Holding a child back from starting Kindergarten because of age?

[Beca]

I just wish that it was as "acceptable" to start your child a year early, as it was to start your child a year late. My dd (turned 5 last December) was ready for kindergarten last year, so she was allowed to attend (young 5's kindergarten at private school). However, in our state, she is not allowed to go on to 1st grade this year, so she is repeating Kindergarten (last year was half day, this is all day).

I find it discouraging that when a parent says they are holding a child back because they are not ready (or, as happens many times these days "to make them better at sports"), they get so much support. However, when a parent asks to have their child start early, they run into insurmountable opposition.

I wish the idea of "age placement" didn't exist. I wish children could be placed based on their development, not their age.

 

[Aidensmom]

I have a late summer child, he was 3 weeks before the cutoff. he was 4 for a week when he started K. He was the youngest in his school, and he had some fine motor skill problems, but he overcame them. I don't regret sending him when I did. I also was 4 when I started K, I actually didn't even make the cutoff, but my parents had me tested to get in anyways. I never suffered for it.

 

[tinatark]

My son went to K when he was 4 - turned 5 a week into the school year. The K teacher "knew" him as his older brother was in the class and we were there - she encouraged me to send him - the cutoff was Sept. 1st, his bday is Aug 26th. He is one of the younger ones in his class - in 7th grade now, he just turned 12. Some kids will be 13 before school ends With the older kids, when I ask how old so and so is, he will sometimes say "xx, - his parents held him back a year". We have not regretted sending him when he was supposed to go.

It is big here to hold back for sports - many kids finished K at my kids' private school, then enrolled in public school K the following year.

 

[EthansMom]

I just wish that it was as "acceptable" to start your child a year early, as it was to start your child a year late. My dd (turned 5 last December) was ready for kindergarten last year, so she was allowed to attend (young 5's kindergarten at private school). However, in our state, she is not allowed to go on to 1st grade this year, so she is repeating Kindergarten (last year was half day, this is all day).

I find it discouraging that when a parent says they are holding a child back because they are not ready (or, as happens many times these days "to make them better at sports"), they get so much support. However, when a parent asks to have their child start early, they run into insurmountable opposition.

I wish the idea of "age placement" didn't exist. I wish children could be placed based on their development, not their age.

I completely agree with this! I'm not a huge fan of social promotion.

I would love to see more testing to help place kids appropriately. At our school, they are very firm about the "5 by Dec. 31st" rule, but they will test a child to see if he/she would be better placed in 1st Grade.

 

[MomofCKJ]

My son just started K. He turned 5 in mid July. Where I live the cutoff is Aug 31 so he is one of the younger. However, he is totally ready! He has a really advanced vocabulary and is just really bright. He is outgoing, very social and keeping him back never entered my mind.

My middle daughter is an October baby and she missed the cutoff so she is one of the oldest in her class. For her this was perfect. She is quiet and though opening up as years go by she was at age 5 painfully shy. She needed that extra year to get ready so it worked wonderfully for her.

I think it totally depends on factors aside from the actual age.

Allyson