My youngest will be headed into Kindergarten and well i have to make sure he is 100% ready for it. He goes to speech twice a week and MDO twice a week.
Is there something more effective i could be doing to help him learn the nessisitys that he will need to go into Kinder? He also has a speech problems thats why he goes to the elemantry school twice a week. He is also a late Aug birthday so he barly makes the cut off. Another thing thats on my mind i know that the Keller bond was passed and it should allow full day kindergarten which i am pleased with. Have you heard if it will be in 09/10 school year? what do you think about enrolling him in a neighbooring ISD that take open enrollment so he will be able to get full day of school?
I haven't read your other posts but as a mother of 3 and all with late birthdays, I have held mine out of Kindergarten until they are about to be 6. I just feel like they are more mature and ready for the days ahead. School can be so daunting and even difficult these days, why push it so early? JMHO. HTH
H.,
I know a lot of people like to let their children with late birthdays wait a whole year before sending their children to kindergarten but I don't agree. My son turned 5 in June and started kindergarting in August. He has had a phenomenal year. We live in N. Fort Worth and he attends full day kindergarten. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for. I was concerned about him learning to read this year because when I tried he never seemed interested. 1 month after being in school he was reading.
What you need to be doing to help is read to him everyday, teach him his numbers, letters and letter sounds. If you want Hooked on Phonics has a program that's not very expensive that my 5 year old loves.
If you have any questions, you can PM me.
Hi H.,
Have you considered not sending him next year because of his age and speech issues?
My son's birthday is Aug 27, & I decided long ago that I would not send him right when he turned 5. He has no learning or speach problems, and I'm sure academically he would be ready. However, I have been told that the young kiddos can do well in kinder, 1st and even 2nd grade...then, they begin to have a much harder time keeping up with their older peers after that.
I've seen that happen in my family too: Brother-in-law has an Aug 28 birthday, and was held back in 4th grade. My neice is a late July birthday, and my sister had her held back in 5th grade...she was so tired of her struggling and having to do summer school every year to catch up. She's doing great now. My younger brother is also a late July birthday, struggled thru school and had to finish classes over the summer after his senior year so that he could finish high school.
I guess the way I see it is: why start them off at a disadvantage? Being the absolute youngest in the class can be very hard. I have heard people say that they regretted sending their kid to kinder when they were so young, but I've never heard anyone say that they regretted holding them back for that year. Know what I mean? Just food for thought....
:-) H.
This probably is not what you want to hear but I would definately, without question NOT start him in Kinder the same month he turns 5. Give him a year of preschool every day instead and start him in kinder the following year. I am not sure if he has any developmental issues other that speech needs but there is a possibility he could qualify for a PPCD program with the school district. Look into what they could offer if he wasn't in preschool. I started my son in Kinder a month after he turned 5 and it was a total failure and I ended up pulling him out after 6 weeks and restarting him this year right after he turned 6. He is doing great now.
I would just like to say that your child does not have to go to kindergarten next year. A lot of times boys need a little more time to mature! My son had a June birthday and I decided to hold him another year! Not because he couldn't do the work, but because I felt he needed some extra time at home. I truly feel that decision was a very wise one! It is much nicer to have him be one of the oldest instead of the youngest. One of the reasons I made that decision is I taught second grade and I could tell the a big difference between the boys that had July and August birthdays. They just needed more attention. They only get to be young once! They will go to school for at least 13 years and most likely longer and then off to the work place. I don't want to sound like I feel my way is the only way, because each parent needs to make the decision that is best for them and their child. I taught second grade and pre K and now I am an assistant director at the preschool. My prayers are with you.
H. M.
Hi H.,
Please, please remember that in boys especially, those pre-teen (Middle School years) can be very tough on the younger boys in the class.
I taught Middle School for 10 years and saw it every day. The older boys that "matured in body" (do they ever mature in the mind? hee, hee), had a huge advantage over the boys that were not at that point yet. I don't even want to think about what went on in the locker rooms- I heard stories that I just can't repeat on here.
So, the post about waiting and putting your son in preschool for a year is great advice. He may be ready now, but those Middle School years could be really not fun for a shorter, higher voiced boy.
Just my opinion,
R. B.
It sounds like you are doing a great job preparing him. I think kids just need lots and lots of love and confidence from Mom and Dad so they believe they can handle it. My son just started kinder this year- I had the same concern as you about age- his bday is ON the cutoff day. I seriously thought about keeping him home, but really felt that he was ready. He is doing great. I really feel you have to trust your instincts- if you think you might be sending him to school because YOU'RE ready for it and not him, it probably won't work out.
