Young Fives, All Day K, Half Day K???

Hi T. -

I have three special needs boys. The two that attended all day kindergarten by far did a much better job transitioning to first grade. It may not seem like they are old enough to attend all day at 4 or 5 years old but it actually is better for them considering the increase in educational demands on kinders nowadays. When we were kids there wasn't nearly as much taught and expected to be mastered by first grade.

I hope this helps - S.

When my daughter was 5, she went to all day kindergarten M-F and then attended latch key (at the school) until 5pm when I got out of work. She absolutely loved it!!! I think he'll be fine. :)

I agree that it is all confusing. My son starts K in the fall, but he will be 5 on Sunday. I work full time so he attends a full time preschool program, very similar to a full day K program. He loves it. With the full day program there is lots of time for "work" and playing and resting. There is no as much free or play time alloted in a 1/2 day program. I you are concerned about the transition or a full day being too much for him, why not find a 1/2 day pre-K program. I know that my son's school offers one.

I know you already have ALOT of responses, but I wanted to share mine with you as well and hope it helps. We have a daughter with an October birthday and so I was a little unsure of what to do with her as well. I ended up enrolling her in a two day (1/2 days) preschool at three (although she was two for the first couple of months). Then at 4, again she was three for the first couple of months) I enrolled her in a three day (also 1/2 days) preschool program. I mainly did it because she was and still is a VERY social child and I felt she needed the interaction. Anyway during those two years, I watched as most of the kids sailed way past her and learned at a much faster pace...however they were all about 6 months to a year older than her. Don't get me wrong, she excelled in preschool, had tons of fun, made friends and learned so much, but she was, in comparison to the other students, quite a bit behind. So my husband and I decided to put her in young fives as we felt she would probably run into the same stuff in Kindergarden. I feel that it was the best decision for her and for our family. She now does 5 1/2 days and if we were keeping her in public schools she would be doing all day kindergarden next year. However, everything I have heard about full day kindergarden has led me to believe that it is not good for the children or the familys. I would do a little research, I believe that the state, the schools & the teachers pushing for this do not have the best interest of the children or the familys in mind and it upsetting to me that they have taken away our choice in the matter. I think it has more to do with funding, and possibly eliminating bus routes and other things to save money and also is a relief to the parents who both work full-time, which our family does not have. I whole heartedly believe that it is too much for kids this age to be expected to be in school for an entire day. As for so much being crammed into half day programs, yes they do have to cover alot in a short period of time, but I don't think this is detrimental (sp?). Our kids are such little sponges that they pick up stuff so quickly and I am also suprised at how much my daughter retains. THe half day schedule also allows me more time to spend with her and play (which is still so very important at this age) and also work on stuff at home, like reading, writing, math etc. I also believe you should go with your gut! You are the momma and you know best...you really do! Regardless of what the state, school, society etc. say...YOU know your child best, your know your family best and you need to decide what is best for you! I wish all the best for you and your family as you make these decisions:)

T.,

I feel your pain. I too, struggled with the decision to send my daughter who was going to be 5 in November (this was a couple of years ago, she is now in 2nd grade)to Kindergarten or wait to the following year. She was super smart and had already completed a year of preschool. She was starting to read and just seemed ready for K. I went to the info night at the school and they suggested to all parents with late birthdays that it is better to just wait and keep them in preschool an extra year or whatever else. They said that if needed, they can always jump them up later, but it is much harder to hold them back. I decided to send my daughter to preschool for another year, but I increased the days she went and we signed up for some extra activities. I am so glad with my decision! I cannot stress to you enough how much they learn in kindergarten and it is crazy what they are doing now in second grade. My daughter is one of the oldest in her class, but also one of the most confident and successful. If we would have sent her to K when she was still 4 she would have been one of the youngest and most likely not as successful. By the way, when she did go to K our district was 2 full days and one 1/2. They had time to rest in between days. My second daughter is in K now and it is all day, every day. She has a February birthday, so just turned 6. Many days she is okay, but alot of the time she is a mess. She is completely exhausted and really never gets a chance to just rest and be 6! I do like the all day, every day K because the children can take there time learning the concepts and they have very little homework, but she can't do anything else. She is in one dance class and Sunday school, and I don't know if she will make it some days. We skip these activities alot. The kids are so small and the days are so long. I wish they could have maybe one 1/2 day during the week or something. Anyway, I've babbled long enough. My suggestion is to let your child be a child. They will be in school for 12+ years. Give your son that extra year of preschool. You will not regret it!

