How to Get My Daughter Tested for Kindergarten

If you live in Nevada, and are in the Clark County school district, they will not even bother with testing her. They will tell you that if and when you call. There are no if ands or buts about it. I have a friend who has a very bright child as well, and she can't get into school either because she misses the cut off by two days!! I would try a charter school, that might work, good luck :)

K.- Don't worry, she is not going to fall behind- an extra year in preschool should be fine, especially if they have a pre-k type of program for the kids that are ready for it. The cut-off date for kindergarten is a lot firmer than it used to be.

She's ready. Dont trip on if if if!
If she's not, pull her out!
She's ready. Leave it to the teachers now. They are the professionals.

Wendy

Hi!
I have been a Kindergarten teacher for 37 years. With the new Standards Based Curriculum and Focus on Results Programs in Kdgn., I call it "the New First Grade." I believe in giving your child the "gift of time."
Due to the extensive academic curriculum, it is wise to have your child be 5 years of age by the first day of school, ie Sept. 1st. This way she/he will be a leader in the classroom and not be struggling in any area. I wanted to retain 4 children this year. There was nothing wrong with any of them, like hyperactive or A.D., etc. They were immature and unable to compete with the children that were 9 to 12 months older. Lets not use the word bored. Give your child the opportunity of dance, art, music, sports, the love of reading, experiences with nature, etc. Look at the big picture. Do you really want a 17 year old going off to Berkley. Do you want your child to be the youngest in the class and in middle school making life decisions about drugs and sex? By giving the gift of time, you probably will not have to spend money on tutors or psychiatrist either for your child. Your money can be spent on what other talents she/he wants to develop. I have never met a parent the regretted giving their child an extra year of preschool.
One family I taught all 3 children. The mother gave her 2 boys the "gift of time" and waited until they were 5 years old before starting Kdgn. However, with her daughter Katie she was already reading at 4 1/2 years and started her early. Katie was doing fine until 6th grade. Her friends were developing physically and were interested in boys. Katie still wanted to play with her dolls. Physically, socially and emotionally she was still a 5th grader. The mother came and told me she regretted not giving Katie that extra year. She was worried about sending her off to Middle School. You have to make the best decision you can for your child. I just wanted you to consider the pros and cons of rushing. At my K-Readiness presentations, I always ask the group of parents in attendance
this question. If I could give you an extra year of childhood,
would you take it? Usually, its an overwhelming yes!
Good luck.
C. Simmons

I'm a teacher, and you said all the right things to lead me to believe your daughter is ready for Kindergarten. I think you should definitely go for it as she is already ahead of a lot of kids who would be in her Kinder class.

Most districts do testing/enrollment at the district office. Go to your district's website and look for contact info. regarding new student enrollment. Contact the person in charge and make an appointment. Explain your situation because some give the walk-in option, but you'll want to get your daughter tested and will want to ensure you don't have to go back twice.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

Hi K.,
My son is advanced like your daughter. He is a late September baby so he was 4 years, 11 months starting Kindergarten. However, even though he knew a lot going into Pre-K and Kindergarten, he was never bored. He learned a lot of new things about artists and holidays and computers and dance and many other things. He liked the fact that he already knew his math and reading. It made him feel very confident in school because he did well in the academic subjects. He never felt bored at all. He enjoyed going over things to show us how much he knew. There is a girl in my son's kindergarten class who missed the cut off by about 2 days and they let her in so go ahead and check with the school just in case they'll let you in. But, I think your daughter will be fine with Pre-K. If you don't make a big deal out of her being bored, she probably won't be. Then just keep teaching her things on your own as you have been.

Good luck!

