August 26Th Birthday, KINDER or NOT to KINDER?

Okay, this is not what you wanted to hear, but there is a great book about boys and a perfect chapter about their lack of motivation that begins when they start school and the reasonings behind it. It is called Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by Leonard Sax. My son in 11 years old and it really talks to moms who have young boys. I wish I would have gotten my hands on this book early on. I think its a great book for all teachers to read. Lots of great info!

Dear M.,
I used to teach first grade, and I really noticed a great difference between the ones who had a fall birthday, and thus were older, and the ones who had a summer birthday, and thus were younger. Generally speaking, the ones with a fall birthday had the advantage. They were usually the leaders in the class, and usually in the highest reading group. There were exceptions, but not many.
I had a daughter born Aug. 6. She was my third daughter, and I was homeschooling, and she seemed interested in school, so I went ahead and started her "on time." When she got up to about middle school, I started thinking that I should have let her wait. I think it would have benefited her self-confidence greatly. All of her friends were one year behind her!
Then I had a son, born Sept. 3. I did let him "wait" a year before starting kindergarten with him. I know it was a benefit for him - school was always very easy for him.
The only thing is: when a child who is held back a year for kindergarten hits their junior and senior year in high school, it sometimes happens that they start really getting bored with things, even more than the usual "senioritis." So what I would recommend is that when that child gets up in high school, you start looking for ways to "speed up" the process. For instance, doing the "Early Start" thing with the community schools, where a junior or senior can take a class at ACC and get double credit - both for high school and for college.

Just my thoughts,
J.

I agree with you: let him be the oldest in the class rather than the youngest. He will excell more. When I studied education on the graduate level, the doctor leading my graduate seminar pointed out that most state rule that a student must be in school by age eight. He didn't undestand why more parents didn't wait, so their kids would have an easier time.

Put him in a GOOD pre-school if you want him to be having teacher directed learning activities. (Be careful. My son learned to hit at his pre-school. My daughter had lots of wonderful activities at her DIFFERENT pre-school)

when starting school- he has to be able to sit still to an extent and follow directions and be confortable being away from home all day.
the last 20 yrs parents hvae been tuned in and concerned about the maturity and readiness of their aug babies - But i want to bring up another side of this issue - since my kids are out of high school.
When an august baby is held back a year from starting kindergarten, by the time he/she is a senior in high school, they will be 18 yrs old their ENTIRE senior year. What this means is that you as a parent have no legal right over your childs grades or even knowing what they are. Schools have become so "politically correct" with HIPPA laws that they will not share the students record with you anymore - unless the student gives permission.
If your child happens to be one of those "senioritis" kids, this can have a huge negative impact on your childs and your family's life. In 1999 when my son was about to graduate and began skipping classes, the principal called me personally. Four years later when my daughter graduated, they would not even let me order a transcript for her to be sent directly to her college - even tho i would never even see it.
So i recommend that, should you decide to hold your child back a year from starting kindergarten, you must make the commitment to be ACTIVE AT THE SCHOOL so the teachers and staff know you personally by the time your child is i high school. /I found the staff tends to bend the rules if they know you and your student personally.
good Luck!
About Me: a 54 yr old working mom of two grown kids (one still in college) and married 31 yrs.

We are still very good friends with our child's kindergarten teacher. She has always said you will know if your child is ready for kindergarten if he can do the following things.

Can he sit and listen to an entire picture book without getting up and being distracted?
Can you give him 3 directions and he can complete them without any help. Ex: "Honey, please go to mommy's room and get her purse, then please find my sunglasses in the purse and bring me my sunglasses to the kitchen?
Can he write his name? (does not have to be perfect).
Can he go to the potty all by himself? Can he dress himself?
Can he open and then drink from a small carton of milk?
Teachers also note that most kids all even out by their third grade year. These younger children who have been given lots of attention and have been in daycare are also a bit more prepared for school.

You are correct, many boys are not ready for school late summer, but there also many that if held back will be bored and then can become disruptive once they start school. You will know in your heart. Follow your mommy heart and brain, it will tell you.

