Summer b-days and kindergarten

[aries416]

If your child has a summer birthday, did they go to K the year they turned five or did you wait? What were your reasons for either decision.

[CASMama711]

My DD1 started kindergarten at age 5 and she's doing great.

I also work with struggling kids in an elementary school and I see a LOT of young kindergarten boys who struggle, but not as many of the younger girls. I think if I had a boy with a late summer birthday, he would probably repeat pre-K at age 5 and start kindergarten at 6.

I'm glad my b/g twins have a late fall birthday, so I won't have to make a "summer birthday" decision with them!

[EmilyDan]

I don't have a child with a summer birthday, but my brother and I both have June birthdays. My parents sent me to school young (just turned 5) because I desperately wanted to go. Everyday after my older sister got on the bus I would practically be in tears because I was so sad I couldn't go. Our very small town did not have a preschool, so that wasn't an option. Also, when they took me to kindergarten round-up the tests they did to test academic readiness showed I was ready. I thrived in school and think my parents made the right decision.

With my brother it was a little different. Academically he was ready. Emotionally he was not ready (he did NOT want to go), BUT my parents knew that waiting would only make the problem worse. My dad is a farmer and my brother spent a lot of time on the farm with my dad and grandpa. When my parents talked to him about school he would say things like, "I can't go to school. How will dad and grandpa run the farm without me?" and "I don't need to go to school. I'm going to be a farmer and I already know how to do that." Our school had a program called Transitional First. Basically, at the end of kindergarten, any kid who wasn't ready to move on to first grade would go to Transitional First for a year before moving on to first grade. It was sort of like repeating kindergarten, but a little more tailored to the needs of kids who had already been to kindergarten. So, my parents sent my brother to kindergarten when he had just turned 5 with the intentions of sending him to Transitional First the following year. They wanted to get him in school before he got even more attached to the farm, but recognized he may need extra time to adjust. His first year of school, in kindergarten, was rough. He resisted getting on the school bus every single day. He acted out. But my parents let him know he HAD to go to school. The next year, in Transitional First, was much better. He thrived with that particular teacher in a smaller class (about a dozen kids). After that he did just fine in school.

My brother and I are both now college graduates, and I have a master's degree, so my parents must have made good decisions. My advice would be to look at the particular needs of your child and make the best decision you can based on what they need, and don't let your pride or other people's opinions get in the way. I know that there were people who implied that my parents sending my brother to Transitional First meant he was "dumb", but they didn't let that influence their decision. In addition, my mom was a teacher at the school where we went and I'm sure she felt extra pressure for her kids to be "good" and "smart," but she brushed all that aside and did what was best for my brother even if he didn't look like a model teacher's child.

I don't know if that helps at all, but those are my thoughts. Good luck!

[abunchoflemons]

because cut off & my speech being slow as i am adopted at 15 month we waited til i turned 6. if language was better maybe before by year.

[stevensmom]

as a k teacher I strongly suggest to friends to keep their summer bday boys out until the following year.

[aries416]

My dd has a July birthday. Her preschool teacher says she is academically ready (and she is!), but is worried that it might be stressful emotionally for her. I used to teach K and don't want to make the wrong choice. She is super excited to go and I know she will be sad if she doesn't go.

[Computermama]

Here it's not based on school year but by calendar year. Kindy starts at age 4, so any child born in 2008 would be in junior kindy this year. My sister was a December birthday and she probably should have been red shirted - she struggled for the first several years of school until she was finally left back a year. My oldest on the other hand is an October birthday, so for the first 6 weeks I was putting her on the school bus she was 3. I was petrified, but watched her progress closely. Honestly she's doing awesome, reading really well, doing simple math easily, her teachers aren't just pleased with her, they're amazed by her. It's very much dependent on the child.

[stevensmom]

when does your school start?

she's an early July....she may grow so much emotionally in the 7 months until Kindy starts.

you can always register her and make the decision closer to the start date.

If you taught kindy, then you know if she's ready or not

[aries416]

School starts mid August. I thought she was ready. Yes, she's a little immature, but she has made huge gains in that area lately. Honestly, holding her back never crossed my mind until the teacher mentioned it. I was pretty blown away. When I taught, my young girls took a little longer to to get things in the beginning, but they flourished by mid year. I'm glad my son is an October baby!

[mama_to_DJM]

Granted we homeschool, so that's a little different- but I started both of my summer birthday boys at 5. Even DS2, whose birthday is a week before the cutoff. I can't imagine waiting until they were 6! They're now in 1st and 3rd grade, and doing wonderfully!