K., reading your post was like reading something I would have written a year ago this time. My daughter's birthday is December 11 so missed Kindergarten last year by 10 days. She is off the chart with regards to height. Despite being ready academically, I wasn't given the option to enroll her in Kindergarten last year. Many private schools wouldn't take her either because 5 by Sept 1 is the cutoff for many private schools. Her last year in pre-K was great. Her teacher commented she was ready for Kindergarten after the first week of preschool but she never commented on being bored and had many friends even though she stood about 10 inches taller than most of them. She is thrilled about finally entering Kindergarten this year and with the way elementary education has changed (kindergarten is definitely not what it used to be) I feel good about not trying to push her through any quicker than she is expected to. Besides, it has given me an extra year to save for her college education.

Hi K.,
I am sure that your daughter is advanced in several areas; however, I hope you will take to heart the advice of the vast majority of the posters here, which is to say that it is in your daughter's best interest to give her the 'gift of time'. Not just in the coming year, but 10-15 years ahead (when she begins puberty, plays compeditive sports, etc). I am a December baby and my parents (both teachers) waited with both myself and my older brother (born Nov 29th). When you get older, believe me, your daughter will NOT want to be the youngest in her class. (by the way, both my brother and I were gifted and my parents still opted to wait, and it was absolutely the best decision. Esp. when we went to college; it really gave us an advantage; we were more mature and responsible than some of our classmates, for one thing!)
I would suggest that you continue to talk to people (adults) who were on both sides of this issue (early starters versus late starters) as children. I think you'll find an overwhelming majority will advocate waiting.
The reasons for waiting are so beautifully stated by several posters here, but in my view, the most accurate and thorough post has been made by Chris Simmons, below.

Best of luck to you and your family. Your daughter is so lucky to have such an involved and caring mother such as yourself. In the end, THAT will be the primary reason for her success in school, whether or not she starts sooner or later ;-) -Suzanne

It depends on your school district but as a teacher it has been my experience that most districts are pretty firm on the cut off date no matter how advanced your child is. I would advise you to contact the principal of the school you are zoned for first and see what can be done. They may have some suggestions for an appropriate placement.

A.

Hi! My daughter, too, misses the cut-off by only 3 days!! I have been told by everyone, including teachers from my oldest daughters school, that waiting is the best thing. I see everyone else has said the same thing, and I believe it is true. Down the road in highschool, we don't want our children (especially girls!) getting influenced by 17 and 18 year olds when they are barely 14, right? It will only benefit her, and if she's the top in her class and REALLY ahead the teacher can always pass her up a year or put her in advanced classes (gate) to challenge her academically. Good luck!

K.,
I don't know where you live, but I had the same situation with my daughter, she was acctually ready for Kindergarten at the age of 4 but the public schools wouldn't even consider her, she had K3 schooling in a private Christian school and was well advanced. I would check into the private schools in your area they seem to want the advanced kids. I don't know how you household budget is but if you can afford it, it will pay off in the future. My Daughter just graduated from High School with a 4.25 GPA and will be attending the University of San Diego. If I would of held her back it could of been a total differenct outcome. I'm not say you have to keep her in private school because my daughter graduated from a Public school in HB, but I think the start I gave her set the tone for the rest of her education. Hope everything works out.

Hi there. I am a kindergarten teacher, and mom of an 8 month old, and just completed my masters with a thesis topic on kindergarten start date. It sounds like your daughter has a lot of academic skills...way to go! Did she attend preschool? The first person to ask about being ready for kindergarten would be the preschool teacher. If your daughter didn't attend preschool, I would seriously consider doing a year of academic preschool first. Knowing the ABCS and the sounds of the letters as well as having a good foundation for math skills are a good start for kindergarten but you must know that kindergarten isn't what it used to be. By January, my students are reading and writing phonetically spelled sentences. And the social interaction that a preschool offers is so vital!
Did you know that California has the second latest start date in the country? Most states have a cut off date in June, July or at the latest September. The age range in my class is often 18 months. Would you want your daughter on the very young age or among the older children, with more skills under her belt and a better chance to succeed?
There is a company based out of Huntington Beach called Chancey Bruce that sells a kindergarten readiness test. They will administer it or they have a home kit. Several of the parents in my class have used them in the past and it seems to be pretty right on.
No matter what you decide, I wish you and your daughter success and happiness on her start in school. Kindergarten is such an amazing year!

