Should I hold my premature twins back a year from starting kindergarten?

Question

My twins were 6 weeks early and relatively healthy. They are 1 1/2 years now and smaller than other kids their size (daughter wears 9-12 mth clothes). She also is just now starting to walk. However, in other areas they are on track with kids their age. My husband and I are both teachers and coaches, so academic and athletic success are also a considerations.

Answer 1

Their early birth shouldn't make a difference, they might be the smallest in their classes, they might not. What makes a difference more than size is emotional and intellectual maturity (for their age). Even if their gross and fine motor skills are a bit behind, this can be worked on in school

Answer 2

Yes. Hold them back. You absolutely cannot go wrong with that choice. There are too many question marks with proceeding forward. You want to insure their success.
I'm a teacher. My daughter we kept home until she turned 6. It was a move we don't regret at all, she is at the top of her class and well-adjusted. My son we could have went either way. He was academically ready and then some, so we sent him. After first grade, though, I realized he was not socially on par. I had him repeat first grade. That turned out to be an excellent move. He is a better fit for this age group, and would have been lost a year ahead.
If you wait a year you'll go from maybe ready to MORE ready. There is no downside to waiting a year. Boredom is a non-issue. Really, it's not a relevant issue.

Answer 3

Don't hold them back. My 27 wk preemie, born at 2 lbs, 11 oz., now 4 yrs old, is testing at mid-kindergarten levels. She didn't walk until 14 mos. But she is as active as any one of the kids in her summer camp. She's only slightly smaller than full term kids her age, but her size makes her fiesty and almost always up to a challenge (that one will come back to bite me one day ;)).

Granted, we were so lucky ... no residual cardiac, pulmonary, vision, or cognitive problems that we can find. She's on track socially too. I reluctantly put her in summer camp this summer because it was so obvious she craved the intellectual and social interaction. (see, I'm good, but I'm no preschool ;)) I knew I'd be doing her such a disservice if I waited until kindergarten.

I admit though, that I didn't tell the staff of her camp that she was a preemie. I didn't want her to be limited by anyone's preconceived notions about these kids. She hasn't been, and is over the moon about camp. Not a shred of separation anxiety to be found.

Most kids, preemie or not, will aspire to the expectations you set for them. Most will hit the marks beautifully, and be better for it. I would probably try to find a smaller class for them if I were you, so you could develop a close relationship with their teacher and know immediately if either one seems to be struggling.

They'll love it, and they'll start catching up (if there's any to be done) rapidly because of the other kids. Let 'em run.

Answer 4

Most school districts have testing sessions, where they test to see if your child is "kindergarten ready." The school districts in my state do, anyway. These tests are usually done the year before school starts.

They do basic testing, tell parents what areas the child is fluent in, where they might need work before kindergarten starts. I'm guessing since you didn't register your children for school at the end of last year, you're thinking ahead. I would contact your school district, to find out if they do things like this.

My oldest started kindergarten a year later than I believe he should have. He took the tests, passed them with flying colors, but because of my state's age limitations, he could not start kindergarten until the next year. Well, he practically slept through his entire grade school years - and now is struggling in middle school because he never had to do homework before.

On the other hand, my other son who started with the rest of his age group wasn't quite ready, and has been struggling with school ever since. He gets a 98% on his April testing, but yet always had a hard time in school.

So either way you go - there's no real answer. I think it's best if you have them reviewed ahead of time.

Answer 5

I think that you should make the "holding back" decision after they've had some exposure to a preschool.

Honestly, though, I'm a fraternal twin who was premature (I'm 23 now). My sister and I were 5 years and 3 months when we started kindergarten and had few problems. My sister had trouble with motor skills, but they worked with her at the shcool and she got better. We're both intelligent college graduates who are both pursuing master's degrees.

I guess what I'm saying is give them a chance to be in a school setting before you make your decision, but I think they should be okay. If they don't 'hit the ground running', give them some time and work with them a little bit. They should do fine.

Answer 6

My son was a preemie and we are going to hold him back from K-garten 'til he is 6. He will be 4 this Sept. and is still small for his age. There is no guarantee he will be a great success academically or athletically (also considerations for us), however we feel that he will stand a better chance if he is allowed to wait and catch up for an extra year. It's tough to be the little peanut all the time. Plus they say boys are less mature than girls anyways....

Answer 7

I think it might be too early to determine. Every school has a special education department and they can help determine if your twins have any learning disabilities due to being premature. They will also help you decide what's best for them whether or not they have any learning issues.

The learning disabilities are rather common in multiple and premature babies and they cannot be detected until preschool age, but there are also a lot of these babies that never show any sign of being different than other kids in their development. Either way, they end up catching up sooner or later, it is not a permanent thing and the school specialists help them catch up quicker.

With the school's help you will be ale to determine what's best for them.

Answer 8

I do not believe you should hold them back. If by their 4th birthday you think they may be less mentally mature than other 4 year olds, go see a pediatrition for advice. By the time they are 5 years old they should be at other childrens level. From watching A Baby Story they should be caught up mentally by 3 years old. If they are a little less mature they do have programs in school to help children for a while. I was in one myself, now I excel above others. I am more mature than most people my age now. So I wouldn't worry about them that much.

Answer 9

Well you shouldn't really worry about kindergarten right now if their only 1 1/2 years old. When they get older you will know when the right time is. Usually if they can write their name, know their shapes and colors, letters and numbers they will do fine. I home school seven children. Kids learn if you teach them. Kids are excited to learn new things. Each child is different. Usually around 5,6,or 7 you will know if they are ready. I would just observe thwm and don't hold them back if they are ready.

Answer 10

I think you should wait until they are closer to kindergarten to decide this. They will grow and the size thing might not be an issue then. You also need to consider their emotional and academic abilities at that time. If they are ready, there should be no reason to hold them back.