OT-No kindergarten this year

[momof296&02]

I just came across this thread & wanted to share something w/ everyone. If for some reason you are holding back your child a year and they are eligible to attend kindergarten in September I urge you to register them for kindergarten anyway. I live on Long Island & it's free to do this. IMHO if you register them & then call in August to say you changed your mind this will help with class size & you will NOT be penalized. For instance we currently have approximately 75 children registered & that equates to 3 sections in the grade(25 per class). The district likes to keep the lower grades at 25 per class. Our district decides w/in the next month how many sections we will have per grade. As of right now if we have 3-4 more children registered before the end of the school year we would get an additional class (4 classes w/19-21 students per class). If this doesn't happen right away then 25 more kids will need to be registered by Sept for us to get the extra class. Then a teacher will need to be hired. The teacher that will be hired may not be the best candidate as many of the more marketable/experienced teachers will be offered jobs early on. It's all about the kids.

 

[Tikicampers]

Just read the post about enrolling your child even if you aren't planning to send them, to get the extra teacher for the school, then cancelling. Not 100% sure how it works there, but in our district if the projected number of students doesn't happen once school actually starts, the last hired teacher has to leave. The teacher will have a job in the district, but could be in a different grade or school or both. That stinks if she's already spent money for the class she thought she'd have.
One other thing to consider for summer birthdays is if your district has a class between K&1. These are often called Reading Readiness or something. Basically, some schools have one class for kids that have completed a year of K, but aren't quite ready for First. That way the child doesn't wind up doing the same exact thing all over again. All the K teachers where I work wish we had one.

 

[dfarner]

Most of the time when parents tell me their child can "read" I soon find that said child can recite a few books they have memorized. The same goes for many children whose parents say they are "gifted".

You hit the nail on the head. Reciting and reading/comprehension are 2 different things, but parents get carried away with the whole "my child can read before kindergarten" thing. And "gifted". My goodness, everyone is "gifted" these days. Gifted is when you are composing music when you are 3 or 5 or 7. Gifted is not reciting "My Many Colored Days".

 

[akmom]

I just came across this thread & wanted to share something w/ everyone. If for some reason you are holding back your child a year and they are eligible to attend kindergarten in September I urge you to register them for kindergarten anyway. I live on Long Island & it's free to do this. IMHO if you register them & then call in August to say you changed your mind this will help with class size & you will NOT be penalized. For instance we currently have approximately 75 children registered & that equates to 3 sections in the grade(25 per class). The district likes to keep the lower grades at 25 per class. Our district decides w/in the next month how many sections we will have per grade. As of right now if we have 3-4 more children registered before the end of the school year we would get an additional class (4 classes w/19-21 students per class). If this doesn't happen right away then 25 more kids will need to be registered by Sept for us to get the extra class. Then a teacher will need to be hired. The teacher that will be hired may not be the best candidate as many of the more marketable/experienced teachers will be offered jobs early on. It's all about the kids.

Okay, I see your point to that, but I have to argue the opposite side. My DD is on the waitlist for early entrance. If all these parents who know they aren't sending their child register anyway, there would be no way DD would get in. Our school disctrict has already decided how many sections based on budget and things of that nature.

 

[Starr W.]

Our district does kindergarten registration is Feb. If you don't plan on sending your child(decide he's not ready or going to a private school or you're moving) you just call the school and tell them. They do the actual preliminary class lists in April for all K-5 grades.

Now the funny part is, heard this from the school secretary, alot of parents with kids seem to miss this registration(it's mentioned alot in the newsletter and in the local paper) but they show up when the office reopens in Aug.

But then again we have a handfull of families that don't believe school should start before Labor Day(we start the week before) and don't send there kids for the first 3-4 days. Our district has been starting the last week in Aug since 1979!

 

[allison443]

Our school's cutoff is October 31! My daughter has an October birthday so she started full day kindergarten at age 4. There were at least 6 other kids in her class with October birthdays. (They did great!) I honestly do not know anyone who held their kid back if their birthday met the cutoff! It must be different in other areas.
My own feeling is that once the kids start school, their development is more grade-based than age based, KWIM? Like in 5th grade, the girl who turns 11 in November is friends with the girl who doesn't turn 11 until November of 6th grade..I don't see big differences.
I know someone mentioned that by holding back, your child will go to college at 19 instead of 18. To me, both kids are high school seniors with similar experiences, etc. I don't think the 19 year old is so much more mature than the 18 year old.
These are just my experiences!

