The Kindergarten Conundrum

[smccanl]

Hi,

I'm not a mom of a child wcf, but I am a mom to an almost 5-year-old so I've dealt with the kindergarten issue on a more basic level. I wanted to chime in because I've talked to friends around the country and it seems like you really need to look into how things are done in your area. In my area, holding back kids is the norm. The cut-off for starting kindergarten in CA is very late (in Dec.), but these days where I live moms of boys are holding them back with birthdays as early as early spring, and a lot of girls too.

It has to do with two things: first, kindergarten is a lot more pressure than it used to be. It's more academic, longer days, etc. Second, if everyone else is holding their kids another year, then a summer/fall birthday child will have an even greater gap with much of the class than he or she would have back in the day when everyone went to kindergarten at 5, no questions asked <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

But that's around here. Some areas have a younger kindergarten set and the programs are geared more toward that. Talk to the school, talk to the kindergarten teacher, talk to friends, talk to preschool teachers... If there is a pre-K (or preppy-K) program in your area that would be a great transition.

My pediatrician was just talking to me about how a lot of the parents she sees get flack from their parents or relatives about holding kids back, and it's partly because the extended family live somewhere else where fewer kids are delayed going to K. It really does vary from state to state, district to district.

Good luck! I know this is a tough decision.

(By the way, my son turns 5 in Nov., no cf, but it was a no-brainer that he is NOT ready for kindergarten. Fortunately our city offers a pre-k program to help with readiness for kids who are waiting an extra year.)

Sarah

 

[smccanl]

Hi,

I'm not a mom of a child wcf, but I am a mom to an almost 5-year-old so I've dealt with the kindergarten issue on a more basic level. I wanted to chime in because I've talked to friends around the country and it seems like you really need to look into how things are done in your area. In my area, holding back kids is the norm. The cut-off for starting kindergarten in CA is very late (in Dec.), but these days where I live moms of boys are holding them back with birthdays as early as early spring, and a lot of girls too.

It has to do with two things: first, kindergarten is a lot more pressure than it used to be. It's more academic, longer days, etc. Second, if everyone else is holding their kids another year, then a summer/fall birthday child will have an even greater gap with much of the class than he or she would have back in the day when everyone went to kindergarten at 5, no questions asked <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

But that's around here. Some areas have a younger kindergarten set and the programs are geared more toward that. Talk to the school, talk to the kindergarten teacher, talk to friends, talk to preschool teachers... If there is a pre-K (or preppy-K) program in your area that would be a great transition.

My pediatrician was just talking to me about how a lot of the parents she sees get flack from their parents or relatives about holding kids back, and it's partly because the extended family live somewhere else where fewer kids are delayed going to K. It really does vary from state to state, district to district.

Good luck! I know this is a tough decision.

(By the way, my son turns 5 in Nov., no cf, but it was a no-brainer that he is NOT ready for kindergarten. Fortunately our city offers a pre-k program to help with readiness for kids who are waiting an extra year.)

Sarah

 

[smccanl]

Hi,

I'm not a mom of a child wcf, but I am a mom to an almost 5-year-old so I've dealt with the kindergarten issue on a more basic level. I wanted to chime in because I've talked to friends around the country and it seems like you really need to look into how things are done in your area. In my area, holding back kids is the norm. The cut-off for starting kindergarten in CA is very late (in Dec.), but these days where I live moms of boys are holding them back with birthdays as early as early spring, and a lot of girls too.

It has to do with two things: first, kindergarten is a lot more pressure than it used to be. It's more academic, longer days, etc. Second, if everyone else is holding their kids another year, then a summer/fall birthday child will have an even greater gap with much of the class than he or she would have back in the day when everyone went to kindergarten at 5, no questions asked <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

But that's around here. Some areas have a younger kindergarten set and the programs are geared more toward that. Talk to the school, talk to the kindergarten teacher, talk to friends, talk to preschool teachers... If there is a pre-K (or preppy-K) program in your area that would be a great transition.

My pediatrician was just talking to me about how a lot of the parents she sees get flack from their parents or relatives about holding kids back, and it's partly because the extended family live somewhere else where fewer kids are delayed going to K. It really does vary from state to state, district to district.

Good luck! I know this is a tough decision.

(By the way, my son turns 5 in Nov., no cf, but it was a no-brainer that he is NOT ready for kindergarten. Fortunately our city offers a pre-k program to help with readiness for kids who are waiting an extra year.)

