Repeating kindergarten at same school - need advice /perspective

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stayed back for K. I was a bright kid but had a September birthday. That extra year made me the oldest, often the most advanced, and gave me confidence through school. I never felt weird about it at all. It wouldnt have occurred to me that I failed--I was just happy to stay where I was with a teacher and classroom I knew.

Read Malcolm Gladwell's book (on raising boys I think). He talks about how many professional sports players have early Fall birthdays, meaning they were the oldest in their class. The theory is that, in those younger years, being months older makes a big difference. Those kids get more encouragement as a result, and go farther in the sport. It's easy to see how that would apply to all sorts of things.

There was also a study with lawyers who clerked on the US Supreme Court. They all tended to have fall birthdays when the cutoff was dec 31 and therefore were the youngest in the grade. Apparently, if you are younger you have to try harder and put in more effort to keep up academically which teaches perseverance which helps with academics and career advancement.

That said, OP isn't really asking about red shirting to give her kid an advantage but asking about a child who may have developmental issues. If you suspect a medical issue it's a better first step to get an evaluation to see what you are dealing with.