 

[momof296&02]

Okay, I see your point to that, but I have to argue the opposite side. My DD is on the waitlist for early entrance. If all these parents who know they aren't sending their child register anyway, there would be no way DD would get in. Our school disctrict has already decided how many sections based on budget and things of that nature.

In our district & most of the districts on long island we don't have early entrance, if we did then I would definetely not ask anyone to register just so the #'s go up. Our sections are based soley on enrollment & has nothing to do with the budget. I just checked my tax bill & I will pay $9,700 in school taxes alone this year. The budget does control whether or not their is full day kindergarten, middle school sports, high school AP classes or late buses. Thank goodness out budget recently passed as we were on austerity 2 years ago & it was a nightmare. Full day kindergarten will be state mandated in 2010 or there about (in NY) & I think it's about time.

 

[mommylicious]

Many people get around that by enrolling their child in a private school that will take kids with summer birthdays. After paying only a month's tuition, they transfer to the public school. The Public school has to take them, as they are actually transfers.

I haven't read the whole thread so this may have been said already but before you do this, check the laws. My b-day is 9/19 and the cut off was (and still is here) 9/1. We had just moved to this state when I was about to turn 5 so going into Kind and my parents were not happy to hear that as I was very ready for school. Mom had said she'd take me back to her parent's in another state and stay for a few months then transfer me. They said that was a no-go. Transfers weren't allowed either unless they met the cut off. The loop hole was I could go to private school for all of kindergarten and all of 1st grade and then start 2nd grade at the public school. Mom questioned that and was told even if she had me somewhere else untill the last month of 1st grade, when they went to transfer me I would have had to drop back to kindergarten and repeat 1st grade the next year. The loop hole only worked if I had completed first grade. My parents did send me to private for 2 years though the tuition was a pinch for that time frame. Our neighbor's dd has a 9/3 birtday and they are dealing with the same thing now. She's a head taller than most kids her age now too so waiting another year she'll be (as her mom puts it) Gigantor the Kindergarten Girl. She's already very sensitive about it so that is a big issue for her parents.

 

[brymolmom]

Wow - this is a very interesting post to me. I haven't read all of the posts - but most of them are parents upset that they can't send their kids to Kindergarten earlier - that is so NOT the norm where I am - so I am totally unused to hearing this side.

Here in NY...cutoff is still 12/1, dd is 10/21 (will be 4 this year). 90% of the people I speak to here with children with Fall birthdays are holding their kids back. I tend to get into debates on this topic - it upsets me when people have no true reason for not sending them other than they 'don't want them to be the youngest in the class' - where does that end? If people with summer and spring b-days start holding them back just for the same reason - we'll end up with everyone in the class getting older and older...(note - if there is a real reason with a delay in some area that the parents have sought professional help with - I do not disagree with waiting - it's the ones that just don't want them to go for no other reason other than their birthday that I take issue with). And, since I plan to send dd ON TIME (not early - those who are 4 up until 12/1 here are SUPPOSED to enter Kindergarten) - it is putting her at a disadvantage to have so many older kids in her class. These kids who will be 6 have up to a year and a half more time and more learning than she does. Can you imagine the problem the poor teacher has? IMO - people who CHOOSE to hold their kids back should not be upset when a teacher teaches to a 4 and 5year old level - that's what the curriculum is setup to do.

I have a friend who opted to hold back her very bright and social boy with an Oct b-day and then had the nerve to tell the K teacher that she was concerned he wasn't going to be challenged to 'read at his level' - ummm- okay - you could have him in 1st grade now - maybe that's what his level should have been. It's the parent's fault - my 4 year old should not suffer for it. The teacher should focus on the kids who are at the level the material was made for - and I assume many of the 6 year olds will already know most of it.

Anyway - very refreshing to hear people who want to send their kids earlier.

BTW- I've heard (although haven't seen written proof) that dd going to Kindergarten as a 4 year old in '08 will be the last year before NY officially changes the cutoff to 9/1. So she will be the last of the 4 year olds around here.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

BTW- I've heard (although haven't seen written proof) that dd going to Kindergarten as a 4 year old in '08 will be the last year before NY officially changes the cutoff to 9/1. So she will be the last of the 4 year olds around here.