I haven't read the other respones yet. (In case I repeat another idea) I teach K and this is my 6th year. Every year I have had an August boy whose parents held them back. They have always been my leaders. Yes, they are ahead in academics but when it comes to socialization and behavior they are in the same boat as the other kids. I have also had the August boys and girls who got sent on and there is a HUGE difference. (I know each kid is different- I am speaking from personal experience.) I know it is a tough decision to make. Also, it might help you if you go to the school your son will attend and ask to see what the Kindergarten expectations are and what a typical day would look like. I hope this helps out!
V.

I have two boys whose birthdays are in May. My olderst will start Kindergarten next year and I would never think of holding either of the back. Yes, my son is immature, but he is a boy and the only way he will mature is to be in school where is expected to. I read all these post about holding them back has only had good things happen, but if your soon is learning and enjoying it why wouldn't you give him the joy of starting Kindergarten with all his friends. As for his behavior/personality whose to say that will change in the next year he is held out of Kindergarten. There were some pretty not nice posts about his behavior...he sounds like a typical 4 yr old to me and you sound like you are working on the areas that need help. Keep up the good work.
I was a 1st grade teacher for 5 years and saw boys and girls who were the youngest in their class exceed those who were the oldest. I also say the oldest kids struggleing. So, really I dont think age has anything to do with how well a child will suceed in school. Exposure to learning, exposure to knowledge and the experiences they have in childhood make more of an impact than when thier birthday is.
He is your son, you know him better than anyone. Follow your heart.

I am a Kindergarten teacher & I have immature 5 y/olds, but they are still TEACHABLE!!!! A good teacher can work with anyone, so do not hold him back. Let him start kinder on time & be very supportive & understanding with his teacher. He will grow up in due time.

M.,

I was in the boat you are now. My sons birthday is aug. 26th and I started him right away. I knew he was ready. I could just tell. Where he was going for preschool, they also had a kindergarten class. I talked to his pre-k teacher and the kinder teacher and they both said that he was definitely ready. He has always been the youngest in his class, but he has had the highest grades in his class since first grade!!

My friend was not sure if her son was ready(aug. 2 birthday), so she put him in the private school kindergarten to see how he did. She knew that if he could do well, then he could move on to first the next year, if not then she was going to put him in public school kindergarten the next year. It turned out that it was an eye opener for her and so the next year she put him in public kindergarten. He is the older one in his classes now(2nd), but doing great. He did do two years of kinder, but without having to repeat it in public school while his other friends moved up. It has done him very well! I hope this has helped you!! Good luck!

I would definitely wait. I've done it both ways. With my oldest son, we sent him to a private school, and he started kindergarten when he was 4. He turned 5 in October. He was already reading Dr. Suess books, could write the whole alphabet, upper and lower case, and could count to 500 without batting an eye. He struggled all through school, and graduated from high school, but just barely. He was also always smaller than everyone else. My second son, also born in October, started school when he was supposed to, when he was almost 6. He's done very well. He's in the gifted and talented program, and is a voracious reader. He had some problems in kinder and first, mostly related to the fact that he is a boy, and the maturity level thing. My third son, with a late July birthday, was held back a year. He's the baby of the family, and is still struggling some, but we're making progress. I also have 2 daughters in the mix, one with a June birthday, and one with a December birthday. They both started school as scheduled, and we experienced NONE of the problems with them that we did with the boys. My recommendation would be to get him into a GOOD preschool program, and wait a year.

I think readiness for Kindergarden has much more to do with personal and social maturity than with what they know academically. Take him to "round-up" in the spring anyway and register him and talk to your local teachers and principal, but you can wait and decide closer to when school starts. It never hurts to wait but sending an unready child can make the rest of their school years a bit of a struggle.
My son (March b-day) was immature in Kindergarden and came home many days without a "smiley in his folder". He ended the year the top boy reader and with a math certificate (but no citizenship award...go figure!) and is just now getting the sillies under control as a second grader. I'm glad I didn't hold him back, but know the dilemma well. We are just lucky his teachers have always had a special understanding of little boys and have always been firm but fair and never let the little stuff bother them. He got to start each day fresh and they clearly continued to recognize his strengths and gifts.
Let him continue to enjoy pre-school and see how you feel in July!
P. (mom with 3 boys ages 7,5, and 3)

