School grade testing- any experience?
 

Hi all,

My 6 year old has a one to one test booked with his new school at 7.30am the morning after we arrive in the States!

They have told us what to practise on which is great, but just wondered if anyone's kids had been through this and how it was done / how it went? I would like to prepare him as much as possible, I'm much more nervous about it than he is....

It's to decide if he will go in first grade or kindergarten.

Thanks for your help

Alison.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

My mom had the same issue when we moved from Glasgow to Toronto. I was almost 6 at the time and was initially put in kindergarten because that's where you went when you were 6 years old. Within 2 weeks I was moved to grade 1 because I could already read and write! No one asked whether or not it was something I wanted... it was just done.

It was a mixed blessing - I was more engaged in school activities, but I was a year younger than all the other kids in the class... and stayed that way right through to high school graduation. It created a very socially awkward environment. Think about it for a moment and imagine a 16 year old boy surrounded by 17 year old girls whose only interest is dating 18 year old boys! If that's a bit extreme, imagine yourself as a 15 year old who can't do the things the other students are doing... like learning to drive! Or worse... not being able to go to PG-13 movies with your friends, because you're not yet 13!

I hated school... with a passion - all because my mom thought it'd be somehow better for me to not be with my age group! But hey... that's just me!

Ian

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Ian's right, there's no hurry. Keep them with the age group, it will be good for them socially and they'll be one of the smarter kids in the year.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Yes I agree with both of you as I am in no way a pushy mum!

The website says that the kindergarten age is 5 by 31st August and he was 6 in May, so that makes him the right age for 1st Grade, however sometimes they put 6 year olds in kindergarten too? Does that sound right?

It was the school that asked if they could assess him, not our request to push him up. I think he'll have enough to deal with, such as starting school at 7.30am for a start :eek:

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

If they test him to recognize sounds that rhyme or differentiate sounds it really might confuse him with the new accent. You might make it a point to mention that. If he has been learning to read at home or in a previous school, I would ask them to give him a book to demonstrate his reading ability. I would casually practice sums to 10, counting, finding the missing #, point out shapes, go down the info they gave you. I don't know what is on the list, but from a test my son took at that age, I would find some US change and practice recognizing the name and the value, print off a ruler and show him "" inches.

www.starfall.com is a great phonics site.

American public schools are funded by attendance. They should ultimately do what you want.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Both my kids, at my request because we thought we'd be going back to the UK after a couple of years, were put in to grades equivelant to where they'd be in the UK and were both, therefore the youngest in their class.
We decided to stay in the US and both have gone through the school system, (eldest just graduated High School, youngest in 11th grade) with no problems both academically and socially.
Only you know you child and what's best for them. Just be prepared to be flexible if your child ends up in a grade he isn't happy in.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Actually here in the NE of the US, children are 5 when they enter kindergarten and are 6 when they start 1st grade. If that criteria were held for the poster's son, he would going into the 1st grade automatically.

My 4 yo granddaughter can count to 50 and recognize numbers over 100. She can read new books never seen or heard before on her own. She can sound out the words and if she doesn' know what they mean, she will ask you what it means. She can subtract simple numbers, i.e. 7 from 10 without using a physical object to subtract from (fingers) and she can do the same with adding.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

My daughter just made the cutoff date (which is August 31st where we live as well) and was placed in kindergarten at 5. While academically this was a good placement for her, socially she could have waited a year and been more in line (age-wise) with her friends. I had mentioned this to her kindergarten teacher and she felt that to have held her back would have been harder for her.

I have a friend whose daughter started kindergarten last year and was immediately moved up a grade. She has a fall birthday, so she was the oldest in her kindergarten class. She was academically way above her classmates. While she could have stayed in kindergarten, it would have been very boring for her and then you encounter another set of problems.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Both of our kids took a bunch of tests when we registered them in their school, first in PA and then again a few months later in NY. In both cases, the testing was done one on one and in both cases the testers seemed to approach it in a very low-key way that relaxed the kids. While the older one (10 at the time) did a bunch of written testing in PA, in NY it was more just to check that he was reading at an appropriate level. The little one (5 at the time) also did some written work in PA. The older one tested as "gifted" but performing at or just above grade 5 level (having just finished year 5 in the UK) and we ended up deciding (with the school) to put him with his age group into 5th grade. This had the advantage of being the last year at elementary where we were living, so he didn't have to start middle school until he had a year of American education under his belt. The little one, at 5, was kindergarten age, but she was already reading and writing and spelling and adding, subtracting and multiplying so the decision was made that she would be too bored in kindergarten and she was put into 1st grade. She was the youngest in the class by about 4 and a half months, but she was top of the class academically. In New York the cut off is December 1st rather than August 31st, so now she is only 6 weeks younger than the next youngest and is still top of the class academically, although as classmates begin to hit puberty, the age difference can sometimes feel like an issue. Socially she hasn't seemed to have any problems...we will see....

