text:
Intel has high hopes for its new Silverthorne/Diamondville-based
Atom processors. Intel formally
introduced Atom and Centrino Atom in early March and indicated that the
processors/platform would be used in a wide variety of devices.
Intel expects for its new Atom architecture to target
$40B in new markets. "It's not just the 1 billion people that have
access to the Internet now. It's the next 2 billion people. It's not just about
selling more PCs, but bringing new devices and new price points to bring those
people onto the Internet," said Intel CEO Paul Otellini in March. "We
are not talking about repurposing old silicon, but designing new silicon for
each of these different areas."
Intel is now taking its first steps to deliver Atom processors to the
masses. The first round of Atom processors are the Silverthorne-based
units which feature a 13mm x 14mm package size.
The five new 45nm, high-k Atom processor range in speed from 800MHz to
1.86GHz and all feature 512KB of L2 cache. The Z500 and Z510 clock in at 800MHz
and 1.1GHz respectively and feature a FSB operating at 400MHz. The Z520, Z530,
and Z540 represent speed grades of 1.33GHz, 1.6GHz, and 1.86GHz respectively using
a 533MHz FSB. The 533MHz SKUs will feature Hyper-Threading
-- a technology that many are familiar with thanks to the unloved Pentium 4
The family of Atom processors features a thermal design power (TDP) range of
0.65 to 2.4 W; average power range of 160 to 200 mW; and idle power range
of 80 to 100 mW.
Prices for the chips range from $45 for the Z500 to $160 for the Z540 in
quantities of 1,000.
The Atom Z5xx processors are aimed at what Intel calls the Mobile Internet
Device (MID) market. These devices fit into your pocket and are expected to
have excellent battery life. Other targeted platforms for these Atom processors
include GPS devices, portable video players, and converged tablets.
Backing up Intel's Atom Z5xx processors is Intel's new System Controller Hub
(SCH) which was previously known as Poulsbo. The SCH incorporates HD
audio, PCIe, USB, and SDIO support. The SCH will also have extended
capabilities for WiFi, WiMAX, EV-DO and HSDPA.
Also included on the SCH is a third-party graphics solution which is quite a
departure for Intel. In this case, Intel licensed Imagination Technologies' POWERVR SGX
graphics and POWERVR VXD multi-standard HD video technologies. The graphics
core is capable of supporting hardware accelerated 720p and 1080i HD
"The introduction of Intel's Centrino Atom processor technology
incorporating our POWERVR graphics and video technologies signifies the
beginning of a new class of Mobile Internet Device," said Tony King-Smith, Imagination
Technologies' VP of Marketing. "Imagination looks forward to its continued
collaboration with leading industry players to provide products and
technologies that help enable ever more dynamic visual user experiences."
"Today is a historic day for Intel and the high-tech industry as we
deliver our first-ever Intel Atom processor and surround it with a great
package of technology," said Intel Senior VP Anand Chandrasekher.
"Mix in the incredible innovation coming from our fellow device makers and
software vendors, and we will change the way consumers will come to know and
access the World Wide Web. These forthcoming MIDs, and some incredible
longer-term plans our customers are sharing with us, will show how small
devices can deliver a big Internet experience."
The next big release for Intel's Atom processors will come in the form of
the Diamondville-based processors. These processors will go in devices
which Intel calls "netbooks". However, we know them more commonly as
devices like the Eee
PC 900 and ECS
The Diamondville-based N270 will run at 1.6GHz using a 533MHz FSB.
This is the chip that will find a home in the previously mentioned nettops. According
to Intel's latest roadmaps, the chip will be priced at $44 in quantities of
Intel is going full-bore with its new Atom processor lineup and it should be
interesting to see how the Silverthorne and Diamondville-based
machines fare in the marketplace. Diamondville-based nettops are pretty
much a sure bet as far as sales are concerned, but many are still not sold on
the whole MID concept which would cater to Silverthorne.
For a more thorough look at Intel's Atom architecture, take a look at AnandTech's


text:
It's hard to argue the brilliant potential of Apple's iPhone. The device stands head and shoulders over most smartphones in terms of looks, form factor, graphics, internet capabilities, and touch interface. So when the new 3G iPhone debuted, customers flocked to it, hoping that the oversights of the first generation model might have been addressed by Apple.
The wish list wasn't very long, and some items on it seem like they would be almost trivial to implement. Among the desired features as chronicled by Wired -- photo texting, copy and paste, working Flash, browser crash fixes, Wi-Fi iTunes syncs, landscape view for emails, clicking anywhere to take a photo, and the ability to hide unwanted icons.
While one would thing one or two of these fixes -- requested by users and trumpeted all about by the media -- might be added, the iPhone 3G came with exactly none of them. What it did come with were a plethora of features that were met with varying reactions from modest enthusiasm to total indifference, including Google Street View, direct podcast downloads, application ratings on deletion, line in support (for mics), Emoji icons, location sharing, and Safari tweaks (not crash proofing). These fixes can easily be gleaned by glancing through leaks from the iPhone Firmware 2.2 Beta 2.
However, it's the features that everyone wants that aren't there that are grabbing the most attention. Of the top 20 most requested features, you have to reach 18 before you reach one Apple has implemented -- turn by turn directions.
Many analysts are puzzled that a company could be so out of touch with its user base. A publicist for FullSix, the " relationship marketing" company that created Please Fix the iPhone drive points out that most big companies have launched initiatives which they use to gather and implement user suggestions. They point to My Starbucks and Dell's Idea Storm as examples.
Apple does quite the opposite. It gives people random features they never requested (with the exception of 3G, which was more of an upgrade to modern standards than a feature). Many blame Apple's polarizing CEO Steve Jobs. Mr. Jobs has publicly stated before that he doesn't think customers know what they want, but he does.
He likes to express this philosophy by using a Wayne Gretzky quote to refer to his thoughts on feature development; "I skate to where the puck is going to be. Not to where it's been."
However, most analysts believe that Mr. Jobs will eventually be forced to relent and offer a feature here and there that consumers have been demanding for months -- or at least one would hope.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Photo: Russ Shea
The resort of Cairngorm in Scotland is probably the biggest of the 5 resorts. By that I mean it has the most runs and lifts. It's situated on the west side of Scotland and normally runs its seasons from Dec through till late April.
It also has loads of off-piste terrain with tons of secret spots that the locals know about. Over the years I have heard about a great spot for building hips and quarter pipes but never before had I been there. I got together with the locals and some of the old guard to go and check it out.


text:
PHP Event Calendar is a modern, Ajax based, multi-user calendar/scheduling application. It supports multiple calendars, shared calendars, event drag and drop, Google Calendar import, email reminders, repeating events, multiple calendar views, and many other features. It can be customized easily to integrate into your own environment or it can be used right out of the box as a standalone event calendar/scheduling application. It supports all major Web browsers as well as mobile devices.
Recave is a content management system (CMS), Web portal system, storytelling software, blog or news system, online community, or whatever you want to call it. It makes it easy to create an online community with features including Web based admin, surveys, top page, access stats page with counter, user customizable box, customizable themes, friendly administration GUI, topic manager, a complete articles and comments system with moderation system, referer tracking, page creation and manager, customizable HTML blocks, a banner ad system, search engine, and backend/headlines generation.
WSN InstaChat is an experimental new kind of chat where you can watch others typing rich text in real time. Use rich text formatting, images, spell check, tables, bullet points, lists, Flash objects, smilies, and more in your chat. Collaborate with other people, either one on one or with a large group. Installation is as easy as copying the files to your Web server.
The Collax Security Gateway is a Unified Threat Management (UTM) Solution for small- and medium-sized businesses. It includes an easy to configure stateful inspection firewall, email security features including anti-spam and anti-virus, Internet access control, Internet SSL interception, Internet networking optimization tools, Internet network fault tolerance, clientless VPN technology, and remote administration.
FastCRM is a Web-based customer relationship management system that keeps track of customers and their companies with ease. It allows sales people to quickly manage their accounts, contacts, and opportunities. It can also be used to track daily tasks, meetings, etc. Payments tracking and recurring payments are supported. Customers can be mapped with GPS coordinates. It provides management with assessment charts and audit.
ZedCMS is a simple base content management system from which more complicated systems can be developed. It is designed so a Web developer can quickly produce customised websites, and is not really for users. Users wanting to setup their own websites are better off with a different system, like Wordpress.
iSPARQL is the OpenLink interactive SPARQL Query Builder, a utility for building and executing SPARQL queries. It may be used on any standard SPARQL endpoint, but can utilize the full power of Virtuoso Sponger when connected to a Virtuoso endpoint. The queries, together with various parameters, may be saved in a WebDAV-capable file server.
A micro Linux distribution for securely hosting a Tor server.
An IDE for Python.


text:
Jane Dobbs Named CEO at Canyon State Credit Union
The $126 million Canyon State Credit Union in Phoenix, Ariz., has hired Jane Dobbs as its new president/CEO.
Dobbs will succeed the retiring Steve Dunham as CEO of the 16,700-member Canyon State in September, the credit union said.
"Jane brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will help transition Canyon State strategically into the future while maintaining financial health and a priority focus on member service," said Brett Moulton, Canyon State's board chairman.
"I am excited to be joining the Canyon State team and help build on the success they have experienced" Dobbs said in the credit union's announcement, adding, "We are sad to see Steve leave his post as CEO and transition into retirement, but are enthusiastic for his future endeavors and wish him all the best."
Dobbs has more than 30 years of financial services leadership, most recently as interim CEO at the $275 million CPM FCU in North Charleston, S.C., and her work has included helping to guide troubled credit unions as interim chief retail officer for Texans Credit Union and as a senior consultant for Arrowhead Credit Union in California, her new employer said.
She began her career in branch management for the former Western Savings and Loan in Phoenix and held a variety of leadership roles with Bank of America in retail branch administration, mortgage and consumer lending, Canyon State said.


