ugacrew

You know as and American I didn't go to summer camp. Actually a lot of my friends didn't because of cost alone. We actually participated in programs offered by the local schools in the area. One summer I remember my mom enrolled me and my sister into an art camp that lasted about a month. It was pretty cool to attend and it gave us something to do. We also enrolled in summer recreation as well. Basically the school system provided a low cost alternative solution for daycare for grade school aged children. We'd basically go in the morning like it was school and get out around the same time. We basically played, did arts and crafts, and had an overall good time with other children our own age. I also remember my mom one year sending us to Space Academy in Huntsville, Alabama for a week. That really kicked ass. When I was done I wanted to become an astronaut. It was something that I've always wanted to do since seeing pamphlets arrive in the mail since the second grade. Other than that we chilled with my mom. I had it pretty good as a kid and wouldn't trade it for the world. We did all this without having to break the bank. So don't worry if you get funny looks from those Stepford moms. Kids like me who took advantage of really low cost alternatives provided by the Fairfax County School System in Alexandria, Virginia turn out pretty good in the end.

'American Girl Place' is located on North Michigan Avenue. It's a huge store with clothing for girls and the American Girl Dolls. It's the perfect place for mommy and daughter to spend a good hour or two for some quality time. You also develop a hole in your wallet too there.

http://www.americangirl.com/

keira-2007

Thanks Uga. I shall definitely make an effort NOT to go there then - or tell my daughter that it exists... not that she's particularly girly in that respect - she hates going shopping - she'd far rather stay home and play on her Playstation!

ugacrew

She sounds just like me. Be scared. BE VERRRRRY SCARED. LOL I couldn't stay away from my first gen. NES gaming console. Oh the days of Super Mario Brothers.....good times.

keira-2007

LOL. Me too. I had the Sega Megadrive and then the Sega MegaCD. I was hooked on Sonic the Hedgehog though!

ugacrew

Holy moley! You know I played Sonic too. My sister and I would have a fight to see who would punch the little bunnies and birdies out the cage at the end of the level.

mumof4

To get back to the original question, with him turnig 9 before November he can go into 4th grade. We moved last summer with a just turned 8 year old who'd finished up year 3 in LOndon. He went into 3 rd grade here in ARizona in a school with a principal who does not believe in moving kids up at all. He'd rather they were bored mindless than actually challenged but with older kids. I hear the social argument. I've spoken to people who were moved up a grade as kids and hated it, altho' that's a surprising number of people! And to parents who say socially it's hard on the kid too. However, it totally depends on your area and the individual schools.
Out of interest, last year in LOndon a kid joined my kids school from Detroit and was put down a year for his age. He was 6 and just starting to read. At 5 or 6 the gap is bigger as they're just starting to read at 6/7 in USA, it seems by 3rd or 4th grade they've caught up to the UK a bit. And they have to learn all that new measurements and money system and other new things. Don't think I would keep him down in 3rd grade, he's the right age for 4th and he'll be learning new things. My son was too young to go into 4th so he's had a pretty boring year.
About the sports, I asked my kids about it tonight. They said that altho there's about the same time devoted to PE, there's more sports and less gym if you get what I mean. And it's way more competetive. They had a hard time at first trying to get the rules of all the differnet new games. I think they stil miss jolly old England which is good coz if DH gets his old job back we'll be heading back. And my kids will have to catch up since they've learned nothing new this year
good luck with the move!

MsElui

helpful link here showing comparison years:

http://www.education-otherwise.org/T...on%20Chart.htm

mumof4

As a very confused Scot thanks for this link! I now understand the differences between Scotland, England and the US! WOW!

another bloody yank

That seems pretty late to me... My daughter is 7 and reading the Harry Potter series, and my son was also at that level at that age. Are you sure that kid was.. ummm, representative of the average...?

ugacrew

I totally disagree with that. We definitely start reading before we even get to kindergarten. I know I was reading then. I remember having a vast collection of Golden Books in my room that I read. I also remember having a collection of books that I could read along side a tape or record. I can tell you that I was not the exception then. I was the rule. Your example of a kid from Detroit was a poor one.

With regards to promotion. I'm sorry to hear that your son was kept back. There are more schools than not that will promote you based on skills. I know there have been kids that I went to school with that were given permission to take college level courses off campus at the local junior college in preparation for a 4 year uni. There were those that were also enrolled in honors courses which are a bit tougher than your average course in high school. In primary school if you were advanced in one subject then you could go across the hall and study that subject with the class that was ahead of you. I remember doing that because I was reading at a higher level than most my classmates. I'm thinking that you are in a school district that needs improvement. Probably in more ways than one.

yorkshirelass

I agree! My sons both entered kindergarten already knowing how to read and they were born and bred here in Florida! The youngest was maybe not as "fluent" until he hit kindergarten when that clicked. At their elementary school, children were what is called "ability grouped" for their language arts, reading and math lessons within their grades. I have a 6th grader who is now taking high school algebra and language arts but my school district has an awesome gifted program. My 3rd grader reads at a 6th grade level and is slated to do very well this year when he takes the dreaded FCAT for the first time. He is my slacker though and would much rather play, play, play than worry about his grades! I do sometimes have to remind his teachers that he is the YOUNGEST in his class even though he can waffle on for ages about the molecular make-up of ice?? I would call your district office to discuss your options with them if you've had no luck with your school's adminstration.

sambapink

I think kids are just different world wide.. My nephew who schooled in Utah was a slow starter.. didn't read as quickly as my daughter of the same age (and was schooled in England).. Now he has just been accepted to Stanford..

My very limited knowledge so far of the schools here are great.. very different.. but great.. The school my kids go to anyway has really impressed me.. as I had said before we get emailed everynite with their grades... and it really pushes them to do well.. Some area's of the school i'm not so keen on.. i.e. the amount of makeup the girls are allowed to wear.. and its a middle school!.. But then my kids did go to catholic schools in england and it had a very strict dress code..

Also my kids are so over being picked up for their accent and the words and phrases they use! Infact my daughters english teacher gets her to recite Shakespear in class.. just because he thinks it will sound more authentic! Shes not best pleased!! My 13 year old daughter particularly is the one who has picked up the accent... i think more to fit in than anything else!

As for the sports... yes they have P.E. every day... but there are no school teams... no baseball.. no soccer.. no nothing.. Just a bit disappointing... They are joining teams outside the school.. but they were such a part of their old school teams and loved it...

mumof4

My son was reading fluently at the start of last year and so was the rest of his class in UK. His 1st grade class has more than one child who still can't read. I guess we need to look into other schools, it's a shame public schools can't provide for bright kids. I hear that it's different in different states, but unfortunately we're just not impressed by the schooling offered here.

ugacrew

It's YOUR public school system. I was educated in the public school system here and I turned out all right. Just know that each school is not created equal. You have to look for the 'right' school district to move into. My mom made sure that we lived in the best school districts whenever we moved, and we moved a lot. Also, remember not to make a blanket statement about public schools in general. There are some fantastic public school systems out there. Most if not all will provide opportunities for further learning for those considered gifted and talented.

jumping doris

It is always difficult if you end up in a not so good school district.It is the same in the UK though.
Our primary school in the UK was classed as a failing school and almost shut down. There were 10 year olds who couldn't read.
We still had the 11 plus and so we had really good grammar schools and absolutely dire non grammar schools.
One of my daughters was at the grammar school the other wasn't and it made me feel awful to see the huge gulf between their education.

Here in the US we have great schools. Our High school, as I keep saying ad nauseum, leaves the UK grammar school standing.
Our elementary and middle schools are equally excellent.
We are lucky and so I prefer the schools here.