4 year old is like 4'3, he misses kindergarten cut off by like 6 days, he is very smart should i put him ahead

Question

He knows all his colors, shapes, letters, and almost all of his presidents. He can follow directions and sit through a story. I know that everyone says that you should hold them back but as i said he is very very tall (size of 7 year old) and if i have him wait another year to start not only will he be the oldest in the class he will be really tall by then. I could use some advice please

Answer 1

wow im 11 and 4'9 lol well mayby im not sure sorryyyyy

Answer 2

whats the rush to start school....I kept my son in daycare 1 more year instead of starting pre-k.....I don't regret it even though I still had to pay daycare...he had a blast his last year...at 2 and a half he already knew his numbers alphabet colors shapes etc....but why push him he will be in school at lest 15 years......for my girl she will be held back because like you she will be 5 6 days later...but I will not jump her a year ....I rather her be the oldest and ahead then the youngest and behind.....also think when he will be a teen...the last to go threw puberty...maybe the shortest...and maybe behind...that can affect his mental health......if I where you I would wait and if later they actually see he is exceptionally smart they will skip him a year......

Answer 3

Entering Kindergarten is less about what he knows that how he acts.  He is expected to be emotionally mature enough to do what is asked of him, and to get along with others.  Kindergarten isn't what it was when we were little, they expect these kids to actually work...usually sitting at their desk for a majority of the day.  Can your son handle this?  If you genuinely feel that he is emotionally mature enough to do it, then fight for his right to go to school.  If there is any doubts though, let him have pre-k for another year.  Being big and tall is meaningless at this age, and while he would be among the eldest kids in the class, there will also be some others born in late fall like he is.

Answer 4

School systems must set a cut-off date.  Regardless of the cut-off date there are always going to be some who just miss it.  It will ultimately be your school district who can decide if your son can attend school this year.  Depending on enrollment, there may not be room for him to enroll early.  He may also need to be tested.  Kindergarteners come in a wide range of sizes, someone has to be the tallest, so don't let his size be the deciding factor.  I suggest you start by approaching your school principal.  It should be close to the time they are doing kindergarten enrollment for next year.  He/she will be able to best address your inquiry.  In our state, Michigan, the cut-off date for kindergarten is December 1.  My middle daughter was born November 12.  I struggled with whether to send her or not.  If I sent her, she'd be one of the youngest in her grade.  But, like your son, she was big for her age and so ready to go to school that I had her tested to be sure and sent her.  There was only one other child with a later birthday than hers, but she did really well throughout her entire school career.  She is now 23 years old.  Some boys need that extra year before starting kindergarten, but others don't.  I start with the school administration and see if early enrollment is even an option for your son.  If not, you may look into a private kindergarten or see if one of your local preschools offers a "young 5's" class and see how he does.

Answer 5

i hate being short, i'm a  lot older than him and i'm 4'6. growl.

Answer 6

Let him enjoy his childhood for as long as possible.  They make the deadlines for a reason. Hundreds of children's birthdays are close to it.

Answer 7

When I was five  went to kindergarten and was advanced to first grade the first week.  The work was no problem, but I always felt socially inferior as the other kids were older.  My brother ended up repeating eighth grade, again, not because he couldn't do the work, but because he wasn't socially there. He loved high-school, being the oldest in class, and did great in high school track and got scholarships.  I'm sure your son would love kindergarten now, but down the road, in high school athletics there is a definite advantage to keeping him back.  Use next year to teach him something extra curricular  -- a Spanish class, or sign language or art or start a musical instrument.   My son and daughter were both  reading when they started kindergarten as well as doing basic math, and they weren't "bored out of their minds."  -- they loved the social stuff, the art, the music, the poetry, games, etc  --  and they felt really confident and could help their friends who were struggling.

Answer 8

I would ask the district to give him an exemption.  His kindergarten teacher can tell you within the first couple of months whether it will work for him or not.  You can take him out if it doesn't work and then try again the next year.

Maturity has a lot to do with whether he is ready or not.  My sister never went to kindergarten (I taught her to read.  Free kindergarten was not yet available there), and was 5 when she entered 1st grade.  I think it was a little tough on her that first year, but after that, she did well.

Answer 9

why don't you hold him back and let him enjoy being FOUR?

