Sending My Preschooler to Kindergarten

I am in the same situation my son is five and gettting ready to make the same transtion.In my eyes my son does so well in preschool he is definaly ready for kindergarten.He already talks about it all the time.the only problem I am having is my son has a little bit of a speech delay he does participate in speech class 2x's a week but he is making progress and he won't let that hold him back. Good Luck you'll make the right choice.

A.

My son was 5 in July '05 and I sent him to Kindergarten the same year and he does fine. I think that it depends on the child weither you think that he is ready or if you think that he is not ready. Mine was ready but A friend of mines son was not. It just depends on the child. You will know if he is ready.

I would send my son to kindergarten. then if you find out hes not ready then he can start him the next year.

P., is he socially ready for school. He may very well be since he has already been to preschool. I do know several children who have had to go thru transition becasue they started a little to early. It's a hard choice, my dd's bday is Sept. 3rd so she had that extra year of preschool. She is in 4th grade now and I am glad we didn't rush it get to keep her home one more year. Best of luck, Is there any testing or anything they can do to see if he's ready.

Hi, P.! I am T.! I am a teacher and mom of 3 girls, but I hope I can help you to make an informed decision about your problem. I have been in your situation with my 5 year old as her birthday is June 25, and she was socially developmentally delayed. I made the decision to put her in preschool and then went on with Kindergarten and she has flourished! My 14 year old was the opposite....she missed the school age cut off by only a few days as her birthday was Sept. 28th and we KNEW she was ready but had to wait. I didn't like it at the time! It did turn out to be better for her because now she is the oldest in her class and tends to have the better grades and more experience and more maturity and is the one her friends always come to for help and advice. So, really, it is 6 of one and 1/2 dozen of another. It all depends, I think, on your son and what you think of his maturity level and though process development. I don't think you should base your decision solely on when his birthday may be. Visit your local library or teacher supply store and purchase some Kindergarten activity books (they can help you at these places to locate them) and some weekend sit down with him and see how long his attention span is....see what he knows and what he doesn't. Try looking online for some Kindergarten readiness tests. Talk to your local school's kindergarten teachers and see what criteria they look for in being ready to start Kindergarten. I can tell you that there isn't any more "nap time and cookies" in Kindergarten....my 5 year old goes from the time she gets there until she comes home....non-stop! Do keep in mind that for the most part, girls do mature faster than boys, but that is not a steadfast rule....do a little "research" on you own. "Mom" is always the best judge of what her baby is ready or not ready to do! Good luck....let me know what you decide or if I can help further....hope I helped!
T.

My oldest son was in a similar situation. My son is quite advanced so I considered testing him to start early (his b-day was only 7 days after the cut off date). So I talked to the local schools in the area about the statistics regarding how children (especially boys) do in school when they are the youngest. Almost everyone I talked to said that boys who are near the cut off age for school will typically do OK in kindergarden and first grade, but then struggle when they get to 2nd grade and up. Because of this they recommend holding off sending especially boys until the following year. I think it would be a tough thing for a kid to be known as that 'kid' that was held back in like such-and-such grade. I waited and my boys starts this fall at age 6. I think he needs this year to mature more.

Hi P.,

I think you should make the decision whether your son should start now or next year. You know him more than his teacher would and you would know if he is ready for kindergarden. I think if I was in your position I would have him start now. I have a 3 year old daughter that here birthday is also in August and I know that when she turns 5 in a year and a half that she will definitely be ready for kindergarden. She is only 3 1/2 now and she is already wanting to go to school, and do homework like her big brother. :) If there was kindergarden for 4 year old I think I would enroll her. She is really smart and right now she goes to a home daycare, and I think she is starting to ge bored and she might be ready for pre-school. I am just having a hard time finding a pre-school for her since I dont know of the pre-schools around my area.