Good luck and don't stress. You know what your son needs and you will make the decision that is best for him.

K.

Tracey,

I totally agree with you. In fact I have done much research on the subject and I'm totally against full day kindergarten. I would do the young's five 1/2 day program and if that is not available I would check into a pre k program. The research I have done says that yes the kids develop better math and reading skills but by the third grade there is no difference between the children who attend full or 1/2 day there skills are all the same.

Also research shows that it is harder on the kids they leave school exhausted and this effects the relationship they have with there parents and they don't bond as well. There is also more behavioral problems with kids in the class and because of this children don't bond with there teachers as well. I asked our kindergarten teacher who has been a teacher for over 25years what she thought of full day verses 1/2 day kindergarten and she stated this That she believes in full day kindergarten because they get to do more of the fun stuff. Personnel that statement did not sell me on why I should but my child in school for over 7 hrs a day. I know that both of my sons did preschool one did 3 1/2 days and one did 4 1/2 days there school had M,W,F 1/2 day king. with Tues, Thurs full day.
They full day were terrible the kids came home tried and cranky. None of enjoyed it. I hope this info helps. My kids go to private school which has switched to full days so I do not know what I'm going to do either I have 2 yrs to decided. I just hope that the legislation does not pass forcing us parents to send our kids to full day Kindg. Hope this helps. M.

As a first grade teacher (now stay at home mom) trust your gut instinct. Full day young fives is NOT developmentally beneficial. I can only see a school district wanting to do this to up their numbers (whether it's test scores or money I;m not sure). A young boy (nov birthday) especially one who is already in speech would definately benenfit from a young 5's program and would struggle if not this year then next from sending him to kindergarten too early. Trust yourself and your knowledge of your child and do what you think is right!! Best of luck to you!

When we put our oldest into K (nondenominational christian school)... we chose the 1/2 day option. It was the first time they were offering a 1/2 day and whole day options...
About a month into school the teacher noticed that the 1/2 day kids were lagging behind the whole day kids. The 1/2 day kids were rushed to get all their school work done in the mornings and then the kids that were still there for the rest of the day got a half day of study help with the teacher and play time...
The 1/2 day kids were getting stressed because school was not fun for them and the whole day kids were getting bored because they were only doing most of their stuff in the morning and leaving the afternoons empty... No matter if you choose full or half day there will be an adjustment time... Our daughter would come home from her half days looking shell shocked and it would take about an hour before we could get her to speak... But by the time they changed it to full day all she needed when she got home was a cup of juice and a snack and she was a little jabber mouth about the day...

It has gotten quite complicated... My dad was a principal of a school and in his day kindergarten was used to teach the kids to sit, raise their hands, color and not talk out of turn... Now they are basicly reading by the time they get out of kindergarten... But for all the "new" stuff they have to learn to keep up in this digital and electronic world, they are loseing some of the more fundimental things NOT taught in school... Enjoyment of things that don't have a power source plug... :-)

What you figure out for the first will make the 2nd go alot easier... :-)

Hi T.,
I am a kindergarten enrichment teacher, and I feel that it is important that your child goes to either a full day kindergarten program or goes to two places for kindergarten, am and pm. It prepares them for first grade, which I have taught as well, and know that children need structure, how to disapline themselves and make it through a full day of school. They do get time to do activities where they move around, arts and crafts as well as reinforcement of math, reading, writing, and hands-on science. I have seen the difference when a child has been to a regular kindergarten program or preschool compared to those who go to kindergarten for the first time, one place to the other. I realize that some children are not ready for the full day experience, therefore, make sure to send your child everyday, not just a few days a week, unless its an enrichment program along side the regular kindergarten. You said your child is four now, therefore he will be a young 5 so maybe I would start to send him to a preschool program that incorperates writing letters, sounds and identifiying everyday letters, words, colors, and shapes. counting numbers. I wrote alot , i hope it helps. You have to do the best for your child, and think about their comprehension of everyday things, and therefore which program is best for them when you take everything into account.

Good Luck!

