Bluegrass Lass

I didn't realize there could be that big of a diff in schools from state to state. I was learning cursive in 2nd grade (I think) when I was 7. Or it was 3rd grade, at the latest.

Good luck everyone in your decisions!

tamms_1965

Me too Sunflwrgrl...in a little elementary school in Clermont Co., OH. My kids went to a school in Hamilton Co. in the 90s and they learned in 2nd grade, also.

Duncan Roberts

There's often a massive difference from city/district to city/district let alone state to state!

Kaffy Mintcake

Me too! Cursive began in the second grade in Northern Ohio. 10 years old seems like a long wait to learn! Then again, we had Headstart too (and Sunflower I don't think you're older than me) so goes to show that things can differ by quite a bit.

Bluegrass Lass

I'll tell my age if you tell me yours.

Well, tbh, headstart could have been around, but because my folks didn't have much money, & there weren't that many programs for low-income families 25 yrs ago (that should give a hint to my age), I didn't do Headstart. Didn't stop me from getting a master's in engineering though!

Frankly, given the amount of disruption I caused in kindergarten and 1st grade, I think I would have been too immature for headstart/preschool.

Kaffy Mintcake

Your profile says you're 30, and I'm 32, so that makes me the old fart of the two of us.

I caused disruption in kindergarten too, but after a few paddlings at school switched to being very shy.

midwestowl

[QUOTE=clarissageo;7040083]So now the visa's have finally approved, the nerves and worries about the big move are kicking in, especially about the kids

Our experience for what its worth ( in that many of the states are so different - we're Michigan and arrived Jan 08)..
Son who was 10 (11 in May) went into 5th grade, correct for his age group, but struggled in the early days as, to be fair, he was doing in the UK - the teachers at his elementary though were brilliant and the 1/2 year attendance wasn't an issue as to progression to MS - we were asked if we would let him repeat 5th grade as they wanted him on an IEP and they would have loads more time to spend with him in elementary - we agreed as we believe its right for him but equally they would have let him go to MS if that was our wish.
No regrets as he has come on leaps since September, he does get alot and i mean alot of extra support so we're happy - he is one of the older kids now but hey someone has to be and he was always one of the youngest in UK - age doesn't seem to be as big an issue here as it was back home.

def no integration programme, i was with him first morning in class as we both realised we had to stand for the star spangly banner over the tannoy ! - but yes his accent gave him a plus point in starting to make friends.
only other thing i would add is that the final year in elementary they start to develop the kids presentation skills which in MS they are expected to at least have a grounding in! Older son in MS has been caught out by that!!


i can only say good luck, but imo whatever route you choose if you believe its right for them it makes it a darned sight easier to send them to school each day !!
(hope thats not too much waffle)

Weasy

Oh lordy think of my poor kids. Eldest is 11 and was 9 when we emigrated to Oz from UK. She had already learnt cursive and had to 'regress' to printing and now in grade 5 in Utah she has to start using cursive again!! Poor 8 year old is in grade 3 here and has completely missed the teaching of cursive!!!!

They are both coping fine with it though, and the accents etc.

Oh and the attendance thing was never mentioned for our grade 5 girl and we didn't start them in school here until 1st November.

tamms_1965

But Head Start was created to prepare low-income preschoolers for grade school. You had to be poor to get in. My younger brother got to go.

Bluegrass Lass

Well, maybe it had more to do with daycare costs and not so much the headstart program then? Since I was so young, I really don't know why my parents didn't put me in the headstart program. I just know I only started going to school when I went to kindergarten at age 5.

Kaffy Mintcake

I didn't think you had to be poor to go to Headstart? My family wasn't rich but I wouldn't say it was poor either.

tamms_1965

Yep, started in 1965 to provide comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families.

When I was young, I didn't think we were poor either (and we weren't for the community we lived in) because we owned are own house and my parents both had cars. But I guess we were low-income compared to the rest of the country, at least until the early 70s when my dad got a decent stable job and my mom started working.

AmerLisa

I remember learning cursive in 3rd grade, however was told the other day that it isn't even in the curriculum (in our school district) anymore and its left to the teacher's discretion to teach it. :curse: When I questioned the principal concerning this, he said that people don't use it as much anymore.

So what if my child comes upon something written in cursive as she gets older?

lisa67

my kids started to learn cursive in 3rd grade (we were in Mishigan then) now they're in 7th and 9th grade respectively (Texas) they can print if they like (which they both choose to do) and most of their work can be typed up on the computer if they want to (which my son often chooses to do as he writes like and epileptic spider )

Janek66

My kids started learning cursive in 4th grade, but they were already trying it out on their names.