text:
While consumers have seen the
price of data storage media of all kinds drop while storage capacity and
densities have risen, one thing remains constant for all bit-based mechanisms:
binary 0s and 1s represent data. They may be stored and interpreted by
different means, but binary is the system that all our personal electronics use
from data storage to volatile memory to processing itself.
One way to further increase density could be to add a third state, or a 2.
UPenn's nanowire storage medium does just that. The wire itself is a coaxial
system, like the cable that carries television into your cable box. The
nanowire's shell is composed of germanium telluride (GeTe), while the core is a
more complex germanium/antimony/tellurium compound Ge2Sb2Te5 .
Both of these materials are known as phase-change materials. Under the stimulus
of an electric field, the materials change from a crystalline, ordered
structure to an amorphous, unordered. To supplement this, the core and shell
can be separately modified from crystalline to amorphous.
To make this work as a data storage device, picture the crystalline state to be
a 0 and the amorphous to be a 1. When the compounds are in a crystalline state,
they have a very low resistance to electricity thanks to their crystalline
structure. When an electric pulse is applied, the compound heads and becomes
amorphous, greatly increasing its resistance to current flow. In this way,
measuring the resistance of the nanowire can result in either a 0 or 1.
Where the magic happens is when the shell and core are separately tuned, one
crystalline while the other is amorphous. This creates a third level of
resistance over the nanowire – the 2.
In addition to a third readable state, UPenn's nanowires
have other properties which make them ideal for volatile memory storage. Due to
the third state itself, densities become much greater. This could either enable
smaller memory devices for portable electronics, or much more storage in
current form factors.
Such tiny structures have been known to self-assemble. A bottom up assembly
would revolutionize memory production which typically relies on a top down
approach. Rather than etching circuits into various materials, the nanotubes
could be coaxed to assemble themselves into usable structures. Combined with a
crystal's tendency to lack defects, this could enable entirely new production
methods which involve less outside manipulation, cutting cost and loss simultaneously.


text:
After the version 1.60 system update for the PlayStation 3,
Sony's console has been capable of lending a helping hand to Stanford
University's Folding@home
effort to help find cures to various protein-related diseases. The PlayStation
3 has been contributing more than half of
the total processing power of Folding@home, thanks to the power of the Cell
Broadband Engine, a point which has been much publicized.
The PS3's in the distributed computing project has Xbox 360
owners curious if and how well their consoles would work on Folding@home. Peter
Moore, VP of Microsoft's entertainment division, recently addressed that issue
saying, "We continue to look at this and see whether there's real value,"
adding that Bill Gates "quite frankly has had a conversation about this" and
notes that Gates is interested in applying "philanthropic processing power to
big problems."
"But I'm not quite sure yet whether we're seeing real
tangible results from the PlayStation 3 Folding@Home initiative," Moore
continued. "Then if we truly believe that we can in some way marshall the
resources of a much larger installed base of Xbox 360 owners, with a processer
that's of equal power to the PS3, then you have my commitment that we'll look
at that. And if we believe we can add value to solving a gnarly problem such as
the medical problems and the health problems that Folding@home seems to be
doing, then we'll certainly look at that very strongly."
Recently, Stanford professor and Folding@home program lead
Vijay Pande said in
an interview that the PlayStation 3's CPU would be far more effective than
the Xbox 360's CPU.
"We are simulating key processes in protein folding and misfolding
in Alzheimer's Disease. PS3's are performing aspects of these simulations, and
doing so about 20 times faster than a typical PC," Pande said. When asked if
the Xbox 360 could be of use to the Folding@home program, he answered,
"Possibly, although the cell processor in the PS3 is much more powerful for our
calculations than the CPU in the Xbox 360."
Microsoft may not want to participate in Folding@home in
fears that the project would point out that the PlayStation 3's Cell Broadband Engine
is faster than the Xbox 360's Xenon processor at performing protein-folding
While the Xbox 360 CPU may not be tops in terms of
Folding@home, its ATI-developed Xenos GPU could possibly eclipse PS3's CPU. ATI
Radeon GPUs currently running Folding@home are outperforming the PlayStation 3
on a per capita basis. Though whether or not the Xbox 360 will ever get its
crack at helping to cure a disease remains to be seen.


text:
Log In | Sign Up
Adult animated comedy with rock music soundtrack portraying a far-fetched explanation of the Dawn of Man.
Deleting a title from your collection is like throwing away a DVD.
You will no longer be able to watch this title on Flixster or any other UltraViolet service.
Are you sure you want to permanently delete this title?


text:
Most computer users take buying or otherwise obtaining antivirus software protection for granted as part of normal computer maintenance. However, users of Apple's Macs, while being greatly in the minority compared to PCs for years have most gone with no virus protection. Apple even supported this belief, through ads indicating that Macs don't get viruses. And while Apple's software security-related patching rate is among the worst in the industry, for years Apple was mostly right; its computers just didn't get targeted in great numbers by malicious users.
Recently, however, Mac has been building up a slightly larger market share, thanks to multiple months in the number 3 computer retailer spot. While PCs still greatly outnumber Macs, there are now many more Macs, and that spells trouble for Mac security. This growing problem is exacerbated by Apple's poor patching as was demonstrated at a recent hacker convention, in which an Apple machine was easily compromised a full day before Linux and Windows machines could be.
Now Apple has recognized this new problem and for the first time is recommending its users install antivirus software. A little notice popped up on its support website, entitled "Mac OS: Antivirus utilities". In the page Apple states, "Apple encourages the widespread use of multiple antivirus utilities so that virus programmers have more than one application to circumvent, thus making the whole virus writing process more difficult."
Apple goes on to suggest three products -- Intego VirusBarrier X5 and Symantec Norton Anti-Virus 11 for Macintosh, both available from the Apple Online Store, and McAfee VirusScan for Mac. Just three months ago Brian Krebs, who first noticed the notice and reported on it in Washington Post, bought a MacBook and was told by Apple employees that he didn't need antivirus software.
Similarly, Apple ads like this have long indicated that Apple is immune to viruses.
So what caused Apple to change its tune? One major factor appears to be the rise in non-OS attacks. While Apple's base OS is relatively secure, many of its programs, both Apple and third party have numerous vulnerabilities; among them Flash and Apple's Safari web browser. Dave Marcus, director of security research and communications at McAfee states, "Apple is realizing that malware these days is targeting data, and valuable data exists just as much on an OS platform that is a Mac as it does on an OS platform that is Windows."
Apple is likely also conscious of the increasingly strong security from Microsoft, and its possible effect on its own users. With Microsoft beefing up its patching system, adding more OS security layers, and offering free antivirus and malware protection for Windows Vista in mid-2009, hackers may turn to easier hijack Mac computers as a source of bots for botnets or other malicious schemes.
One type of malicious program Apple is particularly vulnerable to is password-stealing Trojans. Explains Mr. Marcus, "The malware we see today is Trojans, password-stealing Trojans," Marcus said. "They are little apps that are dropped onto the machine to do something. They don't infect files and copy themselves. They are looking for specific information and they send that information somewhere else."
Several such Trojans have popped up, such as the AppleScript.THT Trojan, and another one that targeted Mac users searching pornographic sites.
Apple also has to worry about its adoptees -- Microsoft Office for Mac and Firefox for Mac, both popular targets of exploits.
While some, particularly Mac users may find Apple's new announcement surprising, Mr. Marcus says at the end of the day, it is merely an acknowledgment of reality. He continues, "At the end of the day, they're (Apple is) advising people to be safe and take precautions. That's a prudent thing to tell people in Web 2.0 world."


text: CLICK the PLAY button to see the IRON MAN 3's spot which is set to air during this Sunday's game... Marvel's "Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is … [Read more...]


text:
Family Fun
Calgary's western hospitality goes double for kids.
Looking for fun activities for mom, dad and the kids? Calgary has one of the youngest populations in the country, and where there are kids, there are things for kids to do. Fun things. Stalk life-sized dinosaurs at the Calgary Zoo or see the Rockies upside down aboard Calaway Park's Vortex roller coaster – these and other family bonding experiences are Calgary's bread and butter.
Calgary International Childrens' Festival
Enjoy a family day out with professional live theatre, dance, music, and much more at one of North America's largest performing arts festivals of its kind.
TELUS Spark, Calgary's Science Centre
Children get to explore their creativity in a space that celebrates art, science and technology.
Spend a warm summer day indulging in all the food, fun, and thrill inducing rides that Calaway Park has to offer. Western Canada's Largest Outdoor Family Amusement Park, has 32 rides, 23 skill testing games, 24 food locations, 5 attractions, live entertainment, free parking and all the family fun you can handle!
Year round amusement for families, including activities moms and dads can join in on and others designed for turnin' kids loose including: laser tag, a climbing tower, an indoor playground plus summer fun like go-karts, mini-golf and water fights.
Story Time at Gasoline Alley Museum
Go back in time at this hands-on, interactive museum featuring an impressive collection of one-of-a-kind vintage vehicles and artifacts. Your little ones will enjoy hearing favourite children's classics from 1910 to the 1950s including Dr. Seuss, Curious George and Beatrix Potter.
Heritage Park Historical Village
Canada's largest living history museum gives you an authentic taste of frontier life from 1864 through the 1950s. Heritage Park transports you back to olden-days Calgary.
Explore colourful stories of Calgary's past in the Interpretive Centre. Experience both sides of the law as you try on an authentic RCMP uniform or spend some time in our jail. Enjoy special activities on scheduled event days throughout the year including Family Day, Mountie Day, Canada Day and Heritage Day.
To infinity and beyond! The Hangar Flight Museum contains military and civilian aircraft exhibits, hands-on activities, flight simulators, ongoing restoration projects and a gift shop.
An eco-park with hands-on exhibits that focus on Alberta's fish, wildlife, water and wetlands. From the beaver dam display that you can crawl into to 15,000-litre fish aquariums, the facility is sure to be a hit with the whole family.
Experience the many joys of being on a farm. Enjoy close-up animal interactions. Listen to the sheep munching on their hay, or wiggle your fingers into the curly wool of a newborn lamb, or inspect the hair in a calf's ear.
One of North America's top zoos features African, Asian and South American wildlife, Canadian animals, large indoor botanical gardens and even dinosaurs. Finish your world tour with a trip back in time in the Prehistoric Park or soothe your senses in nearly 6 acres of Botanical Gardens.
Bird watchers and nature lovers make sure you bring your binoculars to this wildlife preserve. Visit the Nature Centre or hike the trails along the Bow River.
Outdoor Pathway Systems/ Parks
Plan a picnic in one of Calgary's many beautiful parks or a stroll on over 500 km of pathways within Calgary's city boundaries.
Summertime cool down. Grab an inflatable boat or an air mattress then sit back and enjoy scenic views of the City of Calgary while floating on the inviting Elbow River. Be safe, wear a life jacket.


