Redshirting an August Boy for Kindergarten in Shreveport

Can only tell you my experience. My son's birthday is September first. He was very big, so I sent him so he wouldn't end up being twice the size the next year. He will never forgive me for this. Ok, I guess he did but blames all of life's problems on his early entrance to kindergarten LOL

Send him. He's ready. He's the correct age according to the district you're entering. Why would you choose to hold him BACK, which is what you would actually be doing? If you don't send him, he'll be 1 yr older than his classmates for his entire school life. My son just finished kindergarten, by the way. SEND him!

Both my summer boys went "late" - one to grow physically (a medical issue) and socially, one due to adoption-related anxiety attacks.

With the second son, if he had not had abandonment fear-fueled anxiety attacks, we probably would have sent him at 5. With the older one? No way. He needed some time - he's bright but with his particular set of medical/behavioral challenges, elementary school has been a tough place for him. I can't imagine how much harder it would have been if he'd started at BARELY 5.

Some people think "redshirting" is done to give kids a "leg up" later. But everyone I know who gave their kids an extra year did it because they and/or their preschool teacher felt it was the RIGHT thing to do for that specific kid. All of the data I've seen says waiting is good for kids, but you know, that does not mean that it's right for everyone.

It's an individual choice. If you and the teacher think he's ready, he probably is.

Good luck!
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If you're not sure, that says "hold him" to me. Kindergarten is NOT about academics! It's about maturity and socialization. You say he is "past his lass" (or may be) in maturity, yet you say he's just started being able to leave mommy without crying. I say, that's a red flag particularly because you will be in a new home, new neighborhood, new environment, and new social structure. His public school class will be far more than 8-per-class as what he has had in preschool. The school itself will be much larger with many more kids than what he was experienced in a small private school. So, with it all being so new, he could likely be overwhelmed by a class size of 20 or 25.

My son's birthday is late June, and I didn't send him to kindergarten at age 5. Never regretted it for a second.

I think you can't go wrong with a 3-day preschool program, and you can use the other days and some afternoons to explore what the new city has to offer - parks, library, museums, enrichment, gym-type programs (maybe kiddie tae kwon do or one of those types of programs, whatever. Get to know more kids in a small setting, set up some play dates, learn your way around, etc.

There's no premium in rushing kids into a full day program and things like skipping over the number 15 or maybe not knowing every single color every time are just not indicators of success later on. I'd stop "working" on academics and work more on exposing him to new situations, friends and activities. Let him get used to Mom leaving him in different settings - library story hour or his new friend Jimmy's house for a play date, etc. Let him make some friends before going into school, and then he'll be more likely to have at least one familiar face in his kindergarten class next year. It's more important that he get off on the right foot than that he master academic skills.

I'd keep him in preschool another year.
Where we live you have to be 5 on or before Sept 30 to start kindergarten.
Our son's birthday is end of Oct.
He turned six 2 months into kindergarten and he's always the oldest (and tallest) in his class unless there are any earlier Oct birthdays.
It's turned out very well for him!
He's popular, has no maturity issues, his teachers always love him, he is tolerant of some of his classmates lack of maturity and he's doing very well in school (high school now) (gifted and in STEM for engineering).

I have an Oct. baby who is now 11. Never, for a minute, did I regret that he is one of the MANY older children in his class. Please think ahead to middle school, high school and college. He may be dating older girls, the last to get his driver's license, heading off to college at 17, playing sports with boys much older, etc. A little extra growth and maturity never hurt any kid. My son is the tallest in his class, but age has nothing to do with it. The oldest boy is a little peanut.

After reading your SWH I really feel you should give him an extra year in his new preschool to just be little and adjust to the move.
Maybe you can talk to the preschool teacher and find out some of the ages of those kids that could be in his class. If he does have boredom issues I bet you could move him up later this year.

I think you know your son best, and I am confident you will make the very best decision for him!

That being said, I have two sons with November birthdays so I didn't have to make that decision, and they both did well. I also have two step-sons only a few months different in age than my boys. They have July and August birthdays. Their parents held them an extra year before kindergarten even though they were both very bright boys. They were both quiet, and shy. All four of our boys are now in college....all on scholarships and two will graduate this year.

