"Redshirting"/Holding Back before Kindergarten Not IF Related

BDevereaux · February 2015

Morning, ladies!

I was wondering if any of you have older kids you've held back an extra year before starting kindergarten?

At conferences last week, we were told DD (who is currently in a 3-day pre-school program) will be ready to start full-day kindergarten next fall. However, we're sort of second guessing that for a few reasons: 1.) DD is one of the youngest in the class (summer birthday) and 2.) we're not sure if she is ready for an all-day, every day program.

The other option is to enroll her in the young fives/developmental kindergarten program, which is a HALF day every day.

It sounds like a few of DD's friends are in the same limbo: the teacher says they are ready, but can they handle an all-day program? We don't need to make a decision right away, but we've been thinking about it quite a bit since last week. Ultimately, we'll see how the rest of the school year goes, and move on from there.

Any experiences? Opinions? FWIW, while DD is on the younger side, she's always been labeled as "mature" by her teachers (she also did 2-day pre-K last year). Acidemically and socially, she is doing great. I guess I'm just worried that she won't be able to keep up once she starts the rigors of kindergarten, which I've heard is "the new first grade".

Frenchteachermama · February 2015

My DD1 is a July birthday and had absolutely no issues what so ever starting K. BUT I was teaching full time when she was little so she had been in full day day care since she was 9 months old. Many of her female friends have October birthdays! I don't have experience teaching small children but if her teachers say she is ready, you feel academically she is ready, then I think you should have her start K. Maybe the 1/2 day program if you are worried about the whole day?

NB817 · February 2015

Hi! While I don't have older children I did teach elementary school for 10 years prior to having DD and my last 4 years of teaching was 1st grade. I'm happy to hear when parents stop and think about whether or not their kids are ready for Kinder. So first kudos to you because where we live in CT as long as a child is 5 by December 31st then can start K and most parents will start their 4 year olds who aren't ready and ultimately fall behind in the years to follow.

Now without knowing your DD I can't really say which way you should go. BUT you know her best and if you truly feel like she's not ready for a full day program and the rigor of K (because yes, it's big time nowadays) then the 1/2 day 5's program sounds wonderful! To me it also depends in the state you live in because the rigor definitely varies based on that as well! HTH!!

Jen071407 · February 2015

My DD2 is in the same boat- turns 5 Aug. 7th, and the cut off for kindergarten here is 5 by Sept. 1st. We are planning on sending her with her class. She does preschool 3 mornings/week, with one day being a full 9am-3pm day with the purpose of making sure she will be ok with all day/every day kindergarten next year. Her teacher also says she is ready academically and socially. Fwiw my DD1 is currently in kindergarten, but is an October birthday so turned 6 shortly after starting. Based on what I know of the kindergarten curriculum from her I'm very confident DD2 will be just fine. Here (I'm in MN) it is pretty reading-intense, but DD2 is interested in learning to read so I think that will help a ton.

annibes · February 2015

We did this with DS. He is 5 and in his 3rd year of preschool. He can handle an all-day program and I'm actually salty that his district doesn't offer a full day preschool for kids with special needs. He has autism and the research indicates a certain amount of instruction is needed. He is not getting that amount through his preK program and I have to supplement. But that's a special ed discussion I don't have the energy for right now!

Long story short, he was not ready for K this year. Academically, absolutely. But emotionally and socially, no way. He doesn't have a choice next year- off to Kindergarten he'll go.

xraymommy2007 · February 2015

Our dd is one of the youngest in her class she's a June birthday and our county's cut off is 5 by July 31st. We sent her with her class but she was very ready. The year before we sent her twice a week half days to preschool just to sorta help get her used to sitting and listening to a teacher. Had she not been ready I would have had no problem holding her back. Every child is different.

Flamingemu · February 2015

L will be one of the youngest in her class so I have to figure this out as well. I understand that the emotional part will be the hardest part for most kids. If you don't think she is ready for it, go with the half day option.

spfclr · February 2015

I am an August baby and was on the younger end (9/1 cut off in MA) and never had any issues socially or academically so I'm confident that my end of July girl will do fine with K in the fall. She's in preschool just 2.5 hours a day now, but I'm sure the transition will end up smooth even if there is a rough start.

My thought process is that unless there are significant concerns about social or academic progression that I'll just go with the date that is set by the state/school system - someone always has to be the youngest and oldest.

You should also check with your school system. Although I'm sure it's not common, 60 Minutes had a report on Redshirting and there are cities that if you don't show up on time for K they'll just put you in 1st grade when your child enters the school system. The rationale was that when people don't send their kids on time it can affect the school system planning how many kids will be in each school and each grade, and the majority of red shirting kids were getting sufficient academics their redshirted year to be ready to go into 1st grade.

jen4ny · February 2015

DS is a late Sept baby. He makes the cutoff for Kindergarten (Dec. 1) but at the preschool we are sending him to they want the kids to be 3 by Sept 1 to start. So he will be the older one in the class as we are going to follow the Sept 1 cutoff the preschool requests. So he will start pre-K 3 this Sept when he turns 4 at the end of the month. My mom is a teacher and she always tells me she thinks the cutoff should be Sept 1 everywhere. She thinks that boys especially do better being the older one in the class.

Kelley421 · February 2015

I too was the youngest in my grade, with a birthday just two days before cut-off. I did not have any problems and did not do preschool, I had a SAHM. My DD is late June girl (cutoff sept 1) and no issues. Even though she did PreK 3 & 4 both full days, by the time she left K she was hardly able to read. In 1st grade she bounced from barely reading to 2 grade levels ahead. How they fare is probably not easily predicted, and it could start badly and then suddenly she just gets it and makes amazing progress! Could you start the full day and if it doesn't work well transfer to half-day?

CeCe8579 · February 2015

My daughter went start from home to all day kindergarten with no issues at all.

BDevereaux · February 2015

Thanks for the all feedback, you guys! I really appreciate it.

Right now, we are sort of leaning towards full-day kindergarten. Of course the new schedule will be an adjustment, but I think it will definitely be manageable. I have two nephews who both started kindergarten this past fall, one had JUST turned 5 and the other didn't turn 5 until after school started. Both sets of parents were hesitant to start kindergarten (these boys are... rambunctious to say the least), but the boys adjusted and are doing great.

Again, we will wait to see how the rest of the year goes and we still plan on talking with the kindergarten teachers to maybe get a feel for what they will expect. I do trust my daughter's teacher, but just want to make sure we make the right decision.

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