Dear T., Boy, if I could go back and do it again! My 1st boy turned 5 in May, but he wasn't ready to do even 1/2 day kindergarten. His pre-school teachers did recommend that we consider holding him for one more year, but we sent him anyway. The next year we did full-day K and he was better. My 2nd boy turned 5 in Dec. and he was very familiar with the school, having been there every day (almost) and we put him in full day K right away. He was definitely ready! My 1st only had some minor issues with doing K again, but we had a different teacher, etc. Now he's in 8th grade and one of the few kids who is in driver's ed.!! Now, how cool is that for him! LJE

I agree with you. A full day is a lot for a small child. Did you check out surrounding schools? Doesn't Holy Family have a school? My daughter is also young, she has a Oct 29 Birthday and is now in the first grade. She struggles everyday. She went to our MSRP program for preschool and had to do that at that time because of her age. The next step was kindergarten or stay home for a year. I chose to sned her and wish I would have waited because now I think she may be repeating 1st grade but I am thinking of sending her to St Marys in Mt Morris to save her embarrassment. Not to mention it is probably a better school. It is a hard decision for you, but you know your child best and I would go with your gut.

HI T.
I feel all day k is to long as well. My daughter was traumatized by the thought of being gone all day and was glued to my side for a few months. We were happy to find our elementary school had 1/2 day k. And she loves it. I have to say we have done work sheets as playing school (preschool at home turned into a game). So she looks at her home work and says this looks like fun. And turns it in days early. So if your going to work with him at home he should be fine. In her class so many parents are not helping their kids and you can really see the difference (I volunteer). You can tell what kids have older siblings too. You have a few months to mull it over. I didn't think my daughter was ready when it was time to sign up, but by the time school started she'd grown so much emotionally, she took the bus by herself and didn't want me to meet her at school and walk her to class.
Good luck & trust your heart. A. H

Hi! I am a grandmother. My adopted granddaughter has a November birthday. Her preschool teacher thought she was ready for kindergarten. She ended up repeating kindergarten.I have a grandson who has a birthday in August, as time passed his Mom thought he would have been better if he was held back. They have a friend who graduated with my son and his wife who had a Nov. 31 birthday and she did fine. I have a nephew who has an October 1 birthday and he repeated kindergarden also. So I guess, it all depends on your child and the circumstances. Good Luck!

Check around! There may be dif. young fives-I have mine at a lutheran K compliment(he went to preschool there last yr.) and she does it as a young 5`s also! Just check around...You don`t want him to struggle through out the years.

I'm having the SAME dilema! My son was born in October 2004 and even though he's a smart kid, I just don't think he's ready for all day yet! We went and visited the young 5's classroom at Custer School in Monroe, MI. It was AWESOME!!! As long as it stays at a half-day, it will be perfect, but they are not 100% sure either!!! Isn't making the decision about school harder than you ever thought it would be?!?!? Good luck! I look forward to reading some of your other responses - thanks for writing this!!!

If the preschool that your son attends now, has a preschool class for the 4-5 age group, I would suggest putting him in the preschool class and then in the fall of 2010 start him in kindergarden. My oldest son was also born in Nov. (Nov. 4). I put him in preschool when he was 3, almost 4 in the 3-4 year old class. Then the following year, I enrolled him in the same preschool 4-5 year old class. He started kindergarden the year after when he was almost 6. Everything worked out great, he was the smartest and most mature of his kindergarden class and the kids don't think about age because the majority of the kids will be 6 when they graduate from kindergarden (yes, they do have a kindergarden graduation, it's really cute). Good luck with your decision.
V.

