I've enrolled my 4 year old in Kindergarten... Too early?

Question

She will be 5 in November, and she knows her ABC's and 123's, but now I'm worried about the "older" kids. I don't know if it's just me, being a paranoid mom, knowing what it was like being the youngest in the class, but she's never been to preschool. She's excited to go, and they say she's ready... I need advice! Let me know, how old your child was when you enrolled them in kindergarten and any other advice in dealing with your child going to school!

Answer 1

Most places have rules about how old a child has to be to start first grade so your daughter may have to do kindergarten twice. Now that would be boring.  Why not keep her home and play school, read lots of books, visit interesting places (zoo, aquarium, museum).  Look into local classes for ballet, gymnastics, swimming, etc.

Answer 2

It's not to early its very good for them. I sent my first son to Kindergarten at age 5, but my second son I enrolled him in Preschool at 4 he loved it. It's just hard to have them home with you ,then you have to let them go. School is so important though they learn make friends. And it's so great the things they make and bring home to you. And the homework they do and bring home its cute.. Makes you very proud and there proud also...

Answer 3

My son turned 4 only a week before starting kindergarten.  it was very traumatic for me, lol.  

Answer 4

My birthday is in October and my mom always said it was the biggest mistake she ever made was to start me in kindergarten when I was only 4. I hated being the youngest.

Answer 5

NO WENT TO PRESCHOOL WHEN I WAS 3 AND IM TURNING 13 NEXT MONTH

Answer 6

WOW, here they start kindergarten if the child turns 4yrs old before June 30th, if born after that they start the year after, My 1st daughter is January 30th and started (in Feb - only 4 half days a week) when she was 4yrs old last year (and LOVED IT) Now she's in Pre-Primary (or preschool) and is there 5 full days now and still loves it,

and my 2nd daughter who is currently 3yrs old - June 30th- starts next year and she'll be exactly 3.5yrs old. she just scrapped through as her birthday is the cut off point.

Amazing how diffferent places do things differently and at different ages.

At those ages, I doubt the other kids will make such an issue about the age thing, If she is excited and ready the school says she is, then do it, she'll have the best time.

Answer 7

its not so much kindergarden, i think she will be fine in the earlier grades, its more junior high/ high school you should think about. when all her friends learn to drive, she won't be able to. when all her friends turn 18 (or 21 if your in the states) and go partying, she can't go. i would suggest having her do kindergarden twice. it will be better for her in the long run, trust me.  

Answer 8

Well i think it would've been better for her to go to preschool for another year because another year of learning is fine. I babysit this girl whom is going into first grade next year and has a late birthday and should've been starting kindergarten this year. The had many problems with making sure she was ready and thought most of the year that she would have to be held back because in her developmental stage she wasn't as ready as the other children is what i'm gathering (I take child development class). She to work extra hard in things like math and she Had to get a Math game for the computer that she had to practice on, but she is finally ready. So i say yes if you are confident that she is ready. Just remember if she has to repeat kindergarten she will notice. The girl i babysit for did understand that she should be going to first and it will crush her to have to repeat it and make new friends.

Hope I helped :)

Answer 9

I would wait a year. It sounds like she's smart enough but she probably be the youngest kid in her class and might lack maturity. My friend is a kindergarten teacher and she always says to wait a year if you are in doubt. Most of the kids even with summer birthdays are not always ready. Kindergarten is much more advanced even from 10-15 years ago. My niece last year was struggling with writing and math. I held my son out a year because he has a September birthday. He was more mature when he started and once he started I could see that he couldn't have done as well a year before. He is now starting college this fall. Also kids can tease the younger, smaller kids. This is less likely with girls, but when she is in high school, she won't be able to get her license until late until 11th grade. Being younger than your peers can have social disadvantages. I would try a Pre-K program.  

Answer 10

nope she is too smart

Answer 11

I did it with my son and regretted it because he was the only one doing it. We kind of cheated the system. His bday is in October. The problem was when they were all learning to write he always was behind because even though he was one of the smartest kids, his motor skills were still of a  younger kid. And you may know your child is smart at 4 yr old and will be smart at 6, but you dont know how her motor skill will be at 6 or 7 when they learn to write cursive and such. Also, my son was always the more immature of the group and smallest. I'm so glad we moved now to a state that allows 4 yr olds in kindergarten so now he is not the youngest in the class and is caught up with the rest.