In my experience the schools over here tend to work harder to find out about each child's individual abilities and are very willing to work with parents to find solutions that work for each child, even if a solution only applies to a single child in the whole school. (Your experience could be totally different, of course.) Take school records (report cards, evaluations, whatever the school he currently attends will give you) with you as well so when you discuss his test results you can also provide other documentation as to his progress elsewhere (American's LOVE documentation). If you feel strongly that he should be in one grade or the other make sure that your thoughts are communicated to the school. In PA we ended up having a meeting with 6 or 7 administrators and teachers as well as the school psychologist who had administered the tests in order to discuss placement. As it happened, the official recommendations exactly matched what we were thinking, so it was all good, but it was an open forum for us to argue if we felt the need.

As to how the tests were run, in PA I was allowed to sit in on the testing and my little one even did some of the answering while sitting on my lap. In NY I was not allowed to be in the room, but my daughter didn't end up unduly traumatized by the experience! ;-) The PA testing took over an hour, but they had the big decision about class placements to make, in NY the sessions were much shorter, and were really just about checking reading levels. In PA, the little one was given lists of words to read, some oral and some written math problems and a bunch of "IQ" type tests where she was given blocks and asked to assemble them into a certain shape in a given amount of time and that sort of thing. She also took a spelling test, starting with simple words and building up to more difficult ones. Once she said she couldn't figure out a couple in a row, they stopped.

Hope some of the above is helpful! Good luck!!

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

I honestly can't imagine putting a 6 year old who is emotionally and academically solid in Kindergarten in the states. Especially if he's already been in Reception. I'd think he'd be bored quite easily. It's not like his birthday is bordering on the cut-off date - turning 6 in May gives him ample cushion.

If you have concerns for him academically or socially, that's another issue and you should go with your gut. I'd ask if you could be taken on a tour of the school and take a peek into the Kindergarten and First Grade rooms so you can get a feel for it.

I'm still in shock at hearing about these August 31 cut-offs! Where I teach, the cut-off is December 1st and parents complain about that b/c they want their kids in 'real school' as soon as possible. We've had kids who turn 5 as late as December 12 enter Kindergarten b/c they scored well on the tests, which was crazy. They were too young.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

There are a few eager moms around me who have a child born latish in the school year (June) who want their kids to be held back a year before entering kindergarten specifically so that they will do better academically!

My daughter is in the awkward position of being one of the youngest in her year, small for her age, but top of her class (when she received her second commendation we were told it was unusual for a kindergärtner to get one. She got four by the end of the year). Being put forward a year (skipping first grade) would be good for her academically but she would be easily the tiniest in the class. Somehow, she has made of 2nd-5th grade friends at school but I'm not sure how well she would cope socially in a class of them, seems to be handling things okay right now. She will be in the 2/1 split instead of first grade, which is for the brighter 1st graders and slower 2nd graders.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

By grade 2 she could be tested for your district's Highly Capable Learners program. Some districts have different classrooms for these kids.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Thanks, just looked it up and it seems that she wouldn't be tested for this until grade 2 and then won't be in the program until grade 3, but her school does have a program for it. Looks like she ticks all the (rather vague) boxes in the questionnaire.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Here in NC a lot of parents will hold off and won't start their kids in Kindergarten until they are 6. For instance my neighbor did this with her child. Her son turned 7 in April and yet will be going into 1st grade when school starts back in a couple of weeks.

My son started Kindergarten at 5 (his birthday is in August) and he's nearly always been the youngest in his class. In some cases he's been 18 months younger. Eg One of his friends who was in the same year as him at school turned 20 in March and yet my son only turned 19 a few days ago.

In some instances parents deliberately hold their children back an extra year as they believe it will give them an advantage academically, and make them stand above their peers.

It really does depend on the child, but if your child has already been in education for a year prior to moving here, then I think you should push for 1st grade. He may be bored to death in Kindergarten.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

One more thing - teach him American words for punctuation.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

http://www.mathfactcafe.com/ <- has flashcards you can customize

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/grade_level_help.htm <- good for language art links

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Thanks everyone for the really helpful replies.
I got his US reading books from Amazon to give us a start and the school has emailed us some math(s) problems to look at.
Things like American spellings and vocab are hardly noticeable to him, it's going to be me who has that problem. I've spent the last 12 years trying to anglicise my hubby....

Eddie has also been in school in England for 3 years. Last year he was in Year 1-2, which meant he was with some 7 year olds and it was never a problem.

The only thing that matters for me is that he is happy and gets settled in, I would prefer 1st Grade as I think boredom would be the worst thing for him, he can definitely get distracted if things are too easy....

Thanks again. I will update next week after we've gone through the school test on Friday morning.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

I would really push for First Grade then. Good luck. :fingerscrossed:

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

There have been many different stories from different people on BE about placing their child in different grades. Some of the happiest outcomes have been to put their child a grade down from the UK where their child adjusted rapidly with the parent indicating that it was the best decision ever made.

