How old was ur son or daughter when they started Kindergarten?

[PrincessParty]

also, my parents were not thrilled when I was 13 and there were 16 year old boys in my class who had been held back)......
QUOTE]

Holy crap! I hadn't even thought about that. Thanks.

 

[princessmom29]

Well.... I guess based on the bolded my DS should NOT be in K. He has a November birthday which means he couldn't start at 5 anyway, he would have been nearly six going into K even had I started him on time....but I didn't. He is very small for his age (still smaller than some of the 5 year olds) and was immature and has "something" that isn't right with learning. I say something with air quotes because no one can tell us what. He doesn't process the way the government has decided all good kids should Anyway, the bottom line is that he turned 7 two months after starting K and it had nothing to do with wanting him to be bigger, faster, or on a sports team (I detest sports.) I do consider him with his peers, his emotional peers. I doubt he will ever be a "good" student. I could have held him out until he was 10, it wasn't happening for him. For the record, he started daycare at 8 months and was in a preschool program (which is held in our school and the teachers work specifically to get the kids ready for K) for three years, from 3 to age 6. My biggest concern is not that he is older NOW, it is when he is older later. He can drive when he is a freshman. He will be 18 his Junior year - what if he decides to quit? I can't force him if he is 18. OTOH, I doubt we make it to 18 in public school. My 2 boys learn differntly and, thus far, it hasn't been addressed very well. My DD is a good student but she is exposed to so many horrendous "troubled" children and so much stuff in class that would be censored from Prime Time television that I forsee homeschooling in our future.

I am not saying that there is no child that should be held out that long to start. Certianly a child with learnig/deveopmental issues should have that option. THESE PARTICULAR boys were NOT in that category. Thier parents let it be known what thier reasons for holding back were, and it had NOTHING to do with thier children not being ready to handle the academic or social aspects of school and everything to do with being top dog. I spent a fair amount of time in the classroom and it was obvious that these boys were bored and acting out. DD is in a private school, and around here it happens a lot in private schools. Sports teams for CYO are based on grade level, not age so a 7 year old in K is 8 in first grade and playing football agianst 6 year olds. Who do you think will get to start??? This practice is what really bothers me, not a child who truly needs the extra time, like your DS. The kids held back for sports are typically behavior problems because they are bored, and know they are older than their classmates and really should be a grade ahead. It only gets worse as they get older.

 

[princessmom29]

That's wonderful. Maybe I should move to Ontario? It is sad that when they start K here they are "behind" if they can't tie their shoes, walk single file, know their letters and the sounds on sight, and write their names. When I went to K we learned to button, zip, tie, velcro.... We PLAYED on the playground (no Presidential fitness for us!) and, horror of horrors, our teachers had to TEACH us how to get in, and stay in, line. We weren't expected to read anything much less a chapter book. We have taken our exceptional students and made them the rule.

I don't think the problem is with what we are expecting of 5-7 year olds in K, but that we are not sending them at 3 to learn to stay in line, play well with others ect. There is NO reason a 5 year old should not be expected to have proper clasrrom manners. They are perfectly capable of walking in line, stting in a desk, and getting along with others. The problem is that it has never been asked of them before. Pre-school SHOULD be part of public education, like it is in the places that are outpacing us in education every day. The vast majority of the top educational programs in the world start children in a structured school environment well BEFORE K to prepare them for what will be asked of them when real school starts.

 

[kmacht]

Just wondering why she would not start at 5 years and 7months?? Why are you waiting a whole nother year to start her??

All of my kids started at age 5 with 2 having winter birthdays while 1 has a summer bday and is always one of the youngest in her classes. Our cutoff here is October 1st.

I just got off the phone with our local school. There was some confusion on my part. Their website said that your kid had to be 5 years old by January 1st in order to start school that year. My daughters birthday is in February so she would miss the cut off date. I took this to mean that she would have to wait an entire year in order to enroll. Since the cutoff was in January and school didn't start for another 8 months after that, it would make here 6 years and 7 monts when she started. This worried me as it seemed she would be too old compared to most other kids we know. When I talked to the school this morning they explained that the January cutoff date wasn't the January before they starte but the January after. So she has to turn 5 years old by the January in which she is in school, not the year before. I hope that makes sense. She will be 5 years 7 months when she starts.