I'm a teacher, and I can tell you first hand that the younger the child the more challenges he/she will face when it comes to 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. The social and emotional issues grow exponentially every year. PLEASE keep your child home one more year, he/she will thank you someday :)

I am personally an Agust 28th baby. I was the youngest in my class all the way through college. I personnally think that my parents should have held me back. I tended to struggle to catch up from those who were older than me. Boys mature later than girls. It might be in your best interest to hold your child back but it is something that you really would need to evaluate as a mother. They have a lot of pressure on them in kinder. Sight words, reading, hardly any role play time, kinder is very structured, naps are rest time for maybe 30 minutes, and what they are learning at least in my school district is what you and I learned in 1st/2nd grade. You might want to visit the school your child will attend to see what the curriculum is and to see if you think he will struggle with behavior/socially etc. I wish you luck in your decision. Working mom of 2 fabulolus kids that keep me on my toes ages (6) and (7).

My birthday is August 27th, so some of my classmates were almost a year older than me. I do not remember it really being a problem other than it annoying me. I made good grades and had lots of friends.

My sister waited and now regrets it. He will not be able to learn maturity from younger children! Her child was eager and ready to learn. She held him back a year and so it was a completely wasted year. Now he is not interested in learning and thinks school is for playing.
Her son's birthday is in May. My son's birthday is in August. Mine started kinder this year the day after he turned 5.
I am for sending him. A lot of growing can happen in a year. Also, you might reconsider the program he is in now in January to a 3 or 5 day program.
Good luck.

Boys are typically more delayed in their socialization skills than girls, especially if they are born with developmental issues. Since you say that you think that he is immature and gets aggravated easily, I would wait the extra year. That way, he will have a better chance of being in the position of being a leader instead of having to worry about keeping up with the rest of the class.

My son's birthday is September 2nd. So, God made this decision for me (sorta, I guess since he didn't make the law...lol). Anyway, by the time he was just about to turn 5, his 7 year old "big sister" had actually taught him to read! He was always curious about how to spell something and all that, so she just ran with it. Well, of course they wouldn't let him into school yet, so, I put him in private school Kindergarten. My actual intent was pre-k but when they told me they were full and I started begging stating that he could already read, they suggested testing him for Kinder. Anyway, he did WONDERFULLY and excelled beyond his peers all through Kinder....BUT, socially, I saw that he was far from ready at the end of the year. So, I started him in public school in Kinder again and I honestly feel that is the best thing I could have done for him. He is now in 4th grade and has been in the Gifted and Talented program since they tested him in late Kinder for it. However, academic intelligence is not the only thing that gets you there.....creative thinking, social skills, and behavior play a large role too.....things he might have been lacking had I not made him repeat Kinder.....

I have a neice whose birthday is August 17th. My sister did not hold her back and she struggled academically and socially every year. And, every year the teachers would tell my sister that she was not as mature as her classmates because she was basically a year younger than them. She finally failed the 6th grade. She is now in 8th grade and in the Honor Society at her school. I can tell you that my sister regrets not keeping her home for one more year.

Anyway, I hope this helps..... ultimately it's your call....

Wow, this is timely. I am now struggling with the fact that I chose to place both my little ones in kinder with late June b-days. Did not know to consider holding them back. My son, who is in the second grade is pretty well adjusted, socially, but has struggled since the beginning to keep up academically. My sons wonderful kinder teacher just said 'things will click' 'he is a smart boy' ~ well, it is true that he is smart but definitely not at grade level. We are getting extra help from the school with reading intervention but are having now to look at outside help which is BIG bucks and a large time commitment. There is really no good reason to place them in early if you have options. BTW I see enough kids that have stayed back and not started early and they seem to be at the top of their game in all areas. I actually went through school always being the youngest and never had an issue. In the end it a personal call that you , as a Mom, are best equipped to make. you are certainly a step ahead of me in asking the right questions Best wishes for a perfect decision.

There are several reason's why you should let him go. One it will get him with other kids, now is the time for him to learn to socialize with others and it will also give you time to do other things that you need to get done. If he loves it, then that should settle it. He will keep up with the others and he will learn with the others. They will teach each other some that are good and some that you will need to change at home. But if he has fun and acts like he wants to stay let him.