Where did you hear this? I certainly hope not. That would be ridiculous!

 

[brymolmom]

Where did you hear this? I certainly hope not. That would be ridiculous!

There is one other mom I know who has a dd with a b-day 2 days different than my dd's that agrees that we should be sending them on time...she and her husband are involved in some of the town boards (but not the school board - but they know a lot of the school board). Anyway, she is the one who heard this.

I had heard rumors that NY was considering this because from what I gather -most states have much earlier cutoffs...either 9/1, 8/1 and I've even heard of some June cutoff dates too. So I heard that NY was looking into it to keep in line with what other states have been doing.

Again, I have not seen this written anywhere...but my friend seems certain of it.

 

[KKB]

I have 2 friends who teach Kindergarten, and they have 2 different views...
One says always hold them; you cannot go wrong.
Another says it depends on the kids. She has 3 boys, and oldest/youngest both had summer bdays. Oldest went at 5; youngest at 6.
I, too, had oldest/youngest boys. #1 has June 27 bday. Went at 5. Reading was a little hard for a while...but now is doing 4 gifted classes next year for seventh grade, so go figure. #2 has Sept. 1 bday...went just as he turned 6. This one is tough...his reading is about where #1 was at end of 1st grade (not surprisingly), but frankly the rest of the curriculum seems far too easy for him...luckily he loves school. He is a bit of a clown, too, and he was NOT ready at 4 almost 5 (our cut off is Oct. 15!)

When I taught Kindergarten, I say kids who should have NEVER been held back (bored); precocious kids who were SO ready at 4....and kids who just deserve the gift of another year of kindergarten (age irrelevant).

WHATEVER you decide...it will more than likely be the right choice. If you do send them young, be prepared if they DO need another year of Kindergarten (consider it a GIFT...older students don't tend to take this so well!)

Look at your child...size...maturity..focus...do they know how to hold a pencil, scissors, take turns? If they know letters & sounds, numbers...they are more than likely ready. Like I said, in most cases, it will all work out.
Good luck to all of you with this decision.

 

[KKB]

Our school's cutoff is October 31! My daughter has an October birthday so she started full day kindergarten at age 4. There were at least 6 other kids in her class with October birthdays. (They did great!) I honestly do not know anyone who held their kid back if their birthday met the cutoff! It must be different in other areas.
My own feeling is that once the kids start school, their development is more grade-based than age based, KWIM? Like in 5th grade, the girl who turns 11 in November is friends with the girl who doesn't turn 11 until November of 6th grade..I don't see big differences.
I know someone mentioned that by holding back, your child will go to college at 19 instead of 18. To me, both kids are high school seniors with similar experiences, etc. I don't think the 19 year old is so much more mature than the 18 year old.
These are just my experiences!

Of course, they will simply make friends with the children in their class.

The greater concern is academic. Curriculum is generally developmentally based. MOST children are ready to handle certain aspects at certain ages. Children who start younger are at a greater risk of not being ready when the curriculum is presented. My oldest had a late June bday, and struggled w/ reading early on. He DID catch up, and even surpass, his peers. Certainly developmentally he was a tad behind. Luckily w/ 2 teacher parents, we worked hard with him to overcome his shortcomings.

Some children do not have this home support, or they are too immature to deal with the difficulty.

Of course, the counter argument is the children who are not challenged, and thus bored, as they were held back a year.... (which may be the situation w/ son #2!!!!)

But as I said before, most of the time, whatever decision you make as a parent will be fine...go with your gut.

 

[Accentuate+]

Wow - lots of opinions here but most seem to boil down to:
- I felt strongly my child was ready to start school. They did and everything turned out great.
- I felt strongly my child was not ready to start school. I held them back, they started later and they did great.
- I felt my child was ready to start school, the school or rules disagreed and they didn't and I/the child regretted it.
- I felt my child wasn't ready to start school, the school or rules disagreed and they started and I/the child regretted it.

It seems to come down to you knowing your child the best. Some rules are hard and fast but it really seems like the experiences here point to you doing everything you can to start your child in kindergarten when you know they're ready. Use input from the teachers, the child, historical data and your own parental instincts to help you make that decision, hope for the best and be prepared to change your game plan if it doesn't turn out well. As long as they can step back and be objective a concerned, involved parent will know what's best.

