Girl with August Birthday - when to start school

[Anonymous]

How do I know if I should put my daughter in school this fall? (Montgomery County)

My daughter will be five in August. She has been going to daycare since she was an infant, has an advanced vocabulary for her age. Her preschool teachers say she is ready, however, she is extremely active and demands a lot of attention from her teachers. (She is in a class with ten kids and two teachers.)

I don't want to start her late and then have her bored in school (I was the oldest in my class and was bored out of my mind.) or start her too soon and have struggle. Are there places that can evaluate/test your child to give you a better idea of her readiness?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

If you want her to enter public school before she would ordinarily go, there is a test you have to take. I've heard second hand that it's more difficult than you'd expect.

[Anonymous]

As an MCPS elementary school teacher, I would say to take the advice of her preschool teachers if you trust their judgment. There are plenty of children who need "extra" attention. Also, if she's been in daycare/preschool all this time, she's already used to the educational environment...although I recognize K may look very different than her current preschool. While this would be a LAST resort and not something you may want to do, we do have parents who put their kids in K, pull them out for a year of private K and then put them back in for 1st. However, it sounds like she is likely read....and there is a ton of growth between now and September!

[Anonymous]

I have a girl with a late August birthday. It never occurred to us to hold her back. She is doing great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want her to enter public school before she would ordinarily go, there is a test you have to take. I've heard second hand that it's more difficult than you'd expect.

OP's child will be 5 in August. She does not want to send early, she wants to either send her on time, or a year late.

OP, I'm also an MCPS teacher and I would send her on time. Teachers are used to active kids. She is ready.

[Anonymous]

She should start school in September.

[Anonymous]

Send her on time, this semester. Don't assume there are issues. Address issues only if/when they arise.

[Anonymous]

My daughter is a July birthday. We sent her on time. No regrets.

[Anonymous]

Its a hard decision. I don't think any test or evaluation could truly tell you. If the teachers say she is ready I'd say send her. In my son's K class there are 2 august bday girls who are doing fine. The summer bday boys seem to have a harder time. I sent my late summer boy on time and he did struggle at the beginning of the year and the work is challenging for him. Overall I still think it was the right decision.

[Anonymous]

I don't know. I HATED being the youngest...and smallest in school (December 28th birthday with a December 31st cutoff). I was younger and more immature than others. Academically I did fine and was even advanced, but I never felt like I fit in with the kids in my grade. Most of my friends were the year below me- and they were normally within a few months of my age. As soon as I had an August birthday child, I looked at my DH and told him there was no way we were sending our child on time. He didn't really understand since he had a January birthday, but now that he sees how successful our child is, he understands better. It is not always fun being young!

[Anonymous]

My daughter was a Sept 4th birthday and is now in 7th grade and is in Honors Algebra I. She is also the 3rd tallest in her class. I would have severely regretted holding her back. Size and youngest doesn't matter unless they are NOT ready.

Look at it this way OP. If you think she is ready, start her. You can repeat a grade much easier than skipping. And kids that are bored are usually the ones active and not paying attention... because they don't have to.

My only concern with starting her was that she would always be around older kids in middle/high school and honestly, it meant one less year with her home with me

But she was ready and did awesome!

[Anonymous]

Another August birthday..attended a HGC...tight friends..on track for 7th grade algebra. Her friends have a variety of b-days. It just doesn't seem to matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. I HATED being the youngest...and smallest in school (December 28th birthday with a December 31st cutoff). I was younger and more immature than others. Academically I did fine and was even advanced, but I never felt like I fit in with the kids in my grade. Most of my friends were the year below me- and they were normally within a few months of my age. As soon as I had an August birthday child, I looked at my DH and told him there was no way we were sending our child on time. He didn't really understand since he had a January birthday, but now that he sees how successful our child is, he understands better. It is not always fun being young!

I was the youngest in my class too and loved it. The only time I noticed was when everyone could drive, and later drink, before I could. Neither of those things was a big deal. My son has a September birthday and there's no way we will hold him back just on account of his age.

[Anonymous]

OP, if her preschool teachers say that she's ready, then send her on time.

[Anonymous]

Unless there are obvious reasons to start late (and demanding attention is not one of them), definitely start on time. DD has an August birthday, has lots of friends and is thriving at a hgc. We never even think about the fact that she is young for her class.