Glad you are considering this now, but remember a lot can change for him in the maturity department between now and next August. One way to look at it is down the line: do you want your son to be the youngest senior in high school or the oldest? It may be to his advantage to have that extra year when he is older - for college, financial issues. If you wait to send him, he will probably have no problems, but if you send him, you may. You are the best judge of your child's capabilities.

I have been in your shoes - my son has a June 22 birthday and was very immature. Unfortunately, I didn't know of anyone that had held their child back, so I sent him to kinder. Near the end of kinder, his teacher and I discussed possibly holding him back due to his immaturity (he was doing well with school-work). Well, we prayed about it and decided to send him to 1st. He again did well with school work (little struggles here and there), but at the end of the year, his teacher recommended holding him back due to his immaturity. He thought of nothing else all that summer. We would be in the car and all of a sudden be very sad - when I asked him what was wrong, it was that he wanted to go to 2nd. When school started again, he fit in much better with the children that are a little younger than he is. I saw what his teacher meant. (He STILL says that now he should be in 3rd:) I would definately wait. He'll never know the difference. If you think he might, put him in a private kinder, then public, or another pre-K program.
Good luck!!
K.

While I have heard plenty of people regret not waiting to send their kids (especially sons) to Kinder, I have never heard anyone say they regretted waiting a year. Especially for boys, that extra year really does them some good. Good luck with your decision!

Your plan is good. Put him in the 3 to 5 day program and keep him out of kinder until he's 6. I have a Aug.birthday, and believe me, it's no fun being the youngest in class. He needs the extra year to mature. They take things so fast now that you'll be glad you did and you will be amazed at the number of kids in his class who are his same age. It is not unusual for parents to hold a child back.

as an ex teacher, I'd wait. boys are typically more immature & learn slower (some of them).. I just think it can't hurt to wait, it's better to wait than to maybe have to hold him back one year. my son is 4 & also a little immature & annoys people, luckily his b-day is oct... so I wont' have to make the decision, but I highly suggest for you to wait. good luck!!

If you don't have a pressing financial reason and its not a problem for his pre-school cost to continue for another year, then I think he should wait until he is 6. Good for his self-identity and self confidence to be one of the older kids...

However, I will also mention that saving the money you would otherwise spend next year on his pre-school and pushing it towards a college savings account to get compound interest for the next 12 years could give him a nice cushion when it comes to college tuition. Something to consider...

My daughter has a late August birthday too and I had this same question. I had a teacher tell me to put her into kindergarten and see how she does. Speak with the teacher before the year begins and tell her you are considering holding them back at the end of the year and letting them go through kindergarten twice. The kids don't realize that they are going through it twice and it is just extra reinforcement for when they go on to first grade. We held my daughter back and she is doing great in first grade.

This is really a child by child decision. No one can tell you across the board what to do. My birthday was July 29th and I started school right away. I did notice a difference and my grades were low for a while. I graduated when I was 17 and I think that was very young to be starting college. I had a rough time there too. I was immature and ended up dropping out. I went back later after I had grown up a little and make straight As. But other people started early and did fine. I would really look at your child's maturity level at the end of the school year. Ask his teachers. Ask the director(she probably has more experience) Make an appointment with the counselor at the elementary school and talk to her about it.

I am not a teacher but I come from a family of all teachers. Schools today run at a much faster pace then we were kids. I think your idea of waiting one more year and putting him in preschool sounds wonderful. My sister teaches Kindergarten and it sounds like more parents ought to take your advice and do the same. My son is in Kinder right now and I believe he was much better prepared because of Pre-K which he attended 5 days a week for half a day. The further along he is before he starts school, the better. My son started Kinder knowing his ABC's, the phonics for each letter, counting to almost 50, writing his own name, and reading some. I am not bragging by any means. I am blessed with a smart child but I knew he needed to know these things before starting school so he wouldn't be struggling. Having a family of teachers guiding him hasn't hurt either. I would recommend the Leap Frog series starting with the Letter Factory. My son knew his phonics at age 2 because his day-care was playing this video for them. I have since bought it for all my cousins for their children. It sounds like your son is also very smart and that you are doing a great job!!!!! Good luck!!!

