Kindergarten Children with Late Birthdays (Houston, Missouri City: renting, how much, homes)

[NYSMOM]

My daughter won't turn five until December and I am well aware of Texas State requirements of 5 by Sept 1 for Kindergarten and 6 by Sept 1 for First Grade. I never really understood the logic behind the date, especially when there are children born after this date that are prepared mentally and socially for Kindergarten.

So, with my child being one of those children, (knows colors, alphabets, numbers, shapes, spelling her name, etc) I hate the idea of having to wait until she is almost 6 to start Kindergarten and almost 7 before she reaches 1st grade. I see potential issues due to being bored with the curriculum.

My husband and I thought the fix to this would be sending her to private school until 2nd grade, but unfortunately we are unable to find ones in our area (Missouri City, Pearland, Sugarland) that don't have the same age requirements as public school..

Just wondering if there is a work around (and steps to proceed), or is homeschooling our best best?

[Houston_2010]

What's the rush? I'm sure there will be plenty of other parents who's kids birthdays fall in Sept 2 - Dec and have to wait just like you for kids to start a grade. I say try to start with the class she would belong to. The teachers will probably make an assessment of whether she needs to move to an advanced/gifted type class. I would continue doing your teachings at home as well.

[citizen_jane]

I agree with Houston_2010. All kids with fall/winter birthdays are in the same situation. You child will not stand out and she will not be bored. Also you need to look beyond kindergarten and elementary school years when considering the age difference and the effects of being so much younger than all her class mates (puberty, driving, dating, etc). But of course the point is, there is no way to "work around" this.

[Ellen Pitts]

Better that she is at the appropriate grade level and tracked AG than a grade ahead struggling to keep up with kids older than her. Even though she may seem ready you might not notice developmental issues such as small motor development that may cause her to struggle. Kids who are at the older end of the spectrum rather than the younger end almost always do better than vice versa. And I had a daughter who was reading before she was three. We put her in Kindergarten and she simply wasn't ready. Academically she was far ahead of the other kids, but developmentally she wasn't.

[ToyYot]

Our son will be five in October so we're facing the same situation. Like you, we think (who doesn't?) that our child will be ahead of his public school peers though mostly because of the great instruction he's getting at his current (private) preschool. So, for what it's worth, we came to the same conclusion as the others who have posted responses - we think he's better off being a bit older than a bit younger.

[brownybaby]

A December birthday is 1/2 way through the school year. I agree, don't rush. If the child is that smart - test them to be in advanced /gifted classes. Those classes will make sure the child is challenged.

[brownybaby]

Also - your child will have al the perks of - being first one to to turn 6 in kinder class ( big deal I have learned) - first w/ drivers liscense, etc!

[MNCold]

As parents, we tend to think that our children are smart and strive to provide the best environment for them. There are probably 1/2 of the kids in the class that have late birthdays. I have a 3 year old that begins to read but she still need help with feeding and putting on cloths. I don't want her to struggle with older kids. You can always let her get started and see if she really get bored before considering other options.
Many young children go to preschool, they usually know alpahbets, colors, shape, etc... by 4 years old. I don't think your child will stand out unless she is extremmly gifted. You will be suprised how much other children know.

MNCold.

[SL Hawkeye]

Be patient and thankful that the decision is ultimately out of your hands. As the parent of a daughter with a late-August birthday, we pushed her into kindergarten prematurely and suffered because of it. Despite knowing all her #'s, letters, colors, etc., she really struggled and ended up repeating kindergarten. I don't think that she was overly traumatized by going back when her classmates moved on, but making that decision and explaining to her why is one of those parenting moments I wouldn't wish upon anyone.

If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely have held her back. Other than typical teenager issues, she has no more struggles with schoolwork or socially. I'm just glad my second has an October birthday.

[tdhg566]

Originally Posted by BDFP

Our son will be five in October so we're facing the same situation. Like you, we think (who doesn't?) that our child will be ahead of his public school peers though mostly because of the great instruction he's getting at his current (private) preschool. So, for what it's worth, we came to the same conclusion as the others who have posted responses - we think he's better off being a bit older than a bit younger.

As the youngest kidd in my HS graduating class AND as a parent who has struggled with the same issues, I wholeheartedly agree that it's better to be older than younger. You can always add enrichment materials and activities to your child's schedule, but you can't easily supplement poor self-esteem that sometimes comes from being behind everyone else socially.