FWIW - I was an early starter and am glad I was. My birthday is in December. Public school had a Sept cut off but I was begging my mom to send me to school. She actually found a pre-K in a private school that would take me at three and I went on to Kindergarten at four. Everything turned out fine, I was an A student for most of my academic career (at least until I chose social over academic in high school - grades went south but boy did I have fun ) Many of my friends throughout school were actually in a higher grade then I was (so, even older than the slightly older kids in my class) you find the people you relate to even if they're in a different grade.

Flip side of the coin - the school wanted me to skip second grade. My mom decided that wasn't a good idea. I probably would have been fine academically but she worried about me getting even further in age from my class and the social aspects (being two years behind them dating, driving etc and losing the ties I'd already made to friends in my existing year). I think she made a good decision there, as well.

So, even for the same kid, academic acceleration can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the circumstances.

To the OP, if you really feel your daughter is ready and your daughter wants to go I'd try checking into private schools or programs that might allow her to start kindergarten this year. If it doesn't go well you just enroll her in public school kind next year, nothing lost. If it does go well move her to public school first grade next year.

Good luck.

 

[MiniGirl]

Where did you hear this? I certainly hope not. That would be ridiculous!

Why would it be ridiculous? Sept. 1 is the cut off date here in Florida. It is a perfectly fine cut off date too.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

I think part of the "issue" with the cut off dates, is this...In Florida, I have heard that routinely kids start back to school in August, so a Sept, 1 cutoff might make sense. Here on the Eastern Shore of MD, our kids start back the Wed after Labor Day. So maybe later cutoff makes sense? I have heard here in MD that although the cutoff is currently Oct 1st, they are moving it back to August 1st. Not sure when. Some of the local private schools have a June 1st cutoff.

Maybe this seems silly, but if you know your family is active in sports, consider those dates in your knowledge. Our boys were both held back, and when they play soccer, they always have to play with other classes. They have late July b-days, and the "age" is whatever age your kid is Aug 1st. So eve though they may only be 11 by a couple of days, they had to play in th u-13 division. No crisis, but not always with friends. However, Lacrosse here does it by year child was born (1996), and everyone born in that year, regardless of grade plays together. It works better for my kids who were held back. Baseball is an in between. And please don't think I am basing what to do based on sports. I just view sports as a learning and fun experience, and it stinks when my boys don't have anyone their own age in their group.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Why would it be ridiculous? Sept. 1 is the cut off date here in Florida. It is a perfectly fine cut off date too.

No insult- it's just that it only really gives 9 months of the year for a child to turn 5 technically. I was an October child and I have a child who is also an October child and I cannot see any reason to hold them back a whole year. JMHO.

 

[alikat99]

This is quite an interesting thread, I have to say.

As stated earlier, here in Florida, the cutoff is Sept 1st. My oldest DDs birthday is Oct 5th, so she missed the cutoff by basically a month. Because I was working, she went to preschool in a private school in their 2yr old program, but she basically turned 3 only a month later. She was quite advanced at that age, but I have lots of teacher friends, so I knew that things change as they get older.

DH and I decided not to push any issues with the cutoff and have her start Kindergarten at 5 (almost 6) this coming year and we're happy with the decision that we made. Thankfully, her preschool has what they call a 4/5 Transitional class for the kids that made the cutoff but weren't quite ready and for those, like my DD, who just barely didn't make the cutoff and are a bit older. Their teacher treats it like preschool and kindergarten in one class. She even goes to classes for kindergarten teachers, to make sure that these kids are keeping their minds challenged. Maybe there should be more of these classes around the country.

We loved the class that she was in, and we even decided to keep our DD at the private school, because they will continue to challenge her as they move forward.

I feel that no matter what decision is made, as long as the parents continue to be a part of their child's educational life, then it's all good.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

I didn't say outside testing was necessary, I just said if you have it give it to the teacher. I thought I remembered someone mentioning it in a previous post. Also, most preschools give some sort of progress report.
I also didn't say you shouldn't tell a teacher about your child's strengths and weaknesses. I should have written a bit more clearly, but I was worried my post was getting too long. As there are many here who seem to have upcoming K students I will clarify again. Most of the time when parents tell me their child can "read" I soon find that said child can recite a few books they have memorized. The same goes for many children whose parents say they are "gifted". That is why my advice is to give teachers a chance to get to know your child. The first couple weeks are all about setting routines, so it's not like your child will be missing some major instruction. Then you could contact the teacher and see what she and you can do to accelerate your child's learning whether they start early or not.
BTW I am not suggesting that any of your children are not really reading. As you all seem literate I'm sure you can tell the difference, but many parents cannot and that is why it is hard to believe a parent's assessment of their child.

