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Sorry you've hit a bump in the road!

Would the kindergarten teacher let your daughter visit her classroom for a day?

My DS5 started kindergarten at age 4.5 last fall, at a school where "early" enrollment is the norm, and it has been wildly successful. The school didn't require IQ or achievement testing as part of the acceptance process, but they did require that DS spend a full day with the kindergarten class. The visit gave the kindergarten teacher a chance to informally assess his social, behavioral and academic readiness. DS was just 3.5 and in preschool at the time, so the day-long visit to a class that included 6-year-olds seemed a little crazy, even to me, but all went well. At this point, nearly a full year in, I can't imagine having done anything else.

That's exactly what I was hoping would happen! Maybe more ideally for a few weeks, but at least give dd a few hours in the classroom, or at least an interview for heavens sake.

Thanks for the encouragement, maybe a visit to the class at this point in time would be something they would at least try; I will probably bring that up. Was your ds reading already at that point? Dd says she can't but then sometimes she does...

I found one other place which is a little more expensive, but if it's only for a year I think we could do it (though don't like the idea of moving her here there and everywhere). They are 100% ok with 4's in K, thats what they do, so I have at least got that as a back up.

The more I think about it the more I think dd will be completely BORED, not just a little, with another year of Pschool.

On the dh front, at least I can say he is completely with me on this, I think he is more surprised by the things dd is capable than I am. He was immediately all over the idea that I really was told something entirely different when I asked specifically about Kindergarten to begin with!

DS was reading fluently at that point, but that's not what the teacher was interested in during the visit. She wanted to see how he would fit in with other kids, behave in a classroom, follow directions, etc. DS actually wasn't able to do the math the kindergarteners were doing that day (he was 3.5 at the time!), but the teacher was really impressed with how he handled that (he flipped the paper over and came up with something else to do). If your school is fixated on age, I'm sure it's the behavioral/social kinds of things they'll be most concerned about as well.


Although my son is the youngest in his class, because he's at a school that does accept 4-year-olds, there are others in his class that are close to his age. I like that that makes his age less of an issue.

One other nice thing about sending him to a school where kindergarten is ages 4-6: when people ask me why he started so young (skipping past friends, neighbors and cousins), I just explain that his school's enrollment policies are different from the public school's. It takes all the focus off me and my son and puts it on the school!

I'm following your journey, because I'm trying to early Entrance DS4 into k in the fall also. We haven't heard back on th yes or no yet though.

MsFriz, thanks for the perspective, I go back and forth on her log, though certainly she is at least mg; looking at a place that actually tests may be a good step since she is not fully reading yet. It's funny in a way; I think skipping would be great for her, most of the time, and that a kid who *is* reading well at 3 probably needs way more than an 8 month skip!

Jenafur, Hi, I wish you better luck than I'm having (this week at least). I am supposed to meet with the Director again next week. Will post back 'results'. Not too hopeful, but who knows? I did send her a note covering most of my questions so she doesn't feel ambushed - hoping to get her in a good mood.

BTW, I better start referring to dd as 4 now...wanted to update this thread to state that I did have a somewhat productive conversation with the director. She is a nice person, well meaning to be sure.
I brought my list of questions, and said I thought that I had some valid questions and a request that dd be observed but that those questions hadn't been addressed and that all I heard was that 3 yr olds can't be in K (trying to be nice, I swear! )
She stated they don't really have a written policy but Dec 31 has been a traditional cut off for kids in K. She said they'd made only 1 exception for a girl who was fully reading (at least they didn't just stop even that child, and in fact said that girl probably should really have gone to first, so that seemed like a ray of hope)
Further 'good-ish' news, she did say a couple things, one that dd is 'very articulate and clearly gifted in language' although I don't know if she was just stroking my ego/understands what I think of when I hear 'gifted'. Anyway, I agreed that I think dd does have great verbal language skills, the way she picks up words in every language she hears, and really pays attention is wonderful. But I said I know there are other aspects to look at and those are where I hoped someone could take a look, have a chat with her, etc.
She said they don't do formal assessments, which I figured on, but they would have the K teacher chat with her, after all. I thought this would be a good point at which to discuss whether if they were feeling ok about dd but still unsure in principal/based on experience, if some outside testing would make sense or help. She did agree that it would probably make sense to have some testing before getting to K, if the rest of the family is id'd as gt...kind of makes my stomach hurt thinking about "testing a 4 year old", but I am considering it.
She is definitely making no promises, but at least I can get an opinion from the K teacher that might be helpful to me.
Feeling ok about this chat, I think she is not bs'ing me, and did say she'd give me some curriculum info, and that preschool '2' would be different than '1', if dd sticks with that route.
Visiting the other school maybe tuesday...

ps, Jenafur, when do you find out? What is the process there, so far?

Posting back that despite what I thought was a lukewarm chat previously, we did get some ok testing results for dd4 and I asked the school director about if she would like to have that info.
She said yes, and that she is looking into something called a "developmental placement", which sounds like a way to move a child up due to developmental need (or presumably leave them at the same level if they are not ready to move up). This has something to do with their teacher-student ratios being in balance, I really don't get it all yet, but I was very pleased to hear she wasn't completely blowing me off.
She said the best thing I could do is try to get a statement from the tester as to their recommendation for placement, so I will see what they are able to do in that regard.

I hope things work out. I know how hard it can be. I was just told by a K teacher that DD was ahead of all of her end of the year K students, and even if DD started K in the fall when she is 3.5, there would be no way she could differintiate enough for her...and of course she can't start K hear till she is 5.5. HUGS to you.