I am in the same situation. I was told that they HAVE to be 5 by the cut off that is a STATE LAW (California). We have a few friends that are also teachers and there is nothing we can do to have our child enroll.

When my daughter was in Kindergarten 4 yrs ago there was a girl in her class that was very bored after about a week the teacher also recommended her to be tested and was placed in 1st grade. So maybe your child stays home this year and next year you can sit down with your childs teacher and see if she can be tested. Good Luck... just wanted to let u know your not alone. :( Bummer for us!

I don't konw what school district you are in, but if you call the school that she will be attending they might have someone on site who can test her. If no one is on site during the summer months call the school district. They are usually open all year round. Hope this helps.

She is not old enough to go into public school kindergarten this year. My daughter's birthday is 12/5 and we had to wait unitl the next year to send her. She must be five by 12/1 or she will not be admitted. As for private schools, applications were due in the Spring. Unless you can find a private kindergarten that will take her, she will have to stay in preschool another year. As a teacher, I believe it is better to have a child begin kindergarten on the older side then younger. For my daughter she has always been the leader in her peer group and I believe that is because she is slightly older and more mature. She has also always performed above grade level. It has been an ideal situation for my child. There is no need to rush your four year into a school situation that is uncertain. Boredom isn't the worse thing for a young child. Stimulate her learning at home.

Hi, K.. You can request your daughter be tested through the school district or you can have her tested at private schools.
My middle son missed the cut-off also and tested capable of being in K early. The administrator recommended that we not push to have him admitted early (instead we did a pre-k program), to allow him to mature because of the huge gap between the maturity level of 4, 5 and 6 yr olds. He told us it would make the difference between him struggling to make C's or making A's, so we waited. My son is now going into 7th grade and still pulling A's. He is the child who does his homework on the school bus to effectively use his time. He is very secure in his abilities as well. Waiting the extra year was a great decision for him. Good luck.

School districts are hard to convince that a child is ready for school. You will need to contact the school that she will be going to and continue to call them until they make an appointment for your child to be tested. Make sure the testing is BEFORE school starts or she will not be able to start school.

I would suggest calling every day until you get a response you want. The school districts here are closed in July and re-open in August. This may be the same for you. It is necessary for all children going into Kindergarten here to be tested. They probabaly won't even look at her until all the other children are tested, which could be right up to the begining of school.

If you don't get anywhere, I would suggest that you contact the school district and find out when you can have her tested for early enrollment.

J.

I think kids do better if you wait to put them in kindergarten until they are at least five. Of you put her in now, she will be with kids who are a whole year older than her. In adolesence that starts to make a difference as the older kids develop physically and socially ahead of her and can affect self esteem. Also, she'll leave you for college a year earlier if you put her in now - when she is 17 1/2 she may not be ready to live on her own. Most of the kids in my daughter's preschool have the same skills as your daughter, but they are all staying in preschool.

The cutoff date is accutly september 30 not in december.

You want to ask for an educational psychologist. They can do a readiness for kindergarten test. Check your preschool first to see if they have an referral. Our preschool had a day where they brought someone in. According to them, my daughter was ready. But once school came around, she wasn't!

Some school districts are very helpful in pointing you in the right directions, others are not. I had difficulties with our school district, trying to get her placed, so I went independent and paid for the testing myself, which turned out to be much more thorough than the preschools' K-readiness test .

I used this place: Center for Children & Parents,17871 Santiago Boulevard Suite 224,Villa Park,CA,92861,###-###-####
Eventually, not holding her back just became a waste...I would have rather spent that year with her, learning hands on, than being stuck in school!
Good luck.

You should call the school. They will either have the answer or give you the number of the person to contact at the district. I don't think most public school test for kindergarten though. My daughter is entering this year and she just has a screening interview with her teacher to find out where she might need help. Good luck.