I would have your son try school, and if you and him decide that he is not ready, well you can always try next year and he wont have to miss a year. But I would definitely have him try, I think you will see if he is ready :)

hi there... My son was 5 with his 6th birthday coming in Jan. He was completely fine!! Most of the kids in his now 4th grade class are the same age as him. Also I wanted to say that I went to kindergarten when I was 4, my birthday is in Dec. I was fine as well. I graduated high school when I was 17. My sister was exactly the same way. I don't know if this helps but just wanted to let you know. :-)

Hello P., when I read your question it was a blast from the past. I was faced with this same question a year ago, my son's birthday is August 18th. To keep a long story short I will let you know that sending him to Kindergarten last year was the best thing I have ever done! Hayden had absolutely no problems with the transition. He was eager to learn and it was a great experience for him. I will encourage you to make it a point to sit down with your son's teacher and inform her of your son's age. That way you and she can be on the same page and make decisions regarding his education. Last year I spoke to Hayden's teacher at the begining of the year and told her to be completely honest with me in regards to his progress. I did not want him to start his educational path behind in any way. I found that regardless of him moving on to first grade or having to repeat Kindergarten he was going to benefit from the educational stimulation regardless. I also wanted to mention that in my son's school I confirmed that if in deed he would benefit from repeating Kindergarten that rather than repeating with the same teacher, he would be able to move to a different class allowing him to not feel like he was hearing the same material taught in the same style for 2 years. I am happy to report that he is still doing great this year and is a happy and well adjusted 6yr old 1st grader at Patrick Henry Elementry School.
Sorry if I have rambled, good luck with your decision!

I am an August baby. I started school on time and did just fine. It is totally your decision if your son starts on time or waits a year. You know him best, not the teacher.

My youngest is a July baby and I am pretty sure he will start on time as well. When he is old enough.

I have a son that is 6 and last year his kindergarten teacher requested that we put him in T-1, becasue she didn't think he was mature enough for first grade. My son is a very smart little boy, he is just real sensitive. My husband and I talked it over for about a week and decided to let him go to 1st grade. I was worried at the begining of the year, but his teacher said that she was surprised that he was recommended for T-1. I think a parent knows their children better than anyone else. If you don't want to wait then I wouldn't.

My mom started me early in School.. she thought oh not a big deal.. well I am 36 now.. I am a chatter box at home.. they thought hell on wheels at school.. ALL year I said 1 word.... but they passed me on....

1st grade I was held back.... again saying maybe 2 words...

Schools these days will not tell you things.. As I have delted with schools and worked at one... They just get them in and move them on... IF you have a prob with your kid.. and you dont bring it up.. they dont bring it up.... They just push them on along like farm animals...

I would wait!!!! work with your child at home... Dont push them into school before they are to be their... No matter if they show signs they are ready or not... Kids are to be kids... no need to push them to grow up too soon!!!

I know How a few local schools are in my town and I tell ya when my little guy is ready for school I am sooo moving!!!! I hate them!!! I wont let him go to school their!!! I love him too much!

P.:

Instead of just looking at his age, try to determine if he is socially and intellectually ready to attend Kindergarten. If the answer is yes, why hold him back?

A. L

Dear P.,

I've always had very strong opinions about my 5yr old twins education. In my opinion, what is the point in postponing any childs education? You are his mother, you feel he is ready and I say trust your instincts!

I homeschool my boys and I have seen how children literally yearn to learn new things all the time. I think you are right that he would get bored with one more year.

Thanks for the post. I hope this helps!

L.

Hello,
Our daughters birthday is in May, the preschool teacher told us the same thing, - ( I was a May baby and started when I was 5) - so I chose not to hold her back. I think that a lot of teachers now recommended, ours told me it was so she would be older and school would be easier and she would have more time for cheerleading and other after school stuff.
Well she is in the 4th grade and when she turns in her papers makes almost strait A's on weeks that for some reason just forgets her grades drop, but always has no problems getting them brought back up.
It is all a personal option, but I am glad that I held my ground and did not hold her back. I would suggest working with him over the summer, or maybe even seeing about summer reading programs, they have all of those new gadgets now.
B.

If he is bored in preschool send him on. My daughter was the same way with preschool and she absolutely loves being in kindergarten now. It is your decision.

I was in a similar situation, my son's birthday is 10 days before the deadline. We sent him because he was so excited and ready. In retrospect, I do wonder if he'd be doing better had we waited. My son is small (thanks to his dad's genes!) so the physical differences are more pronounced. Academically, however, he's doing great! He was on the Principal's Honor Roll first quarter and the Honor Roll second quarter, AND he has ADHD so these are big accomplishments.
My best advice is go with your gut, from the physical side, kids are all over the spectrum. Your son may mature sooner than other kids and end up being the biggest one in the class, who knows!

