My child has a summer birthday, is that OK for Kindergarten?

My child has a summer birthday. He turns 5 in June. Is that still OK to start kindergarten then?
I would not recommend holding a child with a summer birthday out of starting Kindergarten this Fall. If you are worried about your child and he or she is notably more immature than other children at the same age, talk to your child's preschool teacher for additional guidance. Generally, I would not recommend waiting a full year with summer birthdays.

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Should I start my 4 year old in Kindergarten? Turns 5 in December...

I have a 4 year old girl who will be turning 5 exactly in December of this year. She is excited to start kindergarten although she will be one of the smallest and youngest. Her preschool teachers all say she is both academically and socially ready although still a little on the immature side at times. She still has a few months at least before September. Should I worry about teasing? I don't want to hold her back, but some are telling me that would be the better thing to do. I don't think so.

I taught kindergarten for years, and I would recommend waiting. I know you are leaning toward going ahead, and I know you will do what is best. I cannot say I have met too many Kindergartners with December birthdays that were ready. Imagine her at 15, when all her friends are 16 going on 17 and they are all in the same high school class. Rather than worrying about teasing now, worry about peer pressure she’ll have to face when she is much younger than the other teens. She would go away to college at 17 and not become 18 till the end of the first semester.

You also run the risk of retention if it is maturity and that is another issue. Maturity is the one thing that cannot be taught. Give her the gift of time. She will only be 1-2 months older than many of the other kids, since many will have late December, January, February birthdays if she waits and goes with the children closer to her age. Also, California is one of only a very few number of states that allow children the option of starting this early. Most states ask that children turn 5 by the first day of school, and some states require them to turn 5 by June before school starts.

It is always better to be the oldest in school. Less peer pressure, less academic worries...and you get to keep your little four year old close to home then let her go off to college when she is 18 rather than 17.

I still know only the parents know the child and the decision is best made by you.

How do we get our child ready for Kindergarten?

My child starts Kindergarten in September. Is there anything special I should do this summer to help him get ready for school? He was in preschool, so he had that already. We are going to be AM kindergartners.

It is so cute to hear the mommies of new students. “We are going to be AM Kindergartners,” is so true. This will be a new experience for you too. You will now watch a child progress through the entire school process, Kindergarten through college and beyond. When you were little, you did it, but it will be quite different watching your child. Different and fun.

My best advice would be to turn off the TV. This simple step will do wonders. Kids that get used to starting their day with TV often struggle with an academic day. When he wakes up, get him moving indoors and out.

Visit the school a few times, maybe even playing on the playground if it is open, just to get a feel for the environment. And of course, read together often. Make the library part of your summer routine. It is air-conditioned and free so your child can go from topic to topic learning how one thought leads to another and books will always open the pathway.

Is it bad to wait till kids are 6 before Kindergarten?

My child went to Kindergarten this year. We decided to hold her back and send her to Kindergarten again. She was 5 right before Kindergarten, in August, so now she will be 6 before she starts. What do you think about this? Will she be too old for the other kids? Also, should we do summer school for her? She is eligible and her teacher gave us the forms but we are not sure if we should send her. What are your thoughts?

Your daughter will not be too old for kindergarten. Rest assured, many parents are now waiting to send their children to school when their birthdays fall right around the start of the school year. Certainly, there will be some children that are younger, and some that are her same age or very close to it. Do not worry about your child being one of the older kids. This will add to her maturity and self confidence.

I would not recommend summer school for your child. If you have decided to retain her, then let her have the year to grow and mature on her own time. Summer school would only be an option if you were going to put her in with the idea that you might send her on to first grade if she did well in summer school. Our districts in this area offer that as an option, but I would still shy away from summer school for most all Kindergarten children. Summer school programs are most often remediation and kids at this young age who are struggling generally need time to mature. A summer full of more work they are not ready to process will not do much for the self esteem of these little ones.

My Child is Still Crying after the first month of school

My son started kindergarten the 1st week of July (year round school district), and he had a very tough time when I left him the first day. By the time I picked him up, he was saying how much he loves kindergarten. But in the last week he has developed an anxiety, and has been saying he doesn't want to go, and crying when I take him. I help in the class every Monday, so I see that he is doing very well with the work load. His teacher lets me stay as long as I like when dropping him off, but I know he needs to do this on his own.

The teacher thinks it might have something to do with 2 new students that started last week, and one that cried hysterically on her 1st day, while sitting next to my son. That is when it all seemed to start. He went to one year of preschool, and never had any anxiety issues.

Is it normal for anxiety to set in after a few weeks, even for an eager to learn student? Or can a frightened new student trigger it? And how can I help him cope and get back to wanting to go to school?

It is not uncommon at all for the fear to go away the first few days and then return. It sounds like the little girl who was afraid made your little boy sad, and that is normal too. He felt for her, and he understood her fear. Think of that as a strength for him and ask him how that other little girl is doing now.

When you take him to school, try not to be sad with him, but stay understanding. When he says he is scared, tell him you understand he is unsure, but stress that you know he will be fine. If he believes you are sure, it will help him. Then ask, besides being a little unsure about going, is there anything that he will enjoy today. Focus on the fact that he is just unsure about going, not staying – he is good at that. Once he is there, ask him what he likes to do. Ask him when things get the most fun. Does he like group time, recess, songs, just talk about the things he likes.

Also, cut your entrance time down. Tell him you don't want to make him sad when school starts, so you will go in with him when he shows you a little smile. Tell him you want to feel happy together when you go into school. See if this helps. In a way you are telling him you are not going in with him unless he shows a little relief, and this might help him. He wants you with him right now for his entrance. You are helping him 'cross the threshold' but you need to back off as soon as possible to allow him to do it on his own.

It happens all the time, so do not feel alone. Your goal should be to make him feel happier about going to school, gain a sense of comfort about it, and add to a calm entrance in school. Let me know how things progress. He'll be fine (and so will you).

Should I start my 4 year old in Kindergarten? Turns 5 in December...

I have a 4 year old girl who will be turning 5 exactly in December of this year. She is excited to start kindergarten although she will be one of the smallest and youngest. Her preschool teachers all say she is both academically and socially ready although still a little on the immature side at times. She still has a few months at least before September. Should I worry about teasing? I don't want to hold her back, but some are telling me that would be the better thing to do. I don't think so.

I taught kindergarten for years, and I would recommend waiting. I know you are leaning toward going ahead, and I know you will do what is best. I cannot say I have met too many Kindergartners with December birthdays that were ready. Imagine her at 15, when all her friends are 16 going on 17 and they are all in the same high school class. Rather than worrying about teasing now, worry about peer pressure she’ll have to face when she is much younger than the other teens. She would go away to college at 17 and not become 18 till the end of the first semester.

You also run the risk of retention if it is maturity and that is another issue. Maturity is the one thing that cannot be taught. Give her the gift of time. She will only be 1-2 months older than many of the other kids, since many will have late December, January, February birthdays if she waits and goes with the children closer to her age. Also, California is one of only a very few number of states that allow children the option of starting this early. Most states ask that children turn 5 by the first day of school, and some states require them to turn 5 by June before school starts.

It is always better to be the oldest in school. Less peer pressure, less academic worries...and you get to keep your little four year old close to home then let her go off to college when she is 18 rather than 17.

I still know only the parents know the child and the decision is best made by you.