I am amazed to say that I have a 5 year old on my hands! How did the time fly by so fast? The thoughts of Kindergarten Round-Up and getting my Kindergartener ready for her first time at school are swirling in my brain!
But, how do you know for sure that your child is ready to head to Kindergarten? Just because they are 5, may not mean it is time. Check out my Top 5 Reasons you might want to wait on sending your child to Kindergarten:
1. Age: Is your child’s birthday close to the cut-off date for Kindergarten in your state? Our cutoff in Missouri is August 1st. If you child turns 5 on July 22, it may benefit your child to wait a year. Consider that your child will be the last in his/her class to drive and may have a tendency to be a follower, rather than a leader.
2. Basic Academic Skills: Your child’s kindergarten expectations will be much different than yours when you attended Kindergarten. As many say: Kindergarten is the new First Grade. With so many expectations placed on your child, you want to make sure your child has the basics down to be success.
3. Maturity: Academic skills are not the only thing to consider when thinking about Kindergarten. While most 5 year olds don’t have a huge attention span, they will be expected to sit quietly and work independently, among other things.
4. They will Catch Up: I whole-heartedly disagree with the sink or swim theory. You know, throw them into the Kindergarten world and see if they sink or swim. I have heard lots of parents say, “Well if they don’t do well this year, I will have them do kindergarten again”. Or, “I will get them a tutor over the summer and then they will be ready.” While these theories sound good, they rarely ever end well. Holding a child back is not always an easy process within the school or socially. The decision you make now will affect your child the rest of their school years.
5. Don’t let outside sources influence your decision: Listen to your gut when it comes to making the decision on Kindergarten. Don’t let friends, family members or anyone else sway your decision. You know your child best. Also, many parents no longer want to pay childcare expenses and this weighs heavily on the decision. I urge you to think about what is best for your child in the long run. Once starting Kindergarten they will be in school for 13+ years!
Ok... she is ALL KINDS of adorable!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Deedee! So excited to have you comment on my blog! You are like blogging royalty :)
DeleteThank you for this post! You said it well....I wish more of my parents could look at their child's schooling in this light. Most take it very personally as if they did something wrong or I am telling them their is something wrong with their child. One thing I never say is "holding their child back". I like to say they are deliberately setting their child in the path of success. I have so many parents including myself thankful they made the decision to wait a year, and I've had many regret not listening to me. I think they think it is not possible to see the signs at four, but I can and I have learned to trust my instinct! Again, GREAT POST!! Your daughter us adorable. Mine baby girl is graduating college in May!! Where does the time go???
DeleteLiz
Thank you for this post! You said it well....I wish more of my parents could look at their child's schooling in this light. Most take it very personally as if they did something wrong or I am telling them their is something wrong with their child. One thing I never say is "holding their child back". I like to say they are deliberately setting their child in the path of success. I have so many parents including myself thankful they made the decision to wait a year, and I've had many regret not listening to me. I think they think it is not possible to see the signs at four, but I can and I have learned to trust my instinct! Again, GREAT POST!! Your daughter us adorable. Mine baby girl is graduating college in May!! Where does the time go???
DeleteLiz
I couldn't agree more with you. Giving your child an extra year to grow is a gift!
ReplyDelete