Hi K.,

It sounds like you have a smart girl. However, don't feel that you are "holding" her back because she misses the cutoff date. You cannot get around the cutoff date in the public school system. She will start school next year and it will give her a great head start.

If you know which is your home school, you might want to ask for a tour of their kindergarten once the school year starts. If you haven't been in a kindergarten class in a while, you will be amazed to see how academic it has become and what the expectations are. Kinders are doing much more than they used to.

To give you a little background info on me, I used to teach elem. school before I had kids and my oldest son is going to second grade this fall.

When he was in kindergarten I couldn't believe how different kindergarten was from the time I had stopped teaching. My son was reading by 4 and knew how to add and subtract too. His birthday is in October and we were on the fence about keeping him in preschool for another year. It was best thing that we ever did, because he was at the top of his class both years.

My advice to you is to think about your daughter being older all through her school years, not just in kindergarten. With all the peer pressure on kids today, your daughter will have more confidence and maturity to stay clear of things that a younger more inexperienced child might not have the confidence to say no to. She will be better off in the long run. Maybe she does know all that she needs to know for kindergarten but this is a life long decision. I am glad that my son will be an almost 19 year old going off to college rather than a 17 year old. Hopefully it will allow him to make smarter choices in his life.

I know that some people say that you can always have them repeat kindergarten again, but I say "why"? Why put your child through another year if you could avoid that to begin with? There is a reason for the cutoff date for kindergarten and actually they have been talking for years about moving it to Sept. 1 which many private schools already use. The trend has been for parents to keep their late summer/fall birthday kids back to give them the "gift of a year". Your daughter will only be little once, just allow her to enjoy another year of preschool and stop worrying about it.

Good luck!
M.

Hi,
My son's birthday is Dec. 15 and my husband and I had to make a similar decision. We were living in Maryland at the time and their law included all children born that year begin kindergarten so he did. Shortly after starting the school year we transfered back to So Cal where the school district said he missed the cutoff. Our son was very large for his age and bright- and already used to going to school (and being born back east, knew he would be in kindergarten). We felt it would be confusing to tell him that now he was not going to school. He had an older sister who was already in school also.
CA. did not consider that he had already started kindergarten and had only one way around their strict cutoff-- attend private kindergarten. Once a child has completed kindergarten the district will allow the child to attend first grade.

My son has done well in school and had several friends close to his own age through school. Know that there are wide range of ages in class and your daughter will not be the only one born after the cutoff. There are many Dec. kids enrolled past the cutoff (and are just fine). The are kids who enroll when they are 6 and are ready -every one is unique.

My son excelled in high school (still bored) so graduated early and started college right after his 17th birthday. He is now 19 and senior standing in college. He thanks us for not keeping him back as he was bored in school. His friends born in Dec. also did well through the years. He was always by far the tallest also (even though among the youngest), so it would also have been emotionally hard to have been held back. He's 6'5" today.

You know your child best. I agree with the other posters that in general giving a child time helps, but everyone is unique. Both my kids were young (my daughter skipped 1st grade, was an end of July baby & just graduated with a Master's degree in engineering at 21 and is confident, well adjusted and happy). My youngest son 12 years with a July birthday, is right in the middle of his peers and doing well.

Consider all that goes into being in school, including ability to do the work, social skills, physical and emotional maturity. There are lots of resources out there to help, and not just the school district. The main goal is making the best decisions to create a happy experience for your child!

Best of luck!

As a kindergarten teacher it irritates me when people think their kids will be "bored". Believe it or not teachers are very skilled at making sure all needs are being met. You may have to enrich at home as well, this can be a very rewarding and bonding experience for you both. We do go to school for a long time to do this. I believe the cut off date of Dec 2 is state mandaited and cannot be changed. It is in place for not only academic readiness but maturity as well. I can have the age range of 4-6 years in my class already and it is difficult for some 4 year olds sometimes. Why make the grow up so fast? Please do not teach your child that if she already knows something that she must be bored. Kindergarten, school, and life is full of repeats and we all can find something new each day!

