K or first

[Kristin]

Ok Everyone, I know I should be able to figure this out BUT my daughter turned 6 on May 22 and I am confused as to whether to do one more year of Kindergarten (she would be fine with this) and be a bit more structured or to begin first grade???
Kristin

[Lauri B]

I'm not sure if it's here or over on Waldorf_at_Home at yahoogroups, but Donna discusses the child needing "7 Easters" in her pocket before beginning First Grade. So a child born in May would have her first Easter the year she turns one, her second the year she turns two, her seventh the year she turns seven. So then First Grade would begin after her seventh birthday.

The K/1st decision is really hard for everyone. I think it's so much a part of our culture - the idea 6 year-olds go to first grade.

If a child is 7 for 1st, then she'll be lined up to be the right age for the later grades. It's important that the 3rd grader be nine and the 6th grader be 12, and that can only happen if the 1st grader is seven.

FWIW, my eldest was born in February and is my only child to have her first Easter in her birth year. However, I still keep her to the Waldorf Schedule (she's 17 and in 11th this year) and it's worked well. It's so nice to have that extra year at home before they're off to jobs or a university!

[Kristin]

thank you Lauri,
That is what I had thought and had originally planned for...(but I did have my order for Donna's first grade syllabus ready in case!)

[Paul]

Hi Kristin,

I was going to say the same as Lauri. Of course, a May birthday is borderline but if your daughter would be fine with staying with kindergarten that sounds like the thing to do. If she was absolutely desperate to start first grade then I guess it might be a different story.

-- Paul

[Krista]

Hi Kristin!

Our eldest daughter turned seven in June and we are beginning first grade this year. We elected to do this after her Kindergarten teacher in Germany suggested she might need an extra year of Kindy. So far we haven't regretted it . Now she is ready for First Grade. Last year she wasn't really (intellectually she was but socially and in other ways not so much).

Still, I understand how you feel. Since we've been back in the USA I have noticed the intense pressure, even in homeschool circles, to get children reading and calculating asap. "What, she isn't in second grade?" My own parents were pretty upset with our decision not to push her more with reading or put her on a second grade level. Its hard to take it slow, but I am noticing that she is blossoming in so many ways now.

We had our first day of homeschool today and dd is definitely on task and ready. What a delightful day it has been! My daughter was so cute: "Mama, this homeschooling day has been the most fun. I LOVE homeschooling!" I do too! Who knew parenting and family life could be so joyful, peaceful, and all around satisfying? I would never have believed it had I not experienced it myself. :)

[Donna]

HI All,

I actually don't think May is borderline - a May 6 year old who entered first grade would always be one whole year out of step with the curriculum's soul impulses. I'd say March is the borderline month - even if Easter is early (a child "should" have had seven Easters on Earth before starting first grade).

I am more conservative about this all the time... the more I work with people and see what modern children are like and what the world they are entering is like, the more hardline I get. And I have never ever met anyone who has regretted waiting a year whereas I frequently meet people who later regret having gone ahead with an early 6 into first grade.

[crunchylittlemama]

I'm looking at purchasing the 1st grade curriculum for DS who will turn 7 later this month.
According to Donna's views we should have done 1st grade this year. I would say that he is ready now, and I'm not sure whether he was or not last fall. Truth is, I wasn't so we are just now getting here.
We have taken an unschooling approach up until now, and have decided to give Waldorf a whirl as we search for our rhythm. Organization, and admittedly discipline, have always been weak points of mine and I find myself unable to "get there" with our daily rhythm - thus the search for external help.
I'm pretty confident that we should go ahead and buy the 1st grade curriculum anyway, but I'm not sure (especially not having seen it yet : ) exactly what we should do w/ it when we get it, lol. I'm thinking that we should certainly get working on rhythm, and since I can't seem to manage that on my own... and form drawing. I'd like to get started w/ watercolor and block crayon artwork. Up until now we have used mainstream art supplies. Having missed my own childhood call to artistic creativity I was amazed at the difference, and began to realize that such things may be truly soul altering for my little guys. Anyway, I know that rushing through the curriculum in order to "catch up" is certainly not the way to go. I'm thinking we will get the basic framework in place and just pick out the lessons that work for us. Any other advice?