I personally agree with the waiting a year theory. Not only will your son benefit from having another year of growth from a sports view, he will also have another full year to mature which is so important academically. Keep in mind I don't know your son at all, I just know I have several teacher friends who stress holding back young children, especially boys. That's my two cents.

Jenny K.

I have for kids and actually get to experience it both ways. M oldest daughter(nov baby) went to kindergarten this year. I have two more girls a preschooler (june baby) and one going to preschool next year(aug baby). With a son just born in sept so he'll be the oldest when he starts years from now.
I don't think age has as much to do with it as other factors. Most importantly intellect. You're little guy is doing great in preschool and knows all the info. He should be allowed to expand his mind in kindergarten. I believe being held back based on age or size can be worse for them. They will be bored and lose interest in school. The more he can be excited about learning, the better he will excel. As for size, my class had some little guys in it. But by the time we reached high school and puberty hit they grew fast. So I wouldn't worry about size. He'll catch up and probably past some people when his time comes. And that's awhile aways anyway. I'd be more worried about the ten year old that's already 5'6"( such as the case in my niece's class).
My best friend was the youngest in our class her bday is aug 30. She never missed anything with us. She always had fun. So as long as he isn't behind in learning I'd put him in kindergarten. Who knows he could excel beyond the kids older than him.

My oldest son has his bday in Dec, so he will be almost 6 when he starts, and I am glad. He's smart as a whip, but has very little focus, and I know having an age edge when he hits the big K will make school easier on him. Plus, he's small for his age, and I don't mind the extra growtime, either.
My second child is a Feb baby, so he'll be 5 1/2 too. School is a tough place, and even kinters have homework these days!! But ultimately, you are the one who knows your child best. I'm just glad to put off that math homework for a little bit longer! :P
Good luck!!
J.

I had the same situation with my daughter. She's very bright, but I was worried about the age. (Her birthday is August 16.) What finally helped me decide to keep her back one more year was her teacher telling me that she would probably be fine moving on, but once she hit the older grades, with more difficult subjects like algebra, biology, etc., she would probably struggle a little. She didn't think she'd fail, but she would be a mediocre student. Finally she said that she could either be a leader or a follower. That made me decide to keep her back to give her the absolute best chance. She's now in 4th grade, has always been in accelerated classes, and I don't regret my decision for one minute. I think maturity wise, she's right on track with 4th graders and would be uncomfortable with the 5th grade girls at her school--they're already starting to get into boys, make up, etc., and keeping her back gave her an extra year of childhood. Good luck in whatever you decide, I know from experience how difficult the decision is.

I am a mother of four, my oldest is a boy and now 24 who also has a birthday in July. We started him when he was 5 and ended up having to hold him back in 2nd grade. Not because of academics but socially. The other chilren were more mature and it was startin to have an affect on his self esteem. They could do certain things he, because of his "youngnss" could not do yet and it really made him feel "less than". You could let him attend 2 years f kindergarten with 2 different teachers. A friend of mine did that and it was remarkable for her son. The first year he was learning about kindergarten and what was expected of him. The second year he was kinda the class "Mentor" and that relly boosted is self esteem!!

Hi P., I don't have the solution for you, but I can give you a perspective. I have a son who's birthday is in July and he is very smart. When kindergarten time rolled around it didn't even occur to me to hold him back. He is now 13 and in 8th grade and is very unhappy that he is among the youngest in his class. He did so poorly in school last year that I thought we would fail 7th grade. When I would say this to him, his response would be,"Would it be so terrible if I had to be in 7th again? At least I would be the same age as my friends." My daughter's birthday is at the first of September and she missed the age deadline by 4 days. I enrolled her in a private school for kindergarten, again thinking that she is too smart to hold back. At the end of the year when the school testing was done, her scores came back with flying colors. She was definitely ready for first grade, but I couldn't find a school, public or private, to take her. Thank God!! She repeated kindergarten in a public school and learned more in that year than she had the previous year. She is now in 5th grade and excelling beyond my wildest dreams.

Maybe send him to kindergarten and see how he does and then be prepared to take an honest look at him, and his classmates, at the end of the year and see what would be best for him. Just like my daughter, he may benefit from a second round of kindergarten. I hope this helps you in some way. Have a great day.

