I am curious to know when the cut off for Kindergarten is where you live?

[OakEmber]

My Dd is a fall baby (Nov.) and so if I put her into Kindergarten when eligable she will be 4 for the first 2 months of school...our cut off is Dec.31. It looks like in other places the cut of is Sept. or Aug. even! So I am just wondering what the most common is.

[shelbean91]

I think it's august here, but I'm not positive.

[mommymushbrain]

I can't remember exactly, but it's either June 15th or July 1st... somewhere there in the middle of the summer.

It's a perfect cut off date because it gives those who are just turning 5 an extra month/2 months before they actually start school... There's no way I could send my kids to school at age 4... a preschool maybe, but not to the "real" school. The 4th graders would scare her... :LOL

[NB Mom]

It's December 31 here too. In Nova Scotia it's the end of Oct.

[EFmom]

It's Dec. 31 where I live.

[Jazmommie]

In Indiana-it is July 1 I believe .

I did not realize it was different in other states.

[Shannon Poe]

In Virginia it is September 30
Thirty-five states have kindergarten entrance cut-off dates between August 31 and October 16.
Three states have cut-off dates on or before August 15

I found the above info at this site: http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/44/52/4452.htm

Shannon

[OakEmber]

Originally Posted by Shannon Poe

In Virginia it is September 30
Thirty-five states have kindergarten entrance cut-off dates between August 31 and October 16.
Three states have cut-off dates on or before August 15

I found the above info at this site: http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/44/52/4452.htm

Shannon

Wow, that sure shows em all! Interesting. I wonder if there is a Canadian equivalent? It seems more common here to start at 4 and turn 5 half way through the school year, and seems to have been that way for a long time.

Mommymushbrain- I agree with you there! I want to spend that extra year with Dd while she is still a preschooler! I have read a couple treads on school readiness, and worry a bit about Dd being bored if she starts at 5/6 instead of 4/5 but it makes a big difference whether you are talking about waiting when they have an Aug. birthday and will be 5 upon entering, or if you are talking about a Dec. cut off.

Thanks for giving me more to go on.

[GruppieGirl]

September 1st here ~ New next year here.

I believe party of the theory is that kids will be 18 (adults) when they go to college.

Many states are even dropping the requirement back to July.

My dd will be the oldest in her class. I know she could handle scholl socially and accademically right now, but what about middle school? Dating? Making college decisions? I would rather have her be older when she has to deal with all of that "adult stuff."

Another bonus, one more year of staying little!

[mom2x]

Ours is Sept. 1. DS turned 5 in July but I'm not sending him until next year. He'll still graduate when he is 18.

[mich]

That was a great link, Thanks!
It dosent say but our city in MA is Dec 31. My DS would also be 4 if he started this fall.

[OakEmber]

Originally Posted by averysmom

but what about middle school? Dating? Making college decisions? I would rather have her be older when she has to deal with all of that "adult stuff."

I couldn't agree with you more about that...my sister was 12 when she started highschool and felt like the only one who wasn't a teenager...she also got pregnant at 14, I wonder if she was trying to prove she was grown up. We don't have middle school where I live, it goes straight from K-7 and then 8-12, even more reason for her to be older.

My mom is always saying that it is not about the Kindergarten year, it's about the next 12 years. 17 seems too young to be off to college and on your own, IMHO! I just wish I didn't have to feel so much pressure from everyone about her being "ready", it's still a year away and I already feel I have to defend myself! It's nice to know the later start dates in other places, now I can say...well if we lived ___ she would automatically have to wait.

Another factor that you moms might appriciate but others around me don't seem to is that since our two will be 4 years apart, not totally by my planning as I had a m/c inbetween, I want them to have as much time together at home as possible to establish a strong family bond...if I wait a year to put Dd in school at least they have two years at home instread of just one...I feel that Dd will gather more learning out of that experience than that year of school would provide (and she'll still get the next year anyway).

[littlest birds]

Our cutoff is Oct 1

I am with other posters that early start is problematic even for "academically" advanced children. K is no big deal for 4yo but the pressure of later grades--put it off as long as you can and they'll just be that bit more ready to deal with it.

I homeschool though now

[HollyBearsMom]

South shore Mass is 4 by 9/1. Our son is an August babe so we are going to wait until he is 5. I agree older is better.

[KateMary]

December Baby

I don't know what the cut off was when I was kid but I didn't make it, my birthday is December 16th. I started kindergarten half way through the year, after Christmas break, when I had just turned 5. I got half a year of kindergarten and then went on to first grade, but had a K/1 combined class with the same teacher. I never had much of a problem being the youngest in the class. I was 12 for a few months when I started high school (9th grade), 17 when I started college, and was only 20 going into my senior year of college. I thought it gave me a jump start on life. I was just 21 and a half with a college degree and was probably a lot more mature than 22 and 23 years olds I graduated with. I think it depends on the kid. If my kid were academically ready (according to my gut instincts mostly I guess), I would put her in kindergarten as soon as possible. That is what my mom did as I had been in preschool for 2 and half years and I must have been bored.

[shimmer]

In Oregon it is September 1st. My dd misses the cut-off and I'm glad!

[caycat]

In Ontario, it is December 31. I think that is that way across Canada but I could be wrong.

I guess no matter when the cut off is, someone is going to be the oldest. I kind of like the Dec. 31 cut off as it doesn't seem arbitrary. I do know, however, that those who are the youngest can struggle at least at first. It is actually when they get older that the age gap becomes less important.

A-C

[teachma]

Ours is Dec. 31st. I have very strong feelings on this issue and, as an early elementary teacher for 8 years, I have worked with students of all ages relative to their peers and in cities with different cut-offs and different practices ert sending/holding out. Please pm me if you are interested in my opinions and the various experiences on which they are based.

[Dragonfly]

Originally Posted by caycat

I guess no matter when the cut off is, someone is going to be the oldest. I kind of like the Dec. 31 cut off as it doesn't seem arbitrary. I do know, however, that those who are the youngest can struggle at least at first. It is actually when they get older that the age gap becomes less important.

I was one of those young kids (was skipped through kindergarten and, so, went from being one of the older kids in my kindergarten class to being the youngest by a lot in my first grade class). From my own, personal experience, I'd say just the opposite was true. Early on, it was no big deal for me to be the youngest. It was actually kind of fun. And it really helped my intellectual development, I think, to be amongst older kids.

Around 6th grade, it got really difficult. Everyone was developing physically while I wasn't. I was a late bloomer to begin with but was now one year even further behind. I was pretty mature emotionally, but my body wasn't at the same level and I was set apart from my "peers" as a result - because middle school is just kind of like that.

The age gap didn't really become less important until my senior year in high school, and I was totally ready to go to college and be on my own, even though I had just turned 17. Still, that was about 6 years of feeling like I wasn't accepted by my peers because of my age. Not really fun.

I'm sure my personal experience colors my objectivity, but I really feel as though kids should be at least a solid 5 before going into kindergarten. My own son will be closer to 6, and I'm really happy about that. I've also read that kids who are older in their grades are more likely to come out as leaders than followers. Something else to think about.

[Dragonfly]

teachma - I'm interested in hearing your ideas. I tried to PM you, but your box is full.