Didn't Make the Cut-off Date

I am going thru this sitution right now, as my daughter's birthday is in October. She has been attending the full day kindergarten at Chesterbrook in Lisle. It's a great program. We are in the process of applying for early admittance to our Downers Grove grade school.

Let me tell you first off that people are VERY opinionated about this issue. The people that don't believe in early in admittance will be very outspoken to tell you that you are wrong to try to push your child ahead and how bad it will be for them, etc. Don't take it personally. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But keep in mind that YOU know your child best, not them. You know if your child is ready, socially and intellectually. If you think she is ready and are willing to go thru the process, then do it.

Even if they are in an accredited kindergarten program, the public school is not required to let them in to 1st grade. If they have gone to kindergarten AND first grade, the public school is required to let them into 2nd grade.

The process (at least in Downers Grove) is:
1) write a letter to the principal at your school with your intention to apply for early admittance
2) schedule a half day session where your child will attend the current 1st grade class, where they will be observed by the teacher, the principal, the school psycholigist, reading specialist, etc. This is to see how they relate and if they are socially ready
3) Do private testing, at your expense. This is to judge intellectual and motor skill readiness. There are 3 areas they are tested in. 2 of these, the child needs to score in the 93rd percentile. Your school should give you a list of names of acceptable people to administer the tests. So, not only does your child have to be at the same level as the other children entering 1st grade, they have to score better than 93% of them!

It really is an individual decision. All children cannot be lumped into a category based on their birth date. Obviously, the public schools need to have a cut off day for the typical child. There are some children who aren't ready yet, and a parent may choose to hold them back. But, there are also the children who are ready early, and it is perfectly acceptable to apply for early admittance.

Good luck! I know I'm hoping for the best in our situation.

As a teacher, the only thing I can really say is the cutoff is there for a reason. Many parents feel their child is "ready", but I don't think parents always understand what it means to be ready. Academically, my twin two-year-olds are "ready" for kindergarten. They know their letters, can count to 20, and know their numbers. But, obviously, the maturity isn't there. :) The same is true for most children. I had a student last year who started school a year early (mom put her in private kindergarten to sneak her into first grade). Academically, the child was above average. Socially, she struggled tremendously. She had only one friend, clung to her like crazy, and would act inappropriate at times (cuddling with her, holding hands, and other such behaviors). The cutoff is there for reasons like this. While your niece may seem ready, in the long run your sister will be happy she waited the year to start.

While I understand there is occasionally that child out there that is brilliant, socially advanced, and would lose tremendous ground by keeping her at her age level. I feel that most children benefit from having more time to grow, mature, accomplish the social skills with play rather than the academic growth. If a child is well adept and advanced as they are in school it will continue and they generally regardless of grade/age placement are placing children with other groupings of children that are at their level of educational need. Also she may be awesome now, have no problem with the academics, later there may be a hiccup and she may start to not get the challenges, being younger she may then be held back and not advance with her friends even though she would then be with the kids she should have been with in the first place. There is alot to think about when asking for an exception because if she is doing great all the glory is on you, if she struggles at all in her educational/social for the rest of her childhood and possibly adulthood there would be the what if I had let her be where she should have been age wise. It's great if she is truly gifted to push(hard not to see the potential for not being gifted when it's our own) her through, but unless your are absolutely sure let her be with the class she is supposed to be with age wise

if you find an ACCREDITED kindergarten program that will take the child despite the later bday then the public school by law MUST put the child into 1st grade the next year. I have had several daycare parents look into this and I know Chesterbrook's program is acceptable. I think in Naperville/Lisle All About Children's and Children's Creative Corner should both have accredited programs as well.

As far as being the youngest, my daughter started kindergarten the day she turned 5. She was the youngest in the school that year and did GREAT. She's now in 3rd grade and still doing great. This is the first year we have even had any issues with her behavior or grades and those aren't even major issues (playing with a necklace or her silly bands type of things).

Cut-offs are made for a reason.. and yes, they can change over time. When I was in school years ago, it used to be December 31st. There will ALWAYS be a youngest and an oldest in the class. If they make one exception then they have to do it for all. Look on the positive side, if she is so ready as your sister believes she is, then she'll be a superstar when she is in Kindergarten. And if she is that much of a superstar, maybe she'll skip a grade. Also, many parent's feel their children are ready but really may not be. So for the time being, I'm afraid, you'll have to abide by the rules and find a program (as you mentioned through her daycare) for the next year.

wow, all that sounds like a lot of work. I would think the best thing would be to go ahead and have her in the class that she's supposed to be in for her age; if she is far advanced it will be apparent to the teachers and she can be advanced to another grade at a later date?