Would you redshirt this child??

[Anonymous]

National Association for the Education of Young Children:

[Anonymous]

I didn't turn 17 until March of my senior year- it was completely fine. FWIW, your child is doing better than what mine were doing at the same age and mine are doing quite well today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in NY, where the cutoff was late December, so tons of kids started their senior year at age 16 and turned 17 from Sept through Dec.

His fine motor skills will come with age. As the third kid of five, he's used to racing to keep up with the older kids.

I'd send him on time.

This was also true in the DC area (Montgomery County, at least) when I was growing up. So at least through the 1990s.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely not. Work with him on reading and handwriting.

[Anonymous]

As others have said, he'll probably be fine either way. If you lived in Maryland instead of Virginia, he'd be in the younger grade anyway, with a Sept 1 cutoff. He's so close to the border, and sounds like he doesn't have any major issues, so I really think this comes down to which option you prefer. Where do you think he'll be happiest next year? is one logistically easier? Is tuition a facotr for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:National Association for the Education of Young Children:

For such a short list, there are a lot of shoulds, coulds, and mights.
That list should be titled “things we kinda think are sometimes true about holding kids back in kindergarten”

[Anonymous]

I have a similar kid with an August birthday in a school district with a Sept 1 cutoff. We sent him on time and it was absolutely the right decision for him. He's a fifth grader now, and just the other day was commenting on how we just could not imagine himself in 4th grade, and I had to agree.

His preschool teachers also said "you can never go wrong with redshirting a boy" but it was clear that he was a bright kid (not fluently reading or anything extreme, but it was pretty clear school work would come easy to him, and it has), was good at sitting and following directions, and gravitated towards older kids, who tended to accept him. The social aspect is something I would consider, but if he isn't an obvious outlier from other kids in his preschool class, I would not sweat it.

There are plenty of kids with birthdays near his in his MCPS public school. He has friends in his class both significantly older and younger (some went early). We also were worried about my son being shy in K, but he has risen to every occasion. He's still a quiet kid, but has plenty of friends and has impressed us with his ability to rise to any challenge. Had we held him back, I don't think he'd be facing many challenges, and that would be to his detriment.

Of course that's just one kid, and I know others who were happy with their decision to redshirt, but it's been our experirence.

[Anonymous]

I have an early October birthday and was 16 when I started my senior year. It was actually pretty normal, and there were other kids in the class with fall birthdays in the same boat. I turned out okay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Im going to differ. He seems ready to me. He has MONTHS before fine motor skills are an issue, and the fact that he’ll be a Young senior is really moot. The start of K Is 6 months away!

But hey, you lready have your answer “overwhelmingly”.

+ 1 - I have a girl with an August birthday who ended having to be held back, but I'm with this poster - your son sounds ready now.

ABCs, emergent reader, counts well, can sit and listen? The only issue you have is some fine motor? If this bothers you, you have six months to work with him.

I don't know where you live/will send him to KG, but I think in many public schools he'll arrive with 4-6 months of KG knowledge under his belt if you hold him back.

They do sight words in kindergarten starting in like mid-October. You are already well ahead of the curve.

Now, if shyness translates into anxiety, etc., that might be something to consider, but academically he sounds ready.

[Anonymous]

My little brother has a July birthday and started on time. My parents regretted it beginning in middle school or so. He hit puberty later, had trouble making athletic teams, and just seemed younger than many of his peers. He was always really bright, and ended up doing very well on his LSAT, and got into a top law school. But from my perspective, he never really felt like he fit in until he took a year off between college and law school.
There is a thread just below this one where a teacher talks about how most of school is about social emotional development and learning how to navigate relationships. If your child is behind in this area, that seems to be a bigger impediment than fine motor skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My little brother has a July birthday and started on time. My parents regretted it beginning in middle school or so. He hit puberty later, had trouble making athletic teams, and just seemed younger than many of his peers. He was always really bright, and ended up doing very well on his LSAT, and got into a top law school. But from my perspective, he never really felt like he fit in until he took a year off between college and law school.
There is a thread just below this one where a teacher talks about how most of school is about social emotional development and learning how to navigate relationships. If your child is behind in this area, that seems to be a bigger impediment than fine motor skills.

This assumes that if only your parents had held him back, all would be well. I mean, perhaps some of it would have resolved by holding him back, but it's impossible to prove either way. For example, it's possible your brother matured during his year off, but it's also possible that there is something else that happened during that year that was really impactful in a positive way. Or both.

I have a brother with an August bday who started on time. I also started on time with a fall bday (age 4 at start of K). My bro dropped out of college for a bit and still struggles to some extent, but I don't attribute this outcome to him being young for his grade. In contrast, I had a Ph.D. by my mid-20s and have a pretty stable life.

It seems some people are putting too much emphasis on redshirting as a panacea for difficulties/vulnerabilities in temperament, anxiety (get your kids treated if it's interfering, don't hold them back!), learning differences, and other variables, and then attributing all struggles from K forward to a lack of redshirting.

[Anonymous]

Its funny as people are complaining about the college advantages/scams and this is part of the issue. If you child cannot handle K. get them evaluated and therapies to help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey OP, my kid has a similar birthday and we didn't redshirt. I'd say academically, developmentally DC is fairly average but the emotional/ social development that we saw first year of school is remarkable and the age gap is obvious to only us ( as we know the birth date) but without knowing that one wouldn't think that DC shouldn't/ doesn't belong in that cohort. You can always hold back another year if you feel like your kid needs more time. But give them a chance first.

This. DS has early-October birthday. I am actually thinking about either petitioning to send him early or to send him to a private K (early), because he definitely fits into that cohort and not the year younger. He is the youngest kids in his preschool, but he is tall and very verbal, so you cannot tell that he does not belong. There is, however, a noticeable gap to the kids that are in the younger class at his preschool. We sent him early to preschool thinking that he will just repeat the first year, but he has been doing great and his teachers have been recommending to move him along.

[Anonymous]

OP here - thank you all, pps. I do really appreciate your feedback and experiences. I feel like this has been such a challenge figuring out!

[Anonymous]

I was a December baby and my parents sent me to school early; no issues at all and I did better than some of the kids in class. OK--mom and dad made sure I know how to read and write before hand. Just send your kid in on-time, it will even out by the 3rd grade and you bank account will be happier.