Kindergarten Cut-Off Dates - Page 2

[KMK_Mama]

Our cut-off here is September 1st as well. My DD makes it by 2 days. I am having a hard time deciding whether or not to put her in "on time." I just read an article though that says that although there may be differences in the children from K-2nd grade, they said by 3rd grade those differences start to even out. It said NOT to hold them back, but like anything you can read things on both ends. I know in our state the children CAN test into K early.

[mahogny]

My DS missed the cut off by 6 weeks. I'm glad for it.

Academically and socially he's ready - reads, writes, counts to over 100, does addition, etc etc, but I enjoy having him with me, and I think it's important, as a boy, to have an extra year of maturity.

He's in half-day pre-k in the public school this year.

[umsami]

We live in NY but will hopefully be back in FL by the time DS starts 1st Grade. Here, the cut-off is December 31st (or 1st)... and DS makes it. In FL, it's September 1st. So... I think that's going to cause issues.

We're going to probably do Pre-K next year for him mainly because I'll have his younger brother and a new baby to watch. I feel guilty, but I don't think I can handle all three of them all day long. Plus, he's really ready for more social interaction.

[becoming]

My DS missed it by 25 days. Our state does not make exceptions, and it is my understanding that our school district typically waits until 1st or 2nd grade to assess whether an advanced child might have a need to move ahead to a higher grade level.

I'm actually glad both my kids are late October babies. I think the extra year can only help them (and my DS is gifted). My soon-to-be DS2 will be a July baby, and it saddens me to think he'll be starting all-day Kindergarten just after turning 5.

[wifeandmom]

Originally Posted by aniT

And the torture from the boys to the poor girl who wear a 36 C in the 6th grade because she missed a cut off date by a few measly days.

The boys in 7th grade wouldn't have teased the same girl just as much? I'd have to disagree on that one, from personal experience. Fact is, some children are going to tease other children. They will find a reason. Too tall, too short, too big, too little, too weak, big nose, big ears, whatever...they will *find* something to tease *someone* about.

When we lived in Cali my November baby was able to start school. Now that we are in Oregon I have another November baby and the cut off is Sept.1st. Way too early in my opinion. My poor Jan baby wouldn't have made it in any state.. and the sad thing is.. she is really tall for her age and towers over 4 year olds....

So what *should* the cut off be? February 1st? March 1st? April 1st? Someone will *always* have a birthday the very next day after whatever cut off they pick. Someone will *always* have a birthday two days later, three days, a week, a month, 6 weeks, etc. At some point, you've got to draw a line and say 'This.Is.It.'

I do wish that line was universal across the US. It certainly would make things a lot simpler in a country where people move from state to state frequently.

[wifeandmom]

Originally Posted by cmlp

But then she will be completely unstimulated for another year, rather than learning what she clearly desires to learn and is ready to learn. Isn't that also a bad thing?

I find it sad that the assumption is the child in question would be 'totally unstimulated' for a full year simply because they aren't in Kindergarten. That may very well be the case for *your* child, but I can assure you it isn't the case in *our* home. My children don't have to be in Kindergarten every day for 7 hours to be stimulated, to learn, to grow, to mature.


I have twin DDs that will go to Kindergarten this fall. They missed the cut off last year by 9 days. I was *glad* they missed it quite frankly. With the trend of holding back youngsters who turn 5 between June and September, I had no desire for them to be in class with children who were more than 12 months older than them. My twins and my third child are 13 months apart and there is a HUGE HUGE HUGE difference in development, but most of it is subtle and you might not even realize the differences if you didn't have close contact with a child literally one year younger.

My third child misses the cut off by about 5 weeks.

My fourth child's birthday is at the end of November.

So all four of them will be amongst the oldest in their class. I'd pick that anyday over being the youngest. But that's just my opinion, based largely upon talking to individual early elementary teachers.

[aniT]

Originally Posted by wifeandmom

The boys in 7th grade wouldn't have teased the same girl just as much? I'd have to disagree on that one, from personal experience. Fact is, some children are going to tease other children. They will find a reason. Too tall, too short, too big, too little, too weak, big nose, big ears, whatever...they will *find* something to tease *someone* about.

Nope, I was only teased in 5th and 6th grade.. not 7th and 8th since by 7th most of the other girls had boobs too.

I don't think there should be a cut off by age, but by ability. Holding kids back because of some line drawn in the sand is unfair. There are too many kids in school that don't belong and too many kids being held back who should be in school.

[ChristaN]

Originally Posted by aniT

I don't think there should be a cut off by age, but by ability. Holding kids back because of some line drawn in the sand is unfair. There are too many kids in school that don't belong and too many kids being held back who should be in school.

As much as I like that idea as a parent of a gifted child (who did, fortunately, just make the cut-off), I do imagine that it would only increase the competition among parents who would see it as a status symbol to have a child who was deemed smart enough to start. I could also see it making the older kids feel lesser.

Of course, some studies have shown that to already be the case -- redshirted children feeling that they must not have been bright enough to start 'on time.'

In re to wifeandmom's concern re her kids being more than 12 months younger than some of the other kids had they made the cut-off, that certainly can be the case. We've seen it with our younger dd, whose bd is at the end of Sept. She turned 6 a month into 1st grade this year. She has at least 4 children in her class of whom I am aware who are already 8 (18 months or more older than dd). Parents here sometimes even hold kids who turned 5 in March or April back to start K when they are well past their 6th bds. However, I am not going to make decisions about what is right for my child based off of other parents making those types of decisions for their children. Dd is smaller and younger, but she's doing well both socially and academically and no one would know that she was that much younger unless we told them.

[Juliacat]

Originally Posted by ChristaN

The only way around it that I have found in the state I live would be to go to private school for both K and 1st and then transfer in to public in 2nd.

That is exactly what my parents did with me.

[aniT]

Originally Posted by ChristaN

As much as I like that idea as a parent of a gifted child (who did, fortunately, just make the cut-off), I do imagine that it would only increase the competition among parents who would see it as a status symbol to have a child who was deemed smart enough to start. I could also see it making the older kids feel lesser.

Then there are my brother's kids with June and Aug. birthdays both of whom flunked Kindergarten. How do you think it make those children feel to have flunked Kindergarten? My daughter with a Nov. bd (we lived in Cali) completed K at the top of her class.

[aprilushka]

I have a friend who's been hyperventilating somewhat over this issue since the very strict cut off in our state is Sept 30 (which is pretty reasonable) and her kid misses it by two weeks or something like that. I think it's actually better, on reflection to have a strict cut off than not, especially in the super competitive areas. The advanced kids can get more stimulation elsewhere, esp since K isn't full day typically. I was bored in K -- I already read, etc and I used to think I should have skipped a grade. Now I'm not so sure. Most of my education when I was in school came from outside the classroom-- up to college, and I was able to entertain myself in classes that were too slow for me by reading ahead, etc. That was in a school district with low achievement and few resources-- I think in better school districts the problems with stimulation will be far less. Anyhow, I think as long as kids are well stimulated outside of school, they will bring that into the class and do just fine.

[JBaxter]

Our cut off is Sept 1st. They will let you have your child tested if their birthday is before 10/31 BUT if the school is over capacity they will not accept them.

On a private school note... ALL the preschools and private schools in our area have also adopted the September 1st dates. Even if you wanted to start your child early the only way would be homeschool. The private schools just day sept 1 NO exceptions.