So at work today a first grader did not know what a b was. Bad?

Slow learners?

I would say they are behind.

had they completed first grade this past school year or starting this year?

if they were going into grade 2, that might suggest some learning or behavioral problems, but it's not necessarily catastrophic.

i was put in 'slow learner' groups through most of my early elementary school grades. i found school difficult & absolutely miserable overall. it wasn't until i was 10 or so that i seemed to start to grok some things, & showed a bit of talent for math in particular.

So, just to compare: my daughter will start year 1/first grade in September. Currently, she can read and write simple words and short sentences. She’s able to add, subtract and can count unaided to 100. She knows that a googleplex is a very big number (my fault). She knows the names of several countries and can point them out on a world map.

She started Montessori at 10 months and went to reception at her present school at age 4. I have no concerns and her teachers seem pleased.

On the flip side, we often read stories where children are still turning up for school in the UK aged anything between 5 and 8 and are still in nappies! Parents seem to think it’s the teacher’s job to potty train them! So, there’s that.

It was normal for my generation to learn the alphabet and numbers in first grade. Educators thought it would harm children if taught to read at an earlier age.

Children are fast learners. Take the extra time to help them. Be careful about judging them too harshly because children can pick up that negativity and it can discourage them.

are you a teacher

Also it doesn’t start till September don’t put the kids on blast

Sounds like you need to fire their Kindergarten teacher and catch them up on those subjects.