Kindergarten assesment test? help!!?

Question

Hi, my daughter will be 5 in January, but I heard there is a test in San Diego county, that she can take, and if she passes she can start Kindergarten this year instead of having to wait until next year. Does anyone know what this test is called?? I would really appriciate any information.

I guess I should add that my daughter is very mature for her age, and if she wasn't on the verge of reading at 4 1/2 then I would not even be considering it. She was in preschool while I was working, but in SD we do not have public preschool, and I can not afford to send her to a private school.

Answer 1

This is wonderful, but be sure your child is ready in ALL areas. Sometimes their size alone can make them stand out.
I held my son back a year because of a late birthday......he just finished kindergarten reading at a 5th grade level.....seriously......BUT he still is behind in areas like comprehension and memory skills and was not socially ready until I started him (when he was already 51/2). So he takes advanced reading.
Call your board of education to find out about the test.

Answer 2

Wait! I have been teaching preschool for 12 years and in the case of every January born child advise the parents not to send them on. It does not matter what she knows academically. What matters most is social and emotional development. Children who start kindergarten early often fall behind. They cry more, have a hard time making friends, playing games, following directions, being on the playground. The other children often see them as the "babies." Also, a lot of children who start kindergarten early are held back. They see their peers move on. They feel something is wrong with them because they were left behind. I even advise parents with August born children to hold them back! In every case but one (out of about 25), the August born child were held back.

It is the trend here in California to hold back late summer born and early fall born children. Your daughter is months younger than these children. The likelihood of her getting in a kindergarten where the youngest children are soon turning 6 is great.

Over the years I have contacted many former parents who decided to send their child on early. All of these children had the problems I mentioned. EVERY parent who sent their child on regretted their decision! Every child was held back.
Also think about her later years. She will always be the youngest. She'll be a 16 year old in high school with 18 year olds. She will forever try and catch up.

Please give her the "gift" of another year! You won’t regret it! Good luck!

Here is a list of some kindergarten readiness skills.

http://www.srvusd.k12.ca.us/schools/REGISTRATION_INFORMATION/KINDERGARTEN/Kindergarten_Readiness_Skills/

Answer 3

I say call around and ask...

I also don't know if you should even consider putting her in Kindergarten right now since she is so young, it has to do with alot about maturity and I think a huge difference is if they have also had any pre-school before Kindergarten.

I mean if you do start her this year do know that there is a possibility that she may need to be in it again next year because of ehr maturity and such.

Answer 4

There are pro's and con's of sending a child to school early.
One of the pro's are - she is smart and will be challenged.
One of the con's are - that later in life (Jr. High and High School)
she will be one of the younger ones. When you are younger - even if you were mature at 5, you will not have the confidence that the older kids will. And you will be doing things to fit in that you are not sure you be doing - but want don't want to look like your too young.

I know that this did not answer your question - but I needed to answer just incase you hadn't thought of this.

Good luck - either way there will be pro's and con's.
Make your best choice and don't look back.
It's a difficult choice.
I was one of the young kids - and I wish that my parents would have waited.

Answer 5

They do a similar test here in Texas and it is called a school readiness test. Basically, they are testing to ensure that the child is capable of being in the school environment, has basic social skills and basic academic skills. I believe here they test on colors, shapes, math, letter recognition- just to name a few. After talking with many teachers , principals, and school district employees here, they frown upon letting children "move up" early because studies have shown that the immaturity catches up with the child later in their academic career.
All of our information is on the local School District's website however, I didn't find much on San Diego except for high school info.

Good Luck to you and your daughter.

Answer 6

I to live in San Diego county and in some of our school districts they have early start K, so they not only get the education but the young ones have time to develope social skills etc. Call your school district and talk to them about your options, or even your local elementry school.

Answer 7

Fine, but be warned that if she passes the test, she will possibly be the youngest student in the class. My eldest son has a late December birthday and was admitted to school before his fifth birthday. Academically he was ready, he was a star student. Because he was big for his age, he seemed to fit in, but everyone kept telling us how immature he was. Yes, he was somewhere between six months and a year behind his fellow students in social styles.
If your child is academically ready, ask yourself if she is socially ready, especially if she is small for her age.
Good luck, I have seen it both ways. My next oldest is two years and two months younger and three years behind his brother in school.

Answer 8

Contract your school district.

Personally, I wouldn't suggest starting your child early. It's much better to be one of the older kids in the class than one of the younger kids. The younger kids also have a much more difficult time, from what I have seen.

Answer 9

diverse faculties use diverse tests. At maximum community faculties you may take each and each assessment a 2nd time after some months in case you have self assurance they weren't precise. you will desire to easily attempt to do your suitable. The tests are just to place you on the suitable suited point in English, math & analyzing.

Answer 10

they have different one's for different schools, one of them is called I.T.B.S I don't know about many schools. We took it every year at the end of the year to see where we were in math, ss,science ect. Ask the school.