Kindergarten in the Fall or Wait

I have a daughter that is going to be 5 in May she is currently in headstart but still has the same problems that you are describing.. her headstart teachers recommended that we do headstart again next year... I have 3 grown children.. and I think we rushed them through.. the only one that didn't have major problems in school was 6 in kindergarten.. the other 2 were 5 and had ALOT of problems.. so with them as a guideline, I would rather have her repeat headstart than end up having problems later..
But each child is different.. I had one son that ended up being held back in 2nd grade and I feel it was very detrimental to his scholastic acheivements.. he was very upset that his friends went forward and he didn't..
So if there is any chance of problems, I feel starting kindergarten a year later is better than later problems when social is such a big issue!
I hope this helps.. you could also talk to a headstart of kindergarten teacher.. that might give you some insight
Hope it all works out
K. K.

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WAIT, do not send your child...especially if it is a full day K ! As a K teacher for 18 years, I have had many friends, family, and classroom parents agonize about this decision. Their decisions have gone both ways. But, I have never had a parent regret keeping them home an extra year and had many regret sending the kids. At least 2 had their kids repeat K (with great success the second year- but lots of tears the first year). There is so much pressure to learn to read in K these days as a result of No child left behind. The amount of testing due to accountability is out of control. It seems great in theory, but when it is your 5 year old taking high stakes tests several times a year, perspective changes a bit.

Think of it long term...most kids born in the year 2003 have a life expectancy of around 100 years. Why rush school? If your child reads at 5 or 6 what difference does it make? If they live to 100 will it really matter if they read for 95 or 94 of those years?

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Follow your heart, you know your son. If you think it would be better to wait, then wait and be confident in your decision. My daughter has an August birthday and we sent her to Kindergarten, having just turned 5. She has done great and I don't regret the decision. I know it's pretty typical for girls to be ready for school before boys, so this follows that line of thinking. My sister has a son who has the same August birthday as my daughter and she waited with him for the next year and has not regretted her decision. You know best.

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Hi S. :)

It is definitely a tough decision, huh? I am a Kindergarten teacher and I know so many parents that struggle with the decision.

It sounds to me like your gut is telling you to wait a year. From the experience I have with parents, I have never met a parent who regretted waiting. Remind yourself that the decision is not about whether or not your child is bright enough---I am sure he is! :) All children come to school with gifts. I think you are wise to factor in the social/emotional piece. Kindergarten readiness is definitely about the social/emotional piece first and foremost. The academics always come... Don't get me wrong, they are important...but K is about learning to be a good friend (developing social skills), nurturing a love of learning, exploring curiousities, and having FUN!

Another mom posted about K not being the issue as much as the years that follow. I couldn't agree more. Your little guy would be just fine in K. There should be plenty of time for free exploratory play and gym time and outside time (though the k programs continue to get more intense--not a trend us teachers like to see). However, at least in my district---first grade is definitely a big jump from K and the free "choice time" just isn't there--the academic curriculum really takes priority (it has to as there is so much to cover). I also think about the adolescent years...puberty, driver's license, etc. These are all things I am sure you have thought about. :)

Do you have all day K and half-day? If you go with sending him, maybe half-day K is a good fit? That way, he would have half of his day with less structure and more opportunities for other activities to burn off that energy. :) For the extra busy little ones, sometimes all day k is just too much. This is particularly true for the little ones who are less interested in school right now (believe me---that will come) and more interested in free play time. Jeez...they are only 5...who wouldn't want more time to just play?! :)

You know your little cutie best. If you think he is ready, go for it. He'll be just fine. If you think you should wait a year, he'll be just fine then too. :) Best of luck with your decision.

Take care-L.

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Paresonally I would start him. I am speaking of experience with a child who started older than the other kids. They sometimes feel left out because they are older, bigger, etc.
School has a totally different structure than home or daycare. I am pretty sure your son will do just fine. There will be planty of other kids his age in there with all different types of personality. Also maybe your son is bored and that is why he seems hyper. School gives them plenty of things to do in a very structured invironment. Again I would say to start him.

My daughter is in Kindergarten this year but was a winter baby. My son was a late winter baby and I enrolled him at 5 1/2.

I live in a small town so I know a lot of the moms with summer babies. There are different approaches. If their kids are summer bdays but seem to be bored at daycare or preschool they enrolled them in K. One Mom had them (twins) repeat K. This caused other problems like being left behind from their friends (they did adapt later in the year).

But other moms waited and seemed happy they did. This is the child's first experience with "real" school. You don't want them entering if they're not ready. Teachers would also advise you to wait if you think your child isn't ready yet. If they become disruptive because they aren't ready to handle K, it's not fair to the teacher, other kids and it sets a bad precedent for your child. I doubt the structure will calm him down.

My advice is to wait. It is not a failure on your part that he isn't ready. I have always heard the advise that if the child is a girl and only 5 that would usually be okay. If it is a boy and 5, it is usually best to wait until next year.

You know your child best. Don't worry if kids his age are entering school already. Do what is best for him.

Hi! I've been reading a lot of books on boys and based on brain development (later), maturity, and general social styles, I plan to have my son wait until he is 6 (and his birthday is in March). Boys are so much more active than girls are (in general) and forcing them to sit and learn when they're not genetically inclined to do so is akin to torture. And educators are now expecting more of kindergardeners then was expected of us. I'd wait!

Have him go through Screenings and round up. Get the advice of the teacher he spends the round up time with. There is another good option in some districts, some kind of pre-kindergarten. It's a 5 day a week, full day pre kindergarten program. Ask in your district if they have such a program. Gives lots of school experience and lets them mature to be ready for kindergarten the next year.
Good luck!

i have never heard a parent complain about wait to send their child to school, but i have heard parents wishing they would have waited to sent their child...

Send him to School! He needs to get ready for grade school. Even Head Start would have helped him. Any education you can get for him will help.

I am in the same situation. I have a son who will also be 5 this summer and has a ton of energy. His 4K teacher and I keep going back and forth on what to do. When I ask others they say send him...he is so bright he will calm down as he matures. But what if he doesn't? Am I setting him up to fail? I here ya sister,this is not an easy decision. He has kindergarten round up in April and I have enrolled him in a summer program. I figure after both of these things I will know what to do.

Read "Boys Adrift" by Dr. Leonard Sax.

You can read about the book and get the gist of it here: http://www.boysadrift.com/

Kindergartens today are often not developmentally appropriate for a 5 y.o. boy. - they're much more like 1st grade was when we were kids.

We have a son who is now 17 (a junior) who had an August birthday. We decided to wait on kindergarten for him till he was 6, even though he did not seem immature or unready really, and was even big for his age. We have never been sorry. He has done above average in school, and also did well in athletics because of his size. Boys are known to mature slower and grow later than girls anyway. I have never met ANYONE who held their child back for kindergarten say they wish they had not. We did send him to preschool, though, when he was 5. It sounds to me that with your sons energy level and distractiveness, that school could be more challenging right now for him and that maybe a year would bring about that maturation for him to be able to focus more. You have to decide what's right for you. Maybe the structure of preschool would give him a chance to get used to the idea in smaller doses...if he isn't already in one.

I also have a daughter who waited an extra year for kindergarten with a June birthday, because in Indiana, where we lived at the time, their entry date was "be 5 by June 1st" for kindergarten. She has done just fine with that and is 19 and a college freshman now. My youngest daughter, 14, a high school freshman, is also doing fine in school (with a July birthday) and we did NOT hold her back, but she has a much more organized and motivated personality than my son. :-) Again, you have to decide what's best for you, but I just wanted to assure you that waiting doesn't ever seem to be a bad thing.

BTW I am a stay at home mom of 3 teenagers and happily married, with a degree in education, and am very new to Mamasource. Many questions relate to much younger children on here, but I felt I could respond to this one, taking my experience into account. :-) Hope it helps.

My daughter's birthday is 8/29 I sent her at 5 and sooooooooo regret it. She is bright, did well in preschool and we all thought oh she's fine she's ready. She is a year younger than everyone, and that one year is HUGE with maturity factor. Kindergarten is one thing but First grade is a whole different problem, it's easy to squeak through K but when they get to first grade it's nothing but strictness, sitting still, listening skills, working as a team etc. That's where your son might get caught up. Honestly from what you've said I'd keep him home another year. My daughter is in the gifted program and bright like I said but has really strugled emotionally, and with maturity.

Our elementary school offers 4K so we were lucky enough to send our 4 1/2 year old to school early. She is a very active and easily distracted child but I think that 4K has done a TON for her.. she has learned lots and does great with the structure. I think if we wouldn't have sent her to 4K that I would be scared about sending her right into Kindergarten. I think there are a lot of misconseptions about what kids should know going into kindergarten - her teacher said just the basics.. colors, shapes, count to 10, ABCs She just turned 5 and I think she will definately be ready for full day kindergarten in the fall. I think that if your son is 5 that he should go to school... he will love it and so will you! Do you know other kids his age? You will probably be surprised at how they almost all act the same!

Boy, I have learned a lot from reading your responses. I sent my 5 year old boy (June birthday) to Kindergarten this year. He is very bright, but has separation issues. After reading your responses maybe I sent him too early. He was bored in preschool and I had never even considered not sending him. My 19 month old has a late August birthday, so we will be faced with this again in a few years. We will definately need to look into this further next time. Good Luck to you and thank you for your question!!! I learned a lot.

You don't say if your son has been going to a day-care or pre-school. This is very helpful in preparing him for regular school. He must be able to sit still and listen to a teacher, relate well to others his age, able to express himself in telling others about his home, personal activities, likes or dislikes-acting more grown-up than like a toddler!! Don't worry about the reading/writing. That will come naturally when he is in contact with others his age. Also, can you drop him off at school without him crying and not wanting you to leave. that is very important. Never mind the fact that YOU may cry after he leaves!!!!! That is natural with the first child!! If possible, visit with his future teacher as soon as possible. She/he will be a big help.