Best of luck in your new hometown, I am sure with your love and support your child can thrive in either situation!

Ok, so here's the thing: you aren't considering sending him early. You are considering NOT sending him on the normal schedule. He will be five by the cutoff and will go to school with his peers, most of whom will be five as well. To me there would have to be a compelling reason to keep him out of school for a year, and you haven't presented one. I can't see any reason not to send him to kindergarten on schedule this fall.

I have two sons, the older of whom is starting 2nd grade in a few weeks. When he was younger, we had to petition the school to enroll him in kindergarten early--the cutoff here is September 10 and my son is a November birthday--so he was 4 when he stared K. When I was considering this I did a lot of research on the subject and I felt pretty confident that in our case, early enrollment was the right choice. My son's experience has borne this out, he has thrived the last two years. Further, my research has made me very wary of the trend of holding boys particularly back when they are developing normally and meet the cutoff. I don't think it is a good policy without a good reason and the research backs up my position.

I would send your son to kindergarten on schedule this fall.

If he is NOT behind (whether or not he is ahead is beside the point, in my opinion), then I would enroll him at the grade he is age appropriate for in his new location. That is where he will be attending. That is where his peers' age group will be determined. So follow what they go by.
There are so many parents that hold their boys back (even when they qualify by age, but it's just "close" to the cut off for no real reason). In your case, he sound academically ready and I don't really hear any reasons not to let him start on time in your post.

You questioned his current teacher's ability to ascertain whether or not he is ready ("However she is very young and might not have experience with late birthday boys going early."), however I don't understand why you think he would be going "early". He won't be. He will be the appropriate age in his new school system. Therefore, there will be other kids there who also just turned 5.

If their cutoff is September 30, and he is old enough on that date to be enrolled in K5, then enroll him. If he is not, then don't.

That said, if there is some other reason (besides just his age) that you think he is NOT ready.. he's not socially ready, or emotionally ready... that might be a factor worth considering.

(mom of a mid-July birthday boy who went on time--which here means the first week of August).

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Not that you can predict these things... and nobody wants to think it will describe their situation in years to come... however, since you specifically asked and are concerned about disadvantages of being "too old for his class" in later years... I don't think it is a disadvantage to him, generally speaking. But it could be to you as a parent. What it means is that he will be 18 years old his entire senior year of high school. He doesn't want to go? Hmm.. what can you do? He'll be 18. He wants to check himself out? He's legally an adult. He behaves stupidly as teen seniors in high school tend to do? He's not a kid, he's legally an adult. He wants to date an underclassman? Check the statutes to see what kind of trouble he can get into in the state you live in. The statues are not the same everywhere.

Now... I don't say any of that to scare you. Not at all. But you came here asking for advice and information, and when I was a mom to a 4 year old, those are the kinds of things that would not have even crossed my radar. Now, as the parent of a 16 yr old boy, they do. So, since you are concerned about possible drawbacks, those are things to look at if you are looking longer term.

Good luck making your decision. The parenting decisions we have to make are rarely cut and dried. And we all thought breast vs. bottle and cry it out vs co-sleeping were filled with drama. It's not easy, this parenting thing. :)

Based on studies I have read - children who are showing readiness like having the knowledge and skills that others going in possess are better served by starting Kindergarten. He sounds socially ready as well. These same studies show that kids that are the oldest in their class often don't perform as well in life and that ones who are the youngest rise to the occasion. Trust your gut - but in my opinion if he is happy going to preschool, knows letters, numbers etc I would send him. His preschool teacher sees how he reacts in class - trust her opinion. Going to school will also help him be in a new place and make friends.

I don't think there's a wrong answer. Do you have any mommy instinct that you can separate from the opinions of his preschool teacher and your mom?

From how you described your son, I would send him to kindergarten! He knows his letters and #'s 1-10, mixing up d and b is very common as is leaving out a # here and there when counting at this age. Can he sit and listen/follow directions while in his preschool class, stand in line, dress himself to go outside? If yes or mostly yes, that's another indicator that he's ready.

They do learn to read by the end of kindergarten, some even learn before kindergarten...it varies. My son son knew his letters going in and then really mastered the sounds each letter makes in kindergarten along with memorizing several sight words, now he's been reading books all summer!