Keith

 

[TwinsinCA]

My daughters turned 5 in July and started kindergarten the following month. But the cutoff here is December, so they really weren't that young at all.

 

[luvmesometigger]

My DD is 5. She turned 5 on August 30th. I sent her to Pre K this year. She will turn 6 before she starts kindergarten.

She makes the cut off her by a month but where we are looking to move to, she makes it by one day. I would much rather her be the oldest in the class then the youngest. The younger ones struggle. Plus I know she would not have been ready for full day kindie.

Both of her Pre K teachers told me I made the right decision...back in September before they even started teaching her. They told me many parents just put their kids in because they are the right age but they are far from ready.

I am happy with the choice I made. Obviously, others have different opinions.

 

[pooh4evr]

our cutoff here is 5 by Aug 1 - mine were all 5 - the youngest being a mid May bday ---- I would listen to what the teacher has to say but also realize there is alot of time left before the school year starts to work on things. My youngest will be 4 just after Christmas, she LOVES going on a website called starfall-- it has lots of great activities about letters, sounds, alphabet and early reading stuff -- she can navigate it on her own. I wouldn't panic too much if you wait a yr it might help him alot in the future, no need to force it. Good Luck!

 

[Happiest mommy]

My older DD turned 5 in July and started Kindy this year.

 

[Britgirlus]

My ds7 turned 5 in the June and started K mid-August. He's now in 2nd grade - one of the youngest, and he is the smallest in his class - but he's also the smartest LOL He is doing great, and has no problem with the 3rd graders (he goes to 3rd grade for math). Like others have said - it all depends on your child - they are all so different

 

[FlightlessDuck]

DD was 4 (didn't turn 5 until late December), and went to a private Kindergarten. DS was 5 and went went to a public half-day Kindergarten.

 

[DuckMom]

My older son started at 5 years 4 months and my younger one will start just a few days after he turns 6. DS2 would make the cut-off to go when he is 5, but I just think waiting a year is better from everything I have heard and read. Granted, we will revisit this issue when we are closer, but that is my current plan. DS1 attends a private school and at all of the events before Kindergarten started, the principal stressed that any child who qualifies for young 5s should be placed there. I know at Kindergarten testing, they bumped some kids to young 5s from K as well. It is not all about academic readiness, it is also about emotional readiness and maturity. With boys especially, both of those tend to be a bit slower to come and I think an extra year is a good thing. In my experience, some people tend to look down on pre-K and that shouldn't be the case. Do what is right for your child, but don't feel bad or discouraged if the teachers suggest holding off a year. In our preschool class, every child that could qualify for young 5s was told to take that option. If you choose pre-K and your child ended up being too advanced for it/bored with it, could you move him up?

 

[Bastiansmom]

I didn't read all the replies, so I hope this point hasn't already been made.

My son's b-day is August 30 and the cut off is Sept 1, so he started public pre-K when he was 3. We knew when he started that he would probably do Kindergarten twice, and that was fine with us. You may be thinking "why start if you know you are going to repeat a year?"

The answer: As much as parents "think" they know their kids, I have found that generally speaking parents (myself included - not saying this to be mean) really know very little about how "ready" or how well their child will do in school. Just because you wait a year doesn't guarantee that your child will have a successful year. I know multiple people that waited, but then the child still got "held" back in Kindergarten. I have a cousin who waited until her daughter was age 6 to start KG, the little girl wasn't ready so they moved her to Pre-K, now she is 7 in KG! (Not really fair to the 5 year olds in the classroom.) There were kids in DS's class that turned 8 in first grade!

I really don't think kids gain anything by staying out of school an extra year. They can, however, gain A LOT by being in school.

Oh, and for the record, DS is very bright, well adjusted little boy and it does not bother him AT ALL that he "repeated" KG.

 

[Tiger926]

I didn't read all the replies, so I hope this point hasn't already been made.