Thanks!
Audra

[reikimama]

This is kind of my intro and also adding to the thought of K or 1st. I had always planned on homeschooling kids with Waldorf and even bought the Kindergarten curric and Overview curric years ago.

But when we moved from GA to FL a year and a half ago, Life got in the way and I put my 5 year old in kindergarten because of my going to work fulltime, an ill husband, moving (a decision that was made in less than a month) and a 4 week old newborn, plus a 3 year old running around. My job didn't work out and I ended up at home, but somehow she stayed in school. Then my now 4 year old wanted to be like big sister and go to pre-k.

(Note: their birthdays are Aug 29th-6 year old- and Aug 22nd-4 year old)

Well, as of next week, I am pulling my now 6 year old 1st grader out of public school & my 4 year old out of private pre-k. The first grader has all A's academically, but she's still "floating" around. She doesn't get the social system of the school and I am back to the Master Plan. :p The 4 year old is listed as a genius, but she's too much "in her head" and I want her to be a kid for a while longer.

I am going forward with kindergarten for both of them through the year and then beginning 1st grade with the then 7 year old in the fall. In FL, we have to have a certified teacher's recommendation that they are on grade level each year, so I am going to have to let the school board know when I send it my letter of intent that I am repeating 1st grade next year.

I am excited because I haven't felt right about it all (meaning their education) and to be able to teach all three at home with Waldorf is perfect. Thanks, Donna & Paul, for all your work. I haven't been involved in about 3 years and look forward to getting back on board. I have pulled out all my Waldorf materials and didn't realize how much info I do have at home!

Blessings & Light~
Lisa

[elizamars]

Lisa -

Just to let you know, in FL, you can enroll an umbrella school for as little as $25 /year/family and then you don't have to do the certified teacher rigamarole. Contact the Unschoolers in your area to find out which ones they recommend.

Last year we did have a teacher (a friend though) evaluate and really you'd be surprised, most teachers will take one look at your kids and some of their work, and will assure you that they are doing GREAT!

I was a bit concerned last year because neither of my girls was reading fluently yet but my friend who teaches fourth grade and has a masters in gifted education, was not at all phased.

Lisa Marshall

[sajalu]

Plus in Fl you can find teachers who also homeschool their own children that do the yearly certifications/reports.

[elizamars]

I couldn't agree more with all that has been said here and I can really relate. I also have a child with a May birthday. Katie's Waldorf school placed her in First Grade when she was still 6 but during that year we moved to FL and I started homeschooling. Donna recommended (insisted;) that I continue First Grade for another year and so of course I did. Now when looking to possibly go back to a Waldorf school I am hard pressed to find one which will place her in the lower grade, and I find this quite frustrating. Meanwhile Katie has a friend here who is 6 months younger than her and is in 3rd grade this year (Katie is in second). This girl has started seeing therapist weekly because of anxiety problems. Hmmm . . . I wonder why! The same child is in gifted classes and has been reading since she was 5 so I assumed that she would be way ahead of my girls who only just started reading fluently this summer. Such was my surprise when we went to the library together and found that my girls are quite a bit ahead!

In my personal experience I have a sister with a May birthday and two friends who skipped grades in elementary school. All three of these women have what I call "a ten pound brain". But all 3 suffered the affects of being too young all through school and especially when they got to college. My sister has an even higher I.Q. than I do but I was always known as "the smart one". I think this is purely due to my having a February birthday and her having a May birthday.

So I say, resist, resist, resist! Wait until the time is right. You will not regret your decision!

Lisa Marshall

[reikimama]

Thanks to both of you! I was given the recommendation of the umbrella school by my best friend in West Palm Beach, so I need to look for one. I have found a fairly local board for eclectic homeschoolers and need to ask them.

Three more days and I'll have all my babies at home!

Thanks again!