text:
Luther alumni events are open to all alumni and friends of the college, including parents and other family members of graduates and students. If you need more information or if you're interested in planning an event in your area, please call the Alumni Office at (800) 225-8664.
Sponsored by Alumni
The event is designed to give alumni and friends of Luther access to the top-notch facilities, faculty, and qualities that make up the college. It's also a wonderful way to reconnect with Luther and introduce children to the college. Most attendees have a Luther connection of some kind, although that is not always the case. Everyone is welcome.
The program gives individuals the freedom to explore their interests and provides opportunities for families to spend time together for a truly meaningful vacation and educational experience. Adults and teens may choose from a variety of course offerings taught by Luther faculty, staff, alumni, and others.
Courses are offered throughout the day, and there are also some evening offerings and special activities to choose from. Friday's closing breakfast will cap of the week.
Hosts for Lutherlag 2012 are Serina (Norvold) '94 and George Bentley and their four children: Nels (11), Carsten (10), Thea (8), and Bjorn (5).
Questions? Contact Kirk Johnson, Alumni, 563-387-1659
Learn more at http://www.luther.edu/alumni/events/lutherlag/


text:
Napoli 'moving forward' after good medical news
Ready to increase workload after MRI reveals hip condition has stabilized
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- No news was good news on the Mike Napoli front on Saturday.
Napoli received the results of the MRI he took this week as part of his spring physical, and told reporters that nothing had changed with his hip condition.
"That's a good thing," Napoli said. "The medicine is working and the doctors were happy with the MRI. I'm going to be able to move forward."
Moving forward, in this instance, means Napoli immediately beginning to take ground balls from his knees at first base and increasing his running program on the treadmill.
"I'm excited," Napoli said. "It's a fun time."
Little has been fun on the medical front for Napoli since a December physical with the Red Sox led to a diagnosis of avasular necrosis, a disease that restricts blood flow into the bones. Though Napoli has reported no pain from the condition, it was serious enough to lead to a major reconstruction of the contract the player and team had initially agreed upon -- and the Red Sox will use Napoli solely as a first baseman and not behind the plate.
General manager Ben Cherington said the club's medical staff was still mapping out a plan for easing Napoli into full activity. But what is certain, for now, is that neither Napoli nor David Ortiz, who is still recovering from last summer's Achilles tendon strain, will be participating in the first few games of the Grapefruit League schedule. Both are expected to be ready by Opening Day.
"We're much more concerned about the 162-game schedule," said Cherington, "than we are about the Spring Training schedule."
Napoli made it clear that his condition hasn't improved, it's merely stabilized. But that, in and of itself, is good news.
"It's only been six weeks of the medication," Napoli said. "The doctors said it can get better over time, but it's probably going to take a year or maybe more for it to get better on the medication. But it's doing what we wanted. It's staying the same, and we're moving forward."
Going forward, Napoli will continue to have periodic MRI scans to monitor his condition, Cherington said. Napoli will also use this spring camp to adapt to the particulars of playing his position on a full-time basis.
"When I was catching, I would take ground balls every once in a while -- just to stay fresh," Napoli said. "I wasn't working on too many things. I'm not really worried about it. I've played infield before. I had a conversation with [third-base and infielders coach] Brian Butterfield about what I feel comfortable with and what I need to work on. I'm going to do everything I can to make myself better."
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
In Alix Lambert's book CRIME: A Series of Extraordinary Interviews Exposing the World of Crime - Real and Imagined, rap star Ice-T and author/filmmaker Nelson George speak on a variety of topics surrounding criminal tendencies and mentality, as excerpted by The Guardian.
The two touch on various topics, with one being of particular relevance today with the recent release of the latest chapter in the Grand Theft Auto video game series. "I love them," proclaimed Ice-T. "The best one is Grand Theft Auto, which is just fucking mayhem. I'm in the Scarface game, which teaches you how to sell drugs, and I was in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. I played a cracked-out rap star who had his lyrics stolen and the person that stole them became a star. So I went on crack and by the end of the game I get my reputation and my mansion back. You start off as a kid in South Central LA, you build up your rep and then you get a gang. It's definitely some crazy shit."
As Ice-T confesses his passion for video games, Nelson George takes it to the next level as he said, "Video games are more important than hip-hop. There's no doubt about it. The violence and nihilism that everyone thinks is in hip-hop is pumped up about 18 times in video games. That's really what's driving young male culture, that's really the new rock'n'roll."
Ice-T spoke on the second Grand Theft Auto game on the PS2, "The Vice City games are the worst shit ever - in a good way. It's so intentionally wrong that you've got to get into it. You go, "Oh my God, if I'm out of money I just rob a liquor store. Inside this world, all the things that you think about, you can do."
George continued, "The funny thing about this debate is so many hip-hop critics are fixated on rap and not talking enough about video games, which aren't a racially determinant form. Obviously those Grand Theft Auto guys were very canny because they tied in to Scarface, they tied in to hip-hop. I mean, Def Jam has a line of video games. Hip-hop became subsumed into the games.
As a filmmaker himself, George draws parallels between video games and movies. "With video games the relationship to the culture is different, they're much more like movies. They're a really interesting hybrid. The Grand Theft Auto dudes were all about figuring out how to tap into urban culture. Video games, like movies, take in so many disciplines."
While both hip-hop and video games have been scapegoats for violence, Ice-T turns it around and sees video games such as Grand Theft Auto as outlets for aggressive feelings. "Does that make you want to do it in real life? No. To me it diffuses it. People say video games make kids violent. I don't think so. It can be an outlet for that aggression. It's a masculine thing. Human beings have some weird blood lust, it roots back to us being animals. It's ill, though."


text:
Tuesday, Netflix announced that its pricing and plans were changing,
which resulted in a price hike for users that currently only pay $9.99 for DVDs
and streaming. Effective September 1 (for existing customers), this price will jump to $15.98, while
DVD-only plans and video streaming only plans are $7.99 for one or the other.
This angered Netflix
customers to the point that Netflix had to bring in additional
customer service representatives to handle the amount of phone calls pouring
in. Customers also voiced their opinions on social networks like Facebook and
Twitter, saying that the pricing was sudden and unfair.
But Netflix has outlined a couple of reasons as to why it has
made these price changes according to USA Today. First, it underestimated the demand for DVD rental.
Second, it has to cover the expenses for licensing rights from movie studios
and television networks in order to provide better content.
Netflix has been working to move customers more toward streaming since
November, when it released a $7.99 streaming-only plan. This is because DVDs
are more expensive to ship at 75 cents per disc, while sending a streamed
internet video only costs about 5 to 10 cents.
But with much of the newer releases being DVD rentals only, Netflix customers
have flocked to this particular service while still enjoying content that is
part of the streaming service as well.
This demand for DVDs led Netflix to both introduce a DVD-only plan for $7.99
(as well as the steaming-only plan for $7.99) and to heighten the price of
DVD/streaming bundle packages from $9.99 to $15.98.
While adjusting prices and plans for DVD rentals was an important step, Netflix
also understood that it had to beef up the streaming service by making more
movies/television shows available in order to lure customers in that direction.
To do that, it needs streaming rights, and streaming rights are pretty
In the first three months of 2011, Netflix spent $192 million on streaming
rights. Last year, it spent $406 million on its streaming library. Next year,
licensing rights costs are expected to jump between $1.3 billion and $1.4
billion, mainly because movie studios and television networks want a large
piece of Netflix's successful
pie. As of March 2011, Netflix had 23.6 million users.
"Netflix is under enormous pressures from the content owners to write
bigger and bigger checks," said Arash Amel, research director for digital
media at IHS Screen Digest. "It had to find the money from
Netflix also has a desire to bring in more money as it grows, since it has
actually lost money over time. At the end of 2006, Netflix received a monthly
average of $15.87 per subscriber (this was before streaming launched). During
the first quarter of this year, it received a monthly average of $11.97 per


text:
Local grief organization, the Four Corners Chapter of The Compassionate Friends is looking for those in the Cortez area who would like to carpool to Farmington, N.M. to hear award-winning songwriter, Alan Pedersen. Pedersen will perform and speak for the Tres Rios Chapter of Compassionate Friends in Farmington on Saturday, Feb. 9, as part of his Angels Across the USA tour. Alan Pedersen is a bereaved father, nationally-recognized inspirational speaker on grief and loss, award winning singer/songwriter, and successful recording artist.
The public is invited to share an evening of music, hope and healing at this free event. Contact Debbie Snead at 565-4732 to RSVP and/or to set up carpooling.


