Re: study of red****rting (late entrance to kndergarten)

"Nikki" <skavanagh@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:z-Cdnc7dmMLOTx3VnZ2dnUVZ_qTinZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> hschinske@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 wrote:

> I agree.
>
> The problem we are also dealing with is that when it becomes soooo
common 
> the typical age really is a young age.  My kid was born in April so
nearly 
> 5.5yo when he started kindy.  He was the youngest boy in the class.  He 
> repeated a grade and he is the oldest of course but there are a few in 
> there with him.

That's the thing. We're debating (and have my DD starting pre-K this year,

in part to see how she does and help make a decision) as to whether to
start 
my DD in K at almost 5, or wait until almost 6. She's only about 6 weeks 
past the cutoff-well in the range that private schools would let her start

early (and possibly, depending on the principal, that public schools
would. 
TN has no official early entry policy, but individual administrators have 
been known to bend the rules).

She's been very early on academics, gets along better with older kids 
socially, and at least on paper, would be one of the oldest in the class, 
and, in the past, has not done particularly well when she's at the upper
end 
of an age group.  Fine motor is decent, (at 3 1/2, she can write her name 
and some words, trace objects, color mostly in the lines if she agrees to 
color, and draw pictures which are at least somewhat recognizable), and 
she's in the 75% for height (although since she's so thin, she still looks

small compared to many children her age from a distance). Looking at my
DD, 
it seems obvious that she'd probably do better entering at almost 5.

 However, so many parents red-****rt here, that I've been warned that
instead 
of putting her with children who are 6 weeks to 14 months or so older than

she is, it will potentially be more like 6-8 months to 2 1/2 YRS older
than 
she is. While I suspect she'd be fine at 4 in a class with 6 yr olds (she 
actually attended a music camp for 5-9 yr olds a couple of weeks ago. I
was 
on staff, and while I'd arranged for a college student to watch her on 
campus during the times I was teaching, she started participating in the 
activities, and no one had the heart to kick her out. She did fine, and 
really didn't stand out except that she was smaller than the rest and her 
speech was a little less clear), I'm a bit more concerned about her being
14 
and in a class with 16-17 yr olds (and I'm actually more worried about the

girls than the boys, especially if DD inherits my "late developer" genes. 
(It's frustrating-I went from being "too small" to "too big" pretty much
all 
at once).

It would be SO much easier if there wasn't so many kids being held out a 
year. One of DD's friends will probably be held out a year, simply because

he's a boy with a summer birthday. This is a very verbal, talkative little

boy who honestly, would probably do fine in K this year when he's just 
turning 4. He's one of the most advanced preschoolers in the music cl*****
I 
teach, and does fine with the kids who are entering K in the fall (and 
academically, is at least even with most of them). In a year, he'll be in 
great shape. But his mom pretty much decided when he was born in June that

he wasn't starting K until he was 6, and that's that.

Actually, about the only parent I know with a child with a summer birthday

who is starting or started their child on schedule is one who's son is 
developmentally delayed, who entered public special ed preschool at 3 and 
will enter K on schedule simply because that's where his services will be 
provided once he turns 5.