If he gets to kindergarten and by the end of the year you're not sure, you can hold him back in kindergarten- common grade for kids to stay back in. I was unsure when my son was going into K but he blossomed and learn so much this past year I don't regret my decision.

I struggled with the same thing for my son. I made the decision to have him start Kinder 3 days before his 6th birthday. So, I decided not to petition to get him in sooner. He is thriving. He's one of the oldest in the class, but not the oldest, since some families decided to delay their summertime birthday kids' starts. He fits in fine and loves school. Academically, he's excelling, but he's not bored. There is plenty for him to work on. They assess the kids for Talented and Gifted too, if they are ready for more. He is confident and popular. It has been a great decision. If he seems bored in later years, we'll push to have him bumped up to a different level for math or whatever subject is an issue at the time. One child we know is going into 7th grade, but will be going to the high school for math because he's so advanced. There are ways to challenge them, if you are paying attention. If you are writing this post, it sounds like you would be. ;)

How is he socially? Here is a basic checklist to see if you think he might be ready.

http://school.familyeducation.com/kindergarten/school-rea...

i have no practical advice to offer. i'm just seething with frustration on your behalf because this just illustrates how wrong-headed it is to try and shove kids into age-segregated boxes. there's just no good answer to this.
:( khairete
S.

My 4 year old with turn 5 on Aug 14. I am not starting her. I LOVE her peek-4 class (my older daughter had same class/teacher) and we knew when we started her last year that we would repeat the 3 half day program again with the same teacher. She is just BARELY beginning to read. She has no issues academically. There are a few reasons I want to wait to start her. This is the last year I can have her at home. I prefer that she not be the youngest person in her class - exposed to everything earlier and be the last driver. I was an advisor at a university for years and thought that generally, the students did better if they were older.

You know what is best for your child. I wouldn't have started mine in the pre-k program last year but my husband was diagnosed with a rare cancer and I felt she might need the attention that I was not able to get her due to traveling to see doctors.

I hope this helps. I just think that for us, they are only young once and have the rest of their life to grow up! :-) I like to keep them with me as long as possible!

Oh, my oldest was born in Shreveport! We don't live there now but loved the people there!

He sounds ready to me. I'd send him. (and I have a summer birthday boy, and sent him with no regrets).

My big response, is: He'll probably be fine either way. He sounds academically right on target for beginning kindergarten, so if you start now, he'll be fine. If you wait a year, he'll probably be on the advanced side, but not so much so that it'll be a problem.

What you might consider looking at, since you're already clear about his academic readiness, are his social and emotional skills. How does he do with issues like sharing, competition, sitting still, all the not-officially-academic things that kids need to be able to handle in order to succeed in school? If he runs a race, can he handle losing? How does he resolve (or avoid) conflicts with friends?

In general, since he's right on the cutoff, I might lean a little in the direction of letting him have another year of preschool. This is especially the case since he's a boy, since schools have unrealistic expectations around things like sitting still, and for many boys (I don't know about your son specifically, of course), that's a struggle. And, in my experience, kids this age don't usually have a concept of boredom. That comes later, toward the "tween" years. At this age, if the teacher focuses on something they already know, they're more likely to perceive school as easy and comfortable, not necessarily dull.

But if you start him now, he'll be fine! *Someone* has to be the youngest. I'm not seeing any red flags, in terms of unreadiness, in your post.

Your son is ready for kindergarten. he is academically, socially, and emotionally on par with where he needs to be. This is a great way for him to meet new kids and make friends in your new town after you move.

While many people feel that there are advantages to holding their children back, these tend to fade after the first couple of years and everyone evens out. Then, a lot of research actually shows there are negative effects to being much older than everyone else in your grade, especially in high school. The problems you mention - boredom, higher drop out rates, etc - are well documented in studies.

Your son meets the cutoff for kindergarten. There aren't any glaring reasons that say he isn't ready. There is not a solid reason to hold him back.

My sons birthday was Aug 9th, he went to kinder last year and this year he is going to first grade. He is not reading yet, we are getting there.

I think he will be fine. Send him, he does sound ready.

Good luck.

Send him unless you don't think he's smart enough to do it. If he might have some learning disabilities then enroll him in pre-K otherwise let him be with the kids his own age.

the best way to get ready for kinder.. is to go to kinder.

kinder is NOT like preschool.. preschool is play play play with a tiny bit of learning..kinder is learn learn learn.. sit listen follow directions..