Even if the child is advanced for his/her grade, many schools have gifted programs (usually in the later grades) where the child can attend advanced studies classes but still can overall remain with his/her age group for most classes.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Yes, but this is between kindergarten and first grade. The child is 6 and is old enough for first grade, already reads and writes (I'm assuming since he's been in school in the UK for three years.) I can imagine a 2.5 hour day with younger children that are just learning to do this would be pretty boring.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Each case is different. I am not recommending one over the other.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Very true! And I'm just responding on this case at hand.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

The wiki discusses the issue of class placement a bit here:

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Educat...s_in_school%3F

There is also this thread which is worth a read (despite a bit of ranting in the middle). Strongly recommend taking a look at it as well.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=643985

Basically, there is no one size fits all answer. To paraphrase Sir Ken Robinson, a child's education should not be based on their "date of manufacture". You'll be best served if you take the time to talk to their educators in the UK, find out what they are studying and how your child is doing in that, along with (if possible) what sort of environment they excel in and then discuss with the counterparts here about the current class syllabus and what sort of educational philosophy they attempt at the new school. It may turn out in a smaller class with a number of 'red-shirted' kids you may find a lower grade just as satisfying than a higher grade level, or it may be that the higher grade in this school is just keeping up with the one back home. There simply is no one universal right answer for your situation.

Good luck with the testing.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Hi, we are looking to move in March, my kids will turn 6 in January. What sort of things did they ask your son in his test? Also, did you already have somewhere lined up to live? We would be moving to the States and then shopping around for rentals on arrival. I assumed that i couldn't contact the schools until we had secured a rental? Which means they might miss a couple of weeks of school whilst we sort things out (beforei the Easter holidays)

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

I wouldn't worry too much as it's not set in stone and he can move between grades.

You can contact the school before you know your exact address.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

We arrived in the US in May, but couldn't register with the school district until after the school year had finished.
My son turned 8 this week and is settling well into 3rd grade.
My daughter is 7 on 30th November - is is the cut off date for the school district, so she scrapped into 2nd grade by one day. She has been there 4 weeks now and the school have been testing to she if she is in the correct grade. We have been considering moving her down to 1st grade, but her latest results suggest she is doing well with math(s) and english, but struggling a bit with reading. They are suggesting extra support to bring her reading up. They have been really good monitoring her progress and how she has settled. Yes she will be the last one to drive, the last one able to go to the movie, but it would seem to hold her back would be worse and she may loose interest in school if it's too easy.
A good school should monitor progress and not just test and then lock in the grade selection.

I hope you have a good experience and your son settles well whichever class he ends up in.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

Is that because it was near the end of the school year? How much school did he have to miss?

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

We needed proof of residency in the district and didn't sign a lease until after school had finished for the summer. They started first day of term in the age appropriate grade.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

I put my very bright 6yo in first grade - she'd just finished year 1 in the UK so academically she was ready for 2nd grade but socially she was much better in 1st grade. It worked out really well.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

A Beka Book has a great phonics program
http://www.abeka.com/ChristianSchool...sSixSteps.aspx

The Basic Phonics Sounds CD
Basic Phonics Charts 1–2
Handbook for Reading

I used it with my son years ago and have bought it for a few friends that had a struggling reader. I put the charts in page protectors and played the tape (CD now) and he would flip through it.
There are practice readers that go along with it, I would look on ebay for those to get a better price.

starfall.com is a good site too.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

I moved my son from 1st grade to KG just after we moved over in 2009. http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=643985 He was 6 at the end of the August so we thought he'd be fine as he had done 2 years in the UK. It has turned out that it was the best thing we could have done for him. Yes he is one of the oldest in the class but he is not THE oldest. His sister is 2 years younger than him but is in the year below him in school. Now we are entering our 3rd year in the US and my son is in 3rd grade and his sister is in 2nd. They are both doing well and have not suffered any for the changes they have gone through.

Re: School grade testing- any experience?
 

When we first moved to the States 21 years ago, my eldest son was in the same position. He'd already done a year of school in the UK and putting him in Kindergarten didn't seem like an option. He actually went in to 2nd Grade and held his own really well. However, he was young for his own year as his birthday is in June which meant that some of the kids who had September birthdays were almost two years older than him. While it wasn't a problem at that age, I could see it becoming one as they matured and were physically and emotionally developing, getting drivers licenses (which is a Big Deal in the States), going to Prom (another Big Deal), etc. I had two teenage stepdaughters so I could see how things could unfold. I wasn't very happy with the school he was at so, after a year when he'd completed 2nd grade, did some searching around and found a school that we could open enroll to and would accept him in either 2nd or 3rd grade. He was part of the decision and he opted for 2nd grade. I think changing schools helped him not feel like he was being held back and I've never regretted the decision.

Things can be rocky enough for kids in school without the added pressure of trying to keep up with classmates a year or two older physically and emotionally.