I have girls, but did go through this last year. Our oldest daughter turned 5 this past November. We had her in Pre-School in the 2007/2008 school year, and enrolled her in Kindergarten for the 2008/2009 school year. In readiness testing they recommended a young 5's program for her. However, the charter school we wanted did not offer it, although they could refer us to a couple "sister" schools in the area if we wanted to go that route. Worse case scenario, she goes to Kindergarten and gets held back a year. Academically she was ready, her skills (both social and motor) are a little "immature". We decided that we would put her in Kindergarten, because then we didn't have to move her from school to school every year. Our Kindergarten program is a half day every day, and I've been in the classroom. They don't spend a lot of time on any one thing, maybe 20 minutes max. However, I've noticed that towards the end of those 20 minutes the kids are getting restless, so it seems to work. Now that we're at the end of the school year we are looking at our daughters progress and trying to decide what to do next year. Academically she is still on track with the rest of the class, gross motor skills are still a little bit behind, and there are some social behaviors that are rough. Both her teacher and tutor are recommending that we hold her back. The thing that, as parents, we need to keep in mind is that it is better to hold back in Kindergarten then an upper grade. If I had to do it all over again I probably wouldn't do it any differently. However, if it were an all day program I probably would have put her in Young 5's, I'm not sure she would have been ready for a full day kindergarten. Good luck, enrollment isn't the only thing that has changed, what they are taught is way different then when we were in school (my daughter can tell you what a continent is and what one we live on, not to mention count to 100 by 1, 2, 5 & 10).

It sounds like your son will be attending Grand Blanc schools, I am assuming that he attended Childrens Garden for preschool. Childrens Garden also has a Kindergarden Enrichment program, which is a 1/2 day, that is geared for those kids that are just not quite ready for kindergarden. There is a huge push for all day Kindergarden because of all the state grade level expectations, which makes it nearly impossible to get through with 1/2 day kindergarden. You know your son best and if you think he is just not ready for the full day I think you should talk to them about the Kindergarden Enrichment program, it is set up to have them ahead of the game when they enter Kindergarden. Good Luck!!

Our district only had all day kindergarten and I was not sure if my son would do alright being away from me since we spent from the time he was 3 1/2 -- 5 living in Canada and I had not done much preschool. He was an older 5 year old since he has an April birthday. He transition nicely into being gone all day and even though I had a newborn at home, I am the one that took longer to adjust. I also had a friend in the neighborhood who's husband believed it was best to put all their boys through 2 years of kindergarten. I am not sure when any of their birthdays were. The school was very accomodating to this and her boys had no problem going 2 years. What ever decision you will make will be the right one for you and your son. Good luck!!!

Another idea is to put him in a 1/2 day preschool in the area 3 days/week, hopefully one where he could meet kids who'd then be in his K class. With boys, I always think it's a good idea to wait another year before K, especially with a late birthday, and a full day does seem like a big jump at this age, but maybe if you wait another year & fill-in with some preschool, he'd be able to handle it. Is there a co-op preschool nearby? they're pretty cheap but you might have to get someone to watch your toddler on your work days.

My son is also 5. We is currently in 1/2 day kindergaten and next year we will place him in all day kindergarten. They did not offer young fives at our school, and I did want to switch schools. We went in with the idea that if he happened to do well, we would advance him to 1st grade, if not then all day K next year. I agree with you. Full day kindergarten is a big adjustment from 3 1/2 days a week in reschool. My son is also a young 5. There are 6 olds in his class that turned 6 in OCT and NOV and he is very behind. It is Okay though, I now know that he will do best in full day K next year. His teacher knows our plan, so she doesnt push him or pressure him a lot. Just lets him get used things and work at his own pace. She is a wonderful amazing teacher and if you want more info email me.

I think if your son already goes to preschool then the next transition would be all day.
My son started all day kindergarten last September and they still get to play and the day is split up a lot with a nap/quiet time in the afternoon after lunch. I also wondered how he would cope because he only did 3 half days at preschool but he did just great. He was a little more tired for a few weeks but soon adjusted. He is a little older (was 6 in January) but my little boy will be 5 next August so will be that much younger and I will still be sending him then.
Kids transition most things much better than adults because they don't overthink it, they just "roll with the punches". I think it's us parents who make things complicated by overthinking the whole preschool/young 5's thing.
I know how it is hard to accept all the changes when all we have to go by is what we grew up with, I'm from England and have had to navigate the totally different school system here but after sending my son to all day K and seeing the results I'm glad that's how it works here because it really does work well.
Good luck with your decision, you know in your heart what will be right for your son. :)

if your child has ever gone to daycare all day kindergarten isn't bad. we wanted all day K, (can't afford daycare for 2) and our daughter does fine a lot of the day is play, and they do gym, music, art, library, so it isn't just sitting at a desk all day.

