Is there a difference socially transferring in 1st grade vs 3rd grade?

[shanaling]

My daughter completed kindergarten in another district for their dual immersion program. The plan is to eventually transfer her back to our home district. She is an introverted gentle girl who has made a lot of friends last year in kindergarten. I was a bit pleasantly surprised. Does it make a significant difference socially between transferring in first grade and transferring in third grade?

[Laura33]

IMO yes.  My DD transferred into our local ES in 2nd grade, and I was surprised by the number of social groups that had already been formed -- particularly among the girls, it seemed.  She doesn't make friends easily, so it took her a full year to find her feet.  Not that earlier would have been perfect, but it would have been better to start when so many other new kids were starting too.

[Chris Pascale]

Another variable to think about: When we were moving in 2021, I offered to drive the younger girls back and forth to finish out the year in elementary school. They said no because the kids who show up in the middle of the year are usually more popular, but the kids who show up on the first day don't get a lot of notice since it's everyone's first day.

They both had very positive first days that included a lot of kids introducing themselves to them. Also, their last day at the old school included a going away party for them.