Kindergarten Ready?

[tiredmomof2]

I have a child (my oldest) turning 5 in late April.  I am trying to make a decision if he will be ready to attend full day kindergarten this fall.  The cut off date for my area is August 31st (must be 5 by that time).  I have been surprised by the large number of boys being held back in my area.  If they have a summer birthday it is pretty much a given that they will not attend on time.  About 50 - 60% of boys with March, April and May birthdays are held back as well.  My son has had no developmental delays or speech delays.  He is very social in his preschool and is well liked by the teachers and his peers.  His behavior at school has always been excellent.  We have had some behavioral problems at home with controlling anger and frustration which has improved greatly over the last 6 months.  His preschool teacher feels he is ready to attend Kindergarten and he is very eager to learn.  I can't seem to come to peace with this decision.  Many Mom's in my area with older children are passionate about this subject that boys need to be held back.  And they have some valid points. And so many are that if I send him this year, he will always be one of the youngest boys in his class.  The last thing I want to do is wish for the next 13 years that I had held him back, now would be the time to do it.  What are your thoughts and observations on this subject?

[momkg3]

I am a mom of boys & I can tell you that the signs are there if he is ready for kindergarten or not. Most boys are immature meaning they are not able to focus on one task - their little minds are jumping all over the place! In these situations it is reasonable to allow an extra year to mature. If your son is a good listener, focused, follows directions, can work independantly as well as in groups & knows his letters & numbers & is diplaying an interest in writing & is eager to learn then I would say he is ready. Sometimes it's that jump from kindergarten to 1st grade that worries parents but if he has a good foundation in kindergarten he will do just fine! Good luck!

[daycare mom]

I think if your son does well in preschool, and is regularly around other children and is socially adjusted that there is no reason to hold him back. if he's ready, then it could do more harm than good. My son will be five this month, and he is more ready to go than his sister was. She had a late summer birthday, and I sent her and she struggled the first three years. she is going great now, it was just hard on her at first.

[Tula]

My son is alomost 16 and his birthday is in may I started him in school  when he was 5.  you know your son better then anyone.
my son is very sweet and smart too i felt he was ready and he loved it so much.  he is a A student and does very well to this day.  good luck you have to trust your intuition and if you feel he is ready go for it!!!!!!!  God bless

[tiredmomof2]

Thank you!  That is what I needed to hear!

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

This idea that boys should be delayed in starting their formal schooling is mistaken. There is no solid foundation for such an approach. While it can be true that, for an individual child who may not be 'ready' either cognitively or emotionally, holding them back from entering kindergarten can be sensible, as a general rule it is not a good idea. There is every indication that your son is fully prepared, and you would actually be doing him a disservice by waiting. There is nothing to be gained from that approach if a child is developing normally. And, relative to kindergarten-age children, he will not be young for his grade.
As you can see, what I am encouraging you to do is what is best for your child. Never mind what might be in vogue among other parents. All you need to do is look at the many generations of children who have started kindergarten at age five.