I have two kids, my oldest (a boy) is in young 5's right now and will go straight into all day kindergarten next year. His birthday is in late September and we were a little hesitant to hold him back, but it was the best decision we ever made. I cannot say enough good things about young 5s. My son was in preschool but he wasn't the top in his class. This year he has just blossomed! The young 5s program is designed for kids just in this age group and they have so much fun and they get an extra year to go half a day every day before they jump into full day school. It has been a great experience and I'm looking forward to repeating it in two years with my daughter since she's an October birthday. Good Luck to you and your family.

I might be wrong but I thought the cut off for k was October 1st birthdays? My son started k this year, it's all day. He's always been a napper so it was a really hard adjustment for him. With bus time he was gone 9 hours a day. His bed time was moved back to 6:30 so that he could get enough sleep. I would say that even if young 5's is all day they probably have a nap or rest time. Besides from him going to bed so early I don't think all day k is bad. He looks forward to going to school every day.

Hi T.,
Definitely choose the half day program (whether it is young 5 or K). Then go for the full day K the following year. Your instincts are right -- give your son the extra time. Good Luck!

T.,

I suggest you ask the principal if you can stop by and visit one of the kindergarten class rooms and the young 5's classrooms for a few hours. Have someone watch your little ones while you are at the school, and observe the activities the children do for a period of time. Remember, these children have been in school for over 5 months now and have learned the school routine. Talk to the kindergarten and young 5's teachers when he/she has time and ask how the children were when school first started and which activities have changed since September.

If, after you have spoken with the principal and teachers, you still have real doubts about your son's abilities, you might want to consider homeschooling him for the next year and practice the skills he will need for school. There are a lot of great websites and list serves that are geared toward preschool activities and games. If you decide to go this route I can send you the links to a few websites and list serves that can get you started.

There are some great workbooks at the bookstore that can help you introduce the fine motor skills he will need in kindergarten. Remember, he may not be developmentally ready to do these well, but over time his body will catch up. If he is pushed too hard to accomplish these skills when his body is not ready he will become frustrated and will start to refuse. Keep the activities fun and focus on doing the activity together, not on the results.

You might also want to look into your local church preschool programs. One of these organizations just might have the program you are looking for.

Remember, your son may well develop skills over the summer that he doesn't have right now. If you decide to put him into a 1/2 day or all day program in the fall and find after 2 or 3 months that he is really struggling compared to his classmates, you can still pull him from school and work with him at home. Just because he starts a program does not mean he has to struggle through it for 9 months if he is truly not ready.

Good luck!

-C..

My son turned 5 in June and is in all day kindergarten. He was a little tired in the first couple of months, but now he has adjusted well. We were told that you can send them the half day if we wished but would have to drive him there for his p.m. academic class. The a.m. he is with a parapro where they cook, play with playdoh, paint, sing songs, do arts and crafts etc. I thought about what he would be doing at home during the morning hours (breakfast, TV, play a little, more TV, get ready, have lunch and go). I decided to just get him off early on the bus and let him make better use with his time. He loves school. They do get 3 recesses in kindergarten, and a snack in the a.m., lunch, and snack in p.m. I'm happy with my decision. Plus, I also have a 2 yr. old and driving might interfere with her nap. Good luck.

T.,

I have a son who turned 5 last October. He began preschool when he was 3 (turning 4) at a catholic school. My plan was to put him in a developmental Kindergarten at the public school when he was 4 going on 5 which was an all day every day program. It ended up that this program was eliminated due to financial issues (suprise!) but I was adamant that my son was too young for Kindergarten (but was too old for preschool). Anyways, we did end up keeping him in the Kindergarten class which is all day, everyday. He is doing well in the class and it turned out there there are quite a few other kids in the class that were 4 to start. The school has put the young ones with another teacher during certain lessons as many of the 4 year olds aren't developmentally ready to sit still and listen for that long of a time. They do allow a "rest time" and still have "snack time". My son has done very well as far as the academic part with reading and math, etc. He is very tired in the afternoon and tends to be kind of crabby but now he goes to bed by 8 pm without a problem. We still plan to have our son repeat Kindergarten next year as the school progresses the child along with their lessons, they won't just repeat the same things. I felt this was important that he not be pushed along too quickly, especially being a boy it will give him another year to mature, and I know most of the parents of the other young 5's will be doing the same. I hope this helps! Good luck!

