Should I Put 5 Yr Old in School Right Away?

Updated on May 28, 2008
R.Y. asks from Lorton, VA
6 answers

I'm going to be moving probably late August and I was wondering if I should rush to put my son in kindergarten. The place we are moving to has year round school so he would be joining halfway through the 3rd semester. He missed the cutoff here to start kindergarten last year. I've been working with him at home so he knows how to read and write his uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers up to 30, and how to sound out simple words. I'll be working with him until we move so he'll get a little better with sounding out words before we leave as well. He tells me all the time how much he wants to go to school with the big kids. I just don't know if it would be too much of a shock for him to join a school in a brand new environment with kids that have been going for 9 months longer than him. Should I just wait until January to enroll him so he can be there for the whole year?

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So What Happened?

Thanks so much for all the wonderful advice. I decided to wait to enroll him until January. I want him to get a full year instead of a rushed couple months for kindergarten. I think he'll be better situated to becoming a leader in his class instead of a follower if we wait until January. I think the whole move and new area would be too much for him to handle all at once. That and we still aren't sure what school we are going to put him in. They don't have districts over there like you do here. So you can choose whatever public school you want to put them in. We also haven't officially decided whether we want to put him in private school yet. But thanks again everyone for the great advice!

More Answers

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L.S.

answers from Norfolk on

If I were you I would not. My son turned 5 in August and he was put in school. He went the whole year and they failed him and he had to repeat it anyway. They said he was not mature enough to be in Kindergarten. I should have waited, but since he was 5 I had to put him in school. I think if I had to do it all over again that I would have kept him in daycare. Besides, I think it would be better to start it in January so he gets there for the new semester. I hope this helps.

L.

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K.L.

answers from Norfolk on

When you say year round school do you literally mean Jan thru Dec? Because my daughter is in year round school, but they go Aug. thru June. They get about 6wks off around July. Either way I'd put him in school once you move and get settled. Why wait, it doesnt matter how long the others have been going. If you wait and put him in in Jan. then they have a whole year up on him instead of just the 9months. or would you hold him back a year? You could always see if the school has a recommendation as well.

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R.A.

answers from Norfolk on

With a move like that it might be better to wait as that will probably be a big adjustment for all of you. Is there any way you can contact the school and get a recommendation from them, they may have a better idea of how kids react to coming in at that time and you can also find out exactly what they are working on at the time you move.

Good Luck!
R. A

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P.G.

answers from Norfolk on

Hi R.,
Lucky you getting to move to Australia. I would try to find out what level the kids are at and base it on that. If he is working at the same level as the other kids then if you want to go ahead and start him so he can have friends and somewhere to go while you get settled then do it. If he is behind then keep him out and work with him so that he will be where they are and start in Jan. Another option is to homeschool, which you seem to be already doing. You can go to www.hslda.org to find out what the laws are in Australia and I am sure they have homeschool support groups there too so you and he can have friends. Good luck and enjoy this great adventure.
P.

D.S.

answers from Allentown on

Hi R.,

Question: Why would you want to put the child in school and then pull him out to move?

Just wanted to know. D.

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T.H.

answers from Norfolk on

wouldnt he have to take kindergarten all over again if he doesnt go the whole year? if thats so i'd just wait and try to fnd a group you can get together and play with until then. maybe try and get together with kids that will start kinergarten next january with him so that he will already know his classmates.

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