I would ask the pre-school teacher now to help you follow his development. Mentally wise, he sounds like he would be ready for Kindergarten already. So many start Kindergarten not even knowing their ABC's or their numbers. My daughter turned 4 in June, and, she still does not know the difference between numbers & letters. She is also a bit of a "trouble-maker" who does not associate very well with other children. (Very opposite of her sister, but, we love her just as much!) If your son is not displaying any behavior that is causing him to be considered immature socially or behavior that is alarming with the teachers, I do not see a problem with starting him at 5. To me, it sounds like he is developing quite well to be ready for Kindergarten come August of 2009. I would not automatically keep him out just because statistically boys are behind. Each child needs to be assessed individually, and, treated as their own child when making huge decisions like this. Why hold him back a year of his life, when, he may not need to be held back?

Good morning...well my oldest son's b-day is August 31st and I went through the same thing. I did start him at 4 and he turned 5 a week after starting, and long story short, I wish I would have waited. He did ok, but he just could not keep up with the other kids that were already 5 and going on 6. The teacher at that time told me that you would actually be really surprised at the difference a couple of months can do in a child this age,and there learning ability. I ended up putting him right back through kindergarden the following year, to ensure that he was completely on track. It was completely a choice of mine, not the schools. However, the teacher advised that I keep him back, just so that later on he would not be behind as he got older, which in turn could cause self esteem issues. So good luck and I hope this helps...
Ps: there were also behavioral issue's that arose due to his frustration in not being at the same level of his peers which in turn, caused him alittle grief. I really do recommend letting him wait. My second son was born in March, so he started at 5yrs and some months, and there was a huge difference. Agian...good luck..and may god bless you and your family.
S.
29yr old SAHM with 4 kids-(12,11-6-and 16mths)..oh..and due anyday..lol

My son has an August birthday also and I have struggled with this same question. He is in Pre-K right now and my plan is to put him in Kinder next school year and if he just isn't up to level where he is supposed to be by the end of the year, I will have him repeat Kinder. This way, if he is academically ready and mature enough, I'm not holding him back. But I also have no problem with him doing Kinder twice. We just will wait and see.

Many factors. Is he big or small for his age. Is he average or advanced in language and behavior. Will he behave or always be in trouble. As a boy he doesn't want to be smaller than his classmates for dating and sports reasons. He will be driving later than other classmates, not cool. But if he is intellectually advanced then he might get bored and have behavior issues if held back.
Must consider all.
The other side of this is my daughter is an early September bday. I was told I had no choice but to hold her back. She is in 3rd grade now. I am a large framed and tall and so is my husband. She is the tallest kid by a head. She outweighs them all and looks like she should be in 5th grade. To her the other kids are immature morons that can't sit still or listen. She has 1 boy and 1 girl in her class that can keep up. They were both reading at 3 y/o (mine was not), but they have no critical thinking skills so my kid is rather bored and complains that the other kids try to get her to act up. She is not reaching her potential in this situation, she should have started school 1 year earlier, but I think she might be irritated at being behind for awhile if she tried to skip a grade now. I was told too late that the best grade to skip is 2nd. It is difficult to know what to do in advance.
God Bless

I am in the same shoes. My youngest is born on August 25th. I am interested to read what people think.

Good luck with your decision

D.

I have an Aug 22 child. I went ahead and sent her to kinder early. She is one of the smallest still today, but everything is OK with regards to that, no bullying and sports is fine (it is easier on girls). In her elementary yrs, I did feel that she may have had only one time in which she was not ready for a particular subject academically (maybe 1st or 2nd grade). About 6 mns after the subject was initiated in class, I could literally see the day that she was finally ready to understand it. Academically she has done absolutely wonderful. She is focused and organized even as a 5 yr old which is why I put her in kinder early. I do not regret this decision at all. Her cousin was born Aug 26 and his mom decided to hold him back. She believed he was not focused yet and she feared since he was a boy that being smaller may have an impact on him for sports and bullying. He needed that extra yr to focus and sit still in class. Her decision wound up being a great decision for him. Focus is probably a big factor to consider. In kinder, classes are usually 7 hrs...long day for 5 yr olds to pay attention. Good luck with your decision.