T.,
First of all, give yourself a break. There is no right or wrong answer. I'm sure you will guide your son through whatever program you choose, and if it is not right for him, there is no harm in withdrawing him. That being said, I recommend trying the young 5s program, although I would look around for a half day program if you plan to do full day kindergarten (only because there really is no need to do full day at this point). My son has a December birthday and is in a full-day kindergarten class in a private school. We chose full day because of our work schedules, and I think it was the right choice for my son. He would have had a tough time adjusting to the full day and the amount of homework that we are expecting for first grade, if we had chosen a half day program. Yes, he is tired some days (he also goes to latch-key a couple of days), but they do have a rest time after lunch at school when the kids can nap and we adjusted his bedtime to a half hour earlier.
I don't know why we feel so pressured about these choices (yes, I agonized as well). I know my parents did not fret nearly as much as I do. I am guessing there just were as many choices.
Good luck, and again, take a deep breath.

Hi T.,
My advice is do what is best for your kids, Let them be kids for as long as they can. You are looking at next fall and what to do with your "baby". Think also of the long run, 13 years from now, 17yr. old HS Grad going away to college. OR you had him "wait" a year to start school, he is a little older and wiser (mature) all the away though school. He turns 18 his senior year (didn't most of us do that). BTW if you lived just about anywhere else you have to be 5 years old before you start kindergarden (most states are 5 by Sept) I have 3 kids my first a girl DOB 8/16 she went to 1/2 day K (no pre-school) at age just turned 5, second a girl DOB 11/27 she went to 1/2 day K at 5 3/4 yrs. We had her all signed up to attend K when she would turn 5 but that summer she was "screaming" MOM, DAD, I AM NOT READY TO GO TO SCHOOL though her behavior she went back to taking naps and being still a "baby" So we put her in another pre-school. My third child is a boy DOB 12/4 so he had to wait until he was turning 6 to start and he had one year of pre-school. If I had it to do again I might have made my oldest wait also. however she is doing great as a Jr in HS (5th in a class of 288). It was the best thing I ever did for my younger girl to have her wait, she is a better student than her sister. My kids are all great kids and they all get mostly A's report cards. Listen to your kids they will tell you loud and clear by their behavior what is best for them. ---M.

My oldest is 25. He did young 5's and it was a half day class. I will never know for sure if he could've handled mainline kindergarten without young 5's or not. He's none the worse for it. Eventually it became young 6's and then was discontinued altogther.

In a way it put him at the top of his class. That is, he was held back a year, but he was one of the top kids in his elementary classes, being able to help others in his class with, e.g., reading difficulties or something, which is a self esteem booster in itself.
Don't worry too much about it T.. If you feel he needs a little slower tempo----and really what's the huge rush anyway to have geniuses?----then that's what's important. If later he's frustrated that he is feeling held back, there's Sylvan learning centers that could get him up to par and perhaps in the advanced classes.

Both of our children participated in Kindergarden Complement (day care) at the elementary school in the morning, ate lunch there, and then attended afternoon kindergarden. They both were accustomed to day care since my husband and I both work full time. Our daughter was a very young 5 (August birthday), our son was an older 5 (May birthday). They both really enjoyed being at school all day, and were used to no naps. Our daughter has been a little behind in some of her understanding at times but seems to be catching up. Good luck with your decision.
H.

Personally I would not send him to Kindergarten if he is not going to be 5 until November. I know you have the right too, but all of my teacher friends that know they can speak candidly to me have always said you can tell the kids that have been 5 for a while versus barely 5 or not 5 the day they walked in the door-including the teachers that get them in 2nd grade. If you are concerned about all day young fives then how do you think your child is ready for Kindergarten, young fives prepares them for that more inteste sructure. Yes, it is all day and yes it will be an adjustment however what did they really say about the program. My guess that it is probably balanced with education and play education so that the chold does not get bored but gets used to the classroom setting.

However, if you are still not ready for that, maybe check out a private option. I have a friend who put thier daughter in a young fives at a Lutheran School in Flint because she did not like the Grand Blanc options.

I know we all went through half day, but times have changed and the schools are all trying to keep up. What worked for us is not working for our kids to fulfill the state requirements. Is it fair, well maybe we would be complaining if they were not ready for college when it was time.