Answer 12

My Daughter went in at age 4 (as did  I as a kid). Her bday is Nov as well. In CA the age cutoff is turning 5 by Dec 5th I believe. The teachers here were great and she was right in line with everyone else. At the end of the school year she was in the top 1/3rd of the class academically. It's all about emotional maturity not actual age though as there are some 6 year olds that can't seem to follow directions.

I believe that you as a parent know your Child best and if you think they can follow directions and behave then they should be enrolled. They will learn all about reading, writing, etc in school but they must be able to sit still and listen to another adult.

Also, keep in contact with your child's teacher and make sure to have them alert you to anything that she is doing that may signal she's not quite ready. You can be proactive at home by encouraging her and talking positive about how fun school is and how the teachers are there to help if you need something.

Answer 13

Have you ever heard the song "let them be little" you should really listen to it. Why not give your baby one more year to be a child. That is just one year sooner that she will go off to collage, move out and so on. Plus studies show that a fall baby should really wait to be 5 turning 6 it really makes a huge difference later on in school.

Answer 14

How can anyone possibly know if she's ready if she's never been to preschool?

I'd have sent her to something else before expecting her to cope with all the social expectations of being in a large group environment for the first time at the same time as the new academic stuff.

It may be too late to do much, but I'd make a strenuous effort to get her some experience of being in a group without you before school starts. Maybe swimming lessons or some sort of summer group activity?

Answer 15

Weird.  Most school districts won't take a child under 5 for kindergarten.  Prepare her to be made fun of and called a baby.  Let her know that there are bullies out there and she should just ignore them.

Answer 16

I am a Nov. and was ready academialy, but due to age requirements, had to wait.  I enjoyed being one of the older kids.

Do find out about the first grade requirements though.  I know that where I live, it is K - MUST be 5 before Oct. 1, and 1st - MUST be 6 by Oct. 1.

Repeating Kindergarten would the worst for a bright kid.

Call your school district and ask them their guidelines so you don't get any surprises.

Answer 17

Many kids are not yet 5 years old.  The age difference is usually only by a few months between most kids.  There will be several other kids that are brand new 5 year olds (Born over the summer, September-November).   If you think she is ready, go for it..although her birthday isnt until November, she IS almost 5 now if you think about it.

Answer 18

I was 5 when i went (2001) I guess that was cuz my Birthday was in December..

Answer 19

As a teacher, I would tell parents to look at the whole child. Being able to count and sing her ABC's is great....but is she able to tell you what each letter is when you show them to her, out of order? Can she group objects of the same color together? Does she use her words to tell you what she wants? Is she able to get along with other children> (ages 4, 5 or 6) As her mom, you know her BETTER THAN ANY ONE ELSE :) Take a good look at her and just think about it.  If you feel like she is ready, then send her. If you worry...look into other programs where she meet other kids and build her social skills. Work with her at home, and then send her to school next year. I wish you the best of luck!!!  

Answer 20

i don't think you should enroll kids in school too early. although if they are ready they would just be bored staying at home for another year. i guess trust your gut

Answer 21

she would be good in a K-4 class, but too young for K-5 you can't even register a child for Kindergarten in a lot of places that is born after september 1st

Answer 22

if the school administrators say it's OK, trust them!  you don't have to turn to an internet forum where the answerers may or may not actually know what they're talking about.  personally, I don't think you have anything to worry about.  if she's bright enough for them to say she can go, I think she'd be bored if you made her wait.

Answer 23

My daughter has a November birthday and in our town, August 31 is the cut-off date for school.  She has a friend who has a June birthday, so her friend "Sara" was eligible for kindergarten before my daughter was.  At the time, my 4 going on 5 year old was academically ready for school, but emotionally and socially, I am glad that she still had another year until she started kindergarten.

When my daughter started her kindergarten, she was one of the older children in her class.  She had already spent time in pre-school so she didn't have any leaving home worries.

I personally think 4 years old is too young for kindergarten.  There's attention issues, socialization issues, academic issues (they learn a lot now in Kindergarten).  Plus if it's a full day Kindergarten, that's a long day for a 4 year old.

But if the school (and you) say she's "ready", perhaps it's true.  You can always have her in Kindergarten again next year, if it all doesn't work out this year.