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I have a nephew (brother's son) and a niece (sister's daughter) who both just started the first grade. The girl just turned 6 in August which means she is completely in sync agewise being in the first grade. On the other hand, my nephew will be turning 7 in the mid-December but he wasn't mature enough in his behavior to start first grade last year. This extra year I think has been beneficial for emotionally and this was suitable solution for him. My point is that each child is different and the parents need to use their judgement in accordance with the child's teachers' opinions what is best for their individual child.
I really appreciate this struggle for parents who have to make these decisions.
We had a Fall birthday for one of our kids and even though she was very mature for her age and showed absolute readiness for school, we decided to hold off on Kindergarten until she was almost 6. She is now a senior in high school and we put her into a high performing private school where we feel she is adequately challenged. I think we made the correct decision back at the start of her school days, but the thing which has always been a small issue is her maturity level, which is much higher than that of her classmates. I don't think having her start a year earlier would have helped though. Some kids are born with adult sensibilities and it matters not which kids they go through their school years with.
My son is the youngest in his class (junior), but is so mature in his demeanor he is often mistaken to be older than my daughter. We would likely have a very bored teen on our hands if we had held him back a year (not a good thing!)
I also know of another little boy, birthday the same time as my daughter, whose parents put him into Kindergarten a year earlier than we did. He is quite smart, and can do the work...but he needs an adult to sit next to him in class or he won't do what's being asked. I think probably the best decision for him would have been to wait a year. He will likely be fine, although there will be some struggles that could have been avoided.
OP...Every child is different and you will know what to do for your daughter. All will be well!
Hey you all - I am sure this has come up many many times . I have a child who misses the Kindergarten cut off by 1 Month in the new city we are moving. The new school tested the kid and did very well on the entering K test. All above expectations. She is a otherwise very mature kids and always plays with older kids without any problem. We toured the class and apart from 2 other kids who are similar to mine , rest 'look' older. Any advise on experiences if to put her in Pre-K or K . The private school mentioned that if she goes to Pre-K , this whole year she will not learn anything as she is already ahead. I worry about the social issues.. now AND later
Start her in K and 1st grade in a private school. Don't worry about social issues. How could it possibly make a difference, just one month, or even one year? What social issues? You said she gets along well with older kids already. That would indicate she'd do fine entering K immediately.
Start her in K and 1st grade in a private school. Don't worry about social issues. How could it possibly make a difference, just one month, or even one year? What social issues?
It's not just one month. The child who misses the cut off by a month and is enrolled elsewhere is the youngest in his/her class by several months, up to over a year, and expected to compete academically, physically and socially with kids who are more proficient in reading, holding a pencil, gross motor skills, self calming, etc, etc.
Six months to a year is a large developmental difference at this age. It's like comparing the abilities of a nine month old baby with an 11 month old baby.
Thank you @psurangers11 for that personal experience . I will probably do the private K this year and then have her redo K in public next year when she is eligible.
Start her in K and 1st grade in a private school. Don't worry about social issues. How could it possibly make a difference, just one month, or even one year? What social issues? You said she gets along well with older kids already. That would indicate she'd do fine entering K immediately.
As a kinder/first long time teacher, I can tell immediately in most cases the summer birthday kids. They are almost a year younger than the fall birthday kids. They are smaller, have more difficulty sitting, and stand out from the rest of the class. By third grade the differences almost disappear, only to reappear in middle school.
If this was my child I would do private K and then redo K in public school. Giving your child more time to develop intellectually and socially will never hurt them.
Meyerland - Appreciate your insight. I am curious as to why you mentioned that the difference disappear by third grade and reappear in middle school?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meyerland
As a kinder/first long time teacher, I can tell immediately in most cases the summer birthday kids. They are almost a year younger than the fall birthday kids. They are smaller, have more difficulty sitting, and stand out from the rest of the class. By third grade the differences almost disappear, only to reappear in middle school.
If this was my child I would do private K and then redo K in public school. Giving your child more time to develop intellectually and socially will never hurt them.
I'm late to this thread but I wanted to give our experience. My daughter has a mid September birthday and has always been at the top of the height charts. She read very early so we thought it would be no big deal to start her early (she misses the cut off here by two weeks, but in many states would be ok). At the very last minute we decided not to based on advice from our pediatrician.
Fast forward to 5th grade, boy am I glad we kept her at grade level! Not only are there a handful of kids older than she is because their parents started them late, but our daughter turned out to be a decent student who struggles in some math concepts. There's no way we could have known that when she was 5 but I'm really glad we didn't push her. She does tower over most of her classmates but it doesn't seem to bug her at all.
Just our experience, you know your own kid, just know that some stuff shows up later.
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