I would wait to start him in K. You could do a pr-k program or a preschool again. I don't think he will be board b/c boys do develop much slower he might learn something that he missed this year! I would encourage you wait another year it will make his life better and yours also in the furture. My nephews bday is in August and he could read before going to K, but his motor skills and emotionaly he was not ready! I told his mom to wait another year before putting him in. He did fine in K and 1st grade but he is realy struggling this year and not liking school. Actually he has lots a lot of what he use to be able to do. Hope this helps! S.

For the most part (with the exception of a few parents) I think that the parent knows best for their child. You know where your son is at developmentally better than anyone. If he is learning as well as anyone else in his preschool class but the teacher just doesn't want him to do kindergarten because of age, that is silly. Of course, YOU do what YOU think is right for YOUR child.

I would definitely send him to kindergarten this year. It wouldn't do anyone any good to put him back through pre k or no school again. He needs the education and I am sure he is ready for it that is what pre k is for. My son turns 5 at the end of May and I am putting him into kindergarten. I think in the long run you will know you have done the right thing. He will be up there with kids his age and he won't feel like he is behind. I hope I have given you the advice you were looking for I think it is the best. Good luck.

My daughter will turn 5 in July and I am waiting w/ out a doubt. She is smart as a whip and totally ready for Kind. but I feel it will benefit her much more to wait. The pros FAR out weigh the cons. She will be a year older and more mature when she goes to college which I think makes a huge difference. My son (1yr old) has a birthday in July also and I will also wait on sending him to Kind. (especially since boys typically are slower than girls).

I talked to my daughters teacher and she said waiting couldn't an hurt ANYTHING. That my daughter is ready to move on, but if I want her to stay she will only go into Kind. that much stronger. She said it's totally my call.

I asked my two siblings (28 yr old brother-July 11th B-Day and 16 yr old sister-Aug 1st B-day) how they felt because my mom DID NOT wait and they really wish she would have!! My sister couldn't date until she was 16...so she couldn't date until her junior year while all of her 16 year old friends were dating and driving as sophmores. They both feel it would have benefitted them Athletically, ACADEMICALLY, and socially.

I am really glad you asked this question because I read the responses and it seems that most of the people back what decision I have made for my kids!

Well P., here's my advice. I'm a mom to six kids ages 18,14,13(almost 14), 12,8,4.boys and girls. The way things were done when my oldest (18) started kindergarten are way different than the way they do things now. His bday is aug. and he was small for his age and I waited and haven't regretted it a bit. My daughter (14) has a july bday and I did the same thing. My step son and step daughter have june and july birthdays and were started at 5 and struggle with reading skills and attention spans. My 13 yr. old stepson has a bday in feb. and does great in school and he started of course at 5 1/2 which I think is perfect. My youngest(4) is an aug. baby and will be starting when he turns 6. A year difference in age makes a huge difference in being able to cope with the tremendous pressure these kids have to endure now in academics and socially. Every kindergarten teacher I have talked to say to wait until the kid is 6 or close to it. And I have seen the effects first hand in my own kids. I would put him in a great preschool that goes 4-5 days, half day next year. Hope I didn't sound too preachy. Good Luck!! :)
M.

The kindergarden of today is not the Kindergarden of yesterday. I have a kindergardener, and a 4 yr old who will be turning 5 in July, also. I am sending her this next school year because she is more than ready to go. I think it depends on the child. It would help if your son can write his name, has a good handle on fine motor ie; cutting, coloring, and wrting, and can follow basic rules. If he is ready to go then by all means send him.

My son is in 1st grade this year and while I totlally understand where you are coming from, I've noticed that the children today are really starting things much earlier so that while he is in 1st grade he is doing things that I know I didn't do until 3rd grade. I have a son with Asperger's who has a gifted IQ but if I didn't I would have waited another year and his bday is in March. Personally with it being so close I would let him have a little more of his childhood -- boys mature slower than girls and there isn't any real rush is there? He would be in with the same age children....that is just my two sense. You might need to look for a better preschool? I don't know. Is the kindergarten 1/2 day? If you have a 1/2 day option then that might work. My son went right into full day and it has been fast sailing ever since then.
Good luck, follow your instincts,
L.

Parents wait in cases like this if the child isn't ready. Doesn't sit still for long, needs more lessons on how to behave, etc. But if you feel that your son is ready, I'd go ahead and put him in school. Don't worry about the sports - there will always be bigger kids on the team as he grows up and a year isn't going to help.