Sarah

 

[smccanl]

Hi,

I'm not a mom of a child wcf, but I am a mom to an almost 5-year-old so I've dealt with the kindergarten issue on a more basic level. I wanted to chime in because I've talked to friends around the country and it seems like you really need to look into how things are done in your area. In my area, holding back kids is the norm. The cut-off for starting kindergarten in CA is very late (in Dec.), but these days where I live moms of boys are holding them back with birthdays as early as early spring, and a lot of girls too.

It has to do with two things: first, kindergarten is a lot more pressure than it used to be. It's more academic, longer days, etc. Second, if everyone else is holding their kids another year, then a summer/fall birthday child will have an even greater gap with much of the class than he or she would have back in the day when everyone went to kindergarten at 5, no questions asked <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

But that's around here. Some areas have a younger kindergarten set and the programs are geared more toward that. Talk to the school, talk to the kindergarten teacher, talk to friends, talk to preschool teachers... If there is a pre-K (or preppy-K) program in your area that would be a great transition.

My pediatrician was just talking to me about how a lot of the parents she sees get flack from their parents or relatives about holding kids back, and it's partly because the extended family live somewhere else where fewer kids are delayed going to K. It really does vary from state to state, district to district.

Good luck! I know this is a tough decision.

(By the way, my son turns 5 in Nov., no cf, but it was a no-brainer that he is NOT ready for kindergarten. Fortunately our city offers a pre-k program to help with readiness for kids who are waiting an extra year.)

Sarah

 

[smccanl]

Hi,
<br />
<br />I'm not a mom of a child wcf, but I am a mom to an almost 5-year-old so I've dealt with the kindergarten issue on a more basic level. I wanted to chime in because I've talked to friends around the country and it seems like you really need to look into how things are done in your area. In my area, holding back kids is the norm. The cut-off for starting kindergarten in CA is very late (in Dec.), but these days where I live moms of boys are holding them back with birthdays as early as early spring, and a lot of girls too.
<br />
<br />It has to do with two things: first, kindergarten is a lot more pressure than it used to be. It's more academic, longer days, etc. Second, if everyone else is holding their kids another year, then a summer/fall birthday child will have an even greater gap with much of the class than he or she would have back in the day when everyone went to kindergarten at 5, no questions asked <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
<br />
<br />But that's around here. Some areas have a younger kindergarten set and the programs are geared more toward that. Talk to the school, talk to the kindergarten teacher, talk to friends, talk to preschool teachers... If there is a pre-K (or preppy-K) program in your area that would be a great transition.
<br />
<br />My pediatrician was just talking to me about how a lot of the parents she sees get flack from their parents or relatives about holding kids back, and it's partly because the extended family live somewhere else where fewer kids are delayed going to K. It really does vary from state to state, district to district.
<br />
<br />Good luck! I know this is a tough decision.
<br />
<br />(By the way, my son turns 5 in Nov., no cf, but it was a no-brainer that he is NOT ready for kindergarten. Fortunately our city offers a pre-k program to help with readiness for kids who are waiting an extra year.)
<br />
<br />Sarah
<br />
<br />

 

[Ratatosk]

The director of DS's preschool is the one who brought it up to me last spring and when I mentioned it to my husband, he was also against holding him back, until HE visited with her. Prior to those discussions our view similar to transplantmommy's.

Our school district is very large, very advanced. D'Nealian handwriting style for Kindergarteners?! I've heard this from other parents -- children getting burnt out because they end up having to go to summer school to catch up. Yesterday at baseball, I overheard a couple parents who had similar concerns with their May/April kids. One also had a kid in 2nd Grade and talked about the struggles that child and her friends have and the TEASING that goes on at such a young age.

We're really struggling with this -- some days I think he's a sharp kid and he'll do fine. He'll adjust. And other days, not so sure. I keep comparing him to the kids at baseball, kids at preschool in terms of size, language... Just hard to tell.

 

[Ratatosk]

The director of DS's preschool is the one who brought it up to me last spring and when I mentioned it to my husband, he was also against holding him back, until HE visited with her. Prior to those discussions our view similar to transplantmommy's.

