So here's our dilemma. Well, not so much a dilemma, but a decision that needs to be made. Meaty's birthday is August 22. The cutoff for kindergarten is Sept 4th, so he can go to kindergarten next year with one week to spare and likely be one of, if not the, youngest kids in the class.
Or, we could hold him. He would enter kindergarten the following year one week after turning six years old and would likely be one of the older kids in the class.
Would love to hear your opinions on this. Just please don't be offended if we don't go your way. Frankly, we think we've come to a conclusion, but I'd like to be sure we've thought of everything we can before we seal the deal. Obviously there are lots of considerations to make...want to think through them all.
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My little ones birthday is 8/16 and we sent her at 5 because she is tall for her age plus both emotionally and educationally ready for kindergarten. However, many kids in her class are turning 6 very early in the school year and I almost feel like she is disadvantaged because a lot of them already know how to read (she's just learning). However, she's doing just fine with all the things they are learning in kindergarten and maybe the 6 year olds are bored??? Anyway, I think the decision really is based on each individual kid...is he emotionally ready, is he ready to learn more than preschool can provide, etc.?? Good luck with your decision!
Fid
We faced a similar decision with our oldest but ultimately decided to homeschool and start kindergarten early. That was our solution:) I do know that boys often are not quite as ready for things as early as girls. My SIL and brother are both educators and often recommend that people don't send those August babies when turning 5. They actually weren't going to send their boy who was turning 5 in June. (Then other factors came up and they needed to...)
Whatever you guys decide to do, it certainly won't hurt him to wait a year. But if you guys are ready to send him early, do it! You are such a hands-on mom that I am sure he is not lacking for anything. And who knows?? The kid who doesn't seem ready for kindergarten often can change a whole lot in the summer before going...
I don't think there is anything wrong with waiting. Sometimes being the oldest creates more self confidence.
Ask your sister, her birthday is September 14th, she was already reading some and we held her back.
I didn't realize you waited on me mom-I guess I never thought about the fact I was always the oldest in the class...hmmm.... yes, it worked out great for me.
We waited on Jake and Zach and I'm so glad we did! Having them be confident in their classes is important especially for boys, and boys who are younger than other sibs. We WANT them to be leaders. They both go to school excited and raise their hands with confidence when the teacher asks a question. It was a self-esteem decision for us as much as it was academic.
Hey, we’re going through the same issue with just a slightly different timeline. I think we struggle with that he’s likely ready for kindergarten, but will he be ready for 6th grade, if you know what I mean. I definitely don’t want him to be the youngest in his class either. I did talk to our school psychologist and he had some recommendations – if you haven’t already, go through the Early Childhood Screening process through ECFE, it’ll help tell you where he’s at along with his peers (we’re doing ours Friday). Also, these were good points he made as far as kindergarten readiness (these are questions to ask his preschool teacher):
Free Time: does he always choose the same activities? If so, how does he react if he’s steered toward a project that isn’t his first choice?
Transitions: can he self-regulate when the kids transition to something new? How does he respond?
Disappointment: how does he handle disappointments? Cry/Kick/Pout, etc.
Group Times: is he a good listener? Can he wait his turn to talk? Does he follow directions?
Social/Emotional: does he seek out new friends? Do kids seek him out to play?
Either way, whatever you choose will be the right decision. As everyone else has mentioned too – each child is so individual there is no right or wrong answer. I’m right there with you!
you asked....
both my boys have fall birthdays, so they had to wait that 'extra' year to start kindergarten.
BEST THING EVER!!!! we didn't have a choice, but if it had been up to me I would have held them at home an extra year. each kid is different, but boys do have a harder time with some of those fine motor skills. and now that I have a 6th grader, I'm so glad he's a little older. It helps so much.
From the teaching standpoint, I've never heard parents question themselves after holding a kid a year. I have had parents of struggling 5th graders question if they made the wrong choice in sending their kindergartener.
I like what C Love had to say. G's birthday is Aug. 24 and we held him back so he'll start next year. I know he's smart enough now and definitely bigger than the rest of the preschoolers but I dreaded the thought of all those boys maturing in middle school/high school and G being the last one. I want him to be the leader, not the follower and when he's around older kids now, he tends to follow but put him in charge of younger kids and his confidence glows. Plus I get another year of having him around. I figure if he's bored next year because he'll already know how to read, at least he won't be behind:)
Me again...my brother and I both have October birthdays. My Mom held my brother for a year and she sent me early (I was by far the youngest in our class...guess she couldn't wait to get both kids out of the house). We both turned out fine socially and academically but that extra year for boys seems to be the consensus.
I just hope I won't be kicking myself in a few years for sending Olivia early. I guess that's the benefit of waiting, probably less second guessing later on.
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