If you think he's right on fence about being ready, you may consider moving him to a more structured preschool so that he gets a more formal day out of it - which will help him transition to K the following year.

Good luck!

I haven't had this experience, but have noticed with my children's friends that at least at the younger ages waiting DOESN'T help with sports. My kids are into soccer and they go by birthdate and not grade. So, the older kids in the class can not play on the teams with their classmates.
Now this may be a 'small factor', but I know it is one people often miss.(And I suppose this may be different depending on what soccer groups you are dealing with)

The thing that one of my friends told me made her decide to wait with her son was the 'social maturity' factor when they reach junior high age...Then the size and maturity gap--- between the boys and especially with the girls gets quite large.

I think it is probably a 'crap shoot' and you have to figure out what you would be most comfortable with...Maybe visit the school and talk with the principal and teachers. Also you could also consider letting him start--you can alwasy pull him out or have him repeat K if there are problems (And in JoCo there are kindergarten 'options'at many schools that might make this easier

I taught elementary school music for a couple of years and delt with grades k- 5. I noticed that the boys who were a little bigger and older did better. Moreso socially than academically. It's not really the same situation with a girl since biys mature a little slower. If they are small and young this stigma tends to follow them after Kindergarten. I have a two year old boy and plan on waiting that extra year, it sure couldn't hurt. At the same time, it is an indiviual desicion based on your child.

I was in your same situation....We did wait and I am really, really glad that we did. It wasn't so much the academics but his maturity. Also, he wound up being one of the older kids in the class as opposed to the youngest which will be a big advantage as he gets older. He is also a small little guy as well. Since we did hold him back he seems to fall right in the middle of the other kids as opposed to being the smallest in the class. If your preschool teacher is asking you to think about it, then I would do it. They have the expertise to know when kids are ready or not.

We were also concerned about our son repeating preschool and being bored. We wound up sending him to a different preschool. We lucked out finding one that had a program in the afternoon geared to getting kids ready for kindergraten so he was not bored at all.

I did have a friend that decided to send to kindergarten. She is really regretting it. Now, they do not have option of switching schools and will have to decide on actually having him repeat in the same school and the same teacher. It will be more devistating to her son because it will be much more obvious when the other kids go onto 1st grade and he might not.

I am sure you will get all kinds of opinions on this one...However, my vote based on experience is wait! One more bonus....he would get to have one more year of just being a kid ;-)
J.

My oldest daughter, who is 12, has an August 10th Birthday and I thought that she was ready to start school when she turned 5, but I really wish now that I had waited. It is hard that a lot of the kids are almost a full year older than her. She has struggled some in school and I spend a lot of time wondering if waiting an extra year would have helped. My husband has an August 25th Birthday and the year that he turned 5 his parents had him go to pre-kindergarten. This may be a really good option for you as well. I always thought with my daughter that if she had been a boy I definitely would have waited. Boys mature at a different speed girls than girls. School may be about Academics, but there are so many different elements to a successful school career that I wouldn't look strictly at the academic side of it. Good Luck. Whatever decision you make it will not be an easy one.

Socially boys are not as ready as girls, but there tests they can provide at most schools to see if he's ready. A moms instinct is usually right on tho-my daughter did not pass all the tests-and I sent her anyway-she graduated fourth in her class(at 17) and is now working on her masters degree and teaching as well.

I don't have the same situation...but similar. My son's birthday is in Nov., but he is extremely gifted and am trying to get him moved up...not only is he bright, but he is the biggest kid in his class and because of his maturity level he feels he can't make friends. So, I think waiting a year really depends on those things. His size (not so much, because he is probably getting ready to hit a growth spurt), his ability and his maturity. I personally think that if your son doesn't have anxiety to leave you (and you think he meets the others...especially maturity) then let him go and have fun.

I was a September baby and was always young for my class. It really didn't bother me that much growing up. Obviously, not driving until waaaay after my friends could drive was a bit agitating...but from a parent's perspective...I would actually like my child to drive a little later. Let their friends learn from fender benders and tickets and hopefully they'll learn from other's mistakes =)

My real advice is to do what feel is right. If your child is smart enough and can keep up with the other kids, than go for it. You could also look at his friends - will they all be going to kindergarten next year? If he already has an established network, send him with his buddies. Whatever you decide to do will be the best decision. You are the mommy and you call the shots.