I volunteer in both my daughter's Kindergarten classes each week.(Yes twins). There are many kids who were held back due to a birthday in the summer but should have gone to school when they turned five. The issue with these kids are they socially way above their peers and sometimes don't fit in. I can tell which kids could of went to school the previous year it is that obivous. But their are other kids who should have stayed home and didn't.(again very obivous) Here are somethings to think about 1. does your son go to preschool program now? Is this program half day or full day? What does his teachers have to say? 2. Most schools have a Kindergarten roundup sometime between April or May, have him go and ask the teachers to evaluate him for readiness. They are use to this and prefer for kids to go to school when ready and not held back. It is hard to challenge one student who is way above the class due to being a year older when the rest of the class is no at that level.
I have a former coworker who held his son back (not sure why, but I'm thinking so he would be better than the rest of the kids-parents are snobby that way) but it backfired on them. He started to hate school and his skills were going backwards. He was so far advanced that the teachers used him to be a peer helper and his Kindergarten class was half day. I won't mention that his social skills were way above his peers. He went to a Goddard preschool fullday to half day Kindergarten class where he was not challenged. But if he would have gone when turned 5 (mind you his birthday was early June and classes started late August) he would have been more challenged and enjoyed Kindergarten.
So you see there are many pros and cons for each decision but you need to get input from his teachers or the teachers at his new school prior to making a decision.

My dd turned 5 last June and I did put her in kindergarten. She had gone to half day preschool 4 days a week the previous year and had been in day care before that. She was bored in daycare and sometimes in preschool but "bored" was one of her favorite words. I wanted her to be a bit challenged (i hoped) in kindergarten. She's learned a LOT and has done good with having that schedule. She's in kindergarten in the morning an extended day program in the afternoon. She has always been a very "busy" child as well and likes to be doing multiple things at once. She also always wanted to know what we were doing next. I think going to Kindergarten has been great for her.

I did one of each with my 2 boys...one's birthday was the end of July and I waited an extra year to start him and never regretted doing so. He was more mature socially and had no trouble in school. The older son's birthday was in December and he started school the following year. I often wished I had waited for him to start another year as he was small in stature and had problems with school and socially.

My daughter has a July b-day and I sent her at 5 only because she had been in a pre-K program for 2 years. She has done just fine this year. I would go to any of the Round ups. Or even see if your school has a kindergarten summer school and see if they would allow him to go for that and see how he does. I sent my daughter so she would get used to going to school all day. She has doe just fine and is loving school.

S.,
All 3 of my boys were held back before kindergarten, 2 because of birthdays and 1 because he turned 5 a week before school and I don't regret keeping him back. But what we did was take them to kindergarten round up, the teacher evaluates them and lets the parents know if the child should wait or can attend and then you decide from there. I suggest if you have concerns to go to the teacher who teaches them and let them help decide. Good luck!

my advice is, when in doubt, wait it out. you would much rather have a child that is ahead in something than behind. it is so much easier to help a kid that is ahead than one that is behind. i was always ahead in school and it gave me LOTS of confidence. when you are behind, it doesnt take long to feel bad about it. so no question, i would wait. theres always ECFE or learning readiness! and if you have a school that combines classes, it is easier for them to take a class ahead in one subject and behind in another.

We held our son back as he had an early July birthday and my husband and I don't regret it one bit. We had him tested when he just turned 4 and we were told he was academically ready but not socially. Our son too has a lot of energy. He is now in 1st grade and as they predicted, he is doing great academically but still needs work on the social side. I feel he would be behind academically if we sent him at the age of 5. The social part, we hope, in time will develop.

I have never heard of anyone being sorry they waited. It would be nice to be the oldest in class instead of youngest i would think. I'm sending my soon to be 6 son to kindergarten in the fall.

I have a son that has a summer birthday that is probably the shyiest child you would have ever met. We went ahead and sent him to Kindergarten to help him come out of his shell. It worked wonderfully we are almost done with kindergarten. He is very excited for first grade. I think you should send him.

Our son turns 5 in August as well, however, we did decide to wait until next year for Kindergarten. (so he will have just turned 6 when entering). When speaking to 3 different family friends who happen to be Kindergarten teachers, I was given the same advice by all - to wait until he was 6. I was also told by our school district's social worker (the person I had to speak to in order to get our son switched to next year's mailing list) that he would probably fall in the middle of the pack - age-wise - if we waited. She said that many families were waiting a year - even when their kids' birthdays were not in the summer.

All of this said, we are also lucky to have public pre-kindergarten offered to us at the elementary school - which he will begin this fall.

hope that helps. I agonized over the decision for weeks while we were making it.

My daughter will be 4 at the end of August and I've decided to enroll her. Only because she is calm, shows interest in learning, and listens to instructions. If she was not like this then I would wait. With what you describe I would consider waiting and working on him paying attention and teaching him things yourself to prepare him. Sometimes high schools offer a child development program where high school students teach the kids and it's like a preschool but you have the high school teacher and maybe a teachers aid. My old high school has such a thing. We did it last year and it was great. They have another one coming up in April. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have additional questions.

Thanks.

I was told that they do not know if a kind. was ready until the child has entered the 5th grade. At which time it is to late. If you have any hesitation I remcommend you wait! I am a mom of 3 older boys, one with a March birthday and I wish I would have waited.

I am very glad you asked this question i have a 2 year old that has a july birthday and i have worried and worried over when to sent him to kindergarden. (seems silly to think about so early!!) I think i will hold off for a year he is soooo busy and i think it would help his maturity level so much! thanks!!

I am a mother of five and my advice would be to send him. Kindergarten is a lot of fun and full of learning. The teachers are used to energetic boys and if he doesn't grasp some of the more important learning aspects...he can always repeat kindergarten. We did this with our child and he has no scars from repeating a grade...it was the best thing we could have done. Kindergarten is a whole lot more than reading and writing!!

My son who is now 16 has a summer birthday and we waited an extra year before sending him to kdg..During the extra year i found a four morning pre-k program which was super. It was the best decision we could have made to help him succeed in school and with peers. We also have next door neighbors who have a son, the same age,they sent him instead of holding him back...our boys are exactly the same age. She now says to me that she wishes she would have waited. He's had attention issues all through school. It was a tough deciusion at the time but in my heart I knew he would be better off with a little more maturity.

Wait! I've never known anyone who regretted holding their child back but I've known plenty that wished they had - including me. I have 3 girls and all three fall into this scenario (birthdays in June, Sept., and Oct.). We sent the first one but she had been 5 for a little while and kindergarten was half day. We sent the second one at 4 with half day kindergarten and she was fine but now she is in 4th grade and I'm starting to worry about her maturity heading toward Jr. High. My last is in kindergarten right now and we waited. She turned 6 in Sept. The best thing we did especially since it is all day kindergarten now. Her attention span is just right, she has adjusted to her friends being a grade ahead, and she is considered a leader in her classroom. My best advice is to wait based on birthday but even more, a boy should wait if at all possible! Their maturity and ability to keep attention focused is different than for girls. I was a preschool teacher and saw this regularly and often recommended to parents to opt for another year of preschool. Again, you won't regret waiting but you may regret sending later on. Good luck!
L.

Hi S. my name is S. I have a 5 yr old son who is in 4K this year, his birthday is in September. He has really enjoyed being in school this year and it has helped with his energy level. But he is doing fine and I think your little one will too, it also helps with them making new friends, I would have to say that is the most enjoyable part for my son. Also learning new things,his teacher is Mrs.Brom she is super smart and works very well with the children; she also addresses any concerns or problems with parents as soon as she sees something.

Our son is a late June baby and we were on the fence as well. I spoke with his preschool teachers at length and they assured me there were no concerns to send him when he turned five. We decided to do it and he has done pretty well (first grader now) BUT...he will always be one of the youngest in the class and in most athletic endeavors. I know eventually it won't matter, but when they're so young, a year can make a huge difference.

You know your son best...trust your instinct!

S. I too have a summer Birthday boy and we decided to wait he will be 6 this summer and will enter Kindergarten in the fall. I enrolled him in preschool for this year and he loves it but I'm glad I waited because just 3 hours of school wears him out just enough. We looked at in the grand view of it all also he would have been the youngest in his class, so the last to lose his teeth, turn the next year older, learn to drive ect. If you think your son would handle all of that social stuff well and he does really well at writing and reading he may be ready. I have no regrets waiting I stay at home with our kids and I have had a whole nother year with my son and I would not have traded that for anything he may have learned in school this year.

I think you are definately the besdt judge of wether or not your son is ready. I have read a book called "Raising Cain" and it is about boys and their emotional life and I think I will definately be waiting to start our son. Especially with the way the American education system is, it does not cater to boys needs, it actually puts them in the position of being "bad" alot. It is more set up for girls. If you have the time I really suggest reading the book, it is so helpful in raising boys!
A. Mommy to Noah

We have twins (boys) that turned 5 in the summer also. We decided they just weren't ready for the full day of structure so we waited. I do not regret it at all at this point. (We are nearing the end of Kindergarten right now) I just didn't want to set them up for failure. They have had a great year so far. In the end, you know your kid best, go with your gut. I think that helps us moms out more than we will ever know :-) Do you have all day kindergarten there? Has he been in preschool and had to deal with a little structure already? This is just our experience with these particular kids. I have a daughter also. IF she would of had a summer birthday, I definitely would of sent her, but alas, her birthday is in November. She has been ready all year...

We waited to put our son in kindergarten and have never regretted it! He was much happier in school than when we did try the year before. Also you get to have him home a year longer which now, since he has graduated was the VERY BEST PART!!! I dont' think you will be sorry to wait a year.

L.