Our school district is very large, very advanced. D'Nealian handwriting style for Kindergarteners?! I've heard this from other parents -- children getting burnt out because they end up having to go to summer school to catch up. Yesterday at baseball, I overheard a couple parents who had similar concerns with their May/April kids. One also had a kid in 2nd Grade and talked about the struggles that child and her friends have and the TEASING that goes on at such a young age.

We're really struggling with this -- some days I think he's a sharp kid and he'll do fine. He'll adjust. And other days, not so sure. I keep comparing him to the kids at baseball, kids at preschool in terms of size, language... Just hard to tell.

 

[Ratatosk]

The director of DS's preschool is the one who brought it up to me last spring and when I mentioned it to my husband, he was also against holding him back, until HE visited with her. Prior to those discussions our view similar to transplantmommy's.

Our school district is very large, very advanced. D'Nealian handwriting style for Kindergarteners?! I've heard this from other parents -- children getting burnt out because they end up having to go to summer school to catch up. Yesterday at baseball, I overheard a couple parents who had similar concerns with their May/April kids. One also had a kid in 2nd Grade and talked about the struggles that child and her friends have and the TEASING that goes on at such a young age.

We're really struggling with this -- some days I think he's a sharp kid and he'll do fine. He'll adjust. And other days, not so sure. I keep comparing him to the kids at baseball, kids at preschool in terms of size, language... Just hard to tell.

 

[Ratatosk]

The director of DS's preschool is the one who brought it up to me last spring and when I mentioned it to my husband, he was also against holding him back, until HE visited with her. Prior to those discussions our view similar to transplantmommy's.

Our school district is very large, very advanced. D'Nealian handwriting style for Kindergarteners?! I've heard this from other parents -- children getting burnt out because they end up having to go to summer school to catch up. Yesterday at baseball, I overheard a couple parents who had similar concerns with their May/April kids. One also had a kid in 2nd Grade and talked about the struggles that child and her friends have and the TEASING that goes on at such a young age.

We're really struggling with this -- some days I think he's a sharp kid and he'll do fine. He'll adjust. And other days, not so sure. I keep comparing him to the kids at baseball, kids at preschool in terms of size, language... Just hard to tell.

 

[Ratatosk]

The director of DS's preschool is the one who brought it up to me last spring and when I mentioned it to my husband, he was also against holding him back, until HE visited with her. Prior to those discussions our view similar to transplantmommy's.
<br />
<br />Our school district is very large, very advanced. D'Nealian handwriting style for Kindergarteners?! I've heard this from other parents -- children getting burnt out because they end up having to go to summer school to catch up. Yesterday at baseball, I overheard a couple parents who had similar concerns with their May/April kids. One also had a kid in 2nd Grade and talked about the struggles that child and her friends have and the TEASING that goes on at such a young age.
<br />
<br />We're really struggling with this -- some days I think he's a sharp kid and he'll do fine. He'll adjust. And other days, not so sure. I keep comparing him to the kids at baseball, kids at preschool in terms of size, language... Just hard to tell.

 

[CFHockeyMom]

Like Patti said, you can always have him repeat kindergarten if you really feel he isn't where he needs to be next year. I say try it and see.

 

[CFHockeyMom]

Like Patti said, you can always have him repeat kindergarten if you really feel he isn't where he needs to be next year. I say try it and see.

 

[CFHockeyMom]

Like Patti said, you can always have him repeat kindergarten if you really feel he isn't where he needs to be next year. I say try it and see.

 

[CFHockeyMom]

Like Patti said, you can always have him repeat kindergarten if you really feel he isn't where he needs to be next year. I say try it and see.

 

[CFHockeyMom]

Like Patti said, you can always have him repeat kindergarten if you really feel he isn't where he needs to be next year. I say try it and see.
<br />

 

[grassisgreener]

It is hard to decide! My daughter has a June bday and will be starting all day (9-3:30) K on 8/14. She is totally ready, both her preschool teacher and her kindergarten screener said (laughingly) that she is ready for first grade. They are talking academically and socially. I on the other am concerned about how she will do engery-wise (and will she become run down and get sick often) and how she will do with eating. My plan for eating is to get her to eat ALOT in the morning and right after school to make up for what I know she won't eat at school. We are also cutting down on extracurricular activities until she used to the long days.

I was very concerned about putting her in preschool this past year and it went GREAT. So I figure we will give kindergarten a try and if for some reason it doesn't work then I will pull her and she can try it again next year. I figure it is definately worth a try, plus she would HATE me if I didn't send her with all of her friends, lol! We live in a small district (2 elem schools) so the friends thing is a big deal to my social butterfly.