Hi. I also have a son who has a late birthday. I held him back a year and am SO glad I did. He got that extra time in preschool, which is mostly just fun stuff and learning to socialize. He is in all day kindergarten this year and I am SO happy I decided to wait. He is now at a level 3 reader, which I don't think he would have been at if I would have sent him last year. He also is a very intelligent boy. Because boys mature later than girls I thought it was important that he be held back because it would help with socialization too. Not to mention when he's 16 he'll be the first to get his license, which is a BIG deal to kids, ESPECIALLY boys! If you ever have any more questions about it please feel free to ask and good luck with your decision.

B.

I have a daughter that turned Six Aug 22. She had to wait a year before she could start kindergarten. She is very smart also. I first put her in a half day kindergarten, she was soo bored she started making trouble with the inexperienced teacher. The teacher even told me she answers all of the questions and she is bored. We moved she is going to an all day kindergarten with an experienced teacher and she is not so bored but still she is more advanced. My advice to you is if you think your little guy can do good on the entrance test. ie count to ten, say abc's, put blocks in groups, write name, then he is ready and you should fight to get him where he needs to be. Good Luck!

Well I waited with my oldest daughter and now she is a little behind in her school than other kids her adge cause she did not get her jump in school I did not do the same with my youngest and I can see the difference. In my opinion is that I would put your child in school. A very good program is headstart I just loved it and so did my kids. hope this helps

Hi, My name is C.. I had the very same problem as you are having when my son was that age. His bday is in early Aug. He is 8 now and in 2nd grade. I didn't listen to anyone when they told me that I should wait another year to send him to kindergarten. I sent him on anyway. It was not bad for him with the age difference. He started to struggle with his reading. The teacher told me that he is just younger than the other kids and that he is on the reading level for his age but it was hard because he was always at the bottom of the reading group. I did not want to hold him back so we did everything to keep him going. Finally it got to a point that we did hold him back. He is doing so much better with his reading now. He always did wonderful with his other work. It was hard to hold him back and he ask me why could he not move on with his friends. I wish that I would have listened when they told me to wait when he was in preschool.

Hi P., I didn't have a chance to read all of the other replies, but in my opinion, I would say, as his mom, you are the best judge of how mature and eager to learn he is and it may be a hindrance to hold him back if he wants to advance to Kindergarten. If you think he is ready, then most likely he is. Good luck to him as he enters his 1st year of school! :)
B.

I live here in Verden. I will tell you that I sent my son to Mrs. Lisa Sykes Pre-Kindergaten her in Verden Elem. when he turned 4, he was not ready to learn and is now in Pre-Kindergarten for the second year. But now he is ready to go to Kindergarten next year, he would not have been ready when he turned 5. She is a great teacher. I also sent my daughter to Pre-kindergarten last year with Mrs. Lisa when she was 5. She is in Kindergarten now and will be 7 in April, but that decision was the best one I had made about their schooling.

I went to school right when I turned 5 as well. My mother asked me what I wanted to do after explaining to me what would be expected of me in kindergarten. I chose to go and I don't regret any of it. If you feel your son is ready and you discuss it with him and he feels that he is ready it is meant to be.

You should do what you think is best for him, after all, you know more about him than the pre-school teacher. My son wasn't really excited with pre-school, but now in first grade is still pretty bored with the whole school thing. He gets it and is ready for more, but they just don't give him the opportunities he needs yet.

His Kindergarten teacher was great and worked well with him and let him do "extra" things to keep him occupied. So if you think he's ready, I wouldn't hold him back, he may also find it boring if you do.

My son started preschool this year, he also turned five in July. My little man is also small for his age. We did a homeschool preschool program for about 8 months, so it was a hard choice. I am glad I did though. It is only two and a half hours and that is plenty because he was used to staying at home or with grandma. Next year he will be ready for an all day program. Also I think's better to hold them back now rather than in a couple of years. One other thing to think about is, if he has been in a private preschool they will be doing different things in public school.

I have been married for nine years and have a daughter that is seven with special needs and my son is five. I also work full time at a local hospital.

If it were my son I would send him now if he's ready. I am like you, early to school and last one to drive and youngest in my class when we graduated. But like you I wouldn't change it. It never affected me academically or in my ability to play sports. Besides, if he's smaller than other guys in his class later on down the road more sports are becoming popular in high school besides football! He could play baseball, golf, swimming, soccer to name a few.