I'm in the same boat--my little one will be four this summer. We've decided to wait until he is 6 to send him. EVERYONE I've talked to said there are many more benefits to waiting vs sending too early and having problems later(from people who've had their own with summer b-days or taught those that do). Some of the time the problems you encounter later don't come until the 4-5th grade academically. Especially since boys tend to mature slower than girls...can't think of any benefit to sending early rather than sending late.

I would wait. I have a 7 year old in 2nd grade; he is the youngest and is struggling this year to keep up. Even though everyone I talked to thought he was so ready for Kindergarten. We struggled in Kindergarten a bit with sitting still and focusing in class, and I even asked the Kindergarten teacher if she thought we should hold him back. She said that he was very intelligent, so he would be too bored if we were to hold him back (I regret not holding him back that year now). This year the teacher keeps trying to get me to test him for ADD or ADHD, because he can not sit still in class and stayed focused on assignments. I really think that it is more of a maturity level then ADD or ADHD. I have two nephews that have been diagnosed with ADHD so I definitely know the signs. I don't think that you will regret holding your child back a year.

I can tell you the best thing my parents did for my brother was to hold him back a year before starting kindergarten. If my son was a summer birthday, I would have likely held him back. I think for boys, in particular, its better to be older than younger than your peers. Especially as they get older and physical size is important. Maybe try a preschool or something this year to get him use to school and then do kindergarten next year.

My daughter is a May birthday and we decided against a good gut feeling to send her rather than wait an extra year. My daughter is very intelligent and does well academically. However, there are so many other aspects to going to school and I do really regret sending her. Her preschool teacher gave me good advice many years back-she said " You will never regret sending her later however there may be a chance that you regret sending her". She was so right on with that. Not only that- her preschool teacher also mentioned it is not about the grade school age so much as when they reach the peer pressure age like jr. and sr. high when the younger ones can really struggle. So I hope this helps you I only wish I had listened to other people.

I know exactly how you feel! My son also has a late summer birthday (Aug 28). We chose to give him that extra year and looking back I know we made the right decision for him. When he did go to kindergarten he was ready, eager to learn, and was able to follow directions. He has become a leader in his classes - he is now a 5th grader and is a great student - he excels in every subject.

well i think you should because my son went after and he is bigger than everyone not by much though but he wishes that he could of been born earlier.I think you should go for this fall

-C.:)

I think 2 years of K is better than 1 and who knows, he might suprise you and do great. Don't forget though that K is the new 1st. They need to know almost all of the ABC's visually before starting school or they'll be in Title 1. Same with numbers. Makes me upset because they aren't all ready for it but we're starting homeschooling next year anyways so we can do it our own way :o)
Good luck,
J.
Mom to 4 and soon one more through another adoption.

As a teacher, i have found that sometimes it is better to prepare children for school before sending them. would you say your child is mature? Have you taken any "classes" with him? sometimes getting him ready to go somewhere and sit and listen is half the battle. Make sure to take him the library when someone is doing a read aloud. Having him listen to "new" people can be helpful.

Work with him using flashcards to identify colors, letters, and numbers. I know the babysitter I will be using does these things with her children. My fellow teachers are joking because I asked how they felt about me not sending my child to 4k. They keep saying forget 4k, just put it in 5k. Bonnie has some kids reading easy words at 3yrs. Cat, dog, Mom, or Dad.They also start writing their names.

I hope this helps in your decision. I just know I was an August B-Day as a child, and everyone inmy class was older. It was hard to watch all your friends driving, dating, and drinking before you. Boys usually handle that extra year better if held back.

My son has a birthday in July and I sent him to all day kindergarten. He has done wonderfully. He really enjoys school. I was completely feeling the same way you are a year ago. I am really glad I sent him. My thoughts on maturity are you can't teach that so what if in a year he is the same? You might regret not sending him. Just to let you know my son never wanted to color prior to kindergarten. He also did 2 years of preschool. I guess no answer is right but you will know whether or not you should send him. My daughter also has a birthday in July and I sent her to half-day kindergarten. She is now in 4th grade and doing just fine. Keep in mind the way kids act at home are not always how they act in school. Schools really do a good job in keeping the kids to a routine/schedule. This was just my opinion. Hope it helps in your decision making. Good Luck!

Hey S. - being a preschool teacher and a mother of a child who had a summer birthday I feel if you are questioning what to do it is better to wait. My son has an August birthday and was one of those who did listen and sat and was one of the more cooperative children (that's what the teachers always said) but they said don't look at now look down the road. They could be one of the youngest to get the license, go through puberty, turn 18, trying to always catch up. We ended up waiting and so thankful we did. He was a bigger boy, always but didn't matter. He ended up being a good leader, everyone looked to him because he was older for direction and help. What a great feeling for him. We have never regretted our decision. I know how hard it is to make it but once you do feel confident and go with it. "they say" those who wait don't regret but those who send have a 50/50 chance. My son is now 20 and doing great in life. A year of maturity also helps with decision making in life experiences down the road. As a teacher it is always nice to have those older ones who the children can model after and look up to as well. I pray you do what you feel is right. God bless you and guide you!

Naturaly you are worried and honestly afraid to let him go.
How about Mom and son do something alone then have Dad or Grandma take him out alone.
Then you can have him stay awhile with a friend's family or and at Grandma;s over a afternoon then over say a night.
See how he and Mom who has to be busy does.
if he is ok go to step two.
Is he ready for all day,half a day,preschool, and even if he has friends or lot will he be a year behind them and he could handle it or not knowing this... as a child-teen-adult.
Next see how advance he is.Say he is unable to say abcs or 1-5 or if he is advance for his age in anything.
Then talk to the future school and teacher/s and see how much work he will need to do or the other students to reach his level.
Some schools has a all day preschool that is instead of kindergarten or just before kindergarten.
And some have all day clases everyday- some have half days all year or part of the year etc.

Weigh all these ideas.
See if Mom can help with classes but not be there always is best may help.
Weigh this and see how he handles a sample classes some offer.
Good luck.

Hi S.!
I don't know what kind of child he is, or what your DH is like, but as a wife to a College Football Coach...WAIT! Coaches from all sports like the older kids...they have a whole year up on maturity both physically and mentally. He thinks it is super important when it comes to athletics. Myself, I was the 2nd youngest in my HS graduating class and was also the 2nd to last to get my driers license, etc. I HATED IT! but, my mom said I was just ready...I was "light" reading, could tie my shoes and botton my own coat...she said it was just time.

Anyhooo...I also, like many would wait. (and will when given the chance with my youngest DD!) Good luck!

I am an elementary principal plus have twins with summer birthdays. I had them attend Pre-kindergarten, or the equivalent to a 2nd year - older students pre-school. Some school call it transitional kindergarten.

The twins were ready for kindergarten, but we wanted to give them that extra boost before kindergarten. It never hurts to wait- socially, educationally, etc.

Plus, since you have a boy, waiting is a definite. They develop slower at first and then catch up somewhere in ms.

Hope this helps!

You have lots of advice to read so I'll be short. My daughter is a June B-day and my son a May B-day. They are now in 6th and 2nd grade. I sent her and she is doing fine but has struggled. Even though my son was ready both socially and academically I kept him back and sent him to Alternate Kindergarten. (because he is small) Even holding him back he is still the 3rd shortest in his class. Anyway---I don't regret it at all and sometimes wish I would have waited with my daughter too! Like everyone has been saying--you know him best--follow your instincts. I know it's a hard decision!! Good luck!

Hi S.,

I have a five year-old who missed the kindergarten cut-off by 20 days. EVERY mother and teacher that I talked to said he was better off by starting when he was 6. Our younger son has an August birthday so he would make the cut-off, but we're going to keep him home a year based on what we've heard. Girls, it seems are different...they seem to be more mature than boys, so starting "early" for them doesn't seem to be an issue.

Wait, definitely. I researched the decision for my son who has an April birthday. All the research says to wait (especially for boys), that they will be better off having that extra year to mature. So did I wait? No, I put him in kindergarten as a young 5 year old, because he was very bright and could easily do the work. I found that he did great academically, but had a hard time socially because he was socially less mature. It took him awhile, but he figured things out by third grade. Now he does fine, but he is one of the youngest and the smallest in the class, and I wish I would have waited because it would have been nicer for him.

As far as school calming him down - well, yes structure helps. But, if your boy likes to move around a lot, school might be like torture for him! My daughter is very "antsy" and she disliked first grade even, because it was too much sitting.

My daughters birthday is August 30th, and we waited until she was 6 to send her. She is one of the oldest in her kindergarten class but this has not been an issue. The decision to send or not to send was a hard one, but I do not regret the decision to wait at all. Does he go to preschool now? If so, have you talked to his teachers about this? My daughters preschool teachers were a big part of the decision, they told me she would probably benefit from waiting just due to maturity level and also emotionally. I talked to other moms who waited and they havent had any regrets.
Good luck! I know its a hard decision.

My oldest turned 5 on June 6th last year, and he is in Kindergarten this year. He is thriving and doing very well. He enjoys school, being with his friends, and loves his teacher. He is very smart, and full of energy as well. He can read very well and writes great.

YOU know your child best. We were told to wait, boys are slower, wait wait wait but never in a million years would I hold him behind simply because he's a boy. I will never regret our choice to send him to school this year. Next year he'll continue on to 1st grade and he'll be fine.

School is an adjustment for everyone, so holding your son back just because he's a boy or because his b-day is in summer is not a good reason. Its up to you though, if you feel he'll not do well, then hold him back, but really he'll have the same struggles whether he goes this year or next. School is a big thing, a big adjustment whether you are 5 or 6.

I highly recommend waiting. Unless your child shows a lot of interest in academics, waiting gives them time to mature more, get a better grasp on social-behavioral skills, and it also gives them an edge academically because their mental skills have had an extra year to develop. If could go back and do it all over again, I would have waited a year, no doubt there! Some parents even choose to wait until their child is 7 years old, especially if their child seems to have a slower social-behavioral development than most kids.

