[Cobys Mom]

I have a 5 year old son, Coby, who will be 6 at the beginning of September. The cutoff for Kinder is Oct 15th, so I held him back last year - even though he could have went to Kinder. This year we are enrolling him in a pretty structured, advanced Christian Private School. When the principal did an assessment on him, within 8 minutes she determined that he is very advanced and eager and should skip Kinder and go right into 1st grade.

I know he is 100% completely ready for 1st Grade. However, that will put him at being one of the youngest in his class; which is the entire reason I didn't start him in Kinder at 5. When he starts to get into puberty, he will be behind his friends who would have went through puberty a whole year before him. He could be more immature than all of the other kids in his class. He will be one of the youngest playing sports, he will drive an entire year later than his friends, go do things like go to the movies with his friends later, etc. How will that pan out socially as he gets older?

Right now he is very mature for his age. He currently hangs out with 7 year old boys who are a year and a half older than him and fits right in. However, will that always be the case or will the kids in his class start to mature before him? Everyone says I am making a mountain out of a molehill and just to put him in 1st grade but this decision will affect him one way or the other for the next 12 years! I want to make the right decision. I don't want to chance that come 4th or 5th grade we are faced with possibly having to hold him back because he is too young. I also don't want him to grow up any faster than he has to by literally forcing him to hang out with children that are older. Understandably, he would have been going into 1st if we went by the cutoff - but I just want to make sure we make the right decision.

Thanks for any and all advice!

April

[DrJ]

I agree with you... I say put him in Kindergarten now. I don't see why anyone would suggest him skipping kindergarten. Even if he is advanced, he will still learn important social skills in kindergarten and even just be given more time to interact with other kids in a structured environment.

All a person needs for this world is taught in kindergarten

[J_9]

You are 100% on target by putting him in Kinder this fall. He needs to learn the structure of the school system.

He may be mature at home, but school is a total and complete different animal.

You are right in that this decision will affect him, just think you may have to hold him back.

Kinder gives the building blocks for first grade, without those building blocks he may just falter and fall behind.

I put my girl in Kinder at the tender age of 4 (she turned 5 that November) due to her preschool saying she had learned the cirriculum and was becoming disruptive due to boredom. I chose to have her repeat Kinder with a different teacher and have never regretted my decision. It was the best decision I ever made. She is a straight A student (going into 8th grade this fall) and hardly has to study to get good grades.

I have a 5 year old who just went through Pre-K at his school. If they did not have Pre-K, I would consider Kinder for 2 years for him also.

[sovaira]

I remember when I was a kid ,and was sent to kindergarten... I had many coloring and drawing , dancing , and other ontersting activities with our teacher Mrs.Danish in indian kid specialist


Well I would suggest that kindergarten has got a deep impact and child's memory and mind develpoemnt, it would help him establish new ways of learning and creativity..


Please do not skip it.

It is an essential part of a child's grooming

[jamiekay77]

I did homeschooling and well still do 3rd year in a row we skipped kindergarten. It was not needed the curriculum was going to be very similar 1st grade for her would have been boring. She was writing her name by age 3 she read by age 5 before "kindergarten age" she knew the first grade material. WE tried an online program last year she completed second grade by February and 54 percent of 3rd grade we went back to traditional because they wanted to have going in 4th grade material in October she is 7! She will be 8 this month. She is very good at adapting to any social setting she has been in many activities. I don't see the point of kindergarten I guess if your child needs the structure but if he is advanced he is going to be mentally challenged more focused and motivated by not doing all the things he probably already knows. The public school in our district I know some of the families the kids are friends with my kids and they bring home the same stuff my preschooler does, tracing numbers letters, counting to 50 without stopping my preschooler just accomplished counting to 100! I don't see the point really.