Should I send my summer baby to Kindergarden?

Question

My son will turn 5 On August 25th, 2007. The cut-off for him to enter kindergarden is September 1, 2007. Here's the problem....

As a former educator I have always said to keep those summer baby boys home for one more year. They are just not mature enough, especially as they enter middle school years. However, my own son is causing me to reevaluate that belief.

At the age of 3 he knows all his letters, capital and lower case, can count and recognize numbers through 100, knows all his shapes, colors (english and spanish) and phonics. He's already about halfway through kindergarden curriculum at his pre-school and he's not even four and has another year before kindergarden. His current teachers feel he is mature for his age as well, but he is only 3. How mature can a three year old really be? Given his academic achievements, should I hold him back or push him forward? I don't want him to act up in school due to immaturity, but boredom could become a factor as well.

Answer 1

education in its ideal form would be tailored to each indivdual so that each students needs are being met. It sounds like your child has special needs in that he/she is so far advanced that he/she may get bored by staying home. My son is pretty close to the same criteria as your son and I know I am sending him to kindergarten because of his social interation, cognitive and problem solving skills. Some kids mature physically faster than others as I sure you know, but I think they can do so mentally as well. Send your child to school, he/she will benefit from the interaction with others and reinforcing what you have already taught him/her.

Answer 2

Yea, OK, so your son is a friggin genius. That doesn't matter.
My daughter learned to tie her shoes before she when she was still 2 by observing others. I could go on and on as well. It doesn't matter.
If he is bright, he will be bored in school occasionally whether he goes to school this year or next. That won't matter. He will be surrounded by dumbasses in school and they'll slow things down no matter what. That won't matter.
What will matter, is that he will not be ready in size. I am a high school science teacher and a man. You are a woman. You have no idea what it is like to socialize as a boy. Hold him back, it will only help. He needs that extra year to be bigger, faster, stronger, and wittier than his peers.
My son was completely ready for Kindergarten academically. When he got to the end of first grade, I saw how much he was behind the other boys socially. I held him back and made him do first grade over. That was the BEST move I could have made. Holding them back in Kindergarten or first grade has no negative effects, but can have great positive effects.
Mom, you know the answer here, don't get in a hurry. He's better off at home another year.
When they're playing dodgeball in gym or in recess or in the rest room alone with the other boys, no one is going to care how damn brilliant he is. In fact, they'll despise that if he doesn't have the capability of socializing well first. If he's smaller, it'll only make their work of bullying him that much easier.
I have never known of ONE child genius to become what I'd call a successful adult. ALL successful adults I know were not the most brilliant, wonderful children God graced the earth with, they were somewhat bright people who learned to be pluggers and to attain the hard things through applying effort relentlessly. Your son will burn out like a cheap bottle rocket if you push for succeess early. Let him grow slowly.

Answer 3

We kept our son back a year since he was a early September baby. I am a secondary educator and can almost always tell those boys who have September birthdays and are younger than the rest of the class. My son did not get too bored until after Christmas, but even then, it was not so bad. I am glad we made the decision we did. My son already knew a lot of things as well, but besides the birthday concern, he also got a baby sister when he was nearly five. It was a good decision for us, but only you can know for sure. I think it is much better to hold him back now than to hold him back later. There is a stigma associated with that which is not present if he simply starts school later. Also, he will be one of the oldest people in his graduating class, which I also think is a plus. It's good you're thinking about this now, but give him this year in preschool (?) and see what those teachers think as well. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Answer 4

I have the same problem. My son will be 5 on August 17th 2007. I taught kindergarten, second and third grade. So my son knows all the curriculum too. I think that since you are a former educator maybe you could home school him or send him to school as a trial basis. Suppliment school with other activities so that he doesn't get bored. I think that he needs to interact with kids his age. My son goes to day care 3 times a week so that he can be with the other kids. I think that it is really important that he learns to listen to other adults. When I taught kindergarten I had parents who were afraid that their kids would be bored, but with computer time, centers, recess, music, P. E. art and everything else I never heard a kid say "I'm bored." If you know who is going to be his teacher maybe you can talk to him or her and voice your concerns. Only you knows what is best for your son.

Answer 5

We too had a summer baby boy who is very smart. On advice of preschool teachers and kindergarten screening results, we sent him to kindergarten at age 5 where academically he did well, socially he did well, but had lots of trouble following the rules. We were fortunate to have a flexible but firm teacher who helped him find ways to remember and follow the rules but it was still a challenge. He continued to first grade. Again, he could understand and learn at an accelerated pace but had trouble with working alone and following the structure of the classroom. When it was time to advance to second grade, we had to change schools, so we had him repeat first grade. Since then he has not had discipline problems and has been successful academically. There has been no issue of boredom in the classroom (which we were concerned about). I would wait, and let him mature another year before kindergarten. Good luck!

Answer 6

You need to follow your heart on this one. Try finding a pre K program for him this year and worry about Kindergarden next year when he may be ready and eligible. If not send him to a private Pre K program and try it out. You as a parent can always choose to have him repeat Kindergarden or first grade if you see a need for it. It would also allow him to be able to take a year when he is in high school to become an exchange student instead and not be a year older than many of his peers.

Answer 7

Wow 3 is young for kindergarden but every child is his/her own case. and a jump start on education can benefit him later on. However, children can been a maze of illusion, my 3 1/2yr old nephew can hold full conversations, count, read books but he didnt do so well when my sister sent him to school. He just wasnt ready to slow down and be still for a few hrs. It's a desicion that only you and your son can make, but you'll both know when its not working out for you.

Answer 8

First of all I would like to congratulate you and the daycare that your son goes to for helping him to excel. Personally I believe that you should give him room to let his knowledge grow. If the school he goes to has an advanced placement then I suggest that. I am going into the ninth grade and I was in the advanced placement classes in middle and elementary school. The smarter kids are usually better behaved and more mature anyway. What ever you decide though, I wish you and your son good luck in the future. God Bless!

Answer 9

If he is only 3 why are you worried about kindergarten now? He has plenty of time to mature before next year. I would definately send him. He's just gonna learn and mature more in the next year.

Answer 10

send him on...my nephew stayed back then had a growing spurt about the 6th grade and was about a foot taller than all the others...his mom said if she had had any idea it would be that way...she would not have kept him back. It would not be pushing him forward because even though he will be the youngest in his class...they are his peers