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Who is starting Kindergarten this August?
I know we have a group that will turn 5 this spring and summer so are you taking the plunge and starting full day (or half day, too) Kindergarten or waiting to start them as a 6yo next August? When will your DC turn 5?
I am soooo torn on this. DS will be 5 mid July and DH is set on him waiting a year. DH was the older one in his class so to him it feels normal. DS's preschool teachers all feel he is ready for Kindergarten and I would assume they would know better than I would how ready he really is for a classroom setting. He is a little guy so I sort of agree with DH that an extra year to grow and mature would be beneficial.
Uggh!
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Re: Who is starting Kindergarten this August?
With the school program he's been in the past couple years (he's been in a Pre-K program in the WSFCS system. we still had to pay for his Pre-K, but less than private since it's part of the public school system and subsidized by RJR) he is automatically fed into K next year. I would have to pull him and change schools in order to hold him back. He will be half the the same classmates he's had for 2 years already, so that will maintain continuity. The teachers already know the kids, etc. I have no hesitation in him going to K.
Caroline will also start at his school in the PK3 program. I'm so excited to finally have them at the same school.
***Baby #3: BFP Mother
Also meant to say that by him going into K now, he and C will be 2 years apart in school instead of 1. And I prefer the 2 years apart.
***Baby #3: BFP Mother
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We are waiting a year, or helping her get ahead as one of my friends put it ;-) She is a July birthday too and while she is right on track academically, she is a little socially immature. She is in a very fast paced, structured 4 year old preschool class (her teacher has taught kindergarten in the past and really runs the class like a Pre-K or kindergarten class) and Ashely is having some trouble following directions and paying attention. I think the extra year will do her a world of good. There are actually 4 of them repeating the 4s class next year, two June birthdays another July birthday and then Ashley. My sister and I were always the oldest and it was great. Another thing to think about is high school, so while being younger now may not affect them as much, high school may be a challenge. And for boys, being one of the smallest may be hard, my friend is keeping her DS back a year (he turns 5 in August) because he is small (well, that is just one of the reasons).
Good luck! It is so hard to make decisions for your children knowing how much it is going to affect their futures.
I was thinking the same thing! Then realized I will be there in 2 short years! HELP!
My son turned 5 this past October, and missed the K cutoff date by a month, I think, so the decision was really made for us. BUT - that said - even if he'd made the cutoff, I'm thinking we would have held him back.
Our preschool offers a program for this situation, and for those that decide they want to hold their child back for an extra year. This Transition class is fantastic - it's a 1/2 day, for 5 days a week, and is very similar to Kindergarten in the way they structure their day, etc.
Good luck with your decision!
Mama to William Nathaniel - October 7, 2006
And Natalie Frances - June 24, 2010
We're of course not there yet but I thought I'd add my prespective also having been born in mid August. I was always the youngest and although more immature than the rest in my year at times, still excelled academically. It was great at 17 finishing high school and in my 20s when I was finishing college and grad school younger than others.
My brother also was born mid-August (same day as me but two years later) and my sister was beginning of August. My mom held them both back a year. My brother was not ready academically, very high strung and had a hard time concentrating (he still does though). My sister is 11 years younger than me and my mom held her back also for academic reasons. It worked out for both but they struggled with always being so much older than most of their friends, having to wait for their friends to be old enough, etc. I think I would have been bored academically waiting a year.
Go with your gut but there are always positive and negatives to being the oldest or youngest in a class. And there will always be someone that's the oldest and someone that's the youngest whether the cut off is September or December.
I'll go back and add that I was one of the youngest in my class growing up. I graduated at 17 from HS. I didn't really mind being younger. I still was in AG (academically gifted) classes, did great with sports, etc.
Thus I have no worries with Brooks starting K this year.
***Baby #3: BFP Mother