text:
Best selection and great deals, for your Suzuki Quad Sport. Dennis Kirk carries more Suzuki parts and accessories than any other aftermarket ATV parts vendor anywhere, and we have them all at the lowest guaranteed prices. Not only that, but we have them all in-stock and ready to ship today. Dennis Kirk has been the leader in the powersports industry since 1969, so you can rest assured that we have your back when it comes to outfitting your Suzuki Quad Sport with the right Suzuki parts and accessories. With our no-hassle return policy and FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $89, you can buy with confidence!
We'll Ship It Today, if ordered in: 1 3hr : 1 0min : 0 0sec details
|Shipping Type
|Order By
|UPS Ground
|8:00pm Central
|UPS Three Day Select
|8:00pm Central
|UPS Second Day Air
|8:00pm Central
|UPS Next Day Air Saver
|4:00pm Central
|UPS Next Day Air
|4:00pm Central
|USPS Parcel Select
|11:30am Central
|FedEx Economy
|3:00pm Central
|FedEx Standard
|3:00pm Central
|FedEx Priority
|3:00pm Central
|Canada Postal Service
|11:30am Central
Orders placed during the weekends or the following holidays will ship the next business day.
- New Years Eve
- New Years Day
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Day after Thanksgiving
Click here for more details.


text:
July 24, 2009
Decent quality and OHMYEFFINGROBWARDITSNEWMOON!!!
- Lorabell
OMG...This looks *amazing*!! I think I'm in love with Chris Weitz. - TCA
Totally get it TCA - I think I'm in love with Chris Weitz too!
P.s. Does he look like Superman to anyone else? Seriously.
- Lorabell
49 comments:
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 11:34 AM
OMG thats all i have to say !ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 11:43 AM
i can't wait till november. wow!!! (it's so much better than twilight too) and omg!-both jocob's and edward's abs look AMAZINGLY HOT! =)ReplyDelete
-_- *DIES*ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Hurry and download these clips if you want them on your computer to show friends before November. I'm sure these will be deleted by the morning for breaking copyright laws.
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 11:48 AM
love it!ReplyDelete
OMG OMG OMG!ReplyDelete
I cannot breathe, i cannot see cleary and i think i just wet myself!
*cries hysterically*
Is it FREAKING NOVEMEBR YET?!
OMG !!!! thanks for the link . i just downloaded them .ReplyDelete
I am literally shaking & in tears! I am SOOOOOOOO standing in line for hours if need be to be @ the midnight showing! I kne I was gonna be there anyway but ....Damn I can't evwen think straight! Sweet Jesus!ReplyDelete
crikey... talk about squealie girls!ReplyDelete
NooooOOO! I can't see anything!!!!!! Pleaseeee Pleaseeee I want to see it!!!!!!ReplyDelete
Yes! Finally...after 4 reloads I saw them!!!! OHMYGODDDD!!!! Thank you!!!!!!! Thiss movie is going way ahead of my expectations!!! Can't wait until November!!!!!!ReplyDelete
That was pretty sweet! Yup ... I'm going to be one of those girls being made fun of because I am standing in line for hours on end. LOL. Oh well ... soooooo worth it! Hope better quality ones comes out soon ... like on their website!ReplyDelete
This is the BEST twi-crack, thank you TCA from the bottom of my Team Edward loving heart!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 2:04 PM
i have but one word: SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!ReplyDelete
yay for twicrack yaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy
be still, my beating heart
outfreaking standing... love you TCAReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 2:30 PM
really wish the females could shut there mouth so we could actually hear what they were saying..LAME.ReplyDelete
Double fist pump! I can't wait!ReplyDelete
I hate hate HATE that my internet at work doesn't allow Flash-embedded videos, nor YouTube. GAH! I will never see it! :-(ReplyDelete
holy sh*t.ReplyDelete
i'm at work, and i couldn't hide my excitement.
people are looking at me weird lol.
Jakey has smexy abbs i really want to lay on.LOL!THAT WAS SO FUCKIN' , FUCKIN' , FUCKIN' , AWSUM , AMAZING , IT LEFT ME WITH NO WORDS TO HOW TO EXPLAIN , HOW AMAZING IT WAS.I liked how Chris Wetiz add Edward in the scences , it was wayyyyyyyyyy cool!Seriously , no kidding , my heart is pumping faster than usual and i just had to use my asthma inhealers , i'm not kidding.The 2nd clip I was like "NO , EDWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!DON'T DO IT"ReplyDelete
New Moon look really good!I!CAN.NOT.WAIT.ANY.DAMN.LONGER!!!!!Just kill me , New Moon , Hot , shirt-less guy , etc!!!ahh!I'm going to ask my mom IF she can pre-order the tickets now?
- want2BinforksJuly 24, 2009 at 4:54 PM
thanks for the posting. I was up until midnight last night hoping to find the video somewhere. of course my fave dealer came through!!ReplyDelete
to those of you who went to the movie on opening night last year: did people yell out and squeee like that throughout the movie?! if so I SOOOOOOO do not want to go to the first couple of days of showings. They will ruin it for me.
- HannahJuly 24, 2009 at 5:04 PM
hmm they didn't really scream like this at the opening night I went to. Some unnecessary laughter,etc... but for me, it was worth it to see it at midnight :DReplyDelete
I have been watching these two clips since they came out!! at least like, once every 15 minutes!! the're amaaaaazing!! I can not wait untill november!! I'm also anxious to see the second trailer on august 14!ReplyDelete
I am a 31 year old woman ready to cry over a two minute clip. Please make November come soon. I don't even care anymore that the release is three days before my 32nd birthday making me too damn old for this. My old butt will be standing in line on Nov. 20th daring someone to look at me sideways, lol.ReplyDelete
i'm so happy that someone posted these! so awesome. does anyone understand what's being said the in the Volterra scene...in the car. i can't understand it.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 5:44 PM
I just shook and I have chills and I am so excited. GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHReplyDelete
That was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good.
I love how they released two clips.
One for the Jacob girls and one for the Edward girls.
November can not come soon enough.
I also love that even though they changed when she tells him "you're sort of beautiful" - it totally worked.
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 6:28 PM
I have to say I'm disappointed in you TCA! Summit didn't want this video leaking and you're posting it on your site. You wouldn't even post the offical movie poster before Summit wanted it released but you'll post this?! This is the kind of stuff that will make the studios shy away from doing it again next year!ReplyDelete
That was one hard hit of Twi-Crack! I. Am. Died. Period.ReplyDelete
Seriously, I told myself I wasn't gonna watch it, but obviously I couldn't resist.
I'm having a one-sided love affair with Chris Weitz.
Chris is a GENIUS! this movie is going to be great! I hope now Summit will release the "official" clips now seeing as everyone has seen these now(it was on People.com) keeping my fingers crossedReplyDelete
it'll be so nice to see good quality clips and not have to listen to people screaming...
Anonymous who is disappointed in TCA for posting this -- why don't you say who you are if you are willing to come here and leave a comment? Are you somebody that I know? If you are, I'd appreciate it if you emailed me or at least owned your comment.ReplyDelete
In retrospect, I actually wish I *had* left that poster up instead of succumbing to silly pressure from other fansites to take it down when it was already all over the web.
I have no clue what Summit wants or doesn't want, and it's also not clear to me how that matters...I just care about my readers. Since I started blogging, I've always stayed consistent with the type of content I post and just post stuff of interest to me...I haven't changed to conform with anybody. The only thing that has changed is number of readers who come to my blog.
If you like what you see that is great, but if you don't there are many other blogs that you can visit.
Some people just like to complain. You handled that beautifully TCA. Much better than I ever could.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 8:48 PM
awesome clips. thanks for sharing! :DReplyDelete
but...people...if you're holding a camera and videotaping something...for the love of all that is unholy don't scream into the microphone that is mere inches from your face.
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 9:00 PM
oh if only there wasnt screaming in the background...roflReplyDelete
Thanks, Pinky! *sniff* :-)ReplyDelete
The clip is now posted all over cyberspace; EW and People.com have posted it as well.ReplyDelete
I am damn near hyperventilating!!!ReplyDelete
This is how I know I am Team Edward all the way.
1) The first clip made me happy and smile.
2) The second clip practically made me choke on my drink and die a little inside.
I cannot wait until November 20th! It's bigger than Christmas to me at this point.
TCA, your amazing, never doubt it!!!!!!!!!!!!ReplyDelete
And to the trailers all I have to say is holy &^%$#@@^%%^&*%*&(*&(*&(*%&^&*^*&^&*(^!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I died. Cant type, shaking!!!!
The Edward vision parts r just perfect.... swwwoooon. And when he comes out of the building, there r no words! Thx TCA LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOLY CROW! I am so impressed with Chris Weitz and his vision. The appirition of Edward was beautiul! He looked so serious, so Edward. I liked the whole Bella apolgizing for bleeding. Taylors acting is wonderful.ReplyDelete
I squeed like a little girl on christmas! LOOKS WONDERFUL!
cant stop watchingReplyDelete
hopefully my daughter naps a little longer today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 11:51 PM
Things that make you go SQUEEEEE!!!ReplyDelete
They should rename the teams...It's Team Jacob's Abs VS Team Edward's Abs. :)
- AnonymousJuly 25, 2009 at 12:32 AM
Chris Weitz is amazing!!!! I predict this will be better than Twilight. David slade has alot to live up to. Love the fact my home town of Vancouver, Canada plays back drop for the Jacob motorbike scene! Looking forward to seeing more of the cast in two weeks!ReplyDelete
I am sooooooooooooooo having convulsions over here.
When they start showing New Moon trailers on TV I think I'm going to start dying.
- AnonymousJuly 25, 2009 at 5:16 AM
God Bless whoever recorded this for all us torture incflicted individuals who couldn't go. Why should we be deprived as well when we love Twilight as much as the people who were there but just couldn't afford to go? Thanks to whoever it was who taped it and to TCA for posting it and putting us all out of some of our misery.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJuly 25, 2009 at 5:32 AM
Me very happy, this was like having a TwOrgasm while watching, me feel goooood :PReplyDelete
- thparkleJuly 25, 2009 at 11:54 PM
TCA, thanks a million for posting this! Don't pay attention to the haters! Anon July 24, 1:28 PM, why don't you go to another site, if you don't like what TCA is doing. Besides, she's not doing anything wrong. Like she said many reputable sites have posted these clips as well. Anyway, I don't think Summit would really mind in the grand scheme of things. How does this hurt them? It doesn't.ReplyDelete
TCA keep givin' us the goods. We appreciate it, and we love ya!
- AnonymousAugust 10, 2009 at 6:09 PM
I totally think that it should be referred to as a Twigasm lol speaking of which the deleted scene off to the right side of the screen........DAMN!! Go team Edward.......You haters can keep your team jacob my edward is at least old enough to grow chest and facial hair lolReplyDelete