Hi K.,
My parents had the same dilema with me. They decided to wait another year (I was 6 days from the cutoff). It was the best thing they could have done for me. I was one of the first in my class to do everything especially as I got older. I too was very mature both academically and socially before I started school but I think it only helped me to wait that extra year. I know this is not the quest you asked but I thought I would share my experience with you as you make your decision.

As a former principal, the best advice I can give you is to put your child in a private school. There is not any testing that many districts do for K. They may administer a Kinder readiness test, but they will not let your child go to school because of the cut off date. You have a right to be concerned about boredom. If you want to know what I did to assess my pre-k students let me know.

I know you want advice on how to get her tested so you know what to do, but I agree with the response that maybe you should let her wait until next year - even if testing says she is technically ready.

I grew up in Ohio where the cutoff was September 30th. Most states have cutoffs earlier than CA.

http://www.ppic.org/content/other/508JCOP_technical_appen...

CA is thinking about making the cutoff date earlier, as well. Current thought is that being a little older helps.

My sister, who is a brilliant engineer now and was a brilliant 4 year old then, tested into kindergarten and was similar to your daughter in her skills. Her birthday is in early October. My Mom said repeatedly that she wishes she would have kept her home one more year because it would have been easier on my sister.

You have the chance by waiting a year to make your daughter the leader of her kindergarten class, running circles around the others, giving her incredible self-confidence. Starting early means she may have to work a little harder to keep up - if not now, maybe when she is the youngest freshman in her college class. Why not give her the edge?

Regarding getting bored: I was always testing YEARS ahead of my classmates. My Mom kept me from getting bored by getting me books that were ahead. Also, by helping me develop other interests in arts and crafts - stuff I still like doing now. There is no rush for her to start - she will be in school long enough :)

I don't believe it has ever hurt a child starting them a little older. In fact being one of the older kids is a plus - being a leader rather than a follower, being stronger academically, etc. I have two boys in school and with some of the social issues they have been faced with I'm all for waiting. You can keep her at home to love and care for another year, which she'll benefit from greatly! My daughter will be 5 in October and we are waiting another year. She is reading and doing simple math as well. Both of my boys were reading two years before starting kindergarten and neither of them are bored in school. They are both advanced in school, one in the GATE program, but socially they are where they should be.

Don't be in a rush to send her off! Enjoy another year with her at home with you!

As far as having her tested, you can call your school district office & they'll help you out.

P.S. You might want to consider the fact that the trend now is for starting kids older, so your daughter will be very young & with kids a year+ older than she is.

Hello K.,

In the state of California, the date is actually the law. They will not put her in kindergarten early unless things have changed in the last few years. What I did with my daughter is I put her in a private school for the kindergarten and then had her tested in to the first grade. She is still advanced academically, however, she is now about to go into junior high and part of me wishes I would have just let her be a little bored.

I am a former public school kindergarten teacher. I know that public schools will not take your daughter if she doesn't meet the age requirement even if she is "ready." Schools usually only test incoming students, therefore they wouldn't test your daughter until she meets the age requirement. The only way you'll be able to get her in kindergarten at this point is probably if you take her to private school.

The school should have that answer for you as well as the district.

If she misses the cutoff, then the school district will not test her for Kindergarten. They are not legally allowed to enroll your daughter if she is not 5 by the cutoff date.
If you think that she might get bored at the preschool she is currently at, you could look into switching to a preschool that offers more academics or has more structure. This is your best option.

From how you describe your daughter she should be in first grade. lol.