I had two boys with summer birthdays and I held them both back one year. They had an extra year of preschool and it helped alot! I know that they would have had a hard time emotionally and mentally. It is better to wait a year now than to have to repeat a year later.

I'm just going to say you need to think about when they are a teenager too. Speaking as a parent of a summer bday child who's now in high school, I never doubted sending her when she was in elementary. I do wonder if she'd stuggle less with some things now if I'd waited then. (she'll finish high school before she's 18 not but much)
Speaking as a teacher I have a student who is a freshman that is causing all kinds of problems. I really truly believe part of the problem is her age. She's 1 day younger than my child who is a junior. She does't associate with those in her grade she associates with kids her age but she doesn't have the experience those kids have because of her grade and it causes problems for her. I also have a student who was held out and then held back and he struggled at times last year because he was a sophomore who was older than some of the seniors.

So my advice don't just think about the ramifications of any decision on elementary but think about high school too.

S.,

I have a 5 year old who will be 6 in July and he will be going to Kindergarten in the Fall this year- we held him back becasue of the summer birthday and we felt he was not ready yet and I believe he is ready to go now, I am glad we did what we did in holding him back.....I have an older son who is in 3rd grade now but he went to kindergarten early, he was ready my youngest wasn't...all kids are different.

hope that helps! Good Luck!

Hi S.,
I am not a new parent but a grandmother. I think you are right to keep him one more year to let him get used to school. I would enroll him in a pre-kindergarten class , because they start children out very young to learn the alphabet and pre-kindergarten would help him. In our day my children would go to kindergarten to get on the alphabet train when they learned the alphabet but now they have to know the alphabet in kindergarten. You can work with him too by buying alphabet cards and showing him the letters and tell him A is for apple and he will learn to recognize letter and this will make him more familiar withthe letters.

J.

Hi S. - We kept my daughter in kindergarten for 2 years and it was the best decision we ever made. She is now a leader and is strong and I see more resilience in her than I did at the start of last year. She is also confident in her abilities to succeed at school. I would recommend waiting. It is more likely that you will do harm by pushing than you will by letting him be a child for another year. What they expect of kindergarteners now is what they expected of us in first grade. That said, you know your child best. If it turns out that partway through the summer you feel like he's ready, even if it's the day before school starts, then go for it. Do whatever you feel is best for your child. Good luck!

My son has a May birthday and we sent him to 1/2 day kindergarten in the fall and he has done just fine. He did go to a more structured pre-school, however, for two years prior. I think he did struggle with the lack of free play for the first couple of months, but then turned around and is doing really well. What concerns me, however, is how many children in the class are a year older than him because they started late. Those of you who are waiting a year to make your child more successful is just serving to raise the bar and make it harder for the children who should be starting at age 5. Kindergarten should be kindergarten and by having most of the classroom be age 6 is just helping to create the discrepancy between capabilities. We all have to choose what is right for our child, but I have a feeling this waiting business is only serving to add to the issue and force others to wait as well.

My thinking is that it can never hurt to wait. And I JUST read this morning in the latest Parents magazine that Kindergarten is not serving some boys properly because of all the pressure to read. In the "old days" Kindergarten was mostly about play and learning how to get along in a classroom, etc. Kindergarten is different now, and the fact that boys "mature" slower than girls is causing them to have "problems" learning to read in Kindergarten. If you wait a year, it may help your son in many ways. Good luck with your decision!

I say go with your gut. I personally put my son in when he was 5--he has a May bday. His preschool teachers said he was more than ready. Every kid is so different and you need to weigh the pros and cons for your child. I do have to work with my son on focusing a lot. However I am glad I put him in when I did because he would have been incredibly bored with the work they are doing at an older age. I think at 5 their all kids have the attention span of a knat, and teachers know how to handle the kids too.

I was going through the same thing with my son. He will be 5 this summer also and I was not sure if he was ready. I decided after talking to the teacher at his preschool and other moms that it would not hurt a thing to just wait one more year to make sure he was ready. I guess in my thoughts I would rather wait now then have to hold him back later. He is a smart kid but I think he needs a lil more time to mature and like you said calm down. Each kid is different but this is what I decided to do and thought maybe it could help you.

Does your district offer a readiness kindergarten or a young 4's program? Our district does offer this option. My oldest son has an April birthday so we put him right in developmental kindergarten. Our second son has a June birthday, so he went into readiness kindergarten last year and is in developmental this year. I am happy with our decision to give him the extra year. Academically he was ready to go right into developmental, but many of the students he would have been in school with would have been a year older. As a principal, I see the benefits of the extra year first hand. There are young children that are ready for the academic challenge of going right into kindergarten, and others that need the extra year of maturity and academic growth who benefit from a readiness year. You know your child best; look into the options your district offers. And remember... our little darlings always behave differently for others than they do for us at home!

Hello S.- I would definately wait. I think all the points you made are good reasons to wait and you know your child best. Our son has a Sep. birthday and we talked to the school about him starting the same year he turned five becouse his birthday was so close to the first day of school. Especially becouse he is very active and was socially ready. The women for our school district even said kids do better when they wait, with sports too, as they get older. We are very glad we waited. He's the tallest in his class!! - God bless, S.

Hi S.,
I have a son who was born in early september and went to a preschool type program for 2 half days a week. He seemed ready for school so I had him tested in the public school system and they said he was ready. Only problem that he had as he was growing up is that he was the shortest and youngest in his class. Grade wise he never struggled but things always came easy for him and he was A honor roll student and graduated from college on the Dean's list. However I have a younger son who is in grade school 6th grade 11 years old. He has a summer birthday (July )and I see him struggle at times and think I should have waited. Alot of kids are one whole year older 12 going to be 13 and you can see a difference. I also have a friend who's daughter was born two weeks later than my son she is in the same class and we both agree that maybe it would be easier for our children if we would have waited.
I think waiting is better. I talked to a teacher and they say boys seem to have a harder time starting around 3rd grade the maturity level has alot to do with it she said.
I only wish there was a web site like this when my husband and I were making that decision.

Mother of 4 children 28,25,20,11

When I was pregnant I never expected the choice of when to go to kindergarten would be so hard! I have two children with end of summer birthdays. My daughter is the oldest and has a strong personality. She already had two years of preschool and was more then ready academically to go. We put her in kindergarten right away and she has done well ever since. First grade was a huge year and even she struggled, but is doing great in second grade. My second child is a son and he is nothing like my daughter. He is easy going, shy and not motivated like my daughter. We are going to keep him back until he is 6. I know how big a year first grade was and would like him to be a bit more mature.
I have friends that have told me that nobody regrets holding their children back and that it isn't a big deal now, but more so when they are older. My daughter is the second youngest in her class, but doesn't even notice. Just because they have a summer birhtday doesn't necessarily mean that they shouldn't go. My advice is to listen to you gut. I was on the fence with our daughter. I thought I knew what I wanted to do and so many people told me the opposite. I prayed about it a lot and ultimately went with what my gut was saying all along. Good luck!

My son turned 5 on 8-29, and we debated on holding him back until the next school year...i didnt think he was ready,he was borderline hyper and had trouble focusing...but starting kind was just what he needed...he settled down, listened and loved learning.

We decided to take him to the pretesting in the summer, it is a readiness testing session, to see what they can do and he did wonderfull. He is now in 5th grade and doing wonderfully, all a's and b's, plays sports and is still the youngest in his class (he started kind. at 4). Its really a personal choice, if you want to, take him to the testing and see how he does, the teachers know pretty well, whether a child is ready or not...what does his pre-school teacher say? But you're the mom...you'll know in your gut...Good Luck!

S.,
My youngest daughter has a September 1st birthday, which is the cutoff day for our school district. We had to choose to send her right when she turned 5 or to wait and send her when she turned 6. We chose to wait, and I have been happy with the decision.I was stressed about it for a full year and thought all along we'd send her early. She's a bright child and has 2 older siblings, so I knew she was emotionally and academically ready. But here's what made us wait: my older sister has 3 teenagers, and she talked to me about all the peer pressure, etc., and how difficult it is for teens to not be swayed by others, etc. She asked, "Would you rather your daughter be the youngest in her class when everyone starts dating? Or would you rather her be older and a little more mature?" The same goes for driving,and many other things. We decided she'd have a better chance of leading instead of following if we waited and let her be on the older end of things. She's in kindergarten now and doing fine--a little bored, but we expected that. Hopefully down the road we will be happy with this decision. I hope this helps!

Speaking from a Kindergarten teachers point of view, I think that waiting another year is just fine. I have had students with summer birthdays and some have done great, but have also had some that struggled quite a bit in one way or another. If you think he could use one more year of maturity then he will probably end up gaining from it and having a more pleasurable kindergarten experience. This would also help him in years to come up through high school. In the end, you know your child best and should do what you feel is right for him!!! Good Luck!

Speaking as a teacher, I would definitely wait!! You will never regret waiting, but may regret sending him. You certainly don't want him to struggle through kindergarten - he will likely struggle the rest of his life. My nephew is a summer birthday also, and my sister-in-law chose to wait and she is so glad she did. Her school district offered "Transitional Kindergarten", as does our school district. This is something you should definitely check into. It is a program specifically designed for kids with summer birthdays who aren't quite ready for kindergarten. They attend this program for one year (it is more academic than your typical preschool to really prep them) and then they go to kindergarten the following year. If you don't have this available to you, then I would find a strong preschool program and try to get him in it for as many days/week as possible. This will provide him with the structure you are seeking and will help prepare him for a successful year in kindergarten. Good luck!

