What are your opinions on starting school at age 5 ?

Question

And when do think the cut off should be? Here in Michigan it's 5 by Dec.1st, but I read a question earlier that says in Texas it's 5 by Sept.1st. What do you think???

Answer 1

I think that the age cut-off date is a totally arbitrary thing. Different states have different dates because there is no age that is clearly best for starting school. Some children are ready to sit still and have lessons at age 3 and are begging to go to school by age 4 or 4 1/2. Others still aren't ready at age 5.

It used to be that kindergarten was mostly playing. Kids learned to sit still to hear a few stories, learned to play together nicely and listen to the teacher. If that were still kindergarten today, kids would certainly be ready for it by age 5.

But today, kindergarten has become much more academic. Lots of sitting still and doing lessons. There's very little play time or running around time. And a lot of children aren't ready for that by age 5 or even 6. (Hence so many parents running out to get their children diagnosed as ADD or ADHD and get them drugs. If kids were allowed to be children longer, most of them wouldn't need that, in my opinion.)

Anyway, I don't think that there is a "best" cut off date. If I were a state official, I'd probably pick something close to the first day of school to keep it simple. But nothing says that that's the best method for the children....


Then again, I prefer homeschooling so that I can educate my children based on works best for them as individuals rather than trying to make them fit into whatever scheme has been designed for everyone....

Answer 2

My daughter was born in late December and I put her into K when she was 4.5 because the cutoff here is the end of Dec, thinking she would be fine with it. Academically she was, but socially/emotionally she was not.


I definitely should have waited. It's a fallacy that kids learn to "socialize" in school. Socializing and socialization are 2 different things. Children that young are not capable of socializing. They do not have the tools for it. Therefore they are far better off to be with their parents and if they are exposed to other kids it is in a highly supervised play based environment.

The most important thing for young children is a strong attachment with adults/parents and mentors, not with children.

Answer 3

I think that children should be put into schools earlier than age 5. A preschool or daycare, it's never too earlier for a child to start developing social skills as well as learning. If you get them into a starter school they are more likely to achieve goals and maintain good grades in schools later on.

Answer 4

I think Texas has the BETTER idea- to make the age "cut off date" at the Beginning of the School Year. It saves alot of Confusion...

Answer 5

where I grew up in Indiana, it was July 4th. Everybody is different. However, a full day kindergarten is very little play these days, and really isn't for children under 5. My sister is a kindergarten teacher and with the standards that they have to teach to courtsey the no child left behind act, they have very little 'extra' time. But it's every parent's decision and everybody starts them at different times.

Answer 6

Children should be in at least part time school before they are five years old./