephant 2456058@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dagret: This is really interesting about truancy and kindergarten. I was contemplating enrolling in pre-k but pulling my daughter out/picking her up early once a week (or twice a month, or something) to make it less intense...but wondered if it might be considered abuse of the system, since I suppose some families need those five day per week seats as daycare. My friends in education have had varying opinions of this, from doubting anyone would notice a few absences a month to being quite certain this would impact the kindergarten placement offers we'd receive (which is not a risk I can take, probably). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456056 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 22:50:53 +0000 PinkElephant 2456056@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Pre-K (offered free by the public schools, if you can secure a seat) and K are not mandatory in NYC. Also, red shirting (delaying admission by a year, resulting in a 5 year old starting pre-k or a 6 year old starting kindergarten) is generally not allowed. Admission is by year of birth - so this year, kids born in 2012 who want to go to school must go to preK. If they opt to wait til next year, it'd be K. The following year (fall 2018), they're legally obligated to attend first grade, and there's no option to go to kindergarten instead that year. </p> <p>I'm very torn because full day pre-k five days a week seems totally unnecessary for a four year old when I'm a SAHM. But DD has already started asking when she gets to be a lunch kid like many of her preschool classmates (she currently attends three half days), so maybe she's ready...if I don't send her to public, she will go to her current private pre-k either three full days or five half. And she will definitely go to full day kindergarten in 2017.</p> <p>@Chillybear: genuinely curious - if you keep your DD in private school for K, but move her to public for first grade, wouldn't she still be impacted by the age cutoff, and be asked to enroll as a kindergartener? Or would the school honor the fact that she'd attended a non -public K program elsewhere? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2456009 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 21:47:28 +0000 dagret 2456009@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In my state (PA) it's not mandatory but once you enroll your child in kindergarten, attendance is compulsory. (I was at the state board of Ed meeting where they passed the new rule - they were having problems with people enrolling their kid in kindergarten and then never showing up b.c the truancy law didn't apply to kindergartners.) In my school district, kindergarten is only a half day, so we'll likely stay at daycare for kindergarten. Pretty sure our Dept of Ed guidelines say that kindergarten is option up to age 6, and once a child is 6, they can start first grade. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2455992 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 21:32:32 +0000 jape14 2455992@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our district has full-day kindergarten that is pretty academic. They do have "rest time" during the first quarter/semester to ease the kids in a little. DS will be almost 6 when he starts (misses the cutoff by 3 days) but even if he were younger I wouldn't consider not sending him. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2455722 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 17:27:25 +0000 Ree723 2455722@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're in sort of the opposite situation. Our equivalent of kindergarten (called Reception) starts at four here but compulsory school age isn't until five. We're fighting to delay our LO's start in Reception a year, so she'd start when she's just five, instead of just four, but the schools here like to keep everyone in their age appropriate cohort so there is a good chance she'll have to skip the year altogether and go straight into Year 1, which I think is absolutely appalling. I think making a child miss the first year of school is terrible on so many levels - delaying their start if they're not ready is one thing, and should be left solely up to the parents, but forcing a child to skip a year is awful.</p> <p>On the plus side, our school has morning tea break of fifteen minutes (equivalent to recess), an hour long lunch/recess break, and then another 15 minute afternoon tea break, all in a 6hr 15 min day and this is all the way up until secondary school at age 11, so that much is good. And Reception (kindergarten) spends more than half of their day outdoors in unstructured play, so there's that going for it too, but they still have crazy academic targets they need to reach by the end of the year! So frustrating.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2455717 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 17:24:58 +0000 youboots 2455717@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had no idea that this was an option until right now. T will go to kindergarten. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2455686 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 17:05:37 +0000 blackbird 2455686@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@rachiecakes: what?! Crazy! They just started offering ours for "free" (aka our taxes went up) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2455668 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 16:50:53 +0000 MrsBeluga 2455668@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just wanted to thank you for sharing, I had no idea!</p> <p>We are in California, where apparently K is not even required. Our 2 year old is in preschool now, so by the time she is old enough for K will certainly be going. Would love to have her home longer but we both work, so preschool and eventually K it is. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2455656 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 16:44:04 +0000 rachiecakes 2455656@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: they don't offer full day K here and the after school program costs more than our preschool! :shocked: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2455654 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 16:39:30 +0000 gingerbebe 2455654@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are planning on sending our son to a private, Christian school near our house for many reasons, but mainly because it seems to have a very gradual approach to introducing school. They have a preschool program that begins at age 3 to seemingly ramp the children up to kindergarten and to get an idea of readiness. I really like their gradual approach starting at the preschool level.</p> <p>The preschool formal program is only from 9-11:30am, or 12:30pm-3pm, although they offer it in conjunction with daycare from 7am to 6pm if you want it - any time before or after the formal preschool time is basically indoor and outdoor play, snack time, lunch, nap, and a video.</p> <p>The primary school offers both a half-day kinder (8-1130am) or a full day program (8am-250pm). I assume again this is based on the readiness of the child, their need for a nap or more rest, and the comfort level of the parent. The published full-day schedule looks something like this:</p> <p>Class Schedule:<br /> 8:00 Seat work<br /> 8:20 Calendar<br /> 8:45 Bible<br /> 9:25 Recess<br /> 9:45 Math<br /> 10:30 Language Arts*<br /> 11:00 Centers<br /> 11:30 Lunch/Recess<br /> 12:30 Rest/Reading time<br /> 1:00 Music*<br /> 1:30 Art<br /> 2:15 Recess<br /> 2:50 Dismiss</p> <p>On Tuesdays and Thursdays, art or music is displaced for a PE class. Fridays from 830am-915am is chapel. They also have a schoolwide "nutrition break" during the first recess from grades K-5 where the kids can only eat a healthy snack (i.e. veggies, nuts, jerky, cheese, or protein. No bars, cookies, candy, or chips.)</p> <p>Overall, I'm pleased with the balance they are offering. There's a lot of recess and rest time, they're incorporating some Bible time in the day, there's art, music, and PE in the curriculum, and the school puts a limit on 15 minutes of homework in kinder and no more than 30 minutes for grades 1-2. The educational goal for their kinder program is for the child to be able to read, write their name and simple sentences, and tell a simple story, which I think is very fair. I remember doing at least that much in kinder 30 years ago and I was an ESL speaker! They also assess the child in kinder before allowing them to move on to 1st grade to make sure they can adjust well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2455551 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 15:38:48 +0000 T-Mom 2455551@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: I would be surprised if you got to pick your teacher. I wrote a letter to the principal when I enrolled my DD for 1st grade, and was pretty much told all the teachers would be great. I think only teachers at the school and maybe the president of the PTA have enough clout at our school to have any impact on the outcome. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2455539 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 15:33:59 +0000 Cole 2455539@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's optional here, there is a possibility of us homeschooling but we wouldn't just skip education for the year. The program is pretty heavy on academics and there isn't a lot of free play-although they do have two recesses a day which I suppose is a positive. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-considering-skipping-kindergarten/page/2#post-2455513 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 15:24:56 +0000 tlynne 2455513@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: I am SO. JEALOUS! In our state, it's optional..but if you start they are sticklers. That's one of the things we were so sad about...DS1 loves spending time with his grandparents, working in the garden, going new/interesting places, etc....almost all of which could qualify as a field trip...especially since MIL and FIL are both retired elementary teachers... </p>