D.M. asks from Bolingbrook, IL on November 02, 2009
Did You Test Your Child for Early Admission to K--just Missed Cut off Date??
Hi ladies,
I am looking for moms who tested their child for early admission to kindergarten... I want to hear pros/cons... my 3 year old (with Sept b-day).. is constantly being told how smart he is. I know we all think our kids are gifted (and they are!!!), but he is my 3rd, so I do have 2 others to compare... who are both doing very well in school...although my 1st grader is starting to have issues with behavior, due to being bored in class... ugh...
My 3 year old is a boy, so I understand maybe being the oldest in class would be better than the youngest(if admitted early)... but he already knows all his colors, numbers, letters, and is starting to read. He can carry on long conversations with adults, and has no speech issues. I was a straight A student, as was in gifted classes as a child, but I know the focus now is more on 'no child left behind' and getting the struggling students up to speed.... I am just wondering at what point it is 'ok' to pursue the testing for early admission... or should I just let him be the 'smart kid' in his class...
please let me know if you have dealt with this..
Thanks!
More Answers
C.S. answers from Chicago on November 03, 2009
Coming from a family of teachers, it is not that the child is smart, it is do they have the fine motor skills and the maturity level. Can they hold a pencil to write and sit still for periods of time. All children are different. I have 3 boys and they were raised the same and are all different. Boys especially lack the maturity that girls have at an early age. My boys have July, August, and September birthdays. I held them and I am very happy for my decision.
M.O. answers from Chicago on November 03, 2009
My daughter's b-day isn't untill December, and I put her in private school so she could start kindrrgarden. Now in 4th grade,(now in public school) doing great. I would recommend doing it, especially with the 2nd kid being bored in school.
T.W. answers from Chicago on November 03, 2009
Such a diffucult issue, but w/ him being a boy....(I have two boys, one will be five in Feb, and the other is 10 and in the gifted program @ school ) I would wait. Like the teacher above stated, it's more the maturity. Boys grow slower than girls, and mature slower emotionally. That's great that he's smart, and can hold conversations w/ adults, but he needs to be able to hold his own w/ kids his own age too! My 10 year old was very smart academically, but a little behind emotionally, as he didn't "hang" w/ kids his own age when he was that age! Very good boy, but kept to himself alot!! He's now doing AWESOME, and came into his own w/ friends, which started in 3rd grade!! It's so easy to keep your gifted children stimulated at home! Museums, zoo, movies, novels, etc!! However, it's hard for them if they are not mature enough to be w/ kids a year older.....Good Luck!!
N.P. answers from Chicago on November 03, 2009
in lots of school districts they won't even let you take the test at all anymore. I had a daycare boy that missed the cut off by 3 weeks. He was reading for my by Christmas. His mom looked into private kindergarten - if it's an accredited kindergarten and he finishes there then they have to let him enter 1st grade the next year - but all of them were over $200 a week for the kindergarten.
Email