Being the tallest and the oldest will make him cool anyway :)

Answer 10

Move

The only way you can get by the cut off is starting the child in a school that cut of day is later

My state it's dec 31.  

Check out private schools, they might be able to get aroung cutt off dates

Most cut off are state laws

Answer 11

It sounds like he will fit in academically and physically.  The only other thing to consider is how does he do socially?  Most people recommend not to put boys ahead, because they tend to be a bit behind socially, especially if they are bumped up a grade.  It might not be a big deal now, but remember, when all the other kids are forming deeper friendships in 4th or 5th grade, will he be able to as well?  Something to think about.  

Every kid is different.  Your his Mom, and you know him best.  Listen to your heart!

Answer 12

Most of these answers are all for sending your son.

I sent my oldest son for the same reasons...smart, knew what he needed to know to start kindergarten. As he got older, in the older grades, junior high (or middle school as they call it now) and high school...he himself told me he wished I would have held him back one more year...he felt like, size wise..academically wise...and for other reasons of being the youngest in his class,...he competed harder. We talk about it, and it didn't prevent him from graduating, but possibly if I would have sent him as an older five yr old, maybe his opportunity to be at the head of his class would have been a better chance....who knows really?  He told me he just always felt a bit behind the others physically, academically..(thru high school...not thru elementary).....and if I had it all to do over again, I would have waited another year and given him the chance to grow a bit more, mature wise and physically wise.

Just my opinion........

Answer 13

I have three boys.  I have always been told that boys do much better academically if held back.  They learn and mature at a much slower rate than their female counterparts.  I was actually told by several different people over the years that ideally a boy shouldn't enter kindergarten until they are 7.

I have a child too who was very tall for his age.  So tall in fact that at three they did a bone age test and said that he will hit 6ft 5in at full height as an adult.  Heeding the advice from our pediatrician and school staff, we kept him out until he was five and 8months.  He is now 10 and a lot of the kids have darn near caught up to him in height and he is doing very well academically.

I know that as a parent you always want to hurry your kid through things, but especially when dealing with age.. there is a reason for the age cut off.  No matter how much your child knows going into school... it all levels out by about 1st -3rd grade according to age development.  I wanted so badly to put my son in a yr prior and now in 4th grade he is right where he should be, yet I have two friends who did put their boys in early who go to school with my son and they are flunking or severly behind.  On top of the fact that at 4 yrs old there will be such a gap in comprehension, social, speech... the list goes on.  If you put him in early... he will be behind from the word get.

You don't say if this is your first... so forgive me if this sounds preachy... but I have learned over the years that brain smarts are only a tiny bit of your childs development.  Your son may know what he needs to to go into Kindergarten, but I can guarantee he is not where the others are socially or developmentally.  The other kids will have a year up on him and at that tender age, a year is huge.  I have seen so many people put their kids in early only to see them held back later on.  

I would seriously consider just waiting until the age appropriate time to put him in... You will be glad you did later on.  

I hope this helped some!!!

Answer 14

It's up to the individual I think.

Maybe speak to the kindergarten teacher to see her opinion.

You mentioned that he was smart but what about his other areas of development- social? emotional? These are just as (if not more) important for kindergarten.

Normally I would say hold back but if the child is ready in all of these areas and the kindergarten teacher also thinks this is in the best interest in the child then I'd consider putting him up.

As the person said above, I think you also need to consider the implications of this for the future. I know a lot of classmates in my year that were a year younger that hated it because they weren't able to drive or go out to celebrate the 18th birthdays. Sometimes (not always) they can be less mature socially or emotionally which can cause problems too.

Answer 15

Have you ever heard of the Head Start Program.  You can sign  them in when they turn 3.  That way they dont stay too behind.

Answer 16

the same thing happened to me i was 4 when i started Kindergarden but i turned 5 a month later. I may have been one of the shortest ones but know im close to the tallest ones, so i say send him to school.

Answer 17

My son started kindergarten when he was 4(turned 5 a month and a half later), but was the youngest in his class. If the school says he's missed the cutoff, there might be nothing you can do, however, I would try to appeal it and state your reasons. My son is still advanced at 10 years old and if I had held him back, he would have been bored out of his mind. I say go for it.

Answer 18

Height has nothing to do with it. Can he read and write his name? Either way, keep him back. The rules are there for a reason. Start him next year.