Age to Start pre-K and K

That's normally what happens here. Most kids do pre-k 4 when they are 4 and start K when they are 5.

yes 4 yr old is pre k and 5 is k , unless you have a kid that has a bday after sept 1 then then they will be older than the other kids. Both of mine have bdays after the cut off.

It depends on your child's maturity level and if he's ready to start school. My nephew's birthday is in August and my brother "held" him back a year so he started pre-K when he was 5. My son has an October birthday so he turned 5 shortly after starting pre-K. Now that my son is in 6th grade, I'm glad he had a "late" birthday. I probably would not have "held" him back then, but now I'm glad he's older. Remember, most boys mature more slowly than girls. And with the "cut off" being August 31st or September 1st, trust me, my son has more kids his age in his grade, so that is something else to think about.

I think the individual matters more than an arbitrary age. My dd was 4 on Sept 19th, so with Public school rules would not start kindergarten this fall but fall 2011. However, she is a social, outgoing child, can already read very well (doing 1st grade reading this current school year), and is doing K math this year. I can't fathom waiting a year and a half to start K with her. thankfully, we homeschool so I am not forced to stick her in that box! :)But, my point is that each child is different and you need to look at your guy and assess what he is ready for.

my daughter will be 5 on aug 25th, so she can start kindergartern & she is ready academically but socially she's not were i think she should be....she is in preschool but i will have her go again & start kindergarten on her 6th bday......i feel this is best so she doesnt struggle in the higher grades & she wont always be the youngest one in her class

I have taught pre-k for nine years and can tell you that about 90% of the time children with late birthdays struggle. It is so much easier to hold them back now rather than later. They cannot repeat pre-k (GA lottery funded pre-k) so if you put him in only to discover he is not ready you will either have to send him on to k anyways or pay for private pre-k. Occasionally a child with a late birthday does fine so you will have to carefully and honestly evaluate your child to see if he is ready. The most important things are maturity, independence, and ability to follow directions. I would recommend talking to your child's current teacher and the pre-k teachers. Ask them to honestly tell you if they think he is ready, and be prepared to accept the truth. They can tell you best how your child preforms in a school setting and if they feel he is ready for the challenge of pre-k. If there is any doubt, though, please hold him back. I have talked to many parents on the subject. Many regret sending their children on when they were not ready, but not a single one regrets holding them back. Children are expected to do so much in K these days. If your child struggles at the beginning of school he will probably fall further behind and end up frustrated. It is so much better to wait and give your child a better chance of success.

Speaking from experience, if they offer K-4, let your son try it. If they are offering K-5, WAIT until he's 5. Here's why:
1) Boys MATURE differently than girls. 2) If he's a smart little guy, he'll be very successful in K-5, but if you try to enter him the following year in public school (or in some private schools) the schools will expect him to be in K-5 because of his age. Our son refused to go back to K5. 3) If he mastered all the challenges of K-5 at the age of 4, he'll be ready academically for first grade. However, at 5 going into first grade, you will see his behavior as a 5 year old in the ocean of 6 year old children. 4) As the years progress, his behavior will usually seem more age appropriate rather than appropriate for the grade he's in...refer back to #1.
5) In his teen years, the other students seem to be aware that he's "not their age." It's a small inference, and has a subtle changes, but THEY notice...refer back to #1.
6) Getting his driver's license a year after THEY get theirs is a big issue. 7) 10th grade seems to be more noticeable because he's still acting like a freshman, but he's a sophomore. 8) The Prom is another awkward event in that his maturity hasn't developed, and he can't drive yet, so a parent has to be the chauffeur. 9) MY MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL - He'll be graduated from high school at 17 and head off to college at 17. Oh, that's the worst ever. For us, even though he was graduated #11 in his class of 553, it didn't matter. I wanted him home another year! We changed private schools and then to public school, so he was adaptable and excelled in music and academics. Need more explanation, please ask me. Good luck.

my son was born on aug. 22, 2005. he is enjoying pre-k right now. i visited several pre-k before enrolling him though. i don't think it's too early but mom knows the best! good luck!

It all depends on your child. My mother in law is a retired kindergarten teacher and she has always said that when it comes to boys she sees a HUGE difference between the age of 5 and 5.5 in the classroom. For example, a child entering kindergarten at age 5.5 (maybe a March birthday) is much more mature and ready for school than the child who just turned 5 in August. I believe you have a choice when it comes to August children...talk with your school about it. They can evaluate him when you go to register him when he's 4. Maybe he can do pre-k two years in a row? I send my 3 year old to preschool for the social aspect of it...she's learning teacher-student relationship and expectations such as sitting patiently, listening to directions, sharing, being independent from me. Don't stress...he will change a lot between now and his 5th birthday so give pre-k a try and see what happens!

Hi, M. my son just turned 4 sep 11th he started pre-k in aug its not to early for him to start he will learn new things writing his name, sounding out letters, colors, shapes, etc also interact with other kids his age. At first you feel your moving your child to fast when you see the progress and how much he enjoys going to school you will feel alot better. My son looks forward to going to school everyday. And everyday he has a story to tell how his day was. My son goes to a private school since his birthday is late so he can start first grade on time!!

In Georgia children start Pre-K at the age of 4. When they become 5, they will go to Kindergarten. In Pre-K they will learn to write their names and count 1 to 20.
P. S