No Kinder....It does not matter how smart he is. He needs that extra year to mature. I am a teacher and have seen how the maturity will help since he is a boy.

He's of the perfect age to go to kinder. He should go. You never know what will happen in the future, and if he falls behind then, and you held him back now, then he really will be older than everyone else. 5 year olds are good to go. My son is a little "behind", but in reality, he's right on target where kindergarteners should be. It's a good experience, and I sooooo do no regret changing my mind and letting my son start when he was supposed to.

Both my kids had late b-days.(July31 and Aug 22)/
I put them in kinder at age 5.
My kids handled it fine.
My suggestion is to go to the school that he would go to and talk to the counselor about it.
If he already goes to school now and he can make it through a day of school,then I would put him in kinder.Good luck with your decision.

Hold him back now! Do it now and he won't know. It is always worse to have to repeat kinder or first grade. Then you really have to worry about their self confidence.

My son has a march birthday. If it had been summer, we would have held him back for sure. Every child I know that started kinder later has really succeeded in elementary school.

L.

Well my kids aren't old enough for school yet, but I can speak from expierience personally! My birthday is Aug 29th, only two days before the dealine. At the time my mom was a single parent and couldn't afford another year of child care. So I turned 5 and I started Kinder. Back when I started though we started after Labor day in September. I cried every single day until Christmas when my mom dropped me off. But I still excelled. As the years went on school started earlier and earlier and I was always the yougnest in my classes and graduated at 17 not 18. But I'm glad that my mom didn't wait a whole other year. I guess it just depends on how mature your child is and if it will help you to send them off or not. All kids have a hard time with change in the beginning but they will adjust! Let us know what you choose!(You still have several months)

yes, I would absolulty wait! My son is Sept. 21st and he is in school this year. Although he was smart and ready for what they were learning in school he was not socially there. It won't hurt to have him be the big smart kid in class!

You should go head and put him in kinder. My daughter was an august birthday too and she did fine. If you wait, then he will be 7 in first and you don't want to risk that. He will be fine kinder is not hard.

Well I was a December baby.. I had to wait a year before I could start school. I always HATED being the oldest in my class. The people my age were a grade above me. It was really weird.

From my point of view I see no reason to make him wait longer to go to school. He seems to enjoy learning.. it's a good time to take advantage of it.

Talk w/ his teacher and see what she thinks. If I were in your shoes I would put him in Kinder in 09 b/c he has been going to pre-school.
Good luck in whatever decide.

My son has a June birthday and I held him back and I don't regret it. I have talked to a lot of people about this subject and I have never met anyone that regrets holding their child back but I have met plenty of people that regret not holding their child back. You do have to consider maturity level and if he is interested in sports, holding him back will be in his favor. If he is academically advanced he can take advanced or G/T classes. They way I see it holding him back has more advantages.

Wait!!! My daughter has a summer birthday, and she is soo far behind the others ( I wish we had waited to start). At that age, the difference in age is huge and the boost the older kids get it very obvious. I would definitely wait.

Hi M.,
I put my oldest son in Kinder when he was just barely 5 and he ended up being the youngest in the class. It was a very difficult year for him because he too was very immature. When my second son was 5 we held him out until he was 6 to start kinder and it was so much easier. With boys, I do believe that a years worth of maturity is important. If I could do it over again I'd have held my first born back until he was 6 as well.
Best of luck!
J.
Round Rock

I see the other responses are mostly from moms who have waited or teachers. I wanted to let you know my personal experiece with it so you can see the other side as well. My birthday is Aug. 22 and my mother did not wait. I actaully thought it was pretty cool to graduate from high school when I was 17 and from college when I was 21. But, I realize kindergarten is probably more difficult now than it was in the 80's. You know your son better than anyone as far as maturity, etc. As far as your child staying a "kid" longer by being in preschool longer: I doubt he feels much difference between preschool and kindergarten. So, I guess in the end, I would lean toward putting him in kindergarten and seeing how it goes.