My son's b-day is August 30 and the cut off is Sept 1, so he started public pre-K when he was 3. We knew when he started that he would probably do Kindergarten twice, and that was fine with us. You may be thinking "why start if you know you are going to repeat a year?"

The answer: As much as parents "think" they know their kids, I have found that generally speaking parents (myself included - not saying this to be mean) really know very little about how "ready" or how well their child will do in school. Just because you wait a year doesn't guarantee that your child will have a successful year. I know multiple people that waited, but then the child still got "held" back in Kindergarten. I have a cousin who waited until her daughter was age 6 to start KG, the little girl wasn't ready so they moved her to Pre-K, now she is 7 in KG! (Not really fair to the 5 year olds in the classroom.) There were kids in DS's class that turned 8 in first grade!

I really don't think kids gain anything by staying out of school an extra year. They can, however, gain A LOT by being in school.

Oh, and for the record, DS is very bright, well adjusted little boy and it does not bother him AT ALL that he "repeated" KG.

Excellent post! This is what many of us as teachers feel, but it's hard to impress that to parents at times.

Tiger

 

[Bastiansmom]

Excellent post! This is what many of us as teachers feel, but it's hard to impress that to parents at times.

Tiger

Thank you! I think so many parents fail to realize that repeating KG is an option. Hopefully, a child that starts KG at a young 5 will do great and not have to repeat, but if s/he does at least s/he isn't 7 or 8!

Also, in some ways, isn't it negative to tell your child "you are supposed to start KG at 5, but you're not smart or mature enough to do so we're going to wait." ?

We told DS when he started that he was (literally) the youngest in his class and that he would probably repeat KG. We just made a point of telling him how great it was that since his birthday was so early he got a whole extra year in school! Must have worked... straight A's and one of the smartest kids in his class.

As far as maturity goes, you don't gain maturity by staying in the same situation or doing the same things. I would say that if there was a "test" for maturity, the 6 year old that waited to start kindergarten is no more mature than s/he was at 5 if s/he didn't experience new things throughout the year.
Pre-K and KG are not just about learning colors, letters and numbers. They are also about learning how to be a student. It doesn't matter how smart your kid is, or how much you or the babysitter works with them, there are just some things that can ONLY be learned in school.

Can you tell I feel strongly about this? I rarely post... but have blabbed about this forever!

 

[Ar1el]

our cutoff here is 5 by Aug 1 - mine were all 5 - the youngest being a mid May bday ---- I would listen to what the teacher has to say but also realize there is alot of time left before the school year starts to work on things. My youngest will be 4 just after Christmas, she LOVES going on a website called starfall-- it has lots of great activities about letters, sounds, alphabet and early reading stuff -- she can navigate it on her own. I wouldn't panic too much if you wait a yr it might help him alot in the future, no need to force it. Good Luck!

Thank you for that website. I showed my son and he did some of the ABC's.

 

[Terrie..]

How old is too old to start kindergarten? My daughter was born in February and the cut off date for our town is January 1st. By the time she starts Kindergarten she will be 6 years 7 months. With most of you saying your kids started at 4 or 5, this seems like it is wrong. Is it common to be that old when starting kindergarden as well?

Keith

She should start in September of the year she turns 5 , so she will be 5 years 7 months (not 6) which is normal

 

[delmar411]

my kids will all be 5 when they start K. My fall babies were nearly 6 due to school cut off dates but my spring babies were (will be) 5 1/2. I just have one more to send into K this next school year. Each were at their own level of readiness and each has done very differently in K. I'm not sure what to expect from my youngest so I'm just hoping for the best. My middle two, the ones in K and 1st this year, are at least a head above the other kids (physically) and we didn't hold them back so I hope my son's height isn't an issue when he plays sports.

 

[hmacmahony]

I would of much rather started my kids later, than repeat kindergarten.
Why? There is a huge stigma with repeating a grade, kids get teased for it all the time.
My kids weren't told,
hey, you could go to kindergarten this year, we choose not to send you.
They were put in a prek class, with kids they started kindergarten with the next year. My kids don't get imput when it comes to choices like that.

We did a load of research, and talked to anyoen and everyone we could about this subject. Very few people suggested putting our kids into school when they were 4. I would say, between 95-97% of people (teachers, principals, parents who had been in the same situation), advised us to wait.