Do you know that you can have him screened for kindergarden readiness, usually through his school! If your going to do this you should really make your mind up fast, because we've already had kindergarden registration here in Anoka county. I'm putting my son in head start through out the summer so he'll be ready! That program helps children prepare for school, and they could help you decide if your child is ready to start school or not. Angela

It is hard to say, because children develop differently. If he is not in pre-school. Sending him to Sunday School or maybe a type of Summer School will help him adjust to children his age and to learn some of the things they do in kindergarten. Computers and TV has come a long way to help them learn things.
I have 3 girls and during the 70 and 80's pretty much had just Sesame Street. They said then that boy's develop mentally more slower at first than girls. My one daughter has 4 sons and she put the one in school and let him go 2 years which was a better choice than to have him struggle and have to do a grade over later down the line. His birthday was in the Fall. They March Birthday she held back and said she was glad she did. She had to keep him busy to home learning things but, she said she was glad she did. The one good thing it doesn't hurt them to try, and if you think the hours will be too long for him I do believe you have the choice to keep him out of Kindergarten and place him in pre-school which helps a lot. He will also be tested sometime this summer and the school will help you also.
But, the decision is yours and I would not force him if you don't think he can handle the pressure. It's hard to let go and see them so little get on that bus. But, kids are tough and they adjust fast to their environment. From Judy, Mother of 3 girls and Grandmother of 4 boys and a girl.

Hi S.,
My question is if he has had any experience with school up to now, such as preschool or four-year old kindergarten? I am a 4 year old kindergarten teacher and say if he hasn't had any experience like this away from home that maybe putting him in something like this first will help him to adjust to kindergarten. Preschool and 4K are only half days ususally and not every day of the week. Kindergarten at least around here is all day and this may be too much. We recommend if he has been in a program like 4K already that it is wise to move him along to kindergarten and if he has trouble still by the end of kindergarten to hold him back for one more year of that. My daughter has a July birthday and was very young for Kindergarten too, but she did just fine. This is a question that can be hard and just do what you feel is best for your child though. Good Luck!

You sure are getting a lot of responses, but I wanted to add my 2 cents as well... My son has a summer birthday too (late July) and we debated about that same issue. We decided to wait until this year to send him (when he was 6) so we had him in preschool for an extra year. It's amazing what that year did to his maturity!! I thought he might have been ready last year but it's amazing to see the difference; I'm so glad I waited!!

Also, I have a friend whose first son has an August birthday and she sent him to kindergarten when he was 5. He's now in 1st grade but has had to have tutors all summer to help him get to where some of the other kids are. I think he's doing fine now but it was a struggle.

Good luck!!

We waited last year to send our daughter who would have turned 5 on Aug.25th. She is on the petite side and very quiet, around strangers at least!! We sent her to 2 yrs of pre-school for 2-3 AMs a week , and then last year we sent her to a pre-K program 5 days a week..she is now in Kindrgarten this year and her teachers say she is doing great!! She is reading at a first grade level and very social and has lots of friends..It just depends on the child..my oldest son had a July bday and we sent him to school when he was 5 and he never had any problems all the way through, he was an honors student and is now at UW Madison..my youngest son will be 5 this July and we will send him, because he is emotionally and ready otherwise, he is very out going.. If you have any doubt wait a year...it is tooo hard if they make friends and then dont go on with them to 1st grade and are struggling to keep up..hope this helps...good luck:)

Good morning S.... my opinion is wait. Our son is in the same situation. All the teachers that I have spoke with said wait. Socially and maturity wise it will help him as well as will help him with sports later on. Some (not all) boys show signs of immaturity phyiscally and mentally with playing sports and as you know... kids can be mean... I never wanted my son to be left out of picked on cause of this. While I agree that school will provide structure that all kids need, but it may be a struggle for him at first... and I guess it was my thought process to make school a positive experience for my son vs. one that he does not feel confident about. Good luck... If he is in preschool... talk to his teacher... they can give you some real solid advice on helping with your decision.

It is the same at our house. Our daughter will be 5 on 8/27 and the cut off is 9/1 for kdg. She is extremely active as well but I have found that when she is kept busy with writing her name and letters and working on flashcards she is much calmer. When she is at preschool she is pretty compliant as well. I think that she would be really bored next year if we did not send her so we have decided that she will go to kindergarten in the fall. It is funny because I was talking to her about it one day and she told me that she was smarter than her brother so maybe she should skip kindergarten and just be in his grade. Ha, he didn't like that! Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
L.

From past experience, keep him home that extra year. He will benefit from that extra year before starting. We held our oldest son back until he was 6 and we let our youngest go at 5. Wish we would have waited with him until 6 also. He is just that much behind of where he should be in regard to the ones that are that additional year older. The older one has done well in regard to all aspects of School (Academics, Sports, Size).

L.

You are mom and you make that choice but my feelings are that he will have to go off to school someday and sooner the better so he can asablish social characteristcs with his peers. You won't ever blame yourself for either descion. My son was late going into kindergarten and think that is worse on them cause he is alot more mature then his peers and school for him was boring with being held back a year. If that helps you any i hope it does.

We had a son that never went to preschool that had a Sept BD and we sent him to Kindergarten when he turned 6, but 3 years later, we had a son that had a July BD, went to preschool, and the teacher taol us that he was ready to go to kindergarten so we sent him. He did fine and he got to attend high school with his older brother which we think was great. The Sept. son has a son of his own now and te July son joined the army, went to Iraq and is now at Uof Iowa. The one thing that I think parents should consider for boys is that they gow up physically later than girl, so if you think that would be an advantage for them in sports, then hold them back.

My birthday is July 5, and my parents sent me to Kindergarten when I was 5. I was on the honor roll all through school....and I am one of the youngest at class reunions!!!

My 9 yr old has a July birthday. When he was 4, all indications showed that he should wait a year before starting kindergarten. He was immature for his age, no desire to color or learn to write his name. He was not overly active, in fact he always got a good behavior report at school. We knew that his preschool teachers were very experienced and we listened to their advice. We were living in GA at the time and found a wonderful transitional kindergarten class, primarily made up of children just like him. They just needed an extra year to grow up. I call it my bonus year because it was only half day and Kindergarten would have been a full day. We have never looked back!! He started Kindergarten knowing some color words, how to write his full name, and how to do things for himself. I think that this all gave him a leg up as he adjusted to taking a bus, eating lunch at school and being at school for a full day. Now that he is in 3rd grade, I don't see him being any more mature or less mature than his other classmates. He fits right in during classroom settings and in sports. He excels in math and science. His confidence level is very high and most of all, he likes school! I think he would have struggled early on to keep up if he would have started K at 5 and that would have hurt his confidence. I love to volunteer in his current classroom and see him raise his hand to answer questions. I also think that being older helps him to make better choices in his friends.
Talk to your son's current teachers and ask their advice. If you can find a quality program for his 5 yr old school,I would suggest waiting. This is the best time to wait. I was always told doing it young was the best thing to do and that you might wish you had waited, not regretted the decision to wait. I am so glad we waited. Hope this helps. Feel free to e mail me again.

K. L.

I feel you have already determed what your son needs, you just need someone to say to you that it is O.K. to wait a year to send him to school. You know your son better than anyone and know what he needs, if you feel he should wait a year to start school, then by all means wait, what is it going to hurt? to many children are sent to school before they are ready and what happens? they get held back a year is this what you want for your son? you are his Mother, you know what is best for him so do it, don't let others decide for your son.

S.,
I am a retired first grade teacher (retired five years ago after 20 years at first grade). I love first graders--they're the best!

Does your child's school have a kindergarten screening in the spring? If so, the teachers and specialists who spend a little bit of time with him should have a sense of whether he's ready or not.

From your description, I'm thinking he may not be ready. Will he sit down with you and listen while you read him a story? Does he have any interest at all in "writing", drawing, numbers, etc.? This may sound terrible, but the first day or two of school I was able to tell which students were my youngest first graders, and who might have a hard time with first grade. And they had already experienced kindergarten! Some of those little guys (and yes, it was mostly boys, because boys seem to mature a little later)just should have been home riding their big wheels or playing Star Wars or whatever, because they just had the hardest time tuning into what we were doing in first grade.

The other thing I can tell you is that our daughter's fourth child (a girl) has a Sept. 5th birthday. Had this child had the "readiness" that her first and third daughters had, our daughter would have considered requesting screening to see if she was a candidate for early entry. The child was just not ready to do "school" , and my daughter was able to see that. The granddaughter is now a 10 year old 4th grader, has been an excellent student, both academically and behavior-wise, ever since kindergarten.
She is bright, happy, confident, mostly because she was the oldest child in her class rather than the youngest. I believe it has made all the different in the world for her.

Good luck with your decision. Trust the school advice. They should be able to advise you appropriately, so be sure to talk with them about your concerns.

M.

My children all have summer birthdays. They now range in age from 28 to 18. When my first daughter turned 5 I unknowingly just sent her off to Kindergarten. Four years later my second daughter turned 5 and I held her out of school for another year. During that 4 years I talked to a lot of people in education and I did a lot of research. There was nothing that ever made it sound like a good idea to send a new 5 year old off to school. For the rest of his school years he will be competing against kids who are a year older than him. Odds are that he will be the last one to sit still in class; the last one to learn long division; the last one to develop pubic hair; and the last one to be able to drive. Six years later I also kept my son in pre-school for his fifth year and again sent him to kindergarten at 6. Now that all my kids are virtually grown I see the possible results of my decisisons. My oldest daughter who was the youngest in her class always struggled academically. She was friends with kids in younger grades. My second 2 kids that went to Kindergarten at 6 have been very successful in school.Both have had leadership roles and have been high achievers in both high school and in college. If you need one more reason to give him an extra year before "real school"....he will be one of the first college juniors to go to the bars - legally!

I was also a late summer birthday. My mother put me in early and I had a VERY hard time reading at my grade level. I would not with my chidren due to my troubles, however, if your son is mature enough to go to kindergarden 2 years there are better than none.

