Full day kindgergarten or red shirt? - Page 2

[ChristaN]

Not to be too pushy here , but I did want to say, as a parent who is pretty far into this journey, that not all of us feel that the repercussions become worse later on down the line.  I did hear that from the principal @ the elementary where dds started school -- that the maturity differences, etc. would be greater later and I wouldn't know that yet in K.  My oldest is a freshman in high school, so we are at the point where we're seeing college in the near future.  I will admit that my oldest is somewhat of a special circumstance.  She has both a fall bd & she skipped the last year of elementary so she is not quite 13 yet.  We're looking at her heading off to college at 16 (nearly 17) but it is absolutely the right decision for her socially as much as academically.

My youngest has a later fall bd than her sister and is a different kid.  She's not one whose going to be skipping grades, but she still is good as the youngest in grade.  I don't regret starting either of them when we did and I don't see maturity lagging behind their grade peers even as we're into middle and high school.  FWIW, I went off to college just shy of 18 and don't feel that being a year older would have been any benefit for me either.  There are a lot of other things that might have made a big difference in my experience in college, but age isn't likely one of them.

[lindberg99]

Originally Posted by moongazer 

Something else to consider is the "other end" of the maturity issue. Will you be comfortable sending your child off to college at 17?  I kept my oldest DS out of kindy until he was 6 and now I am so thankful I did.  He graduated last spring and the amount he matured in that last year was AMAZING.  I am perfectly comfortable sending him to college now.  Last year, not so much.

Just a different perspective to consider.

But the OP's child has a May birthday so he will turn 18 right at the end of his senior year. He won't be going to college as a 17 yo unless he skips a grade.

I have three kids, two have May birthdays and one has early June and the school cutoff date is Sept 30. They all started at 5 and are now 2nd, 6th and 8th grade and all doing fine in school. I really can't imagine them being in the younger grade. I guess maybe it is different if the district has an early cut off (like June 1) but with a Sept 30 cutoff, I can't see holding back a May child. Esp. one who is academically ready, which it sounds like OP's child is. He will likely be pretty far ahead of his classmates if he is held back a year.

[whatsnextmom]

Originally Posted by ChristaN 

Not to be too pushy here , but I did want to say, as a parent who is pretty far into this journey, that not all of us feel that the repercussions become worse later on down the line. 
.

I agree. It's so individual. My eldest is 14 and going into her sophomore year at high school. My 10-year-old is heading into middle school. Both are slated to start college at 17 unless they choose to finish high school earlier. Even being the youngest, they still have most in common with the older and more mature peers of their grade (and mature as in most focused/responsible/high self-control, not "mature" as in lost in pop culture and doing things innapropriate for their age like most people seem to guage maturity.) Being in the younger grade would be a real mistake them.

I have to add that in our area, red-shirting has risen to ridiculous levels and the district is having so many problems because of it. "Grade corrections" are becoming popular in middle school when it's obvious to all that these 6th graders with facial hair and bored out of their mind shouldn't be there. It's not an easy transition at that point.

I will maintain that red-shirting is good for a very small population. Holding back a May baby so they will be 19 before they graduate high school is extreme and unneccessary.

[lindberg99]

Originally Posted by whatsnextmom 

I have to add that in our area, red-shirting has risen to ridiculous levels and the district is having so many problems because of it. "Grade corrections" are becoming popular in middle school when it's obvious to all that these 6th graders with facial hair and bored out of their mind shouldn't be there. It's not an easy transition at that point.

There was a kid in my son's 5th grade class last year who had a mustache. Although he had to repeat a grade so he was older than the other kids OK, I don't know what my point is other than I was surprised to see a 5th grader with a mustache. Carry on!