Kindergarten: Now or Later?

The Holding Them Back Debate.

When you have a summer boy,  your Kindergarten start date is a hot topic! My son, Zander, was born August 3rd, and I can’t even count how many times I was asked about his academic future….Beginning at age three! Perhaps you’re considering postponing the kinder enrollment of your age-eligible child as well? Hopefully my experience will help with your decision, or at least give you and your partner some points to debate.

“Redshirting”, or delaying entrance to kindergarten by a year, is not uncommon, especially among summer boys!

According to the research of Elizabeth Schanzenbach, Professor of Education & Social Policy at Northwestern University. “One out of five boys with a summer birth date are redshirted”. Furthermore, “The number of kindergartners over the age of five has more than tripled from 5.4 percent in 1970 to 17 percent in 2009”, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Parents are “redshirting” by and large to try and give their children a leg up during their academic careers, and it seems there are no signs of this trend slowing down.

My son, Zander, makes the September 1st cut off in Texas by a month and we decided to “redshirt” him.

It was a BIG decision, and one I STILL have mixed feelings about.

I wish I could tell you without a doubt I made the right decision. But, as we are over half way through with Kindergarten, I’m not quite there yet. 

Zander as a “redshirt” in Kinderbridge

Zander attended Kinderbridge at Riverbend Preschool, among twelve other students. {Seven of which were boys!} Even in his Kinderbridge class Zander was the second youngest child among his classroom peers. Had I sent my son to Kindergarten, there is a chance that some of his classmates could have been 15 months older! An age gap I was not willing to make him endure the next 13 years. 

If you are on the fence, like I was, I recommend listening to advice from your child’s Pre-K teacher regarding readiness. We had a teacher conference that thoroughly outlined how my son was doing academically and socially. The students in our Pre-K class were measured on the following criteria; a baseline for Eanes ISD and Leander ISD.

 

 

  • Reading Readiness: Recite the alphabet clearly, recognize uppercase letters, ability to write his name, participates in daily journal, can identify rhyming words
  • Language Skills: Listens to a 10 minute story, follows 3 step directions, raises his hand to speak, sits through circle time, participates in group conversation, can retell stories
  • Math Skills: Counts to 30 or higher, knows basic shapes, can create a pattern, can compare and sort objects.
  • Fine Motor Skills: Draws simple shapes, ability to use scissors, can cut in a straight line, can cut on a curve, pencil grip, paint brush use
  • Gross Motor Skills: Jump forward and backward, kick a ball, catch a ball, skip, hop
  • Social Skills: Uses words to express feelings, transitions successfully from one activity to another, engages in cooperative play, works independently, shows empathy for friends, has self-confidence in a school setting, respects authority and rules.
  • Self Help Skills: Can unwrap food without assistance, put on jacket, unpack lunchbox, zip jacket, self serve, put toys away when finished, wash hands, use restroom.

During Zander’s Pre-K conference {at age 4} he was a pro at gross motor skills, he knew his letters, letter sounds and could write his name, but had not yet mastered the other items.

His fine motor skills were REALLY lacking. His pencil grip resembled a cave man grip!!! Not based on ability, but based on interest. He’d rather spend time running on the playground than sitting still perfecting these entry level skills.

His Pre-K teacher believed he would benefit from a year at Kinderbridge, but could also be pushed to acclimate to Kindergarten very easily. {He has a very easy disposition, and is super social}.

We decided to “redshirt” him, and by the end of Kinderbridge he had mastered every single item on the above list. Unfortunately this was also a bit of a negative…

I have the privilege of volunteering in Zander’s Kinder classroom once a week. I see first hand his ability measured against his peers’. His above level social maturity is undeniable {Something I’ll likely be happy about when he’s the first to drive!}. Given the option, he seems to relate more to the 1st graders during free time, outside of his academic day.

Academically, he is above average by his classroom standards. The extra year of Kinderbridge reinforced his letter sounds, writing abilities and simple math skills.

Thankfully, through literacy groups, the children work in small groups based on ability. The teachers do a great job of bringing under-performing children up to speed with over-performing children by the end of the year. As they enter 1st grade as a class, the academic “playing field” seems to level out from my point of view. Had we sent him to Kindergarten straight from Pre-K, I believe he would have caught up to his peer group by the end of the year. I wonder, could he have thrived more being surrounded by peers who are older and more academically advanced? This scenario has worked well for him athletically. Youth sports are based on birth date, so there is not an option to “redshirt”. He’s been pushed competitively in athletics to catch up to older peers, and has really excelled. Maybe this would have translated to the classroom, maybe not? I’ll never know, and that’s OK. Because, thankfully he’s really happy in his current environment! 

For me, another deciding factor was our family schedule. Keeping my son and daughter at the same preschool with the same academic day really worked for our family. Looking ahead, I also wanted our children to experience more years together at the same school {elementary, middle and high school} , being on the same schedule, for as many years as possible. My daughter’s birth date falls in September, so even though our kids are only 2 years apart, they could possibly only be in high school together for 1 year {as opposed to 2}. Given the choice, I preferred the 2 year sibling gap over the 3 year gap. I’m also happy about college enrollment at 18 turning 19 as opposed to 17 turning 18. 

Regardless if you have made your decision to “redshirt” or not, I recommend attending Kinder Round Up at your prospective elementary school! Our school did a great job of welcoming the children, providing tours and assessing readiness the spring before we were to begin Kindergarten. The school even sent us home with a packet of “homework” to practice over the summer to insure all children met the academic baseline. If your prospective elementary school doesn’t offer a Kinder Round Up, ask to tour the school privately, sit in on a Kindergarten class and observe the classroom setting, ask questions about the lesson plan and teaching methods. When you have a clear idea of what’s in store for your future kindergartner, ask yourself. Will my child excel or struggle in this environment?

As parents, we all want our child to walk confidently into Kindergarten whether they are five or six years old. Your support will play a big role in your child’s success at the beginning of the academic journey. If you are able, volunteer in the classroom or help with school projects. Expose your child to learning opportunities outside of school, like museums, science experiments, music and art projects. No matter your decision, frame it as a “win-win” for your child. Either he/she is so lucky to stay another year at preschool in a loving & nurturing environment with familiar faces, or he/she is so lucky to embark on a new adventure at Kindergarten! I know you are trying to navigate the best life for your little one! Because of you, your child will succeed either way!

Still want more on this topic? I really enjoyed this super short Education Next podcast on the subject.

Cortney Zieky
Cortney is a mother of two, #atxfoodie and lover of fitness! She married her soul-mate, Max, after a love at first sight experience in Las Vegas. Together, they have two children Zander (7) and Zia (5). As a family, they love exploring Austin, trying new restaurants, s’mores by the fire, and vacationing in CO & Cali! Her passion lies in health and wellness. She adores grocery shopping, farmers markets, cooking new recipes, and exercise! Cortney is on a quest to keep her family healthy, dining on the cleanest ingredients, while still having fun and eating paleo chocolate chip cookies!! She started a Health Coaching business in 2019 to help families find the joy in living and eating healthfully! Follow her journey and learn more about her coaching services @happydinneratx and www.happydinneratx.com

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