October 6 Bday and starting Kindergarten

[SS1218]

Hello everyone - My daughter is an October 6 birthday. Is there any way for her to start school at 4 years old?? Anyone have experience with little ones having birthdays right around the cut off?

Thanks for your insight!

[Anonymous]

I would not start your 4 yr old in K. Keep her in pre-k another year if you can.

If you must put her in K. You have to take a test to get her in since it’s after the deadline.

I have a DD with an October birthday and have never regretting her starting K when she was supposed to (when she was 5, not 4)

[Anonymous]

Maryland allows for testing for birthdays close to the cutoff. Virginia does not.

If you can find an accredited private kindergarten that is flexible on dates, your DD could go to K and possibly 1st grade and enter 1st or 2nd grade young for grade. The only accredited private kindergartens I know of in Virginia are not flexible on dates but others of them might be.

[Anonymous]

Many, many threads on this. You can put her in private kindergarten and move her to public in 1st grade in VA (and DC?) You can't move to public until 2nd grade in MoCo or you can try for early entrance to kindergarten for those born before October 15th (it's not automatic).

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to add. There is a cut off date for a reason. Just because your child may be acedemically ready, doesn’t mean she is socially (and not just now, in future years) keep them little while you can!

[Anonymous]

Don't. Many years ago, I sought a way for my DC to start kindergarten "early." DC's birthday is Jan 1, missing the then-cutoff by only hours. DC's best friend, born Dec. 31 was going and my kid wanted to go, too. We sought an exception per MoCo policy (an evaluation by a certified K teacher, permission of the principal, attestations from DC's preschool) and were rejected. I thought it was a tragedy at the time and even sought other work-arounds (kindergarten at a private school and later transfer back to MCPS--friends tried it and their kid was placed into kindergarten again due to age). Fast forward years, DC did well in school and it never really mattered being a little older. Just go with the county rules. There will be kids with similar b-days to hers and even a few who are older.

[Anonymous]

It's interesting you want to do this when so many people hold their kids back a year.

OP, I have a child with an Oct 3rd birthday, and in VA the cut off is Sept 30th. I was actually glad he wasn't born earlier so that I didn't have to decide to hold him back or not. Yes I think the last year of preschool may be tough for him (since his friends will move up to K) but I also know down the line I'll be glad he had the extra time to mature a bit.

My other child will be on the young end for her year, and that brings it's own stresses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just wanted to add. There is a cut off date for a reason. Just because your child may be acedemically ready, doesn’t mean she is socially (and not just now, in future years) keep them little while you can!

And in MoCo at least there is also a test in mechanism for a reason: some kids are ready and if op's kid were accepted through the normal channels, so be it.

[Anonymous]

I'd highly recommend against it - there will be 6 year olds and kids turning 6 right at that start of the school year.

She could be almost two years younger than some of her classmates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wanted to add. There is a cut off date for a reason. Just because your child may be acedemically ready, doesn’t mean she is socially (and not just now, in future years) keep them little while you can!

And in MoCo at least there is also a test in mechanism for a reason: some kids are ready and if op's kid were accepted through the normal channels, so be it.

+1

Mid-September baby here who started "early" -- I was perfectly fine, still advanced academically throughout school (and I shudder thinking about what it would've been like not being allowed to start early) and socially had no problems. Some kids are ready. Some aren't. Blanket statements are unhelpful.

[Anonymous]

Where do you live, OP?

[Anonymous]

Not in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just wanted to add. There is a cut off date for a reason. Just because your child may be acedemically ready, doesn’t mean she is socially (and not just now, in future years) keep them little while you can!

And in MoCo at least there is also a test in mechanism for a reason: some kids are ready and if op's kid were accepted through the normal channels, so be it.

+1

Mid-September baby here who started "early" -- I was perfectly fine, still advanced academically throughout school (and I shudder thinking about what it would've been like not being allowed to start early) and socially had no problems. Some kids are ready. Some aren't. Blanket statements are unhelpful.

Sure, but Kindergarten is far more academic today than it was in our day. Additionally, you didn't have lots of kids with summer birthdays being held back. OP's kid would start school at 4 with many of their classmates already 6.

[Anonymous]

Hard no in DC.

[Anonymous]

Don't start her young. As someone whose parents did that, trust me -- bad idea. Even if she can handle it academically, socially she will almost certainly have a tough time.

Keep her in PK for another year. There are also some Junior K programs that might work if you think she'd be bored in PK as a 5 year old.