My DD is 4 1/2 and is expecting/supposed to be entering kindergarten next school year. Over the weekend we went to an open house for one of the grammer schools in the area and did a little tour. When we were finished, we stopped at the registration table to speak with the people there. They asked how old my daughter is and when her birthday is. When I told them her birthday is in July, they told me that the cutoff date is August 1st for the ages. I just stood there and stared at them, thinking "OK, well I said her birthday is in July, so....". I felt pretty foolish as we all just stared at each other until one of the ladies piped up and said that if a child's birthday is near the cutoff date (within a few months), most parents are opting to wait a year to start their children in school. Not for academic reasons, but because by about second grade, the younger children are not adapting socially, and because of this they may possibly withdraw from their peers, and their social skills may never fully develop because of this.

My daughter has been in preschool for two years now and is completely ready and able to enter kindergarten. I have never heard of anything like this but I certainly don't want my daughter to suffer later in life because of something that I am apparently uninformed about.

Has anyone ever heard of or done this- waiting a year to let their child start school for social reasons? This is completely new to me and I was really thrown for a loop.

__________________

If she is ready, send her!!!! I actually sent my dd ahead of schedule, Her birthday is Sept 4th and the cut off is Sept 1st. She is in 8th grade now and has never had a problem socially or academically.

__________________
~Happiness is a large family~

She will be fine. I have had one friend who has done this but her son really did need to wait - he just wasn't mature enough.
I was the youngest in my class growing up (cutoff was 10-1, my bday was 11-3, parents had me "tested" to enter early)..and I had no problems growing up...academically, emotionally, or socially. Do what you think is best for your daughter - don't let others make you feel like you have to 2nd guess yourself.

__________________

There have been a lot of threads about this very topic lately...

I think, if you think she's ready...send her!

The cutoff at our school is in October and my ds turned 5 like the first week of school in August. I would have to say that if I had it to do again, I would have waited until the next year to send him. I completely thought he was ready. He is very smart and has done well academically, but in other aspects he has not done so well. But they all say that girls mature faster than boys, and the Kindergarten teachers at our school will tell us, if you have a girl, it is probably okay to send them, but with a boy, you should probably wait. I would go with your gut on this one.

I agree with the others. You know your daughter best and if you think she's ready, I'm sure she is.

I'm in a similar situation. My daughter will be 5 in June. Hubby wondered if we should hold her back a year because the preschool teacher doesn't think she holds her pencil right all the time and doesn't always hold her scissors right. I say that's why we sent her to preschool. I think emotionally if they are ready, send them.

Thanks so much for everyones input. I talked to DD's preschool teacher today and I am going to move her right along to Kindergarten. Thanks for your help!

__________________

perhaps it waited until you were an adult. J/K
My girls are in august and I will send them. they have not had any issues yet. I also was a june bday and had no issues, that didn't already exist in my personality.
allgirls

__________________
allgirls, mom to 3 girls

I think things like this should be decided on an individual basis. There are so many guidelines that everyone is supposed to fit into and they just don't. I agree there has to be some deadline, but to mark a child for being born in July is just wrong.

this is what our district recommended if you felt your child was socially ready then send them to kindergarten if they were not then send them to transitional.. they did not care so much about the academics they could get a child up to speed but if socially they were not ready then that could be stressful for the child my oldest is in kindergarten he turned 5 last may he was ready. i have a ds who's birthday is in july so i will have to see how he does socially(i think he will be fine) if she has been to preschool for 2 years i bet she is ready if she is not a totally shy child.