I'm so glad you posted this message as I've learned so much from the replies. My son will turn 3 on 9/21 and I've already been wondering whether or not I'll start him at 5 or wait the additional year. My son knew the alphabet as well as the sounds letters make at 18 months. He reads 3 letter words both by sight and phonetically. He can also do basic addition. With 2 more years to go until he's 5 I too thought he might be bored by having him wait an additional year. It was so helpful for me to read all the replies from teachers. I think the point about thinking toward future years is such a good one. I do imagine that there will be a great advantage to being an older kid in the class then one of the youngest. I also worry that my son won't have the emotional maturity at that level - especially if some of the kids are nearly 6 and he's only just 5.

We're investigating preschools now and I'm actually more interested in the schools that are focused on play and social skills development than I am on academic development at this stage. He's got the academics down pat and I'd rather see him play and be a kid for a bit longer. We'll do that for a year and then maybe (just maybe) I'll enroll him in a preschool program that is more kindergarten readiness. I don't know. The decisions are so tough, aren't they? On one hand I can't imagine him being in a preschool setting for 3 years, yet I also don't want to start him in kindergarten earlier than necessary.

I wish you luck on your decision.

My twins missed the cut off by one day. They had 3 years of preschool and could also write all letters (capitals) and were pretty sharp with numbers. My son was playing chess at age 5. I could have sent them private (most districts are pretty firm with the birthdate cutoff) but decided not to. Here's why: even if they are great now and super ready for kindergarden, imagine when your daughter is 11 or 12 and is the youngest one in middle school. What if she starts puberty late? It is not easy being the youngest, and if she is a December birthday and you push her forward she will FOR SURE always be the youngest. Last one to get her drier's license, etc. She may be tall now but that is just for now.

And this business about being bored. . .Forget it. My kids went to a social/developmental preschool where they played. No one was bored. My son was way out in front of his kindergarden class--they all called him smarty pants. But he never once said he was bored. He would help other kids with their work, or, the teacher might give him some extra work that was more to his ability. If you teach your daughter well, work on her imagination etc. I don't think you will hear about her being bored. In our house it is a dirty word--I ask my kids to use different words to describe how they feel and try to figure a way out of it. I am sure your daughter would be fine now in kindergarden. But she will be equally fine if you wait another year and at some point you might really appreciate that decision. It was a long year to wait for me with twins (paying double preschool) but I certainly have no regrets.

not sure where you are, but Escondido Christian Preschool (in Escondido) has a junior kindergarten program. It's in between pre-k and kindergarten. I believe it's five days a week, longer hours than pre-k and more seat work. I've heard wonderful things about it. My son's birthday is at an awkward date too, so we are planning on doing junior k next year. He'll be preschool this year.

K.,

I have to agree with Cindy and a lot of the other posters here. As a former Kindergarten teacher, you must wait and observe the district's cut off.

She won't get bored.

sb :)

I feel your concern, my daughter could read and write before the time in Kinder when she would have started, but her birthday is Dec 9th, so she had to wait a year. We have a Spanish Immersion program at our school, so after a year of pre-K she started there... and her teachers still say she is one they have to make sure she is not bored... So she is a helper in her class in first gradfe, adn is just starting second grade. She has cofidence at being one of the smartest kids in class (this is what the other kids in her class tell me!) Anyway. I hope you get a chance to have her tested, but since it is not mandatory for her to start kinder at all (believe it or not schools don't even have to offer Kinder) then you can seee why they don't want to add kids. If your schol is not impacted, and they won't let you test for Kinder, you can enroll her in a private Kinder now and then start her in school in First grade, that way you already have her in the age group you want. Either way, trust that your kid is great and will excell whether she starts now and is the youngest kid in class, or next year and is one of the oldest. Good Luck!

E.

I wouldn't push it, her age will matter more when she's in Junior High & High School. BUT if you want to get her tested, go talk with the principal.