I've heard of this situation many times & I hear more of parents saying they wish they had waited. Instead maybe do more of the ECFE classes or more of preschool.

My son has a summer birthday too. I've not found one teacher yet who will hesitate to say wait. They say they've never heard a parent regret holding their child back, but there are many who regret NOT holding them back. And the issue is not always in kindergarten, but later, like 5-6-7 grade. Which at that point is completely traumatic to the child if you hold him/her back.

Although we do not have to make the decision this year yet, I'm planning to hold our son back unless someone recommends not to. Sports are my least concern. I just want him to be mature enough to handle everything throughout his school "career."

Good luck!

Hi S.,

I am a little late on the e-mails, but wanted to respond regarding waiting or sending your son. Your third sentence, says it all. Parents know their children the best and you already have your answer. Go with your gut! I would wait. My middle son had a late July birthday, and If I would have known back then what I know now, I would have waited. He is 27 now but had struggled in school but came unto his own,( they do catch up later.) He is in computers now and doing very well. My point is, what is the hurry. I now have a 6 year old who I did delay due to my health issues at the time. She will be entering first grade as a 7th grader and she is doing very well. For your own peace of mind and to give him the advantage, go with your maternal instincts and delay his schooling! I am very glad I did. Prayer helps too with your decision! Tracey

My son's b-day in July 30th. He is 7 years old and in 2nd grade--we chose not to hold our son back. We did however, enroll him in a montessori school that had a 4 and 5 year olds in Kindergarten together. We thought this would be a good way to assess his readiness. By the end of the first year he was clearly ready academically to handle school. He is however the youngest child it his class--that's only because so many people are holding their boys back routinely. One child in his class is 13 months older than him. But i'm not at all worried about my son. All the information I have read says it all levels out by about 3rd grade.

I would wait another year. I sent my daughter when she had turned 5 in August. In kindergarten we found that she had ADHD, not that your child has that he probably is just acting his age. She was very active and easily distracted and kindergarten seemed to worsen her bahavior. We made her repeat kindergarten and are controlling her ADHD with diet changes and vitamins and supplements, this year she is excelling at her studies and is socially more happier. I later found out that children who have summer birthdays are at a disadvantage, that just a few months difference can make a big difference. Also, when I was a child I, like my daughter, had to repeat kindergarten because I am a summer birthday too, the next year was great. I was more mature and I remember being happier that year. As the years went on I excelled each year all the way through high school, graduated in the top 10% of my class. In fact my senior year I voted for the president! (I won't say which:)) My friends could only mock vote at school, it was great! Just wait and give him the advantage over all the other children.

We have 5 children, 3 who have Summer birthdays. Our oldest son, who has a Spring birthday, I wish we had waited to send. He would have benefited from an extra year. We sent our now 7 year old to Kindergarten when she turned 5. We ended up having her repeat it. She is doing AWESOME now!!!! So, with doing that 3 times, we are holding back our younger 2 an extra year. In general, boys do better if you wait that extra year.

Being such a young 5 year old in Kindergarten can sometimes hurt the child more then help. They can struggle along while their peers are moving ahead. This can be discouraging as they move up in grades. In my opinion, it's best to wait.

GOOD LUCK!!

D.

Dear S.: To you and everyone else who wonders about this question, please WAIT!!

I have six children. My fifth child,my Shayne, was an active little boy, athletic and interesting in nothing but cars and boy stuff. He wasn't interested in writing his name and coloring and drawing like his other siblings. One of his older sisters, Danielle, was quoting her alphabet and counting to 100 at 2 1/2. He was not there even at 4 years old. You absolutely MUST be sensitive to the differences in each child. When Danielle went to kindergarten she described it as "simps" (simple). When her older brother went, he complained because all they did was "work, work, work". So you know they are better off waiting, especially if they are a boy. Boys just take longer to mature into being interested in reading, writing, and anything academic. If you give him another year, it would be the very best thing for him. My husband and I had a difference of opinion about my son Shayne, and my husband won out. I regretted it for his entire school experience. I should have stood my ground. Some men are worried you are trying to "baby" their son, and they want him to "grow up and be a man". Well, this didn't work for Shayne and he struggled through school, not because he wasn't smart enough, but because he wasn't ready at 5-1/2 (his birthday was in February). As his mother, and a trained teacher with an emphasis in early childhood education, I should not have caved into my husband's uneducated opinion. Because he had issues with not being ready, he didn't get the foundational things down real well, and that was what the rest of his schooling was going to be based on. Things like your multiplication tables in grade three. So whatever you do, don't take this too lightly. Bless you.

If your son is in preschool, ask his preschool teacher for a conference to discuss his readiness. If he isn't in preschool, ask the school he will attend (when you decide to send him) to help evaluate his readiness. If he is naturally active, waiting may not decrease his energy levels. If you feel (after getting input from the people mentioned above) that he is not ready, then delay his starting school a year. In that time, you can work on improving those skills you think he needs. I did delay my son's entry to kindergarten despite an April birthday. Franc was premature and still needed time to mature emotionally and socially. I made this decision with the nput I got from his preschool teacher who had evaluated his readiness. I hope this information helps you make your decision. Delaying entry into kindergarten can be a very helpful thing if more growth is needed. Good luck! Liz

As an educator, I'd suggest that you start him in school or that you have him in a preschool that works with older children. He needs the opportunity to have structured learning opportunities so that he doesn't lag behind the kindergartners of the next class. Starting him in school really can't hurt. It sounds like he needs structure and school will provide that. He also may just need activity that can also be provided by the rotation of classroom activities. I was worried about my son, not so much because he was active, but because he just didn't seem interested in some of the learning activities we had done at home. He ended up in the gifted program because he was ready for things beyond what most children his age were doing.

If it was up to me I would wait to send your son I am waiting to send my son and he was 5 in dec. there are several reason why. Some of my son reason he is just not ready and some others are his speech and attention span and so i made a decision to keep him in pre school 1 more year so these skills can develop more so he is completly ready when it is time and he wont have to be in a special class or anything. Hope this will help you some. K.

I believe, especially with boys, they should be held until they are a bit older for school. We have done both, sent them as a young 5 year old and sent them when they were 6. The 6 year olds have done much better both academically as well as socially. I think that society is much to judgemental and quick to say children should be sent as soon as they are 5. Once children are in school, they are there for a long time!

Hi S.! I had the same problem when my son went to kindergarten. (his birthday is late summer) I decided to hold him back for two reasons one he really didn't seem to stay focused for long time and two the recommendation of his soon to be teacher! She said he may benifit more to wait a little bit, especially being a boy, because they seem to struggle more in the first few years than girls if they aren't ready. I was always told that if you can't hold his concentration for 15 minutes than wait. Maybe the way to answer your dilemma is to take him to kindergarten "round up" and see what the teacher says.
I know I'm glad I held my son one more year just because it seems to have helped in as he's gotten older.(He's 12 now)There's no harm in letting him stay back a little longer to be a kid.

Hope this helped

I too am struggling with the same situation, I have a daughter that will turn 5 in May and has no interest in learning but I think is mature enough! My husband and I decided to hold her back and send her 1 more year to preschool! We don't want her to struggle nor would we want to hold her back in Kindergarten!! You will never regret not sending him but you may if you do send him!!

I have a child with a birthday in the summer also. We kept him in Kindergarden for 2 years,each year at a differnt school. The only prolbem was he was bored the second time around. You have to do what you think is best for the child since all children are differnt.

In the long run I wish we would have just started a year later insead of doing it 2 years in a row.

Hi S.,
I have 2 sons 11 years apart that were born the very end of August. I started my oldest son right away. He didn't do well but I was assured by counselors years later that it would not have made a difference if I would have held him a year or not. He had a learning problem all his years in school. My younger son went to taste of kindergarten when he turned 5 and the teacher suggested he wait a year. It turned out he did well in school and I believe he would have done fine if I started him that first year when he turned 5. I believe it all depends on his ability to learn. My 2 boys are different as night and day. It might help taking him to a preschool as was suggested for my younger one because he hadn't mingled with a group of kids his age in a structured setting. I did not believe in preschool as I felt it a cost I couldn't afford and didn't feel needed. Let your own Mom instincts kick in. Feel free to contact me if you need to. Nan G.

I would send him as soon as passable, because if he has not attended head start or preschool he is already behind. You would be amazed how early they are teaching things now a days. A lot of parents don't realize this till the are enrolling their children later. My son just start k5 last year and he knew how to count, abc's, and write his name from headstart. If you decide to wait then you should at least try to get him in head start or preschool so he has an advantage of a head start on things, and it is a shorter time then all day k5, just enough to start to get use to. In time he will amaze you on everything he is doing.

As a former first grade teacher I have seen first hand the difference between children with summer birthdays and those with birthdays later in the school year. I especially noticed the difference in the maturity levels in boys who had summer birthdays. My best advice would be to have your child attend the "kindergarten round-up" session for future kindergartners. The teachers will be able to give you their thoughts on whether or not your son will be ready for kindergarten on a variety of levels including maturity level, academic readiness, and social levels. Attending the kindergarten round up does not lock you into attending kindergarten in the fall. There are pros and cons to both sending him and holding him back a year. You know your child best. Good luck!!

It sounds to me like you already know the best answer, as you list the reasons why it would benefit him to wait! Pregnant w/ an August due date I said if it was a boy I'd wait. Well he was reading at age 4 and playing w/ kids 3 yrs older, so that seemed silly. He actually skipped a grade switching from private to public schools and does great socially and academically. He does suffer a bit in sports bc of his size- where most of the boys have already gone through puberty and have the height and muscles to show for it, he started 2 yrs later.

If he's not into reading and writing yet, and you feel he can't sit still, enroll him in a good preschool that focuses on social development as well as Kindergarten readiness. You can add athletic development to your list of reasons to feel good about waiting, as this is so important to boys whether on team sports or not.