My birthday is August 21st, I started when I was 5. I never had any problems or anything. I liked being the youngest in my class. Both of my sisters have July bdays and were young 5s too. You know your son best though, if you don't think he can keep up then hold him back.

Hi M.,

I have a son with an August birthday and we waited with him. He could have totally gone academically, but I just wanted to give him an extra year of childhood--it is so brief and they have the majority of their lives to do homework and worry about grown up stuff, so why rush?

He loves being older, and there are many kids held back due to age, some with birthdays as early as April. I am so glad he is older, you can spot the younger kids in his class quickly.

And don't worry about them being bored because they are older, too smart, or whatever. Teachers have reading groups and what not to place kids with other children on their level. And even if they are bored in kindergarten, will they be bored once they hit 8th grade because they are older? Not likely. Being an older, quicker learner will be great for his confidence if you decide to wait.

Just my two cents, but definitly go with your gut, talk to his teachers and proceed with confidence. Good luck!

I am a former kindergarten teacher and the mother of three boys. (Staying home right now) My recommendation for ANY boy with a July or August birthday would be to hold him back. Any extra time you can give him will only help with his maturity level. He can only benefit from the extra time to be in a preschool setting. Find a transition class that will keep him interested, but kindergarten next year may be a mistake. Kindergarten has changed since we went. It is much more academically focused now. He will be required to sit more. If you send him now, you may regret it. You might not see the results of that for a few years, but holding him back will give him an extra edge.

The only way I would consider putting an August birthday in kindergarten is to put him in a private kindergarten. Then if he is not ready to continue on to first grade, you can place him in public kindergarten the next year.

Another mother said that you should go ahead and put him in and then if you need to just hold him back it will be no problem. She is wrong. Schools do not take holding children back lightly. It effects their statistics and retention is viewed poorly. A child has to be blatantly in need of retention before a school will do it. Your son might be lacking maturity at the end of kinder, but they will not retain a child based only on maturity.

Also, your child will know that he has been retained. Do you want him to live with that stigma for the rest of his academic life? If you do it now, he will never know the difference. Also, other kids will know that he was retained. Children can be cruel.

My nephew is August 24th. His parents put him in private kinder and then public kinder. He has excelled academically and he is well adjusted socially.

Don't think of it as holding your son back. Think of it as a chance to keep him young for a little longer. I don't think you would regret it, but if you don't wait and he does struggle you will always wonder. Good luck in making your decision. It is an important one.

I taught kindergarten for 10 years. I HIGHLY recommend your first thoughts of waiting until he is 6 to go to kindergarten. You will see that he will be more mature and more interested in "school" when he is the older one!

Why don't you consider teaching him at home? My sister's child has been in constant trouble in school and although my sister said she couldn't homeschool her for kindergarten, the fact is that she brings home all her work and my sister is homeschooling her anyway.

My 5 YO really enjoys learning and is doing well at home. The PBS show Word World is great for teaching the basics of the way a word is formed and sight reading (all the animals bodies and objects are formed with words.) She knows basic addition. She can count to over 100. She is into the presidential election and knows that Mccain is a republican, represented by an elephant and Obama is a democrat, represented by a donkey. She also knows some of the things that make their platforms different and why one might vote for one then the other.

She knows basic geography (the 7 continents and their location on a map.)

She's not a genius, just eager to learn. and we make learning a game. Get the book "What every Kindergartener should Know"and it will give you a great push in the right direction.

S., mom to 5

I totally would wait another year! In the scheme of things, one year is not that big of a deal, and he probably won't even be the oldest in his kindergarten class! Kindergarten is not really about academics, it is more about getting used to a school situation. I have two boys (one will be 7 Dec. 3 and other will be 9 in February) and have been so happy they were at the age that they were when they started (especially with my youngest). I don't know as if it would make that much of a difference in kinder, but by 3 or 4th grade you can almost pick them out! There are exceptions, but overall I think you would never second guess your decision if you held him back. Send him 3 or 4 days next year! Good luck!

