Kindergarten start age

[Deleted]

Our kids will be on the young age for school, at least in this area, cutoff is August. Does anybody plan on holding your LO back so they are 6 when they start kindergarten? I don't plan on doing it unless they think she is behind but I have heard it is getting more popular and knew a few kids in school who were a year older.

[katfco]

Abby was just a few months after her 5th birthday when she started K, so we could have held her back a year, and would have if she seemed unready. As it was, I think she would have been bored in pre-K another year, although her social skills are a bit immature.

[carawestt]

The cutoff is September 1st here. Lincoln will start on time, I won't hold him back. My brother had to start a year late because his birthday was 14 days after the cut off. He was one of the oldest in his graduating class.

[chasbride07]

Cutoff here is September 1. I will not be holding DD back.

One of my neighborhood friends has a son who just turned 5 the end of July and decided not to send him to kindergarten. Instead he is repeating the last year of preschool. I agree that he was just not ready for kindergarten especially when comparing him to DS1.

My brother and SIL decided to hold back my nephew for a year with his July birthday after going through kindergarten interviews and being told by the 'experts' that he wasn't ready. I think that might have been true in January, but he probably would have been fine by September. Either way, it was the right decision for them because they would have second guessed everything.

Another friend's son has an end of August bday, sent him to kindergarten even though she was apprehensive, and he did well.

So I think if it's truly a decision based the maturity level of your child, that makes sense. I do not agree with the practice of 'red-shirting' boys just so they will have an athletic advantage. It's apparently common practice in big football towns in the south y'all!

[dixeedeluxe]

Edie will be 3 weeks shy of 6 when she starts.

[Deleted]

My baby brother was held back because he was not emotionally ready for full-day school. It was the right decision. He was also 4 days from the cut off. 3+ months there should not even be a discussion about it unless the child has some real cognitive/developmental issues.

[formerlyllizzyb]

G is a late March baby. We will not hold him back. He will start K at 5 y.

[imimahoney]

I really don't believe in red shirting for kindy. It is extremely popular here and I just don't understand why. Growing up the cut off was December 31st and I saw no difference in my friends with a January bday vs those with a November bday. And I don't think it will make such a difference academically. Eventually they will all be on the same playing field.

[charlielove]

Claire will be 5 in June and starting Kindergarten in August, so technically even younger than Charlotte will be. I would consider holding off a year if I didn't think she was ready, but I'm sure she will be.

[The Foozzler]

Aug 23, 2013 12:08:19 GMT -5 @therealmc said:

I started K when I was 4...turned 5 in October of the school year. I was always amongst the youngest and graduated high school at 17.

Me too! October 4 here.

Tyler will start K at 5. No reason to wait a year with an April birthday. I can understand doing that with a November or December birthday in places where the cut off is December 31.

[jaime183]

I don't believe in academic redshirting
But with September cutoffs our kids will be right in the middle. Our cutoff is 5 by the first day of school. For an August birthday and extreme immaturity I can see how some could consider it but not for April!

[TrudyCampbell]

What's the cut off in NY? December? @therealmc I trust you to know the answer to this.

[Deleted]

I would not hold back at all, even if I had a July or August baby. I will just follow the cutoff.

[Deleted]

Aug 23, 2013 13:31:01 GMT -5 @therealmc said:

Aug 23, 2013 13:19:33 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

What's the cut off in NY? December? @therealmc I trust you to know the answer to this.

Yes it is.  I know this because my mom's best friend's daughter was born January 5th the year after me and she was not allowed to start school with me because of 5 freaking days and it was the saddest thing EVER!

So does that mean kids are older or younger? Like do you have to turn 6 by December?

[TrudyCampbell]

Aug 23, 2013 13:33:13 GMT -5 @lindy said:

Aug 23, 2013 13:31:01 GMT -5 @therealmc said:

Yes it is.  I know this because my mom's best friend's daughter was born January 5th the year after me and she was not allowed to start school with me because of 5 freaking days and it was the saddest thing EVER!

So does that mean kids are older or younger? Like do you have to turn 6 by December?

It means the December birthday kids are the oldest I think?? My youngest friends had November birthdays.

[katfco]

I think sometimes there is a legitimate reason to hold kids back. Not every 5 year old is going to be emotionally or socially mature enough and an extra year could help them prepare. Although they could develop that maturity in school, it's also possible that it could cause them to become further behind. So I understand the better safe than sorry attitude of keeping a child back to be sure they're ready.

[TrudyCampbell]

Aug 23, 2013 13:38:19 GMT -5 @therealmc said:

Aug 23, 2013 13:33:13 GMT -5 @lindy said:

So does that mean kids are older or younger? Like do you have to turn 6 by December?

Kids are all older.  The youngest will turn 5 by the end of the year.  I was 4 when I started and turn 5 in October.

So our kids will start K with kids born up to Nov 2012 right?

