Starting My Child in Kindergarten Early

Nova Classical will, I believe, accept a child prior to the 5th birthday, but that does not mean you'll get a spot in the school.

Liberty Classical Academy is a private school in Maplewood and White Bear Lake. They will also accept kindergarteners younger than 5. www.libertyclassicalacademy.org

You might look into the kindergarten program at Jean Lyle Children's Center (www.jeanlyle.org). Many of the kids go on to first grade after completing the program, others use it as a more advanced preschool.

I am struggling with this question a bit as well, as my daughter has a September birthday. I am unsure even though she is socially precocious, a good communicator, tall for her age, etc. It's a tough decision. Keep in mind that it's popular now to hold boys back until they are six years old, so some of your son's classmates may be almost two years older than he is. Consider reading, "Boys Adrift" and/or "Why Gender Matters" by Dr. Leonard Sax before making your decision.

I don't have advice about getting him in this fall, but I do have a school recommendation. My daughter will be starting in fall 2010 too (she will be 6 in November) - I also feel that she needs the challenge academically so she will not get bored easily, so we have decided on enrolling her in a language immersion school. St. Paul has a lot of them to offer, and we have particularly heard great things aobut the French one, L'Etoile du Nord. It has a very informative website and has tours most Thursdays. Check out their website, read their parent reviews and do a little research on language immersion to see if you think it would be right for your little one. Also, just a fyi, (I didn't know this last year) enrollment deadlines seem to be in early March for most schools, and open houses in February - so start your research now to get a head start on this important decision. Good luck!

Contact the school district NOW to find out what the process is. In Minneapolis the child has to visit a preK or K class and gets scored on his/her behavior and actions while there. If the child passes, he/she takes an aptitude test of some sort.

Do know that most people in school districts don't believe in grade-skipping (which is what this is, in a way). Keep your calm. Remember that they have heard parents say "my kid is so bright" over and over and over. Remind them gently that sometimes, a child really is ready to go to kindergarten early.

Good luck.

I would contact the district to find out exactly what the procedure is. The state requires early admission testing at your cost. That said, I would talk to someone other than just his preschool teacher about it. Maybe the principal or kindergarten teacher at the school he would attend? His pediatrician? Maybe even a child psychologist? There's a lot more to kindergarten than academics. The social, emotional and behavorial aspects are just as important. I have two boys who were ready for kindergarten academically at age 5 (both are in gifted programs, and like your son, the youngest was reading in preschool at age 4-5), but neither one of them was ready emotionally or in terms of independence. The July birthday boy we held, and the September birthday boy started school on schedule (no early admittance). It was one of the best decisions we've ever made. Every child is different and your son may truly be ready for kindergarten in all aspects, but I would just recommend you research it very thoroughly. We talked to a variety of professionals about our decision, at one point had our son triple enrolled in kindergarten and two different preschools and ultimately decided three weeks before kindergarten was to start. Like one poster suggested, perhaps looking into a more challenging preschool program is an option. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I would recommend NOT doing it. Just b/c he seems ready intellectually now, does not mean he will be mature enough in the long run. Do you really want him to be the youngest in his class? My sister went early and she wishes my parents would have waited. It gets hard in the high school years. Districts are strict for a reason. Good luck

My dd birthday is 8/29 so she barely barely made the cut off and I sent her just a few days after her 5th birthday. It was the worst thing I ever did for my daughter. Sure she did fine academically but she was a disaster emotionally, mentally, socially, maturity. By the time she got to 2nd grade I knew she HAD to go back a grade problem is public schools donot hold children back unless their is major problems or they are majorly behind. I ended up having to put her in a private school to do it but I ended up holding her back. It's not fun being the youngest, the shortest, the last to lose a tooth, the last to do everything. Her friends were mentally and maturity wise in a whole different world. It took a toll on my daughter's self esteem and confidence. I ruined my daughter. Thank goodness I was able to fix the problem and hold her back. She is now 100x happier and fits right in. I've heard it gets super bad when they are young like that in Junior High and HighSchool too. My daughter plays soccer and they assign teams according to grade level. That's a whole different story how her soccer teams were a disaster too. She played on one team where she wore a size child xsmall jersey another girl on her team wore a size adult xlarge jersey my daughter got kicked in the face by this giant with cleats on.

What's the hurry to rush kids these days? This is exactly why I am against pushing kids and making them so advanced they can't fit in and they're bored. I donot want my children to read until they are in kindergarten. Every child I know that can read prior to kindergarten is a outcast, geeky, socially problematic akward child. I know a few. I know a 6yr.old in 2nd grade. My daughter had a girl in her kindergarten class who read chapter books years beyond everyone else she is now in 3rd grade and just a total social outcast, she can't relate or get along with anyone her age. I'm sure her mom is proud and loves the bragging rights but this poor girl is a disaster socially.

Anywho my school district requires a interview with the principal and a psychiatrist eval. Here's what my school dist. has to say on their website:

Early Admittance to Kindergarten



Initial admission to kindergarten shall be solely on the basis of chronological age, except in special cases. The goal of this policy is to give consideration for early entrance to children who have missed the birth date cut-off by two months or less (September 2 through October 31), and who demonstrate superior potential readiness in intellectual, social, emotional and physical areas.

In cases where parents request early admission to kindergarten, the procedure will be as follows:

A written request shall be submitted to the building principal by the parent(s), stating the reason(s) why the parent(s) feel early admission is in the best education interest of their child.

If the building principal determines that the circumstances are worthy of consideration, the parent(s) will be requested to complete and return the early admission application form and questionnaire to the principal of the elementary school in their attendance area.

Upon receipt of the application form and questionnaire, the principal will arrange an interview with parent(s) and child to discuss the pros and cons of early entrance. Applications must be submitted by May 1st.

On the basis of the principal's observations during the interview, the principal will recommend (1) that it is best for the child not to be considered for early entrance or (2) that the child be referred for further evaluation by a licensed school psychologist not employed by this district, and will be tested in the areas of school readiness, intellectual ability and fine and gross motor skills, the cost of which shall be borne by the parents. A copy of this administrative regulation will be sent to the examining psychologist.

The licensed school psychologist's report will be sent to the Director of Individualized Student Services for review. Based on this report and the principal's recommendation, this school officer will determine admittance or rejection and will notify the parent(s) and the building principal of the decision at least one week prior to the start of school.

All early entrance placements will be considered trial placements.

During the first quarter, a school psychologist will conduct a classroom observation and meet with the principal and the classroom teacher to consider appropriateness of the placement.

In the event that it is determined that the child is misplaced, the building principal will meet with the parent(s) and appropriate staff to determine the course of action.

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For more information regarding Early Admittance to Kindergarten please contact Nanette Cecka @ 952/707-6266.



Suggested Psychologists

What about finding another preschool that will be able to accommodate your son's precociousness? In Montessori preschools, for instance, a "Children's House" class has children from 3 - 6 years old. The children select their own work, and work alone or in small groups. The work they do attracts and challenges children of a wide range of developmental levels. Or a bilingual school will challenge your son by exposing him to a second language.

J.