I'll put it simply.......WAIT!!!

My daughter has a real late birthday in September and she had to wait until she was almost 6 to go to school. I wanted her to go when she was nearly 5. Her birthday was only 10 days after first day of school. She was totally ready after attending 2 years of preschool. Now she is the oldest in her second grade class but one of the smartest so I think that it was ok she had to wait. My son on the other hand has a May birthday and I think he may have benefited from waiting a year. He was just not ready. He was still very attached to me and very shy. He had a little trouble learning to read but soon caught up in 1st grade. They do teach kids to read in Kindergarten now. It's amazing! I think you may want to consider keeping him home one more year. It certainly can't hurt him. He may be much more mature at 6 and ready to settle down and learn. He won't be much older than many of the kindergarteners the following year. There are some kids in my daughters class who are almost a year younger than her because they just turned 5 in August before Kindergarten started. So I think whatever you decide he will be fine. Let's face it 4 and 5 year olds are a bundle of energy! He will settle down as he gets older.

I think you should definately wait. My son is in second grade and I waited to send him and he is the head of the class in reading and writing and social skills. I'm sure glad I kept him back. On another note, my stepsister was a year younger than her class and when she was in high school, all her friends could drive and she couldn't. She didn't want to take drivers ed with the younger class cause that was just not cool. So she ended up having to take her driving test late and it ended up being a headache. So somthing to think about when he is old enough to drive. All his friends will be able to, but he will have to wait. So maybe something to look at for the future.

I totally understand where you are coming from. I would suggest you wait until next year. My son turned 5 in April, and we started him that fall, and he did well in school. But I still think he would have done "better" IF we had waited. They say boys "lag" behind girls in "growing up" anyway. When they feel good about themselves, and have more confidence, I think it extends to their outlook on school, sports, friends, peers, etc.

Hi S.,

In respnse to your comment, I have a daughter that had a June Birthday so she started at 5, and I have one with a Sept. birthday that cant start until she is six and I thought that my soon to be six year old was smart enough to advance to Kindergarten early and I talked to the PRE-K teacher and also her day care teacher and they advised me that she is very intelligent, but not mature enough and she would be better off waiting.She is going to be going to Kindergarten next year and although she will be alot older then the kids in her class she will be more advanced also.
Now my first grader who started Kindergarten 2 months after she turned five did struggle a little bit, but she has now adapt and is fine, but it was quite challenging. My honest opinion, wait until he will be turning six and then start him. I know I am glad I did with my 5 year old now.
Good luck
S. (Racine, WI)

First of all your a great mom. You are completely thinking of what is best for your child. Each one of my children were ready at different times to start school. I am glad that we waited on a couple of our (boys). We wanted our children to feel SUCCESSFUL from the start and to LIKE school instead of getting into trouble for silly things that they would do. The children I'm talking about that waited a year was much more focused and ready to learn then if they were to go that year earlier. One other thing to think about is if your child goes to preschool what does that teacher recommend. They usually have a pretty good idea of what would be best. Good Luck

My son has a summer birthday as well (August). I sent him to kindergarten when he was 5, making him almost a year younger than some of the other kids in the class. I struggled with the decision because of maturity and some skills, like tying shoes, that he just wasn't ready to learn until later. I'm very happy with my decision to send him though, he was definately ready. He had been in preschool and was accustomed to a school routine, he knew his letters and numbers and was close to reading.

Bottom line is you know your child better than anyone else does. If you think he isn't ready than don't send him. If you aren't sure, talk to the kindergarten teachers and ask what their expectations are for kids entering kindergarten. (behaviorally and academically) You may find out that he's at the same stage as the other little kindergarteners.

S.. I think you sound like a very wonderful Mom. I think you have already answered your own question though. I think in your heart and in your gut you know he should wait a year before starting kidergarten. I was a child that was started to soon and very much like your son and it took until 4th grade but then I was held back a year. It was shameful and a horrible expierence. My parents later realized that they should have waited to start me in kindergarten.

I had the same situation. My son's birthday is June 21. We decided to wait and send him to Alternative Kindergaren, in our area. I have NO regrets. I asked alot of people and of all the people, not one regretted waiting, but many regretted sending. My son too, was not interested in reading/writing and very distracted. He just now is beginning to want to learn and pay attention. I volunteer once a week in his class and there are 17 other children that are almost the same as my son (All summer birthdays). It is not just my son. My son will be ready for Kindergarten in the fall (He'll be 6). I have not regretted my decision at all. He is just where he needs to be. Good Luck!

I know girls and boys are different...I have one of each. My daughter turned 5 last June 19, and she started FULL DAY kindergarten last fall. She is doing great. SHE LOVES IT...she too is very energetic, and this gives her something to use her energy on. She sleeps very good at night! My son had a spring birthday and I sent him when he was 5 also...he's now in 1st and doing great.

Hi S.,
We had the same dilemma and decided to wait a year, as did some of our friends who had the same issue. A lot depended for us on the fact that the classmates had early birthdays rather than late like our child, which would have made him almost a full year younger. It's a tough call, I know. Some kids just don't mature as quickly as others, too.
On the other side, I was started in kindergarten when I was 4 because of the cutoff date (that was a lot of years ago!) but I felt shy and didn't really feel like I fit in with the other kids and that lasted for years, which had nothing to do with the ability to read and write - intellectually I was well ready but emotionally I was not.
Ultimately, you have to do what you feel the most comfortable with and you know your child better than anyone else - follow your heart and your gut. :-)

G.

My oldest turned 5 a week before school started this year, and we did put him in kindergarden. I felt that he was ready because he started going preschool at 3 years old. His school has 3year old and 4 year old preschool going on durning the school year. He is doing very well with everything that they learn. I do really believe though, if my son did not do 2 years of preschool, I would have waited until he was 6 to put him in school. Kindergarden is a hole lot different now then it was just 10 years ago. They learn so much, and can easily get behind. I know that what they are learning right now, I didn't learn until I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, and my son is in Kindergarden. As of the calming down, it may a little. My son still has trouble sitting still, consintrating on what he is suppose to be doing, can be very slow at getting his work done. His teacher believes its just because he is one of the youngest and its a muturity thing so I shouldn't worry about it until 2nd or 3rd grade. But he is not behind at all. He has a harder time with some things over others but that will be with any child. Its really up to you but I would conceder waiting if he has not gone to at least one year of preschool. How he does in preschool will determine if he is ready for kindergarden. Good luck.

Hi S.,
My advise would be to hold him back. Something you won't regret.My experience when you start to realize he's falling behind doesn't always show in the first year and sometimes not until the 2nd and 3rd grades and by then he'll have friends and the decision will be tremendously hard. My husband talked about how he struggled all thru school, he too has a summer b-day. My daughter also a summer b-day, there was not question to hold her back. It's like giving them the advantage, rather then possibly setting them up for failure. The thought of a child going thru school always feeling like they don't measure up academically is heart breaking. Also these precious little ones grow up so fast, take that extra year to spend with your child and treasure the memories.

Sincerely,
D.

I've never met any mom of a summer birthday kid who sent him late and lived to regret it! School expectations are so much higher than they were even 20 years ago, but kids are still the same. Summer birthdays mean kids are young going in, and prime to fall behind somewhere in their 12+ years of schooling. Why take the chance? My birthday is in January, I graduated high school at 18 1/2 and it didn't matter to any of my peers. But what did matter was that I wasn't behind enough for anyone to target me for additional teasing (everyone gets a little). My experience with boys is that they need that little extra anyway, so I'd never put a boy in school early, and it would have to be an extraordinary girl that would cause me to consider it.

SAHM of seven, past public school teacher, with 15 years of homeschooling experience.

My son has a birthday at the end of July and we chose to send him when he turned 5. Academically he was ready but the level of maturity, as we found out, was not there. He could sit still and pay attention, but would have some crying spells which lasted the first month. He is our youngest and both his sisters were at the same school so an occasional hug from them boosted him up. Would I change my mind if I could do it all over again? Probably not. He is in second grade now and in the top half of his class.

Has your son been in preschool? That would also be a good indicator on whether or not he is ready. Ask his teachers what they think. Maybe another year of extended preschool would be better for him. Best wishes.

First of all - I hate the term "hold them back" - we are not HOLDING BACK OUR CHILDREN - something I don't ever want to do! Does anyone have better terminology here? I usually refer to it as "we waited a year" to send him to kindergarten. and simply because they are BOYS is NOT the only reason to "wait to send" a child to Kindergarten.
with that out of the way...
Okay, My oldest son has a birthday of August 29th.
when it was time to make this same decision, my stomach was in knots about it. I knew academically he was sooo ready for kindergarten (he had already had 2yrs. of pre-k and loved it) and was afraid if we waited a year that he might get bored or whatever. So we talked to anyone and everyone about this predicament - his pre-k teachers, other parents with summer bday kids, my husband even met a child psych. once and asked her. Everyone said to wait. Many teachers said that you may not see any difficulty in school in the younger years, but once they roll around to middle school is when they see trouble in school with the late bday kids that don't wait a year for kindergarten.
anyway... we did wait till the next fall- and are so glad that we did. That extra year of maturity sure helps.
plus I was a summer (Aug. 12th) baby and my parents did not wait with me - I did fine - but maybe I would've done better.
Our son is now in the 2nd grade and is doing excellent in school. He is very smart, but so far, he is not bored in the classroom. For us it was a good choice to wait.
The pre-k that we were attending also offers a 5yr. old class and it's all those summer b-day kids that aren't going to kindergarten yet - it was perfect!
anyway, it was a great choice for us to wait- but remember each child is different; you are the only one that knows what's best for your son.
Just keep in mind other things as well - such as athletics, maturity, how schoolwork might be for him in the future, social skills etc.
Also, I know it's silly, but being the last to turn 16 really stunk for me. There was only 1 or 2 other kids in my graduating class of 200 that were younger than me. I guess I would've preferred being one of the oldest than the youngest. (was pretty cool to tell people that I graduated at 17 though! :)
My opinion: wait; I don't think you'll be sorry.
You will know... listen to your heart, he'll be fine.
Hope you are prepared for the responses - you are gonna get a million responses to this question!