Best of luck with your decision!

Oh ya, as a former elem teacher, I have to say that I think d'nealian is too hard for k! Even my second graders struggled with it!

 

[grassisgreener]

It is hard to decide! My daughter has a June bday and will be starting all day (9-3:30) K on 8/14. She is totally ready, both her preschool teacher and her kindergarten screener said (laughingly) that she is ready for first grade. They are talking academically and socially. I on the other am concerned about how she will do engery-wise (and will she become run down and get sick often) and how she will do with eating. My plan for eating is to get her to eat ALOT in the morning and right after school to make up for what I know she won't eat at school. We are also cutting down on extracurricular activities until she used to the long days.

I was very concerned about putting her in preschool this past year and it went GREAT. So I figure we will give kindergarten a try and if for some reason it doesn't work then I will pull her and she can try it again next year. I figure it is definately worth a try, plus she would HATE me if I didn't send her with all of her friends, lol! We live in a small district (2 elem schools) so the friends thing is a big deal to my social butterfly.

Best of luck with your decision!

Oh ya, as a former elem teacher, I have to say that I think d'nealian is too hard for k! Even my second graders struggled with it!

 

[grassisgreener]

It is hard to decide! My daughter has a June bday and will be starting all day (9-3:30) K on 8/14. She is totally ready, both her preschool teacher and her kindergarten screener said (laughingly) that she is ready for first grade. They are talking academically and socially. I on the other am concerned about how she will do engery-wise (and will she become run down and get sick often) and how she will do with eating. My plan for eating is to get her to eat ALOT in the morning and right after school to make up for what I know she won't eat at school. We are also cutting down on extracurricular activities until she used to the long days.

I was very concerned about putting her in preschool this past year and it went GREAT. So I figure we will give kindergarten a try and if for some reason it doesn't work then I will pull her and she can try it again next year. I figure it is definately worth a try, plus she would HATE me if I didn't send her with all of her friends, lol! We live in a small district (2 elem schools) so the friends thing is a big deal to my social butterfly.

Best of luck with your decision!

Oh ya, as a former elem teacher, I have to say that I think d'nealian is too hard for k! Even my second graders struggled with it!

 

[grassisgreener]

It is hard to decide! My daughter has a June bday and will be starting all day (9-3:30) K on 8/14. She is totally ready, both her preschool teacher and her kindergarten screener said (laughingly) that she is ready for first grade. They are talking academically and socially. I on the other am concerned about how she will do engery-wise (and will she become run down and get sick often) and how she will do with eating. My plan for eating is to get her to eat ALOT in the morning and right after school to make up for what I know she won't eat at school. We are also cutting down on extracurricular activities until she used to the long days.

I was very concerned about putting her in preschool this past year and it went GREAT. So I figure we will give kindergarten a try and if for some reason it doesn't work then I will pull her and she can try it again next year. I figure it is definately worth a try, plus she would HATE me if I didn't send her with all of her friends, lol! We live in a small district (2 elem schools) so the friends thing is a big deal to my social butterfly.

Best of luck with your decision!

Oh ya, as a former elem teacher, I have to say that I think d'nealian is too hard for k! Even my second graders struggled with it!

 

[grassisgreener]

It is hard to decide! My daughter has a June bday and will be starting all day (9-3:30) K on 8/14. She is totally ready, both her preschool teacher and her kindergarten screener said (laughingly) that she is ready for first grade. They are talking academically and socially. I on the other am concerned about how she will do engery-wise (and will she become run down and get sick often) and how she will do with eating. My plan for eating is to get her to eat ALOT in the morning and right after school to make up for what I know she won't eat at school. We are also cutting down on extracurricular activities until she used to the long days.
<br />
<br />I was very concerned about putting her in preschool this past year and it went GREAT. So I figure we will give kindergarten a try and if for some reason it doesn't work then I will pull her and she can try it again next year. I figure it is definately worth a try, plus she would HATE me if I didn't send her with all of her friends, lol! We live in a small district (2 elem schools) so the friends thing is a big deal to my social butterfly.
<br />
<br />Best of luck with your decision!
<br />
<br />Oh ya, as a former elem teacher, I have to say that I think d'nealian is too hard for k! Even my second graders struggled with it!