What age do you think of as kindergarten?

[textbookcase]

I would say 4-6. Keira started K at 4 and turned 5 at the end of October.

[mashup1779]

My state's cut off is December 31st, plenty of kids start K at age 4. I'd say K age is 4-6.

[macmars45]

Before reading on here I didn't know starting K as a 4 year old with a 12/31 cut off date was a thing.

In WA state (as far as I know) kids are 5, turning 6. As in must be 5 by August 31/Sept 1.

[balletofangels]

In Connecticut you don't have to turn 5 until Jan 1 of your Kindergarten year. It is ridiculous and my biggest soapbox issue, but Kindergarteners are anywhere from 4-6. However, I guess if something said for Kindergarten age it would depend on where I was. If I was in a state that you had to be 5 to start Kindergarten, it would be different than here.

[macmars45]

Dec 18, 2016 16:07:10 GMT -5 connie0000 said:

Dec 18, 2016 16:04:48 GMT -5 macmars45 said:

Before reading on here I didn't know starting K as a 4 year old with a 12/31 cut off date was a thing.

In WA state (as far as I know) kids are 5, turning 6. As in must be 5 by August 31/Sept 1.

Yep. However the redshirting in this state in some districts in insane. A friend of mine is a K teacher. The kids are starting at 6 years old. Its ridiculous.

Yep. My mom's a retired K teacher in WA state. The redshirting is insane.
My BFF has a daughter 3.5 weeks older than my DS; both born in April this year. She said she & her H won't send their DD to K until she's 6. Our kids aren't even 1 years old yet. :^)

[lolalolalola]

Well, both my kids have December Birthdays so they spent 3 months in kindergarten as 4 year olds. Saying that, they often end up not being able to join their peers in activities because of different age cut-offs, which sucks for them, to be honest.   It also sucks that because of redshirting, they have classmates significantly older than they are.  

[Deleted]

5.

[CloudBee]

4-6 ... Our state also has a Dec 31st cutoff. Some start at 4 and turn 5 by 12/31. Due to the VERY late cutoff, I would say 50% of those with late birthdays choose to hold their kids back.

[macmars45]

Dec 18, 2016 16:20:58 GMT -5 connie0000 said:

Dec 18, 2016 16:14:54 GMT -5 macmars45 said:

Yep. My mom's a retired K teacher in WA state. The redshirting is insane.
My BFF has a daughter 3.5 weeks older than my DS; both born in April this year. She said she & her H won't send their DD to K until she's 6. Our kids aren't even 1 years old yet. :^)

So she would be about 20 when she graduates high school?     I would not be happy to be that age when other kids my age may be 2 years into college.  I have noticed the private schools, The catholic one in downtown seattle, the one in Tacoma, the one in university place, and eastside all seem to have the ages pretty consistent. It seems to be mainly the public schools. Which is what is so odd to me. Its the private schools that are excelling at sports such as football around here. It truly baffles me!

My kids start school when they are suppose to. 5 in kindergarten. I want them outta my house LOL

I think 19, but still. I'm with you. DS is starting on time unless there's an academic or social reason we need him to be in an extra year of preschool or other services.

[bronxgirl]

Dec 18, 2016 12:54:41 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Unless it's a private school, I've never heard of a school letting a child start K at 4.

I live in NYC where the opposite is true. Most private schools have a September cut off date, but public schools go by the calendar year so the cutoff is December 31st.  DD was 4 for the first few months of kindergarten, as were several of her classmates. Had she gone to private school she would have had to wait a year until she was 5.

Also, supposedly redshirting isn't allowed in NYC public schools, but there are a few kids in DD's school and grade who were redshirted, I'm not sure how. when she started 2nd grade she was 6 while one of her classmates was 8.

[illgetthere]

Dec 18, 2016 13:06:09 GMT -5 litebright said:

Our summer camps and other activities often specify that they start at "age 6 and has finished kindergarten" or something similarly specific, just so that they don't run into the kind of issue that you described.

I can't wait until DD2 hits age 7, then we can do kids' night out at our local rec center. 

That seems like the perfect way to go about it. I mean, if they want kindergartners then why not say that? I was counting down the months as well! Ha Half the time we just get take out and enjoy eating kid free, but it's nice to have a few hours each month

[usm]

Dec 18, 2016 21:16:51 GMT -5 bronxgirl said:

Dec 18, 2016 12:54:41 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Unless it's a private school, I've never heard of a school letting a child start K at 4.

I live in NYC where the opposite is true. Most private schools have a September cut off date, but public schools go by the calendar year so the cutoff is December 31st.  DD was 4 for the first few months of kindergarten, as were several of her classmates. Had she gone to private school she would have had to wait a year until she was 5.

Also, supposedly redshirting isn't allowed in NYC public schools, but there are a few kids in DD's school and grade who were redshirted, I'm not sure how. when she started 2nd grade she was 6 while one of her classmates was 8.

Redshirtting isn't allowed in my district either and since K isn't mandatory, if you show up with a 6 yr old for they will "test them but put them in 1st baring MAJOR deficits." People get around it by red shirting their kids in a private K and enrolling in public with a 7 yr old in 1st.

[adhdfashion]

It's 4 years old here, unless you are red shirting for sports. :/

[pinkdutchtulips]

My sister started at 4 w an early Nov bday. CA's cutoff is now 9/1 w TK for those lucky enough to be born bt 9/2 and 12/1 (the old cutoff date) the year before they enter kinder. In dd's class you had kids turning 5 the first week of school and then 2 weeks later had other kids turning 6 :/ in the same class

[lolalolalola]

Dec 18, 2016 16:42:48 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

4-6 ... Our state also has a Dec 31st cutoff. Some start at 4 and turn 5 by 12/31. Due to the VERY late cutoff, I would say 50% of those with late birthdays choose to hold their kids back.

12/31 is considered a VERY late cut off? Our cut off is March 1. However my kids, with December birthdays, are often the youngest in their class. So I don't think many parents in my affluent area actually adhere to the March 1 cut off. I bet in lower economic areas, that is not the case.

[leahmel]

5-6

[fivechickens]

Dec 18, 2016 16:04:48 GMT -5 macmars45 said:

Before reading on here I didn't know starting K as a 4 year old with a 12/31 cut off date was a thing.

In WA state (as far as I know) kids are 5, turning 6. As in must be 5 by August 31/Sept 1.

This us how it is here. There can be exceptions but it is strongly discouraged.

[divanerd]

We are also start kindly at 4 in August son will turn 5in October.