text:
This is on my mind also (I have a late July b-day boy). I am looking forward to hearing how you work through this and make a decision.
Blogs About Reading
Sound It Out
Dr. Joanne Meier
Along with her background as a professor, researcher, writer, and teacher, Joanne Meier is a mom. Join Joanne every week as she shares her experiences raising her own young readers, and guides parents and teachers on the best practices in reading.
Should she stay or should she go? (to kindergarten)
I knew it was coming — re-enrollment time at preschool. Top of the form, first question: Will your child be going to kindergarten next year? Our answer: UGH!! We can't decide!
Anna (our younger daughter) turns five in early July. In Virginia, the kindergarten cut off date is September 30, so she clearly could go. But, should she? We waited an extra year with Molly (our older daughter), whose birthday is in mid-August. Molly entered kindergarten having just turned 6, and she's done beautifully. It was the right decision for Molly. But Molly and Anna are different from each other. Very different.
This concept of "academic red shirting" for rising kindergarten students has gotten a lot of attention. CBS covered the story, with opinion from Barbara Willer, deputy executive director for the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The National Center for Education Statistics examined the reading and math achievement data of children who repeated kindergarten or who began kindergarten a year late.
Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children refers to the practice of holding young children out of school for an extra year before kindergarten as "buying a year," and suggests that the practice widens the gap between the most and least advanced children. I'm not looking to do that! I just want to provide Anna with every opportunity to flourish once she does get on the hamster wheel of public school. I feel like this is our only opportunity to give her the gift of time; like others , I wouldn't consider a grade retention later on in school.
Academically, Anna's ready. Knows her letters, sounds, loves to "write" and will count to 100 for anyone who will listen. Socially, she's ready. Outgoing, friendly and funny. Motor development, ready. Rides her two wheeler like a whip, jumps rope. Hmmm. As I write this she seems ready, doesn't she? Maybe it's the mom that isn't!? Stay tuned. Forms are due by the end of the week!
I also have a son, August birthday who is academically ready to go. I worry about holding him back in the academic area for basically two years just so he doesn't get teased by other kids his whole life for having been the youngest, last birthday, last to get a license etc. Love to hear more sites to visit for advice...
I have 3 kids...#4's in the oven=) Yeah, I'm crazy! My oldest son was born in April and I started him in school on time, and sometimes I wish that I hadn't. (He's in 7th grade now) He was ready in every area except for maturity. He would have been better off starting a year late. He was our first and we were young, so it didn't even occur to me to keep him out another year. My next baby was a boy and he was born September 3rd, and cut-off for kindergarten was September 1st. I had to hold him out an extra year, but boy am I glad I did. He's in 3rd grade now, and doing well. Then came my daughter. She went to pre-k and was VERY ready for kindergarten. She could write, knew her letters, and socially she was ready. She is in kindergarten now and doing VERY well. She's reading books her brothers didn't read until the end of 1st grade. Our next bundle of joy is due this August, we'll just have to play it by ear. My experience tells me that she'll let us know if she's ready when the time comes. Every child is different and only you know if and when they are ready. My experience (as a mom and a teacher) tells me that girls are ready before boys are. Boys most of the time aren't mature enough for kindergarten at 5, they are able to achieve more at 6. They are also more confident and tend to be leaders instead of followers if they're held back a year. And again, that's just my experience. Tho, there are ALWAYS exceptions to every rule.
Hello. I am wondering what you decided. I am going back and forth with my decicion to send or hold back my August boy. I have never heard of anyone regretting holiding back their child.
My son is an August child I am with you I cant make up my mind
I am in the same dilemma. My son is a late August birthday who is eager to learn and has taught himself to read. However, he has only recently in the last few months become more socially confident, and is slightly short for his age. Any thoughts?
I am a 1st grade teacher, having also taught Kindergarten. My opinion is to wait. I would never send a summer baby to school, girl or boy. Maturity is the big thing. We pre-tested kids going into K with a maturity test by the Gessell Institute. I have had parents thank me decades later for saying they needed to wait a year to send their child. Don't pit your child against the school system. Remember too that if you send your August boy that many others will have had held back their spring and summer boys so yours will be the youngest by far. I see it in my classes. I can almost always line up the students by age, all depending on my observations of maturity. Many of the brighter ones have maturity lags. When my husband and I decided to have a 2nd child I refused to get pregnant until January, so I wouldn't have summer baby and wouldn't have to worry about holding them back. Our daughter was born in September. Books to check out, any by Raymond and Dorothy Moore, and Is Your Child in the Wrong Grade? by Louise Bates Ames (Gessell Institute). I suggested holding back a student with a 160 IQ, her maturity was not up to her IQ. She was still a 5 year old girl despite the fact she is one in a million as far as intelligence goes. It was a good decision. My other daughter born in January read Black Beauty in Kindergarten, but I never would have wanted her put ahead.
Hello everyone, My son is going to the 3rd grade. He is my first and only child and I too did not think about holding him back in kindergarten. He has had to go to summer school to obtain extra help and it seems he is always playing catch up. His reading has progressed tremendously. He is reading a grade level, but he is still behind in math and writing. He is so excited about going to the 4th grade. My husband and I have talked about holding him back, but we know he would be devastated. We have decided not to hold him back and to keep working with him and let God do the rest.
I have twin 4 year old boys who were born very premature and have been a little slow developing in every way. I was a first grade teacher before having kids and always recommended holding boys back so they would be at the top of their class instead of always struggling to keep up. This would be a no brain-er right? Definitely hold them back, However my boys are extremely bright and their birthday is in March. So they would actually be 6 1/2 when they started kindergarten. I would appreciate any thoughts on whether or not it would be detrimental for them to be so much older than the other kids.
I too have an August boy - his daycare/pre-school teachers think he should go to Kindergarten on time; however, my husband & I agree w/ you that seldom can you give anyone the gift of time, so we are definitely leaning towards a year in a pre-K program after this year's preschool session.... I look at it as giving him another year of childhood instead of another year of adulthood! I will be interested to hear more on this topic. My son seems to be a quick learner at this stage, but aren't most curious kids? Buying another year of maturity at the other end of his formal education journey seems important as well - sending a 18 year old boy to college vs. a 17 year old is a comforting thought....
i have triplet boys that were born two months earley with no medical problems i have thought about home schooling just for kindegarden and then sending all three to a private school do you think this is wise? i think they need time to be a child.
According to many studies, making your kids a year older gives them maturity and allows them to advance faster until about 3rd grade, when it all evens out. If your child is ready academically, I think they should go to Kindergarten. My son was born at the end of May and I struggled with this, but he was ready....why make him wait when he is dying to learn? I sent him and he is fine. I think you can create a whole other world of problems such as behavior issues and boredom. If school is boring, you're creating their first experience of school to be boring. I think your child will be as smart as they are. Intelligence is innate. If there are obvious reasons to hold him/her back, then you should, but if not, send them to school.
Hi! I have a little boy who has a late August birthday. I am debating on whether to send him, too. I look forward to hearing comments!
I have been debating this as well and quite frankly driving my hubby nuts. We have 3 boys, our oldest is an August Boy and then twin July boys. Our oldest started Kindergarten this fall at 6 and has been doing very well. I do not regret waiting to send him. I always thought he was ready at 5 but I listened to others and he seems to have benefitted from waiting especially with maturity. Now 2 years later I am going through the same dilema with my twin boys. They are further from the cutoff being July vs. August and in some ways seem more ready than my older son. I took them for K screening just yesterday and passed everything with no issues. I realize though with a public school system they must accept all kiddos that meet the deadline. To keep thing status quo in our house I suppose we are fairly sure they will also start Kindergarten at 6 and be the older ones in their class. I have to keep telling myself they will not be an entire year older than everyone, just summer birthdays that started at 5. They will only be a few months older than most. I guess my concerns of waiting are whether they will feel out of place or school may not be very challenging. My inlaws are teachers and they think waiting is the better option. My sister, also a teacher, feels they are ready. So in addition to my confusion I have various opinions. I suppose I wish it was like it was 20 years ago where if you qualified you went and that was the decision. I hate having to decide this as I do believe it has some effect on the rest of their lives. I have read many blogs and I have read many that do not agree with waiting, however, I have yet to come across someone tell me they waited and wished they would have sent them. I am trying to err on the side of caution but would welcome all thoughts. Sorry for the lengthy blog. Does anyone regret waiting that has been through this before?
I have a 7 year old daughter with a birthday in August, I did not hold her back from starting Kindergarten but wish I had. She has had problems with reading since the start of kindergarten and her maturity level is much lower than the rest of the childre. Her pediatrition wanted us to hold her back because of that, and now we are wondering if she is going to have to repeat the 2nd grade. My recommendation is, if in doubt, hold him/her back, it will probably benefit them greatly.
I have read a lot about keeping kids back and not being ready when they have summer or fall birthdays but what about the kids that are born Jan - May? Do we wait to send them until they are 6 1/2 or go with the 5 1/2 start. And if they are held back then what? The kids are going to be 19 or 20 when they get out of high school?