Once again, its not kindergarten I was worried about. It was college, where my kid would of been 17.

Thank you! I think so many parents fail to realize that repeating KG is an option. Hopefully, a child that starts KG at a young 5 will do great and not have to repeat, but if s/he does at least s/he isn't 7 or 8!

Also, in some ways, isn't it negative to tell your child "you are supposed to start KG at 5, but you're not smart or mature enough to do so we're going to wait." ?

We told DS when he started that he was (literally) the youngest in his class and that he would probably repeat KG. We just made a point of telling him how great it was that since his birthday was so early he got a whole extra year in school! Must have worked... straight A's and one of the smartest kids in his class.

As far as maturity goes, you don't gain maturity by staying in the same situation or doing the same things. I would say that if there was a "test" for maturity, the 6 year old that waited to start kindergarten is no more mature than s/he was at 5 if s/he didn't experience new things throughout the year.
Pre-K and KG are not just about learning colors, letters and numbers. They are also about learning how to be a student. It doesn't matter how smart your kid is, or how much you or the babysitter works with them, there are just some things that can ONLY be learned in school.

Can you tell I feel strongly about this? I rarely post... but have blabbed about this forever!

 

[Aristomommy]

Notice a pattern in responses- no one advocated for faster advancement, except for parents who have not done it.

-Sounds so good on paper, start early, get ready to go...ed research is very clear, learning to read is developmental. You need to be ready to recognize patterns, learn school, and work hard.

While some will argue that all children are different, no one has yet to post that they regret "waiting an extra year," In 20 years of education, I have yet to run into the parent whose regret was waiting...yet I do have many stories regarding-lack of friends, not driving, too young for college, small for sports, scouts are in different grade/calendar/schedule, struggling to find fit...

Let your child love to learn, not be in a hurry to learn. Letters and numbers will come, exploration is fleeting- let him explore at his own pace...best of luck in your decision.

There are times when early entry makes perfect sense but it is not often and I would be surprised if many parents recommended it. DD started kidergarten at 4 and has since been grade skipped and subject accelerated. I am sorry that in your 20 years you have not ran across a successful acceleration. I have also in my years of parenting witnessed the frustration of delaying a perfectly capable child so that the parent can give them the gift of time. One particular girl is in 5th grade, she is 5foot 11, developed like a full grown woman and incredibly uncomfortable as an older student. She would certainly stand out in 6th grade, but there would be 7th and 8th graders in the building and those girls are developing similarly. Not to mention the boredom in classroom, lack of friends etc.

Parents need to consider their own child and discuss this issue with their teacher who knows the child from an educational stand point. We also consulted a child psychologist who gave DD the green light each time. Advice on the Internet is usually biased (including mine) and no one knows your child.

 

[Leajess99]

I didn't read all the replies, so I hope this point hasn't already been made.

My son's b-day is August 30 and the cut off is Sept 1, so he started public pre-K when he was 3. We knew when he started that he would probably do Kindergarten twice, and that was fine with us. You may be thinking "why start if you know you are going to repeat a year?"

The answer: As much as parents "think" they know their kids, I have found that generally speaking parents (myself included - not saying this to be mean) really know very little about how "ready" or how well their child will do in school. Just because you wait a year doesn't guarantee that your child will have a successful year. I know multiple people that waited, but then the child still got "held" back in Kindergarten. I have a cousin who waited until her daughter was age 6 to start KG, the little girl wasn't ready so they moved her to Pre-K, now she is 7 in KG! (Not really fair to the 5 year olds in the classroom.) There were kids in DS's class that turned 8 in first grade!I really don't think kids gain anything by staying out of school an extra year. They can, however, gain A LOT by being in school.

Oh, and for the record, DS is very bright, well adjusted little boy and it does not bother him AT ALL that he "repeated" KG.

My daughter had a boy on her basketball team that turned 8 in 1st grade. She was also in 1st grade and is 14 months younger than this child. The child was huge in comparison to the other basketball players with the exception of 2 kids that were also held back until they were almost 7.