Remember that there are only 3 states in the union who take kids so late for Kindergarten. Most states have mid September as a cutoff date. The cutoff in CA is way too late. My niece is a November b-day so my sister was asking around about Kinder and she didn't talk to one single person (parent or child) who was happy they put their kid in Kinder early (meaning their b-day was in October/November).
Check out some private schools, they usually have a K-4 class- it is designed for kids who turn 5 in Sept/Oct/Nov & Dec- too young for Kinder but ready for more than preschool. There are a lot of activities academic and social you can put your daughter in to keep her interested in learning- sports, music & art. Keep reading to her and making trips to the library.

Upon written request your school district is oblligated to test. You missed the boat for next year because they have 90 days to get it done, so even if you ask today, they have until Oct. Having said that, educational testing done on kids under 8 is not realible, nor is it fixed. Irespective of the testing results, it's highly unlikely that a public school will take your child earlier than the cut off - to my knowledge this is not flexible.

Having said that, please stop accelerating your child. This is the only time she has to be a kid. While she may be ready now, at some poing the other kids are going to have the developemental benefit of age and your child will fall behind. Leader or trailer, it's up to you.

If you feel she needs more challenge provide it at home. Take her to the museums, arboreteums etc in your area and provide hands on experiences. you can also consider a transitional kindergarten program through another pre schoool, or a tutoring program. Good luck.

Usually the schools are open for you to go in any time to inquire about these tests. Go right away as they start the testing as soon as school starts. If she does well she'll be set. In Hawaii they are very strict about the age children come into Kinder so you need to go straight to the principal and notify him of your concerns. he might give you the too young spill so maybe you can call the school first to find out how they handle you situation. I know that some schools will offer the testing and then decide. Others will say-No too young.

Has you daughter ever mentioned being bored at school before? The biggest thing about pre-school is socialization. Kids go there to play, work with others cooperatively, and learn some basics. The great thing is that since your daughter is so advanced academically she can focus more on her relationships and how she works with others a group. Once your daughter starts school it is almost as if there isn't time for that anymore (I know that is terrible... it is just the terrible truth these days because of the pressure to perform well on standardized tests). You really need to decide if your daughter is ready socially. I am a teacher and I have seen both scenarios. When a parent insists that her child was ready and when a parent is reluctant to start because they don't feel that they are ready. Just recently I knew of a person that pushed to have their child accelerated. What ended up happening is that she was able to "keep up" but developmentally she was not ready for a lot of the skills that were being taught. Also, she became the "baby" in the class... the other girls doted over her and didn't really treat her as a peer, but as a little sister. I guess my suggestion to you is to look at your daughter as a whole child, just not what she can do academically. I also suggest that you think about what kind of future you want for her... one where she just keeps up, is in the average... or one where she is the top of the class and looked up to. You have this opportunity to think about this since she is so close to the cut off. It is were me... I would wait for next year entering kindergarten. You can supplement all the academics at home and I assure you... I have NEVER seen a BORED kid at school! Kids naturally love school and all that comes with it! Best of luck on your decision!

I don't think they will test her or put her in kindergarten early. If she is so smart they will later move her up a grade or put her in gate. In my opinion, you have to think about later on too. Emotionally how will she handle middle and high school. She will be younger than everyone else. Try to look at the big picture. Find a preschool that has a 5 day a week pre K program. Once they start school there is no going back. Take this last year and enjoy her!

Hi K., kids must reach the age of 5 by a certain dater to be elgible for kindergarden, it is not bassed on how smart they are, what I would do is go talk to the principle at the elementy school closest to you, thy one she would be attending, had she not missed the cut off date, and see if they can make an allowence for your daughter to her accademci abilities, she can advice you what to do next. I know my son started kindergarden at age 4, school started in September, and he turned 5 October 23rd. You daughter is way to advanced for pre school, she may be to advanced for kindergaten, but try, that, my personal poinion I think they should let her in. J.

I had the same problem with my daughter and the school district wouldn't bend at all to let her in. So, what I did was enroll her in a private kindergarten for the year. She went on to public kindergarten the next year and had lots of self confidence and breezed through. They gave her schoolwork that was consistent with her ability. She just graduated from high school last week and did fantastic.
S.