I never even thought so many parents are in my shoes! I have 3 kids, a 17 year-old girl (October b-day), a 13-year old boy (August b-day) and a 4 year old girl (with an early December birthday). My two older kids went to HALF-DAY kindergarten at almost five and at five, and I never had a shade of doubt about sending them. I think the reason why is that they went to kindergarten for half day only. Now with my little one, I am going back and forth - our district's cut off date is 12/31 (while the rest of NYS is 12/1), and one day I think she is ready and another day that I should hold her back, give her another year of childhood. And my main trepidation is because now our district has a full day kindergarten (from 8:15 to 2:30); if it were a half day, I would end her without a doubt in my mind. But should I end her to a full day or not? She is very ready academically (actually, she is bi-lingual, speaks russian and english, has a phenomenal vocabulary in each language for her age, tries to read and write in both); maybe socially not that ready, but has no problems at her pre-school; her teachers say she will do fine either way - so I am torn! Any suggestions?
I never even thought so many parents are in my shoes! I have 3 kids, a 17 year-old girl (October b-day), a 13-year old boy (August b-day) and a 4 year old girl (with an early December birthday). My two older kids went to HALF-DAY kindergarten at almost five and at five, and I never had a shade of doubt about sending them. I think the reason why is that they went to kindergarten for half day only. Now with my little one, I am going back and forth - our district's cut off date is 12/31 (while the rest of NYS is 12/1), and one day I think she is ready and another day that I should hold her back, give her another year of childhood. And my main trepidation is because now our district has a full day kindergarten (from 8:15 to 2:30); if it were a half day, I would send her without a doubt in my mind. But should I send her for a full day or not? She is very ready academically (actually, she is bi-lingual, speaks russian and english, has a phenomenal vocabulary in each language for her age, tries to read and write in both); maybe socially not that ready, but has no problems at her pre-school; her teachers say she will do fine either way - so I am torn! Any suggestions?
My daughter turned 5 years old in March. She is in a K4 at a local Christian academy in the Charlotte NC area. Her teachers said she is academically ready for kindergarten, but is not quite socially ready to progress. Should I not start her in kindergarten next year or go ahead and send her? This has become a big dilema for myself and my husband and we are not sure what to do, please help.
When is your cutoff in your district? In PA most places is Sept 1st. It seems March would place your daughter in the middle age wise and this would be a good thing. However, if you do not feel she is ready I don't think it hurts to wait. My 3 boys are all summer (July and Aug) and we are most likely waiting with all 3. As I struggle with this decision I know we all want what is best for our kids and most likely they will do fine whenever they start.
I can really understand how hand-wringing this decision can be for you and your husband, Ann. We too really struggled with our decisions, and then came to two decisions for our two girls! (Molly started K at 6, Anna started K at 5). At some level, you need to trust your instincts as parents. With a March birthday, I'd be inclined to send her at 5 1/2 rather than waiting until she's 6 1/2, but without knowing your daughter, it's difficult to say. Are there other reasons to question sending her? Some families with children born prematurely or who have children with developmental delays make decisions based on those factors (and in those cases, early intervention is critical). Have you gone to see the school that your daughter will attend? I encourage you to make an appointment, tour the school, and meet one-on-one with the principal and a K teacher. Share your concerns and hear what they have to say. If it would help, perhaps your daughter's K4 teacher could go with you, or could call the school too. Keep in touch and let me know what you decide!
just an FYI- Connecticut has a Jan. 1 cut off.I let my four year old go- not many problems- now in college- but - they don't tell you- when your child is 14 and others are 16 and dating, or driving, or working.... and yours is young- in the same grade. also developmentally an 8 yr old and 10 year old are really far apart for math concepts- we always talked about ready for K not about ready to go away to college at 17 or to high school at 13. Art teacher complained of dexterity issues with so wide an age group in the grade-I can not go back and probably would not see a huge difference- but just wanted share more concerns than ready for kindergarten.as the kids get older in K they are still older in each grade- and the state testing, SATs and such are not on age- but grade.
I'm so glad you brought up the points about dating, driving, and working. We're all so crazy busy with our little ones, but it's good to think about the big picture too!
Hi! I, too, have a daughter with a late August birthday. Our cut-off date is Sept. 1st. She is our oldest daughter out of three children. When it came time to decide on kindergarten, the decision was a no-brainer because we had all three in daycare at the time (a major expense). We did not want to start her at such a young age (just turning 5), but our plan was to let her go ahead and we would repeat kindergarten. However, she loved kindergarten and did well in every aspect - we got nothing but good reports from her teacher. Therefore, when the time came to move on to first grade, we didn't think anymore about the age issue and let her move on with her peers. Now, we have spent an entire year in first grade and the age issue has come up again. She is doing okay academically. She is a "B" or "average" student in the class, but my husband and I spend many hours working with her. Her math and spelling are very strong, but her reading could be stronger at this point. The main concern from her teacher is her maturity level. We now regret that we did not hold her back in kindergarten as originally planned. We met with her teacher and school counselor yesterday to discuss holding her back in first grade. Her teacher provided us with standardized test scores that, again, showed that she is where she needs to be to progress to second grade, but her scores are at mid-low average levels. Her teacher gave us the facts/figures of her academic and maturity levels. She didn't voice a strong opinion one way or the other, as she could see both the benefits and concerns of holding her back. However, the school counselor was very much against holding her back. She thinks that her maturity level will eventually catch up and if we continue to work with her, her reading will improve as well. She thinks that it will do more harm than good to hold her back. It does seem kind-of crazy to hold an honor roll student back, but my question is - what if she has the potential to be an all A student and just needs that extra year to mature and get a better base level on the reading? Based on what the counselor said, we are afraid that repeating first grade will bore her or not challenge her enough, but at the same time, it might give her the extra boost that she needs to excel instead of always being one step behind. We did mention this idea to her and, to our surprise, she was excited about it and all for it. Although we don't want her to be against whatever decision we make, we are not sure if this excitement is from fear of facing new challenges and harder work. We don't want to give her an "easy out" but we do want to provide what's best for her. Any thoughts from other parents or teachers on this? Any opinions or thoughts from others who have been through or faced this situation would be greatly appreciated!!
Both of my girls have August birthdays. DD1 just finished first grade. DD2 will be entering kindergarten in the fall. It was a tough decision, but we chose to start them "early". Being the youngest in class has worked out beautifully for DD1. She is doing spectacular in school. She never missed a question all year on her math and science tests. She missed very few spelling words, and exceeded the goal for sight words by over 300 words! She does fine socially. She loves school and is actually sad that it is summer break. I have every confidence that DD2 will also flourish when she gets into school. Like the DD of the OP, she is ready academically and socially. I have examined every kindergarten readiness checklist I can find, and haven't found one good reason to hold her back. I can't make this decision based on her birth month alone, and if I were to hold her back, that's exactly what I would be doing. DD2 and I had the opportunity to visit the kindergarten class toward the end of the school year. There was nothing that I didn't feel she could handle a year from now. It also crossed my mind while we were there that if I had listened to the generalized advice to hold kids back, then DD1 would be in that room! That would be a disaster. She would be bored silly and would likely act out out of boredom. The only school work she hates doing is the stuff that she thinks is too easy. If she were in K this year, she would have been so miserable. Anyway, the schools try to scare you into waiting. I don't know why. Maybe they do this because they think younger kids will bring down their test scores. Who knows. To the OP, think of it this way: pretend for a minute that your daughter turned 5 in February. Would you still consider holding her back? If so, then maybe you should wait. If not, then my advice is to send her, and do so with confidence and without reluctance! Best of luck!
OK, after I posted I went through and read all the comments. Now I am just annoyed that we have been put in this position. I am annoyed that the school system has started this trend of holding kids back just because they have summer or even spring birthdays! Someone mentioned that they wish it was still the way it was 20 years ago. If you make the cut-off, you go to school (unless there are significant factors). I totally agree. This trend of holding kids back has created such a blurred line. I don't know how it benefits anyone - the school or the students - to have kids in the same class who are 1-1 1/2 years apart in age. Many of you seem to be beating yourselves up over the fact that you sent your child early and they struggled with certain subjects. Well, I was a Feb. baby and I still struggled with several subjects:) LOL! PLease don't beat yourself up over this any longer! Kids struggle at some point through school. The month of their birth has nothing to do with that. You don't honestly think that a 3rd grader struggles with reading because he was born a few months later than his classmates? Let your mommy instinct kick in and do what feels right. That's really all there is to it.
It's comforting to know that there are many others out there who are struggling with the issue of whether or not to send their summer birthday boy to Kindergarten. My oldest son will turn 6 in early July. (he was born premature in early July, not due until early Aug.) We spent the past few years in a huge struggle over this decision! After much agonizing, praying, asking others, and just about going crazy...my husband and I made the decision to WAIT to send our son to Kindergarten until this fall....as a 6 year old. This past year has been really hard for me as I have struggled with "second guessing" this decision to wait. My son started reading at 4 1/2, knows his letters, sounds, counts to 100....basically has mastered all the benchmarks required for kids to know by the end of Kindergarten. I was beating myself up on and off all year, wondering if we made the right choice! I wonder if he'll be bored in Kindergarten. At Kindergarten Registration I was in tears because I felt I should have been doing this a year ago....as he breezed through the testing with no problems. The teacher assured me that no one has ever regretted waiting. My son is quite small for his age and very active. He is quite high strung and hyper....always on the go. Yet academically he's very bright. As we contemplated what to do, we were concerned about his social development and his attention span. Those factors combined with his summer birthday led us to WAIT. Now he'll be off to Kindergarten in the fall. That hurdle was huge, but now we have to face it again in a few years! I have another son, age 3, with a mid April birthday (shy, laid back child) and another one, age 2, with a mid May birthday! (a busy spitfire like oldest brother) (I NEVER considered this when getting pregnant!) I would welcome any feedback and / or confirmation regarding the decision to wait. Are early spring birthdays as debatable as the summer ones? I have a few more years to think about it, but this issue never goes away. It's always in the back of my mind! Thanks for letting me share some thoughts!