My kids were in daycare last year when I worked full time, and then this year I cut way down on work and put them in a half day preschool. Well, they were miserable! They love school, eating with the peers,playground time etc. I ended up putting them in an afternoon daycare program 3 days a week so they could have some of that socialization and structure. I actually really hope the kindergarten here is full time next year, I would definitely enroll my guys. All kids are different though and if yours isn't ready for the entire day, I don't see why half would be bad. My kids are in speech too and the extra time with peers has really helped them.

Question.....you say your son's in preschool.....a few hours? half day? whole day?
My son went to a preschool full time and made the transition to full-day K without a hitch (August baby). If your son is in preschool even half time, the move to full time in young 5's will help him prepare for all-day K.
I don't know much about young 5's programs, but I would assume they have downtime just like K did for the first half of the year. They had times for teaching, quiet independent work and full-out rest times throughout the day.

I am a big believer in young 5's, my son's birthday is at the end of October and he did young 5's but it was also 1/2 day. I remember going back and forth on my decision but he is now in 3rd grade and I am so happy that we took that extra year before we put him in kindergarten. The fact that it is a whole day does make it hard because I think that is long for that age as well. Hopefully they reconsider the whole day which will make your decision easier. Good Luck!

Wow I feel like I wrote this. You must be my twin or something. I'm 28 and have two boys ages 4 and 2. I'm am soooo confused on what to do. My 4 year olds bday is in August and he also is in speech therapy. So I'm confused on whether to do Junior or regular kinder.. I live in Brighton and they are actually closing Miller(which was only Kindergarten) and now they will all go to the closest elementary. I think they are still offering JK and half day Kinder..but now I'm not sure if I want to have him in these schools at all. I don't want my son to be the test group for this new transition. I'm considering the Charyl Stockwell Academy and absolutely love the school but he would have to go for 2 whole days (8:25-4) and a half day on fridays but I just think that's way to long of a day for him right now. To go from 3 hrs in preschool to that would be overwhelming. If they added a PM class that would be great. But I also have to consider the fact that if I started him there I would most likely keep him there and I'm afraid he would miss out on meeting new friends around our house. Ahhh its so hard to make these decisions now. So I guess I have 3 options now. I want what's best for my son and I want him to like school and feel confident. I liked the idea of smaller classes because he does have a little issue with articulating his speech and the last thing I would want is for a kid to make fun of him. And IF that happened I would hope to be informed so I can talk to him about it. I'm afraid with the kindergarten moving to the elementary that the classes will be larger and maybe not enough attention on the kids, as the teachers will be adjusting themselves. I am leaning away from JK now (I think :) ) because he is a fast learner and he's doing great and I don't want him to not be challenged enough and get bored BUT on the social end I don't want him feeling shy and not confident because of his speech.
Like you said, when did it get so hard to decide on kindergarten?? Maybe its the schools and the districts fault for changing things.
If you get any good feedback from anyone let me know :)
Or if you come to any decision.
Its weird how much we have in common. Oh and I also have been married for 5 years. So with our situations being so similar I'd like to know what kind of advice you might get or what u may do since we have the same dilemma. I was going to post the same question but now I don't have to. I know people are going to say your the parent and you know your child best, even so I'm still having such a hard time making a decision. I'd like to hear what other mommys have to say and what they've been through. So anyone reading this if u have any input for me too I'd really really appreciate it.
Thanks. And sorry if I didn't have any advice but now you know there's someone else out there going through the SAME thing.

I know I will be biased with this, but I HIGHLY recommend homeschooling, even if you do it this one year - even if you work - etc. Yes, I am a homeschool mom (of over 17 years) but I know (having 5 boys) that boys tend to be slower learners. I've read an excellent book by a doctor/teacher named Raymond Moore called "Better Late than Early" (should be able to find in your library system) that boys should not even begin formal education until age 9. Several of my boys were late learners - did not learn to read until age 9 or 10 - and easily caught up (one of these 'ADD' boys tested for college in the 95 percentile).

Anyway, your child does not HAVE to go to school at this age. I personally do agree with you that he is too young to spend this much time in school all day, possibly every day. He can go another year - it will not hurt him, and especially for a boy, it may greatly help him with learning at home, so that he is not held back in future years. You can teach him very basic things at home, even if you are a working mom. Just having him participate with you with counting dishes he dries, helping him cut things into 1/2's 1/4's, etc., learning to write his name, etc. You can find basic pre-k and k workbooks at various stores (including Sam's Club, Walmart, bookstores), that will help IF you want to do this.