[ruby412]

I also started K at age 4. But times have changed, and the new K is basically like the old 1st grade!

I plan to enroll V at age 5 unless she is not developmentally ready as deemed by her preschool teachers/pediatrician, etc.

[ruby412]

Aug 23, 2013 13:51:17 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

Aug 23, 2013 13:38:19 GMT -5 @therealmc said:

Kids are all older.  The youngest will turn 5 by the end of the year.  I was 4 when I started and turn 5 in October.

So our kids will start K with kids born up to Nov 2012 right?

It depends on your cutoff date. In PA, the cutoff is 5 by Sept 1. So here our kiddos would attend with any child is whose 5th birthday is between Sept. 2, 2011 and Sept 1, 2012.

[TrudyCampbell]

Aug 23, 2013 13:55:27 GMT -5 ruby412 said:

Aug 23, 2013 13:51:17 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

So our kids will start K with kids born up to Nov 2012 right?

It depends on your cutoff date. In PA, the cutoff is 5 by Sept 1. So here our kiddos would attend with any child is whose 5th birthday is between Sept. 2, 2011 and Sept 1, 2012.

Yea, it's December here. So an April/May bday really isn't that young, it's in the middle. 

[devonpow]

Cut off here is 5 by September 1st. I feel like my kids are the perfect age with birthdays in March and April. I don't know anyone here who redshirted their kid unless there were significant/valid concerns about social maturity. And the two moms I know in that situation sent their kids to private kindergarten and then decided wether to repeat K in the public schools or move on to first grade.

[ruby412]

Aug 23, 2013 13:57:35 GMT -5 TrudyCampbell said:

Aug 23, 2013 13:55:27 GMT -5 ruby412 said:

It depends on your cutoff date. In PA, the cutoff is 5 by Sept 1. So here our kiddos would attend with any child is whose 5th birthday is between Sept. 2, 2011 and Sept 1, 2012.

Yea, it's December here. So an April/May bday really isn't that young, it's in the middle. 

Yep, exactly. Being in the middle is the perfect place to be!

[TrudyCampbell]

Aug 23, 2013 14:01:45 GMT -5 devonpow said:

Cut off here is 5 by September 1st. I feel like my kids are the perfect age with birthdays in March and April. I don't know anyone here who redshirted their kid unless there were significant/valid concerns about social maturity. And the two moms I know in that situation sent their kids to private kindergarten and then decided wether to repeat K in the public schools or move on to first grade.

I like that idea of sending to private K and then re-evaluating. If I'm ever in that situation I will remember this!

[skwcm80]

L started K four months before her 5th birthday. It wasn't a decision we took lightly. She had been in a Pre-k class with kids attending K the following year and excelled. We consulted regularly with Pre-K teacher about her readiness, and also had her tested by the school district. We ended up enrolling her in a private K when it didn't appear that there would be space for her, but her school ended up hiring another teacher. Despite my concerns she rocked K last year and ended up being placed in a high ability classroom this year.

I do worry about the social impact of being so young especially when she is hs, but that's a bridge we can cross when we get there.

I anticipate A starting school in the 2017 - 2018 school year.

[livinreality]

You ladies make me laugh, I have not considered this for DS2 yet. We are just working on DS1. He misses the school deadline by 6 days as an October baby (Sept deadline). He is doing Pre K this year, but no clue whether to repeat PreK or go private/homeschool Kindergarden next year. Academically he is on target and has decent social skills, but I am more worried about middle school and high school social skills and if he will need that extra year then??? This has kept me up at night this week, like I am going ruin his life with this decision. This is so hard when you have a borderline birthday.

In our area it is normal to contemplate keeping back Aug and Sept birthdays due to the Sept deadline.

[Deleted]

I have not read all of the comments, but I will not be holding Cam back a year. I started school right after I turned 5 (August 1st bday, started school August 20 something...graduated at 17) and I was always a young one, but definitely not THE youngest, and I did just fine. I think an April birthday is just perfect for school

[thedahliharpa]

H turns 5 in January so she will start at over 5.5. She will be ready. D will start at just shy of 5.5 and I don't foresee any issues.

[irishsara]

Ethan started 2 days after he turned 5. He was ready academically, but you could see a huge difference in him and some of the other boys who were older maturity wise.

Sometimes I wish I had held him back, but I felt like that would have been more detrimental to him academically.

It just stinks when you think of the future and he will be 16 after most of his friends, turning 18 right before he leaves for college, 21 just before his senior year. That stuff will suck for him.

As for Jack and Charlie, I don't worry about it at all.

[teamhayes]

I was held back I just wasnt ready ( late nov birthday)

K will go on Schedule not sure about m yet since he willbe the youngest

We will decide as he. Matures etc

[Deleted]

My family friend started her Sept. 11 daughter at 5 but she ended up repeating K because she wasn't ready maturity wise or academically. She is in 2nd this year and doing great!