Looks like you have a lot of advice so I will keep it short. I have a daughter born June 23rd and she is in kindergarten now at 5. I regret sending her as we are now struggling with trying to hold her back. She does great on all of her skills and is above the national standard on everything, but she is very immature and most people hold thier summer birthday kids back. She is a year younger than most of her classmates and some are over a year older. It is impossible to have her be at the same maturity level as them. HOLD him back and do a more intensive preschool...like 4 days a week or something...you will not regret it. We now are having to keep her from her new kindergarten friends and it appears like she is failing when she is doing fine but immature. good luck

Wait, my son also had a summer birthday and I sent him to school that fall, it was a mistake. He was aways struggling to keep up. I wish I would have kept him in preschool one more year. Boys need time to mature, they would rather play then study. My son is now 27 years old and is a Union Carpenter but it was a struggle to get him there.
M. S.

My son's Birthday is August 3 and we waited until he was 6 to send him to kindergarten which seems to be the norm anymore. We were really on the fence too because he was socially ready but after talking to his preschool teacher she said another year of preschool couldn't hurt because he was a very hyper child and she said that she could tell that he was the youngest of that group. The bad thing is though, she told us that you won't notice that he is having difficulties until probably 3rd grade or so and then it is too late to hold him back because of the social consequences. So we waited and I am so glad we did because he is thriving in his kindergarten class and loves doing all of the work and learning new things. And you also don't hear people say very often "Wow I wish I would have sent them to school earlier"
Hope that helps

Hi Sharon,
My oldest daughter will be six this June, we held her back one year from sending to Kindergarten after several conversations with her preschool teachers etc.. she is very energetic and was easily distracted as well.
I found holding her back has helped tremendously, she is more mature now, is very interested in learning more at preschool, listens during story time better not as distracted. She is also very excited to go to school now where as last year she seemed somewhat hesitant. Every parent that I had spoken with said that they did not regret holding their child back. They found it was much better to send when they were "more ready" instead of holding them back at a later grade. Good luck!

I have 4 children of my own and I also do daycare. My oldest (now 17.5) had an October birthday so I had no choice but to send him late. My 2nd son's birthday is in June (now 14.5) and I thought I was doing the right thing by sending him off. I didn't realize at the time that I should have kept him home until I had my 3rd child (now 6) and in K. I waited for him and I am so happy. I have had regrets with the 2nd child, but he is still an A/B honor student. So your question is legitamate. And you have already answered your own question. Boys tend to mature slower then girls. I am now having that dilema with my 4th of whom is a girl and she IS READY as where the boys were not. I made the right decision for what fits with my family. Good luck and I hope that this was inforative.

No one knows your son like you do, which is why you have instincts about him while others have platitudes. "He'll be fine" is someone else's idea, they won't have to live with him if he struggles both scholastically and socially.

The best benefit to waiting a year is the social aspect. Boys especially can feel outside the peer group later on when they are the youngest in the group. They can also be less mature and not "get" what's going on.

Being the older boy in the class, on the other, gives him a feeling of personal pride and power that cannot be manufactured for the youngest student in the class.

Think long term - when he gets to Jr. High is when the social impacts are the greatest. In the early grades it will be mostly about achievement, but once they hit the harder grades it becomes a mixture of both achievement and social skills. Younger social skills can lead to academic dis-empowerment or just a lack of friendships and social alienation.

In the end, trust your instincts. Your son will work with what he is tossed into.

I have a daughter with a summer birthday and I waited until she was 6 to send her to kindergarten. She is very bright and could have gone at 5, but since kindergarten was all day every day, I decided to wait until she turned 6. I am very glad I waited. She excels at school but does not get bored. Her teachers make sure she stays challenged. Before my daughter started school I had talked to several people whose children had summer birthdays...the majority of the parents who sent their just-turned five-year-olds said they wished they had waited a year. It's much easier to start them a year later than to have them struggle to keep up. And I was glad to have more time at home with my daughter.

My own birthday is in October, so I was almost a year older than some kids in my class. School was definitely easier for me than for them, both academically & emotionally, & even physically, because I was also larger than them! I don't think it hurts to wait at all. If you find that he is too ahead academically later, most teachers are good about providing more challenging work for those kids that can do it (at least, my school was). It's much harder on a child if they have to struggle to keep up.

Let me start by saying, you know your child best and if you are questioning it, go with your gut. I have a child with a summer birthday and I sent her to kindergarten. I never questioned whether it was the right thing for her. She has done very well, but she is a girl that loves to read and learn. With that being said, I also have a daughter with a Sept. birthday and I am thankful the school district made the decision for me. I think if my second had not missed the deadline, I would still hold her a year. She love preschool but I think an extra year at home will only benefit her. I am an Oct. birthday and I was one of the oldest in my class which was just great. I hope that helps, go with your gut.

Hi S.,

This is a hard decision to make. My opinion is that it never hurts them to hold them back a year, especially since his birthday is in the summer. My boys were both born in the fall, so I didn't have to make this decision, but I know several families who chose to wait a year and the children seemed to mature a lot in that year.

You should do what you are comfortable with because you are the one who will have to deal with your decision. At least if you hold him back a year you won't blame yourself later if he has problems in school, but there is always the factor that he will be older than most of the children in his class and children can be so mean. I think holding children back a year has become more popular in the last 10 years, so maybe there is enough of it that children recognize this anymore.

Good luck with your decision!

C.

I also have a son with a summer birthday. We held him back a year and had him in preschool for 2 years. He is now in 2nd grade and I am sure glad I held him back. He is small for his age and has challenges in reading/writing. His social skills are a little slow too, due to a speech problem.

I think this is the best move I could have made. It gave him an extra year to learn to focus, improve his skills and learn a little more before entering school full time. Have you had him screened for kindergarten yet? He might qualify for free pre-school if he is slow in anything! Otherwise I would continue to work with him at home. They have some great books out there to start the writing and math process.

Good Luck!
L.

S.,
I am an "old"mother with grown children!! I have been involved with Pre-K for 20 years. My advice is if you have doubts don't send him. You didn't say if you had had him in a pre-k program, If you have and are happy with it do it another year or find another STRUCTURED program. If that isn't an option set up a structured routine for him at home and treat it like a home school for a few hours everyday or every other day and help him learn self-control but show him that learning is so much fun!! He will be ahead of the game in another year. Better to hold him rather than to regret it and think about repeating Kindergarten.

We have always wished that we had held our son one year. Academicly he was fine but socially he struggled.because of immaturity.

Lanna

S., My son is now in 2nd grade, and is a June birthday. I had never even considered holding him back a year until his pre-school teacher asked me if was going to attend preschool graduation. I of course said yes...until she told me that even though he was more than ready "academically", that, like most boys, he could really use another year of social maturity before going to school. It was the best decision we've ever made for him and I have never regretted for one moment that decision. He is a leader in his class, and he excels at everything he does in school. I would much rather have him being the leader in his class rather than a follower. He does find school easy in some subjects, but he is not so far ahead of his peers that I have ever wished he was in 3rd grade. My daughter, now 11, is also a June birthday and did start when she was 5, so of course that is why I never considered waiting a year with my son. My advice is to wait a year.

It is a tough decision and you will get advice that goes both ways. I have been through the decision and strongly feel that it is a very personal decision depending on the needs of your child and family. We didn't have to make a final decision until just weeks before school started so what we did is have our son double enrolled--he was enrolled in both preschool and kindergarten and then I gave the schools our final decision in August. In the meantime, we met with his preschool teachers and our school principal. I also did research. There are books you can find that contain school readiness checklists. We have a son with a July birthday. The summer he turned 5 he was ready for school academically, but not emotionally. Like your son, he was very energetic. He had some anxiety issues, including a severe aversion to riding a school bus, and he needed to work on some self-help issues (tying shoes, zipping a coat, putting on his snowpants, etc.). It was an agonizing decision, but we decided to wait with kindergarten and enrolled him in a preschool class specifically for 5 year olds getting ready for kindergarten. It was probably the best decision I have ever made. It has worked out very well for our son. By the time he started kindergarten at age 6 he was completely ready emotionally (he couldn't even remember his bus anxiety) and he was already reading. I forgot to mention that another factor in our decision was that he is very small for his age. Even now as a 5th grader he is one of the oldest kids in his entire grade, but also the smallest. Even the girls who are younger than him are taller than he is. His kindergarten teacher, who had known him during his early daycare days and who met with us when we were trying to make our decision, called him the "poster child" for waiting a year to start school. He has always done very well in school. There was a time in first grade when he was bored with the math curriculum, but since second grade he has been going to enrichment and gifted and talented classes so that is not an issue and was only an issue for a brief time. Good luck with your decision and feel free to contact me if you have any other questions. Kids can really change a lot in six months so the first thing I would do is contact your school and see if you can do what we did--enroll him in kindergarten now, but then call to cancel in August if that is what you decide to do. That way you can keep your options open and see how he matures this summer.

Our 1st daughter has a July birthyday, we chose to hold her back. When we were contemplating our options we had a teacher tell us "There are only a few times in your child's life you can give the gift of time." We are very happy that we did wait. Since kindergarten has changed over the years to be more like 1st grade when we went, we really wanted to take the pressure off of her.
I was an August birthday, so my own experience really was the deciding factor in our decision. I was always the smallest in the class. I wish I had been socially better equipped to handle high school. The New York Times had a great article last summer on the benefits of waiting- not sure if it is still available online.