I have sent 2 kid through kinder.. they went with their peers.. the year they were old enough..

He isn't missing the cutoff and you are trying to decide if you should push to get him in, the school system is saying he is old enough and you are considering holding him back.

To me, he sounds ready. It seems as though he knows a lot going in the door and is where he should be socially as well.

My kids are all spring birthdays, so I never had to make a decision with this, but I don't think I would hold them back if I were in your position. They all do really well and I think if I had to put them in classes now that they are a bit older (going in to 2nd, 4th, and 6th) I would say they are all exactly where they need to be academically, socially, everything.

You will make the right decision for your child, but I think you should send him.

My youngest son started kindergarten early, he didn't turn 5 until the end of November. He started off the year in his old preschool while we found somewhere that would let him enroll early. He cried every day when we dropped him off at preschool and that was his second year there so it wasn't because this was new to him. I think it was because he had gotten bored and all his older, already 5 year old, friends had gone to kindergarten. When he started kindergarten he never cried once. He did fine socially and academically (he was the only one in his class to get bumped up to the 1st grade reading group). He had a great year. Like another poster already said, if he makes the cutoff he wouldn't be starting early. And I would take the teacher's comments into consideration. Part of her job is to assess his readiness to advance and she thinks he is ready. I wouldn't hold him back if it were my decision.

We have a Sept 1st cutoff date and our son has a late July birthday, and we chose not to send him.

When he was 3 he began preschool for 2 years. At first he was right in line with his peers. Part way through his second year the teachers and I started noticing that he was not as mature. Academically he was doing great! He was just not as flexible and got upset easily. I can't remember everything, but it became very clear by the end of the year that he was not as mature as his classmates. Socially, he just didn't belong with this peer group.

We were so fortunate that our school district offered a 2 year kindergarten program to kids who qualified (they did screenings). Our son did the 2 year program and will be in 2nd grade this fall. All of his teachers have agreed that he fits in very well with his peers. He could be going in to 3rd grade this year, but he is doing so well where he is.

Sometimes letting them begin kindergarten at age 6 is the right thing to do. It's crazy to send him just because he made the cutoff. If you think he would have a better experience if you wait a year, then wait a year. If you think he's ready, send him. But don't send him just because he's old enough. It has to be what's right for him.

I cringe when people try to warn you not to send him when he's 6 because then he will be 18 when he's a senior. I have a spring birthday, so I was one of the last in my class to turn 16, get a driver's license, etc. It was the oldest in the class who were always the coolest and the most mature. And while I understand that at 18 they are adults, if you instill good values and a value for education, what difference does it make? When I was in high school, my eyes were always looking towards college. What did I want to do, what was I going to major in, where did I want to go? My brother and sister and I knew that college was a requirement in our family. Not in an obligation kind of way. It was just what you did next, and there was never a question of whether we were going or not. The only questions were where to go and what to major in.

Being the oldest in the class can only be an asset, especially for a boy. Many really do need that extra time to mature. If he is ready, great. If he's not ready socially, give him more time.

I talked to many, many parents before making a decision. Of those who sent them at age 5, several were happy with their choice, but many say looking back they wish they had waited. They said middle school was particularly hard as the older kids were going through changes before their own child, who then had trouble fitting in.

Of those who waited to send their child, almost all said they were so glad they made that decision.

I have yet to hear a parent say, "I wish we had sent him sooner."

Both of my boys are fall birthdays. I went back and forth with the older, but did not push him to enter early and I am SO glad we waited! I made the same choice with my second with no hesitation. Don't stress, give him the extra year to mature, you will not regret it.

I have began to understand why people redshirt their children. I sent my 5 year old summer birthday boy to Kindergarten 6 years ago. He is now in 5th grade. He made advanced scores in the state standardized tests for 2 years in a row and the school refused to put him in gifted because the older more mature, red shirted kids had a higher score. My son was rightfully where he should be and if given an equal opportunity with similar aged kids would have made the gifted class. So one main advantage of redshirting is better scores on standardized test...due to being older. Eventually my son was placed in gifted because I put my foot down but now I see why people do it.