I have a 15 year old daughter who's birthday is August 26th. I sent her to Kinder when she was still 4 years old and it was not one of my smarter decisions as a mom. She was the youngest student in Kinder, but she was in the class with the oldest students. We ended up having to move her to a different class halfway through the school year. It was a very tough year for her. We did however, relocate the following summer so my husband and I decided to have her repeat Kinder at her new school in a new neighborhood (smarter decision). She is now a freshman in High School and looking back I wish I would have had another year with her before her full-time school years. While she is a little older than most of her friends, she is still a little immature for her age so it all worked out for the best. Remember, your son will have a long road of school years ahead of him and there's no turning back. Good luck with your decision.

I have a little guy too (and have been a teacher for 18 years.) I truly feel that it's better to wait another year... especially for boys. We had our son in preschool at the school I teach at. Needless to say, we made the choice for another year of preschool. It has turned out to be the best decision! He's doing so much better this year. (Thank goodness!) Your son sounds like mine... ready to push buttons and his luck all in the name of fun. For his sake (and the teachers - tee hee!) I'd think about giving him another year to mature. Besides, it's better to "buy him an extra year" now rather than later.

We are so blessed to be mommy's, aren't we?! Even when they are little stinkers from time to time. (Wink!)

Hope this help. Blessings,
M. S.

you know your child the best, is he mature for his age? I have a 5yo that was born (prematurely) on the 22nd of August and we are holding him back one year as he has some delays. I think many parents are doing this now. I think in the long run it will benefit them being held back, making better choices as teens.

I have a son who was born the exact same day as yours. He will be 5 August 26, 2009. He is my "baby" of 2 and I will start him in kinder next year. He is an extreemly smart little boy but may not be quite a mature as the other kids. However, I also have a 6 year old who was in kinder last year & I worried about the same thing but being in school & around the other kids actually helped him a lot. The way I see it is to give them the chance. If you need to hold them back in kider. it will not hurt them.

Children are intelligent little beings. Your son seems very intelligent, he will be fine in Kinder. Children love school, especially kinder as everything is for their level. They are in their own element, the social interaction/learning will bring much happiness/accomplishment.

My daughters birthday is august 25th and she just turned 6! We chose to start her in kindergarten as a 6 year old! She has gone to preschool 3 days a week since she was 18 mos. old! She also attended a Kindergarten skills at her preschool!She was reading at 4 and I was worried she would be bored and become a discipline problem which she was NOT until now! I agonized over whether or not to send her to Kindergarten "on time" with her friends and I decided not to! She is doing amazing in Kindergarten and I have found that about half of the kids in her class have had their birthdays right after school started as well! She is the oldest but not by much! She loves it and although some of her friends are in the same school and are now in the first grade she has adjusted well. We have kept her involved with them in dance and extracurricular activities however she is in a kindergarten class at church as well! hope it helps!! I had NO educator tell me to send her early! they all said to hold her back and I am very confident in our decision!!
good luck

Hi M.. I know this can be a difficult decision. My son has a summer birthday and we decided to hold him back a year, mostly for maturity reasons. He is in a program called Gift of Time at St. Thomas that is designed specifically for this reason. Children should not be pushed into kinder based on their calendar age, but their maturity age. We are LOVING this program. It is the same curriculum as thier kinder program (5 full days also), just a little slower paced. I can see a big difference in my child and the other children already. This will give him the confidence he needs going into kinder next year. I cannot say enough good things about the program. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me directly. I also have a friend who has a son with an August bd. He is very intelligent and went on to kinder. However, his maturity level was not quite where it should be and he had to go to Pre-1st grade. Still a great program, but the earlier you hold them back the better. When my friend told me they were holding him back and she new of about 4 of his friends also going to pre 1st, I knew my decision to go to GOT was the right one! They may not have truouble in kinder, but when they get to 2nd or 3rd grade you will see a difference! Hope this helps.

I would wait to start him in Kinder for 2 reasons: 1) He's a boy, and boys mature slower than girls; and 2)from EXPERIENCE! My birthday is in Oct. and in CA (at least in the 70s) the cutoff was Dec. 1, so I started Kinder at 4. My mom has always regretted starting me then, and I know I was forever the youngest and always trying to keep up! Let him enjoy being a little boy one year longer!