Like you, I was the youngest in my class (Sept. 15) and they told my mom to wait a year before starting me in kindergarden. I'm SO glad she didn't, in 6th grade they wanted to bump me up to 7th. I guess it all depends on the child, but you are around him the most, do what you think is best. If he's ready to go to "big boy" school as my nephew called it, start him.

My son will be 5 this July 30...the cut off for his school is August 1, so he will be the absolute youngest. I also debated not sending him, but I recently talked to his teacher, and she said she thinks he's ready. He's emotionally mature for his age, has the patience to take his turn, wait in line, follow directions, etc. I took my son to a bday party last weekend with his other classmates, and in watching him with the other boys, he didn't seem to be "younger" than any of them...the only difference I see is, size wise, he's a little smaller.
On the other hand, my friend's son is 2 weeks older than mine, and they attend the same preschool. The teacher has suggested that she wait until the following year. He's pretty hyper, and has problems settling down to the "school" routine. I don't know if that's an age thing or what, but she agrees and has decided not to send him next year.
If you feel like your son is socially/emotionally ready, then I would send him. If he meets the cut off and passes any entrance tests, then it's your call, not the schools.

If I were you, I would wait. Especially if your sons teacher thinks you should. Of course every child is different, but I can say I know how you feel. My daughter is a November baby, so we missed the school start by a few months. She was always very bright, so I wanted to start her in K when she had just turned 5. I am sooooooo glad we waited to send her. That extra year of Pre-K has made a world of difference in her K class. She is the only one who reads in her class, she is more mature (if that's possible) than most of the girls in her class. There are several advantages and disadvantages, but only you can make that choice. You also may want to check to see if he can even start K when he's 5, I know in our area they had to be 5 by September 1. Good luck!

While I can't say from experience, I would go with your instinct. Also, do you work with you local Parents As Teachers group? If so, have you asked your parent educator?

First off, hello. I was also in the same situation with my oldest son. His birthday is also at the end of July. We made the choice to go ahead and start him when he was 5. he is and was the smallest in the class, but academiccally, he excells! This is a personal choice, but if you feel that your child is ready, go for it!!

Hi P.. My son just started kindergarten this year and I faced the same situation as you are facing now. His birthday is August 10. The public school here has a cut off of July 31 (I think), and they will not let you "test" your child in. So even though he would be 5 before school started, there was no way they would accept him, and he would have to start at age 6. We were involved in our local Parents as Teacher group, and our parent educator even said that it was a shame that he would not be allowed to start kindergarten at 5 because he would be more than ready, and at 4 was able to answer all the questions she asked him that were on the kindergarten screening exam. I also spoke with the woman that watched him for me--she's been running a in-home daycare for over 20 years, and she also agreed that he was ready for kindergarten.

Anyway, she had suggested looking into some of the private school here in town. We were already thinking about sending him to the Catholic school because that's were my husband went to school. I called the school office and spoke with the pricipal and our preist. The cut off for that school was August 1. They both agreed that if he could pass the kindergarten screening that they had no problem with him starting and they (and I) believe that kids born on July 31 were no smarter or mature that someone born 10 days later.

Sorry I'm babbling here. Long story short-he passed the screening with flying colors and started school this past August. He is doing wonderful, keeping up fine with all the other kids in his class (plus its a small class-only 14 kids so if he needs extra attention its available), and it actually ahead of some of the other kids.

I think that you should contact several schools in your area, find out if they are willing to give him the screening and how well he does on it. You may have to decide if getting him into school a year early is worth having to pay for him to go to a private school, and decide what sacrifes you may have to make to afford it.

Good luck!

I'm glad you made the decision that was right for you and your child! If I had seen this beforehand I would have said you should send him to kindergarten if you think he's ready. Only you know for sure. Keeping a kid behind based on age or size is doing that child a disservice, and possibly delaying his or her development. I was the second-youngest in my class, and I excelled - I was always proud to be doing better in school than the kids who were older than me. As for the youngest in my class - she had a February birthday, and was 4 when she started kindergarten. She eventually graduated high school as salutorian, in a class of over 500. So what does that tell you? Age doesn't matter. Intellect and maturity do. And children can still be friends with older and younger kids. I always was. What grade they are in now should have no bearing on that.

Hi P.!