I can understand your points as a public school teacher, but that last sentence actually made me say, "WOW!" out loud. Like I've said before in numerous threads, my child will not be attending school so it's really all moot for us, but I do still have opinions about public schooling!
As for the "not really reading" thing...I have never known a parent to claim a child could read when he/she really could not, but then again, I don't tend to hang around a lot of "status-seeker" parents who exaggerate to make themselves or their children look better. Also, almost everyone I know is not only literate but well-educated, and would know the difference AND realize that everyone else in our social circle could tell the difference, as well. No point lying about it! I would imagine you HAVE seen a few of those during your time as a teacher, which is really sad for the children involved. As a final note, my reading dilemma was worked out in a satisfactory fashion; while the other kids practiced phonics or what have you, I was sent to read to another classroom of kids my own age, for their storytime!

 

[MomofKatie]

Wow - this is a very interesting post to me. I haven't read all of the posts - but most of them are parents upset that they can't send their kids to Kindergarten earlier - that is so NOT the norm where I am - so I am totally unused to hearing this side.

Here in NY...cutoff is still 12/1, dd is 10/21 (will be 4 this year). 90% of the people I speak to here with children with Fall birthdays are holding their kids back. I tend to get into debates on this topic - it upsets me when people have no true reason for not sending them other than they 'don't want them to be the youngest in the class' - where does that end? If people with summer and spring b-days start holding them back just for the same reason - we'll end up with everyone in the class getting older and older...(note - if there is a real reason with a delay in some area that the parents have sought professional help with - I do not disagree with waiting - it's the ones that just don't want them to go for no other reason other than their birthday that I take issue with). And, since I plan to send dd ON TIME (not early - those who are 4 up until 12/1 here are SUPPOSED to enter Kindergarten) - it is putting her at a disadvantage to have so many older kids in her class. These kids who will be 6 have up to a year and a half more time and more learning than she does. Can you imagine the problem the poor teacher has? IMO - people who CHOOSE to hold their kids back should not be upset when a teacher teaches to a 4 and 5year old level - that's what the curriculum is setup to do.

I have a friend who opted to hold back her very bright and social boy with an Oct b-day and then had the nerve to tell the K teacher that she was concerned he wasn't going to be challenged to 'read at his level' - ummm- okay - you could have him in 1st grade now - maybe that's what his level should have been. It's the parent's fault - my 4 year old should not suffer for it. The teacher should focus on the kids who are at the level the material was made for - and I assume many of the 6 year olds will already know most of it.

Anyway - very refreshing to hear people who want to send their kids earlier.

BTW- I've heard (although haven't seen written proof) that dd going to Kindergarten as a 4 year old in '08 will be the last year before NY officially changes the cutoff to 9/1. So she will be the last of the 4 year olds around here.

I totally agree with this point. My DD was a "young" Kindergartener- she has a September birthday and the cutoff here is October 15th (soon to change to August). She was VERY ready to start when she was 4-going-on-5, even though she was small for her age. She was reading well, adding, and had a very advanced vocabulary.

Everything was fine until 2nd grade- her teacher called me in for a conference because she was concerned about DD's advancing to 3rd grade. she told me that DD was "immature" and "too small" and maybe we should retain her in 2nd grade. Academically, she was the top in the class. After some asking around, we found out that DD was the youngest by several months in her class- and the oldest several were more than 18 months older than her!! We told the teacher that of course DD was not as mature as some of her classmates- our DD was the correct age for her grade, as decided on by the state. Most of the others in her class had been held back because the parents wanted them to be the best or biggest in the class. Was it fair to label DD as "immature" when she should have been in class with kids her age, but was in class with kids that should have been a grade above her?

We didn't pay much attention to the teacher for the rest of the year, and DD is doing wonderfully in the 3rd grade now. She still has kids more than a year older in class with her- I guess she will just have to be the youngest and be happy with that. We absolutely do not regret starting her when we did.