It does help knowing we are not alone in our struggles with this decision. I will share my experience which was waiting on my son (Aug Birthday) until 6 for Kindergarten. He is completing K currently and really enjoyed it in the beginning but is ready for summer now. When going into his class (Public School) he was definitely on the more mature side for the boys, but seemed to fit right in with the girls as far as maturity. He does seem to be the class helper as far as taking things to the office, etc. He did not struggle with the work but I would not say he was bored. I feel he could have been more challenged but that may have been the case last year, too. I am starting to realize that there is a wide variety of learners in every class and some children that know the curriculam before they start and some that have never written their name. Therefore, I am glad we waited to start him, however, on the academics he probably would have been okay the year before. Our cutoff is Sept 1st so he only made the cutoff by a week and a half. Where he would have struggled going at a young 5 vs. young 6 is the length of the full day K and emotionally would have had a few more melt downs. It was reassuring putting him on the bus at 6 and feeling he was READY! I hope this helps in your decision. I have a July Birthday Boy and am also struggling with the decision a second time around. It worked well waiting with my first son, but the next one in some ways seems more ready. We are most likely waiting though since we did for my oldest and then they will be 2 grades apart as they are 2 years apart. Hang in there!
After reading these posts it just makes me so aware that every situation and child is unique. I am a mother of 4 children, Oldest Son,(almost 16)July Birthday,Second Son (10) December, Third Son (9) March and my Baby Girl (4) July Birthday as well. Sending our oldest to K at early 5 we never even thought to hold him back even though he actually was born 6.5 weeks early and would have indeed been a September birthday. This proved to be a nightmare for us later. Every year he struggled and they continued to advance him until 2nd grade when we fought the school and ending up retaining him. I wish so much we would have just waited. The story ended well through, my son is now finishing Freshman year with an A/B average, went to State Finals for Track the past two years, made the Freshman Football team out of 200 kids as their starting Running Back, has tons of friends, and above all seems to have the maturity to be making good choices as a teenager. My other two boys are in the middle, December and March, both do great in school scoring well above their grade level on their MAP and ISAT tests. Which brings me to my daughter. The baby of the family(and tiny as can be), the July birthday, and quite immature for her age especially as far as attention span goes. Our grade school which is K-8, runs 8:00-3:10 everyday. Her preschool teachers have said she along with many other summer birthdays childern need that extra year to mature and make their first school experience a positive one.We are fine with giving her the gift of another year to mature and catch up, but have a few friends with little girls my daughers age and are more than ready to go making it hard for us to see alot of her friends go on without her. I have heard from many teachers that parents gut feelings are the best guess as far as what is best for their child. Good Luck everyone.
I noticed that a few people think it is a some kind of conspiracy by the school to have children wait a year to enter to make it easier their jobs easier to teach the kids! Are they kidding? They too are trying to do what is best for each child. I have taught for years and can honestly say that summer children are at a disadvantage no matter how bright. Here is what a teacher does in most classrooms. As she teaches she "shoots" for the middle and hopes to draw in as many low and as many high students as she can. If she has time she works with those having trouble. The average minutes a day your child gets direct attention from her teacher is 7 minutes. There simply isn't enough time in the day.Those who are younger simply need a bit more, and often the teacher just can't meet their needs. It isn't humanly possible. I have two August boys in my class this year (1st grade). Bless their hearts, they are the sweetest boys you every saw. Both are very bright and have learned well. But one struggles with maturity and very poor motor skills. I can barely read his handwriting. The other struggles with fitting in as the older boys are into other things. He sitll has a bit of a baby belly! I just want to rock him. Academically they are doing great, but I can see the problems ahead for both of them. They would have benefitted greatly from waiting a year. I also have 2nd grader who struggles horribly with maturity. Every year it gets worse despite the fact he is brilliant. He is a May birthday.
It is very helpful to read these posts from other moms who are in the same situation regarding wondering whether or not to send their summer birthday children to kindergarden. My husband is "exhausted" with this subject and he too is thankful that there's other moms out there with whom I can relate. I really appreciate the imput from teachers who have addressed the issue of summer birthdays and shared what they have personally seen in the classroom. We have waited to send our July birthday boy until this year when he is 6. He would fit into the category of "very bright" as he has a fantastic memory and can retain information wonderfully. He is reading...started at age 4 1/2 and is way ahead of his peers with academics. I want to just say a huge, heartfelt THANKYOU!!! to those moms who encouraged "waiting" no matter how "bright" a child might be. While he is bright and catches on to new concepts quite easily, he is also immature, very active and small for his age. I pray that I can feel at complete peace sending him to Kindergarten at age 6 and stop second guessing the decision to wait. I hope other moms out there will be encouraged by the info you read on this site.
I too am struggling with this decision. My son has an August 30th birthday. He will be 5 this August. The cut off is Oct.1st. He is currently in Pre-K and in August will have been there for 1 1/2 years. I am in a strange situtation. Because if I keep him there another year, the children closet to him in age are 7 and 9 (both boys) months younger than him. And the other children are mostly girls and a whole year younger than him! The teachers feel I should send him. But if there were other kids closer in age to him I think they would say it was OK for him to stay. It's just unfortunate, that although I feel I want to wait until he is 6 (or at least 5 1/2 for a boy), his current Pre-K location is not the best fit either. I have looked for other solutions, but have not found any. I've read a couple books on this matter, and one in particular said that boys especially should wait or repeat kindergarten. He says this because in general, they have slower motor skills and maturity levels. It's too bad the schools don't follow this rule and we could all be together on this. But how it works today, is that holding them back in Kindergarten causes teasing from other children and I think may make your child feel bad. This is a great book: "Raising boys : Why boys are different-and how to help them become happy and well-balanced men" by Steve Biddulph. I learned a lot from it and highly suggest it. Because parents in general hold their summer kids back, sometimes you have to go with society. Plus my son is on the smaller size and doesn't have much for height in the gene pool. One thing my friend keeps telling me is it doesn't hurt to let them be a kid another year.
My first boy is an Oct birthday and I held him back. He did wonderful in kindergarten. I thought he was ready academically at 4, almost 5, for kindergarten but my plan was to hold him back based on the fall birthday. A neighbor of mine has a fall birthday and he said he wished he would've been held back just because he felt like he was at a disadvantage for sports. I don't regret my decision at all to hold my first back. He was smarter than most kids in his class but the teacher found ways to challenge him. My second boy is 20 months younger and a June birthday. We have been debating for the last 6 months whether or not to hold him back! If I send him then my kids will be back to back in school. I don't know if that's good or bad. Right now we are leaning toward pre-k because I have never heard of people regretting holding their kids back. It's not right now that I am worried about. I think he'd do just fine in kindergarten. It's when he gets into middle school and high school that I don't want him to be more immature than everyone else. From what I hear, kids will all catch up academically but socially later on is what the concern is. My first that did so well in kindergarten was working with a special teacher once a week to work with him at his level of reading, which she said is at least at a 3rd grade level, and she said that she feels like regardless of how well they do academically she'd hold kids, especially boys, back all the way back to April birthdays just because of the maturity issue later on. I think the other thing to keep in mind is that the demands on kindergarteners is more than when I was a kid. My first son's teacher said that what they need to teach in kindergarten is what they used to have to know by the end of first grade. That alone makes me feel like holding back my June boy is a good idea. I don't think it hurts for a child to have an extra year of just being a kid. When I was in kindergarten we had more play time and recess time than my son had this past year. The expectations seem greater. I would rather have my kids be in honors classes than to have them struggle. It is such a tough decision! As a parent you obviously want what's best for your child. As far as worrying about whether or not your child will be bored, my oldest was never bored and I feel like it's the job of the teacher to find ways to challenge the kids that are more advanced. I know it's hard for a teacher to work at so many different levels but my son's teacher did a great job with it.
It is sad to see so many with spring birthdays holding their children back. I am feeling the pressure of this decision and understand everyone's reluctance to send them because I have a 4 year old who is to start kindergarten this fall. Her birthday is 5 days before the Sept 1 cutoff. And with everyone waiting, she will be in school with children 1 and sometimes 1 1/2 years older than her. If it were 1/2 day I wouldn't be as concerned. AND if I hadn't heard of everyone keeping their children back until they are 6 I wouldn't be as concerned. However, it seems the new way is to send children to kindergarten when they are 6 and to treat it as if it is first grade!!! I feel the only children who shouldn't start kindergarten if they have reached the cutoff should be those who are TRULY emotionally challenged and those who may have medical issues. Then there wouldn't be so much pressure on parents to make a "decision" on whether to send the children. Sorry for the rant, but this shouldn't be such an issue and wouldn't be if everyone would just stop trying to make their kids better, brighter, faster, stronger and smarter than all the other children. As for me I now have to worry if my child can handle being with children so much older than her. Good luck to everyone!!!
