22
2010
In the New York Times
An article by 
Look! Lil and I are in the New York Times!
It’s an article about when to start kindergarten, something I did truly debate ad nauseam this year. Ultimately we decided to start school next year, allowing her one more year of part time preschool.
To some degree, the article focuses on parents holding their children back to give them an advantage later on. Lil’s success compared to other kids, nor the impact of her age on the classroom on a whole, did not enter my mind until being interviewed for this article. We made the decision based on what would serve her needs best. We know she will benefit greatly from another year in a playful, emotional and social focused preschool before full day kindergarten.
How it Happened
This article came about because of the HARO, or Help A Reporter Out, list. Anyone can join as a reporter or source. I participate as a potential news source so I can share my experience as a small business owner, blogger, and locavore.
A few times a day, HARO sends out a simple text email with queries from journalists. When I get the chance, which is not always, I read the query subject lines and send off a quick email to the journalist if I might fit their needs.
In this case, the writer Pamela Paul responded to my email with a request for a phone interview. She shared that it was for the New York Times. I agreed to be interviewed and we spent ten minutes on the phone a few days later.
Early this week, a few weeks after the phone interview, the Style section editor called and asked if Lil and I would be willing to be photographed. I agreed. We set a date for a local freelance photographer to come to our house.
Greg Sailor spent about 45 minutes at the house on Thursday morning. He took pictures of us reading on the porch, playing, and coloring. You can visit his his online portfolio and sweet bicycle photo sites.
An editor called me again on Friday to confirm a few details and the story was published!
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About the Author: Rachel Tayse
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Hi! I am Rachel Tayse Baillieul, a home-cooking, backyard-gardening, unschooling, earthy homemaker in Columbus Ohio. Hounds in the Kitchen is where I share my family's adventures. Thanks for joining us!
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HARO is a great resource. BTW – I totally agree with your decision to keep her home one more year, even though in your household my opinion doesn’t matter (written w/understanding not in a negative way). I have spoken in great detail about this to my mother who taught kindergarten for 35 years in a school that was voted “The best in Columbus” by Columbus Monthly a year ago. My mom says that the date of September X or whatever the cut off is, is set for a reason. Holding your child back one year will only make them stronger, emotionally, developmentally, and hopefully academically. BUT, as the article stated, all children are different, so go with what you want to choose as a parent.
Great job.
Proud of you.
Just saw this NYT online. Nice ink!
I worked as an elementary reading specialist before staying home with my kiddo. Often I saw the age spread mattered much more on down the line — 3rd, 4th, 5th grade. Almost always, I felt if a parent was on the fence about sending a youngish one for any reason at all, waiting a year would never hurt.
However, sometimes I feel like this holding back of the summer birthdays has gone a little too far. My son has turned out to be one of the youngest boys in his class with a *May* birthday. Honestly, a part of me did kind of resent the fact that his kindergarten classroom was overrun by bigger, stronger, 7 year old boys, often making my child feel far behind the pack, when in reality he was developmentally right on target for his age and grade level.
I think this trend toward starting kids later makes an excellent case for more fluid multi-age K-1 classrooms, whereupon teachers and parents could decide after a year whether their older children would truly benefit from another year there, or whether they’re ready to move on to 2nd grade with the other 7 year olds.