Give him more time at home. It will be worth it (and hey! You might want to continue homeschooling!) :)

L.
Mom of a Dozen
http://writingcanvas.wordpress.com

Hi T.:

I'm totally with you! Why do they have to make it all so complicated? And what is the big rush pushing kids to do all day! I have a son, and we did a half-day young five's program through community education.

When I was initially trying to decide what to do with our son, I spoke to a lot of parents. Parents who chose to do young fives, and parents who opted not to. The consensus of parents who did young fives was overwhelmingly positive. They had absolutely no regrets for waiting to start kindergarten. On the other hand, I spoke with several parents who regretted NOT waiting to start kindergarten. Especially with boys!

When our son was ready to start kindergarten, we opted for the half-day program. On a side note: I disagree with the person who told you the half-day kindergarten program is rushed. I believe if you look at the full-day program, you will find lots of play time, rest, and some "fun" hands-on type activities that are used to reinforce what was learned that day. Things you could easily do at home with your child if you chose.

I suggest looking around at different preschools in your area and see if one offers a half-day young five's program.
Best of luck to you!

I thought the same thing, my son did 2 years of kindergarten due to a late birthday also. The children adjust to the new schedule of all day. Maybe they are a little tired in September, but by the beginning of October, they are in full swing. Keep in mind, that kindergarten just isn't for September when they seem younger, it has to meet his needs for the entire school year. If you put him in a half day program, he would probably be bored by the mdidle of the year. The children adjust much faster than the children do.

It is certainly frustrating when our children are beginning a new phase in their lives if we think that they aren't ready. However, what is is. You know?

On an up-side, I work in an all day Kindergarten and MOST of the kids do great.

Keep your chin up! If you are freaking out, so will your little student. :)

S.

First, he is a VERY young 5 for kindergarten, 1/2 or full day. My oldest daughter has a November birthday. She had been in Montessori school since she was two. She did a kindergarten year at Montessori and the time came to decide if she should go on to first grade. She could do all the work, got along fine with the peer thing and I thought I was doing the right thing by sending her to first grade. All that went along fine until about 7th grade. Again she could handle the schoolwork but the peer thing got to be a problem. There were ALOT of kids who had been held back due to just being a boy or because at that time parents had just held back...no reason. When she started first grade we lived in Indiana where there was no cut off...5 before 12/31. Then we moved to Colorado and she was still fine. But when we got to Michigan, we found that there were alot of kids who had been held back and some of them were almost 2 years older than she was. Since she had finished 6th grade, we were not allowed to hold her back, I could see it coming! This was a nightmare in highschool. She was 13 when she stared 9th grade. This story could get very long...she had a difficult time in high school, she did graduate from college and got her Master's quickly. She is 30 now, very happily married with 3 darling babies! It's a tough call. Had she been held back she wouldn't be where she is now, but at the same time the middle/high school years were quite challenging. Your little one has other issues to deal with than his young-ness. I would hold him back, keep him in preschool and do the kindergarten thing NEXT year, fall of 2010. He will be more mature, have more help with his speech under his belt and I feel, will have more confidence. Good Luck with your decision!

My Daughter did all day K. I know some teachers have them take a napesome time after lunch. I am not sure if your school distriect will do this or not. It might be better for your son to go all day as he may be pulled out for speach some time during the day a few times a week.

My son's birthday has a late November birthday. He started preschool at 2, headstart at 3, and all day kindergarten at 4. He's in the first grade now. He's actually done exceptionally well because he is much more comfortable in a classroom than some of the other children in the class who had half day kindergarten. Some of the other kids get antsy after lunch, because last year that's the time they were getting ready to go home.
Half day kindergarten & all day kindergarten students have to make the same leap to first grade, so sometimes trying to put them in a similar environment is bettter for when the transition comes.

Wait a year. I have two children with late bdays. One is now in high school. Think beyond if he will be tired at the end of the week. What about when everyone else is driving and he's 9 months to a year younger. I did not regret holding my son out of K one more year. He has a friend a whole year younger and there is a huge difference yet today and they are in the upper elementary grades. Hold on.