First Grade Readiness

[Andi Covarrubias]

Aloha colleagues!

I know first grade has finished for myself and many of you. But I just found out that my class will be a combined 1/2 with the current kinder joining my group. It is a blessing for my class because so many in my class are on the young side. Here is my problem and I would like some of your opinions:

The 1st grade cutoff date is aug 1st 2006. I have been assessing students (at this point lets not discuss why they are being assessed by a 1st year teacher in MAY!) and found that the most questionable ones were boys from mid may to aug. There is overwhelming pressure from theses parents to allow them into first grade when I know they are not ready and probably won't be ready in august when we start. I have printed out articles from many different places but they aren't "buying it". What do I do? I was given a class this past year with 5 year olds in it because parents aren't educated in why it is so important to be older. Now that I am making these decisions and have another new but experienced teacher to back me up, I feel more empowered to ask these parents to send their child back to Kinder or else where. But I really just want to tell them to trust me and the other teacher and know it is ok for thir child to have a long playful childhood. And that their child will do even better if they wait a year.

If any of you have better ways of looking at this, suggestions or testimonials please email me back. If you cringe at the thought of summer birthday children in first grade please tell me why. I would like to relay that to the parents.

See you in a couple of weeks!

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a wonderful day!

Andi Covarrubias
805.708.6474 mobile

[CHARLENE GRAY]

Dear Andi

I teach a Waldorf first grade at Highland Hall this year, and have two summer birthday children of my own who are now grown. I can attest that summer children are better waiting, particularly boys. Usually some area lags, often small motor control, but also development of full functioning of the eye-brain connection so important for reading. You might be able to use some of the information in Susan Johnson's (athropop Dr) that pertains to reading to really help you argue that end.

Also, I taught in non-Waldorf schools for many years after getting my Waldorf Training, schools where there was no thought of 'waiting', I saw again and again, older boys, say sixth grade, who simply did not fit, and never really had, because they were on the young side way back when they started school. These boys struggled, year after year, and often blamed themselves. Give them the benefit of time, and let the parent egos take the blow for their children's sake.

Look at the Finnish model: They start very late and lead the world in education.   

Last, my husband, Kevin Gray, is a world renown recording engineer, who just remastered much of the Blue Note series for vinyl. He was retained in Catholic school, between first and second, back when they did that. He says it was a blessing, he remembers how much it helped him, because he simply COULD NOT sit still and concentrate in first grade. After repeating first grade, he then went on and excelled. He is an exceedingly brilliant man with an awesome memory, he can remember details like which pick was used in specific recording sessions, and builds much of the gear needed to get the best sound out of the old  master tapes available and also has incredible ears to hear nuances. I think being retained was the difference between a frustrating childhood and being ready for what would come.    

Hope this helps!


Charlene Gray

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Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2012 19:12:02 -1000
Subject: First Grade Readiness
From: andicov...@gmail.com
To: aotg...@googlegroups.com

[Lisa Archer]

When I first came to our school 12 years ago, due to low class size and parent pressure we often accepted children with summer birthdays into the class even when our stated policy was to only have children who had turned 6 by June 1st. We have since held a strong line with this and will not allow pressure to dissuade us from it, and I believe our school is stronger now then when we let parents decide. In our early years because of combined classes - particularly a combined 1st/2nd grade - after a year we had to hold back two children. They are now both excellent students and so much calmer, better behaved and academically engaged than they ever were in the class above. It was too bad they could not instead have just had an extra year in kindergarten.

A few things to share with the parents beyond what I am sure you have already told them. Given the class will be a combined class ask them if they want their son or daughter to always be the youngest in the class and in a sense at a disadvantage because they will always be just behind the curve when it comes to developmental stages. Even in the main stream there is a trend for parents  to hold their boys back a year just to give them the extra advantage so they will have more opportunities when they get older. What opportunities? Well for one being older they will mature earlier physically which will give them an advantage in any sports they may want to take up in middle school or high school. Being older their brains will have the extra year to develop and so academic subjects will come more easily for them giving them more free time to pursue  extracurricular interests and make them more well-rounded which will look good on college applications. You can also turn this around and ask the parents the opposite. How much will your choices for your son or daughter help rather than make things more difficult for your child? The only other thing that could be at play here is money - are you at an independent school where the parents are paying tuition? This may be the pressuring factor for these parents,so you may need to have some sensitivity and address this concern directly. Ask them how much is worth to them to have their child succeed and be happy in life. If they can see that the monetary investment now will be worth it in the long run they may be better able to accept your recommendations.

Finally, I would encourage you to stand firm and not allow parent pressure to persuade you to accept children you do not see ready for first grade as you will have enough on your hands trying to carry the 1/2 combination even with children who are ready for first grade. For the health of the class, and your ability to carry it, it is best if you can have the narrowest spread of ages. I have found over the years (having taken two combined classes - one from 1st-7th/8ththat combined in 3rd/4th grade  and one I took up as a combined 6th/7th and took through 8th) that there are real challenges in meeting the needs of a combined class and the more similar in age the group the more success you will have in working with them as a single class.My first class was closer in age than the second and I saw a distinct difference in the two. The one with the broader age range had a lot more social challenges in working together and really did feel like two separate classes. You need to ask yourself as a new teacher, what can I truly carry and really meet the needs of these children who are coming to me?

Good luck and I hope you can convince them it is wirth it to give their child the extra year.

-Lisa

Tucson Waldorf School

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From: Andi Covarrubias <andicov...@gmail.com>
To: aotg...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 5, 2012 10:12 PM
Subject: First Grade Readiness

[lisa bartmann]

Hi Andi,

I taught most of the grades and when we did our morning review of the lessons and story lines, it was the older children who responded.  I talked with other teachers about this - how I was concerned that the curriculum was not meeting these summer birthday children and they had examples of their own.

  

Also, in high school - statistically the older children join activities and become leaders of student councils, etc.  

Lisa

[Mrs. Giulietta Garland]

Hi Andi - What school are you in?  Is it a charter school?  I work in a Waldorf charter and unfortunately the state mandated cut off is what parents are legally allowed to use.  And you can make recommendations but if they are insistent there is little you can do.

That being said, I was asked by my administration and one of our kindergarten teachers to write a report about one of the summer birthday boys in the current kindie whom the parents were pushing to have enter 1st grade this fall.  The child was unable to sit still or follow directions in kindergarten and it was clear that he would have a great deal of trouble in 1st grade.  I invited the mother to observe my 1st grade and pointed out several boys who, even though they have spring birthdays are still having trouble sitting, following directions, etc. These boys need frequent reminders about behavior and, although I'm doing my best to give frequent positive feedback, they are corrected so often that I'm concerned that they are forming an opinion about themselves as the "naughty boys".  I reminded her that, should her son start 1st grade in the fall, it is likely that he would find himself "getting in trouble" frequently and that is certainly not good for any child's self-esteem.  After our talk, she made the choice to enroll him in kindie for another year.

I hope your administration or more experienced teachers can make it a priority to discuss this with these parents. 
I wish you lots of success with your combined 1st/2nd next year!
Giulie

[Andi Covarrubias]

Thank you all for your input so far. I want to compile a list of your quotes (without using your names) to pass on to those parents. Let me know if it not ok to use your words. I would use your testimonials of how it affects the child.

I am at Malamalama Waldorf on the big island of Hawaii. It is not a charter. We are changing our policy on first grade readiness because of this mess this year! Yay! My heart goes out to the children who are put in 1st too early. I hope this can change at my school. Wish us luck.


Thank you so much.

Have a wonderful day!

Andi Covarrubias
805.708.6474 mobile

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