It is sad to see so many with spring birthdays holding their children back. I am feeling the pressure of this decision and understand everyone's reluctance to send them because I have a 4 year old who is to start kindergarten this fall. Her birthday is 5 days before the Sept 1 cutoff. And with everyone waiting, she will be in school with children 1 and sometimes 1 1/2 years older than her. If it were 1/2 day I wouldn't be as concerned. AND if I hadn't heard of everyone keeping their children back until they are 6 I wouldn't be as concerned. However, it seems the new way is to send children to kindergarten when they are 6 and to treat it as if it is first grade!!! I feel the only children who shouldn't start kindergarten if they have reached the cutoff should be those who are TRULY emotionally challenged and those who may have medical issues. Then there wouldn't be so much pressure on parents to make a "decision" on whether to send the children. Sorry for the rant, but this shouldn't be such an issue and wouldn't be if everyone would just stop trying to make their kids better, brighter, faster, stronger and smarter than all the other children. As for me I now have to worry if my child can handle being with children so much older than her. Good luck to everyone!!!
I also have a boy with an August birthday. My husband and I have debated on whether to send him to kindergarten or hold him back a year. After talking to many teachers that say it is best to hold boys back because of maturity, we have decided to hold him back a year. We have also talked to many parents that say that they wish they had held their children back a year especially boys. I feel that we should let our kids be kids as long as we can and let them be ready and mature enough for school especially since they teach harder things at earlier ages than when we went to school. I hope this helps everyone. Good luck with whatever you decide for your children.
My daughter will be 4 the first week in Feb, so by the time school starts she'll be 4 1/2. She can spell & write her first & last name & most of her letters and counts & recognizes all digits whether in order or not. She's completely potty trained & dresses herself most days. Here in Va we have full time pre k in schools, but usually spots fill with children who qualify due to not doing well on the screening, so the better they do the less likely they are to be able to attend. We've applied for that but are doubtful she will make it because she is so bright. I am leaning more toward starting K, it would only be 6 months until she turned 5 & if she is capable why not? Yes she is small for her age, still wearing 2 & 3T clothes, but what does size have to do with it? I teach remeidal math at a 3-5 school and neither age nor size of the child determines whether or not they need me! In my experience, most children who fall behind in school have missed key building blocks at some point, maybe from missing too many days of school, or attention issues. These "lapses" make it difficult for them to move on to higher concepts. A good example would be most of the 5th graders I see can't do any computation with fractions, not because they don't understand the steps involved, but rather because in 3rd & 4th grades they missed learning the skill of multiplication. Same with long division, they can tell me the steps, but can't figure out what numbers to use because they don't know how to find the multiples of the divisor. I guess my thought is as long as the child is building an understanding of the concepts & is capable of building upon those concepts they are ready. If they are struggling in school it may take a more active parent at home to help fill in the gaps that develope. Just my opinion...
I am a fourth grade teacher and always "knew" that I would hold my son ( An August baby) I have always seen younger students struggle. Many of them were fine until fourth grade but suddny the age gap grows as puberty starts. My son is 5 and in a private kindergarten this year. The problem is, he is fully reading, plays chess etc... He is academically ahead of his peers. The public school kindergarten which I was planning on sneding him to is a half day program. Now I am stressing this decision. I khow as a parent I can help to enrichor remediate him but socially we have no control. Any suggestions?
To acinva, have you checked with your public school? I'm not sure that you can enroll a 4 1/2 year old in Virginia. I've heard of cases where parents petition if their child's birthday is within a few days of the cutoff, but not 6 months. It's a different story if you're thinking about private school. Just a thought!
To Mom and teacher: That's a tough one! It sounds as though the public school setting may not provide your son with enough of an academic challenge next year. How does he get along with his peers? Would it be possible for you to meet with the principal and perhaps a K teacher at your public school?
Does anyone have any comments about March Birthdays. My daughter turns 5 and I haven't made a decision (I'm really torn)! Kindergarten registration starts Monday. Help please need some sound advice!!
Your daughter sounds A LOT like mine. Nearly identical situations. I am currently having the same struggle w/ the decision to send her to K or not this year just after she turns 5. What did you end up doing? PLease advise!
I have read many comments about boys with summer birthdays not being ready for school. What about girls with early spring/summer birthdays? I have 3 children. My oldest daughter will be 5 June 12. My middle child, a girl, turned 3 May 7. My son will be 2 July 29. Our districts cut off date is May 31. I'm fine with my son starting school at 6. He will only be 6 for a few weeks before school starts. I'm less sure about my girls. They are a few weeks shy of being exactly 2 years apart. Our districts cut off date is right between their birthdays, making them one year apart in school, but 2 years apart in age. Or, I could send my oldest to a private school for a few years. Or, start all my children in kindergarten at 6. I'm very torn. My oldest has had 2 years of preschool. She did very well She is so sweet and mature. Although she did well, her teacher said she is still a bit more interested in play than learning. My younger daughter seems very bright. I'm not sure holding her back till 6 is appropriate. I'm not sure I want my girls 1 year apart and more in competition with each other. I'm so confused? I'm quite tall and so are my daughters. I worry about them being the oldest and most mature in Jr. High. On the other hand, I don't want them to struggle unneccesarily if school is really getting more demanding. Our cut off date seems earlier than anywhere else in the country. If a moved a few miles aways we'd have a Sept. 1 cut off and I probably wouldn't be so worried about sending my oldest off to kindergarten. Help!!!!!
I hope our experience will help someone reading this. Our son has a May birthday and is now 10. He was born a month early and has food allergies and asthma. We decided to hold him for a couple of reasons. He was accidemically ready, but still cried every time I dropped him off at pre-school. He also was very shy and embarassed about his medical issues. He would need his inhaler, and would be too afraid to raise his hand and let his teacher know. Much to his preschool teachers dismay, we held him. Every teacher at the elementary level encouraged us to do so. Now he will be starting 4th grade in the fall. The toughest part is that most of his good friends that he has made from sports and in the neighborhood are going into 5th grade this year. But many of those boys have also been held back due to July or August birthdays. There are even some boys younger than him that are the grade ahead of him. However, he has tested as gifted and now goes to special classes for that. He has also been a leader and role model in every classroom he's been in so far. I've talked to many parents with sons the same age who have had to plan tutoring and put in extra time because their son is always slightly behind. Our biggest concern is that our son is bored, but the gifted classes have helped take care of that. He is very confident and well liked. His school friends really look up to him. He is pretty far ahead accidemically than his classroom peers and I have had thoughts about moving him ahead a year. My husband is very much against this and thinks he has a huge advantage to be where he is. I've asked my son's teachers about moving him up at just about every teacher/parent conference. Every teacher has said the same thing; Do you want him to always be a leader and a step ahead, or do you want him always being a step behind? That makes our decision easy...we did the right thing.Just my opinion, but I would hold any child with an August birthday, regardless of the situation.
hi,just wondering what happend to all those who posted those earlier questions, what decisions they made and if they're happy or regretting??? I have a july girl (Dec cutoff) who is ready but a huge number of people saying it's better to hold. I waiver all the timethanks
Hi Kaylee,I can only speak from my own experience, and for the most part we're glad we made the decisions we made (hold our August girl, send our July girl) but our cutoff here is Sept. 30. Our decision was based almost exclusively on our daughters' differing personalities. Molly is cautious, tentative, and shy. Anna's always been pretty wide open and she does well in lots of social situations. We suspected Anna would be just fine, and she is. Molly is fine too, and does well being the "big fish in a little pond."
It depends on what is being taught. It seems that US kindergarten curriculum is very flawed. Kid should not read and write words before their brains are wired and ready. If reading and writing of words are taught before time then that could induce learning disability which would be noticed in later grades. Dealy is good option if the school insists on teaching too much too early.
Thanks, Das, for writing and commenting. I have to disagree, though, with your statement about inducing learning disabilities by teaching reading and writing too soon. The scientific evidence about the causes of LD is clear, and are widely accepted. The primary problem for children with reading problems is in phonological processing, not the age at which they are taught to read and write.
Wow I can't believe there are people holding back summer babies. I thought the older kids in my childs class were learning disabled and that is why they were older. I don't think holding kids back to give them an advantage is fair and it definately should not be allowed in the public school system. I put my December girl in K at age 4. She is in Grade 1 now and so far she is doing well.
As I primary teacher, my advice would always be to hold June, July, and August birthdays. This is the one of the first things that many of us look at as we get our class lists. My suggestion to parents with these kids would be to make a list of pros and cons about sending them or holding them out a year. Why wouldn't you want to give that little one one more year to mature socially and academically. And as for being bored, gifted/talented/capable kids are rarely bored. Parents usually introduce this word and it can be used to sit and do nothing in class. My highly capable students will challenge themselves with novels, writing projects or reading projects. These kids are self starters and love knowledge. Why rush? Keep them home and cherish your time with them one more year!


text:
UPDATE 12:53 p.m.: Hooding ceremony moved to McCarter Theatre
Due to expected rain and thunderstorms this afternoon, the Hooding ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. today at McCarter Theatre Center, opposite the train station on University Place. Tickets are required for all guests.
Degree recipients should arrive at the theater no later than 4:30 p.m., wearing their caps and gowns. Marshals will be available to assist degree recipients and their guests. Guests will be seated beginning at 4:30 p.m.
The event will be simulcast in Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall and Dodds Auditorium in Robertson Hall. No tickets are required at the simulcast sites. The ceremony will be broadcast live on TigerNet Channel 7 on campus and on Channel 27 on Princeton cable television. The event is also scheduled to be webcast live and archived online for later viewing on the Princeton Webmedia site.