My best friend has been wrestling with this same issue. Her son's birthday is at the end of August. He is also somewhat small, well just skinny. To complicate matters my daughter's is 4 months before & if he goes they will be able to go together. He does very well in preschool, is learning everything very fast. So other than maybe size & being the youngest in class there really is no reason to make him wait.

They have finally decided to go ahead & put him in kindergarten. It at least gives him that chance. If there is a problem then he can always repeat it. But if they hold him back then that's it, no way to fix it if he does end up bored next year. And kids who aren't stimulated by their classwork tend to find otherways to stimulate themselves which sometimes is disruptive.

Basically I think it all comes down to you. You know your child better than anyone & kow what he can or can't handle. Go with your mommy instincts. = )

I am a teacher and went through the same decision with my Daughter who's birthday is at the end of July. We decided to wait, even though she was probably ready. We felt that there were more advantages to waiting. Social skills are just as important as intelligence. And as a teacher I can tell you it's usually better to hold boys back for maturity reasons.

L.

If your little guy is truly ready academically this is a no brain-er. He should be put in school. Not only will he miss out on the joy of learning but he WILL get bored in class. That leads to a whole set of other problems. Problems that will manifest itself in other ways…discipline problems of one kind or another. As for his size, you never know how your child is going to grow. He may be small all his life, even if you hold him back a year. Or he may hit a growth spurt this summer, next week, next year and be larger than anyone in the room! The bottom line is you know your child better than anyone else. Follow your best instincts and you won't go wrong. Best to you and your wonderful family.

If your son has the skills he needs for Kindergarten, send him. Our son's birthday is Aug 31 and he just hit that cut off. He learned what he needed to know in pre-school and is now a very happy Kindergartener.

My daughter started kindergarten when she was 5 and she is doing great. She is in 1st grade now and loves it in the Fort Osage School District. She has not had any problems with being younger then the other kids. I would suggest that he starts next year. You might want to contact your Parents as Teachers within your school, they do run kindergarten screening as well and that might help as well.

Let me know if you need anything else!

My son also was born in July. I went ahead and sent him to kindergarden anyway and he had a terrible time. Everytime I approached his teacher about it she just told me that boys develop much slower than girls and every thing he was doing was age appropriate. After induring a long year of my son crying and not wanting to go school, I had him tested and his "new" school told me that he was testing about 1/2 year behind. So I decided to hold him back and he has just excelled at school. He loves it. He comes home everyday excited about what he has learned. It boosted his self confidence tremendiously. He is still the same age as most in his class. Good luck I know its a tough decision.

I know exactly how you feel. I was told by my daughter’s pre-school teacher to hold her out of school 1 year. I did not want to hear that. I felt like she was telling me my child was stupid. She was not saying that all at. I send her to kindergarten and at the end of the year she was a little behind the other kids meaning maturity wise. So instead of putting her back thru kindergarten the school had a class call T1 (Transactional First). After T1 they are ready for 1st grade. It gives them a year to mature. It was the greatest class. She is now a sophomore. She is one of three students in the high school on the national honor society. She has excelled in sports and academics. I would recommend hold your son back. But you know what is best for him. If you do hold him out try finding a new pre school to send him to. Hope this helps and good luck

When I was starting kindergarten, my family lived in Louisiana, and my b-day is in Oct. The rule there at the time was that you had to be 5 by Jan. 1 of that school year, so I started kindergarten when I was 4. Like you, I didn't like the fact that I couldn't drive as early as everyone else, but other than that, I always liked being the youngest. I excelled at school, being in every honors or AP class available from an early age. I will be faced with a similar dilemma. Like me, my daughter's birthday is in Oct. Depending on where we live when it's time for her to start school, I will probably either homeschool for a few years, or petition the school board to allow her to start early.
Bottom line is, if you think your son is ready for school, start him. You can also check what skills the teachers expect kids to have entering kindergarten and base your decision on that.

I'm kind of in the same dillema with my son. He turns 5 two days before the kindergarten deadline. My son is in preschool now and also needs speech therapy. He's not special ed just slow with some things. His teacher asked me if I wanted to hold my son back for a year but I told her no because I didn't want him missing out on a year and reverting back to being slow again. I would just go a head and let him go to kindertgarten next year and don't make him miss a year. Kids forget so much of what they have learned if they aren't in school. It's the same way with summer vacation. My son had a hard time going back and remembering everything he learned the year before. Even though he'll be young it's better to keep him going then to keep him back.