Elementary school cutoff dates in NOVA (Fairfax: preschools, living in, professionals)

[Fairfax Mom]

I do notice that parents are keeping their children in preschool longer if they have a late summer or early fall birthdate - they say that way the child will not feel inadequate among the "older 5's. People have told me it is even more important for boys since they are usually less socially mature.
I wish they would have waived the cut off for my son because now he feels Kindergarten is not "hard" enough for him - I think he is a little bored. His preshcool was so good he can read a little and the other Kindergarteners can hardly spell.

[mlv311]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

In Fairfax County they do not make exceptions. You have to be 5 by a certain date. My son missed it so he was still in preschool for another year. There are tons of preschools around here.
When I found out he did not make the cut-off I inquired around at private schools and they would not take him before that date either - there might be some out there that will take him - but most will not.

Our experience has been the same as Fairfax Mom's. Even the private schools in the area impose the cut off date so your child will likely have to attend pre-K if his birthday is in October.

[sls76]

I'm in the Richmond area and I've noticed that about half the boys with summer birthdays don't even start kindergarten when they're 5. My daughter is in kindergarten and she is a September birthday and doing very well. The young ones in her class are all girls. I think some boys aren't ready (I've read the average 6 year old boy is 6 months behind a 6 year old girl), some parents think it will be an advantage when they get to high school and play sports and others just think it will be an academic advantage to be older. Sept. 30 might seem like an early cut off, but I would guess almost half the country has a cutoff this early or earlier.

[KathyR]

Plenty of kids with late birthdays are NOT held back. (including both of mine w/August birthdays. no regrets)

The September 30th cutoff date is statewide for public schools. Look for a private kindergarten in the area you are considering living in - they often have later cutoff dates. Once your child completes a year of kindergarten there they can move right into 1st grade in a public school, as long as they have documentation that they have completed kindergarten.

[claremarie]

Your son won't be "losing" a year. He'll be spending that year in preschool (or no school), which is where the other children his age will be.
Choosing a new job and place to live is a big decision -- it makes little sense to base this decision on whether or not your child will be eligible for kindergarten. It is VERY hard on children when many of their classmates are more than a year older than they. For better or for worse, many parents of boys are indeed "red-shirting" them if their birthdays fall several months before the cutoff date, and while it might not make that much difference at first, being young for one's grade can be a real disadvantage during the teen years, especially for boys.

[Denton56]

Wait. No boy wants to be the youngest child in the class. That will also make him the smallest. What boy wants to be the youngest and smallest in 7 grade? And in high school. Don't put your child in that position. Wait a year. What's the rush? Let him be a child for another year. That is NOT a waste. Let him be in a good preschool where they have a whole class of kids near the cutoff date.

My pediatrician said that in 27 years of practice, NO parent, not one ever, regretted waiting to send their child to school, but many, many, regretted starting them too early, especially boys. There is a reason why so many parents wait. They want to give their child every advantage in school. Why don't you do the same? Be good to your kid, give him the gift of another year of childhood. It's the best gift you could give him.

[American Arrogance]

I hate the fact they make the dates earlier. My bday is Dec. 1 and I was allowed to attend Kindergarten as a 4 yr old. I was the youngest in my class all through school. I never had any issues in school being the youngest.

My best friend is turning 30 and I will be turning 29. lol

But my child who bday was in April had to attend preschool for a year becuase she was considered too young. However, she was homeschooled while in a public daycare home and was way ahead of her preschool class. While other kids were learning their colors, shapes and alphabets; my child had to have her curriculum altered to have her practice her handwriting, and reading books. The teachers would tell me that she was on a first grade reading level and she knew all the sight words form Pre primer to 2nd grade. She knew how to decode words and use syllables and decoding techniques to spell out bigger and harder words. I never regretted wanting to put her in kindergarten early. Dh wants to have the school skip her a grade becuase he feels she is being held back from her potential by staying in her correct grade age wise.

[KathyR]

Originally Posted by Denton56

Wait. No boy wants to be the youngest child in the class. That will also make him the smallest. What boy wants to be the youngest and smallest in 7 grade? And in high school. Don't put your child in that position. Wait a year. What's the rush? Let him be a child for another year. That is NOT a waste. Let him be in a good preschool where they have a whole class of kids near the cutoff date.

My pediatrician said that in 27 years of practice, NO parent, not one ever, regretted waiting to send their child to school, but many, many, regretted starting them too early, especially boys. There is a reason why so many parents wait. They want to give their child every advantage in school. Why don't you do the same? Be good to your kid, give him the gift of another year of childhood. It's the best gift you could give him.

I've read this quote so many times - verbatim - on message boards by people who have held their children back ("not one person has ever regretted waiting....blah blah blah"). It's simply not true. I've known several people who have held their kids back and HAVE regretted it. Kids being bored with the classwork, having few friends in class as they are all younger and less mature, etc.

Now this certainly doesn't apply to all young children. Every child is unique. But come on, what is so hard about kindergarten that kids should have to be 6 or close to 7 to be ready for it???

[claremarie]

Kindergarten is not that hard for a child who is 5. It's extremely difficult for a child, especially a boy, who won't be 5 for another two months, yet is expected to keep up with the 6 year olds. Interestingly, there is actually research evidence showing that boys whose birthdays are close to the cutoff age are far more likely than their older classmates to be taking Ritalin.

[Denton56]

Kindergarten isn't the problem. It's 7th grade, 10th grade, and when they are in college. Who wants to send a 16 or 17 year old off to college? WHY would anyone want to do that? Why wouldn't you want your kid around for another year? What's the rush?

THE smartest kid at TJ, graduated in 2001, with perfect grades, and perfect SATs and perfect SAT2's, got into Harvard, Princeton, MIT, and Stanford. He was also a track star and an Eagle Scout. Oh, and Captain of the math team. Redshirted when he was 5. He's now working on his PhD in physics at MIT. He had an August birthday. No one would say he didn't benefit from that extra year and no one ever claimed that he was anything short of brillant. Waiting a year didn't make him stupid, or bored. Nor did he have to go off to college at 16. He grew up with his peers. Most would say that he turned out pretty well.