K.,
I work for the school district and your daughter does need to meet the requirements for being five before a school will enroll her. I have never heard of a principal being able to make an exemption. One suggestion is to look into private schools in the area where they may overlook her age. At the same time although you may feel she will be bored I had my boys go to preschool for 1.5 years and it really has prepared them for the coming school year. You may be surprised with how well she does when she is able to really grasp the material in preschool and "help" out with the other kids.
Good luck with whatever you decide!

I do not know about your district but in our district there is no testing to get your daughter into kindergarten. One opinion is to have your preschool teacher have the principal send a kindergarten teacher to evaluate her and possible pass her on to kindergarten. I did this for a five year old and she was pass on to 1st grade because she was to advanced for kindergarten maybe it will work for your daughter. Worth a try good luck!

I used to teach Kindergarten, and the district won't let your child go if her birthday is beyond the cutoff date. Your only option at this point is to pay for private school as some will make the exception.

First off may I say she has an awesome birthday date I share the same with her's mine is also Dec 12, if she is a Sag she will catch up, give it a try if all else fails then she can repeat kindergarden. Mom trust what your intuition says, a lot of kids catch up when other kids are around. Sounds like she is a smart children, allow her wings to soar.

Blessings to the Dec 12 date all us Sag girls are Smart !!!!

My sister has a nov. 28 birthday and was held back by my mom in 1st grade against the wishes of the principal and teachers (she was doing just fine academically). My mom swears it was the best decision she ever made. Not only was my sister older than most other students, but she had advantages when it came to sports and physical maturity. Had she been a year younger than most of the other students in her class, she never would have made the Soccer/Volleyball teams as a freshman in high school.

-M.

Hi K.,

I see you have a lot of responses to your question. I wanted to add my two cents to your list of ideas. I am a mother of four children...two grown children and two still at home. My third child will turn 12 on August 1st. Also, you need to know that I am a school teacher. I too had the same dilemma when it was time to start my son. He did make the cut off date, but I was still concerned about how he would adjust. Yes, my son had the academics down, but I had other concerns. My husband was of the opinion that if he made the cutoff date that he should attend school. Well, my son would not have needed to repeat kindergarten, but I feel strongly that he would have been more of a follower, rather than the real strong leadet that he is today.

When we were making the decision if he should start school or not, my second child (also a boy) was in Jr. High. I realized it was not kinder or 1st or 2nd grade we should be worried about. I was worried more about Jr. High and the peer pressure that is placed on the children of today. I thought, I would rather him be the older one in classes during high school rather than the youngest....I would rather him drive first than other students in his class. My son is very cautious and reserve, so I really wont worry much about his driving. Where if he was the youngest in the class and was always needing rides home, he might be inclined to get in a car with a more reckless driver. To me, it was not about the first few years of school. I know he would have been successful in his academics, it is later in his life.

I believe if parents run around sharing concerns (with their children present) that their child might get bored, then they are giving them permission to be bored. My son was 6 years old when he started school...yes the academics were easy for him, but he then was able to focus on other important skills to learn...getting along well with others. Or even learning how to be patient with others. I am glad that my son is one of the oldest children in his class and I have not regrets about waiting to start him in school. I am glad that I have him at home one year longer than I would have if I had started him in school when he had just turned 5. I also like the idea that he gets to be at home with me for one more year, before he races off to college. The time flies so quickly and you will miss your little one more than you know, once they leave home. But, the most important thing about keeping him at home one more year is that he will have more emotional strength to with stand the peer pressure at school. Just remember that every one can learn something new every day, no matter how smart or advanced they are. At this point, I have never regretted the decision that was made for our son. Oh one other point is that your child will be more physically mature if you waited. This can be an advantage if they are going to participate in sports. They make the cut off dates for a reason.

Best of luck in your decision.
T.
Best of luck in you decision.