Should You Hold Your Kindergartener Back An Additional Year?
Amid increasing academic standards and peer pressure, local parents are debating whether they should hold their children back a year.
Kindergarten registration began this week in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District and parents of eligible Kindergarten-aged children are making the sometimes difficult decision: “To send, or not to send?”
I am among them, with a child who will turn 5 this spring, and making the decision whether or not enroll for the coming academic year has not been an easy one.
While state law bases eligibility on a child’s birth date, the decision whether or not to start our children in Kindergarten is not cut-and-dried for myself and many other local parents.
According to changes made to state law as a result of the implementation of AB 1381, the Kindergarten Readiness Act, enacted in 2010, children who will be 5 years old or older on or before Nov. 1 are eligible to enroll for the upcoming 2012-13 school year.
This marks the beginning of a phased rollback that will eventually reset the state’s eligibility date to Sept. 1 by 2014.
The legislation, sponsored by State Senator Joe Simitian of the 11th District, aims to give California’s youngest students “a better chance to succeed from their first day of school,” and bring California in line with the majority of other states in the nation who already require children to be 5 by Sept. 1 to begin school.
The adjustment is needed, say teachers’ groups who have called for the change for decades, because the “young fives,” or children whose birthdays are in the fall months, are often those who more often experience challenges and delays when they enter the classroom among peers that have had more time to develop.
The challenge has only intensified in the last several years, these groups say, as the rigor of the Kindergarten curriculum has increased.
The legislation also provided for the introduction of a “Transitional Kindergarten” program in districts across the state to act as an academic bridge to prepare children with fall birthdays to begin their school careers successfully.
However, the fate of that program is currently in doubt because the recently proposed state budget cuts may eliminate its funding, according to information posted on the San Ramon Valley Unified School District’s website.
Many local parents of fall-born children report they have already been holding their children back, regardless of the legislation, and are happy with their decision to do so.
Amy Dennis, of Danville, says she held her oldest son, born in October, back and she wouldn’t change her decision.
“When I'm (volunteering) in class, I can tell the kids that are on the younger side,” she said. “Yes, it's more expensive (for another year of preschool), but it was worth it when I see the confidence on his face."
But while the decision to enroll or not for parents of kids born in the fall months is fairly straightforward for most, that isn’t always the case for parents of children born in the summer and spring months like myself.
Many of my peers are reporting that they are also increasingly making the choice to hold their kids back to give them the added benefit of “the gift of time,” especially as more and more parents are also choosing to do so.
This practice of voluntarily holding a child back, known as “redshirting,” is becoming more prevalent as parents hope to give their children an added academic advantage in school with this additional year of development and maturity before they encounter the intensifying academic standards of today’s Kindergarten classrooms.
San Ramon Unified provides parents with Kindergarten readiness guidelines to assess their incoming children, and cautions parents that, “the rigor in our schools has increased as Kindergarten has become more academic in nature.”
The practice of redshirting doesn’t sit well with some parents I spoke to.
Patch Parent Council contributor Erin Edward, of San Ramon, says she experienced some “resentment” from people whom she feels pressured her to hold her child back when she made the decision to enroll her daughter, who was not yet 5.
“I didn’t appreciate the aggressive suggestions put to me by friends, neighbors and co-workers to hold my child back,” Edward said. “It was my choice based on my instincts about my child and recommendations from her pre-school teachers, not peer pressure."
“I felt like (people choosing to redshirt) were putting my child at a disadvantage, since redshirting seemed to be the new rule, at least in my community,” she added.
She also pointed out that an additional dimension of the issue includes cost, as those who might voluntarily hold their children back for another year end up paying for more preschool.
Ultimately, Edward says her child “thrived,” despite the age gap with her peers.
Now, having a few years of in-classroom exposure, she says she agrees that not all children are ready to be in the classroom and would benefit from an additional year of quality preschool.
Fellow Parent Council contributor Barb Besse, of Alamo, agrees with Edward that the decision to send one’s child or hold them back an additional year should be based on the individual child.
“I think parents need to decide what is best for their child individually, not so much being concerned with trends,” Besse said. “If a child is ready for Kindergarten both academically and socially, and the parents think their child will thrive, then it is up to them to send them or not based on their comfort level.”
For more information about Kindergarten registration, including readiness standards, please visit the school district’s website here.
Did you or are you planning to voluntarily hold your child back from starting Kindergarten? Tell us why or why not.
Tell us in the comments.
Phyllis
11:29 am on Friday, January 20, 2012
We had a daughter who entered kindergarten at age 4 with a fall birthday as the preschool said she was too advanced to stay in preschool another year. But at the end of the year, both the principal and teacher advised us to hold her back. After much deliberation, we did and by third grade she was a Gate student. It turned out to be a great decision for us, but each situation is different and is is each parents right to do what they think is best for their child. The school's should not be pressuring the parents in any direction, but just be there to advise of the facts.
Karey
11:34 am on Friday, January 20, 2012
I will be starting my daughter in Kindergarten this fall - she will be 4 - turning 5 the first week of October. I'm also a teacher.
She's ready.
She's been in preschool for three years. She doesn't always sit still for long periods of time, but she meets and exceeds the standards set forth by SRVUSD for Kindergarten readiness. She's very social and has always been very independent. She's confident. Her teacher feels she's ready.
Yes, she will be young. But what's the worst that can happen - she doesn't excel and she repeats. Some may say it will hurt their self-esteem - Eh. Maybe. But, I believe self-esteem and confidence (at this age) will flourish from encouragement and love. It will not be crushed to bits during a 1-2 hour 'academic lesson.'
There is a lot of pressure out there to "hold them back," or as this article calls "red-shirting." Unless your child is close to the cut-off date (as mine is) or has a late-summer/early fall birthday, I don't feel you should be considering holding them back. What happens if they struggle anyways and need to be held back at some point? You will now have a freshman who drives and a 19 year old senior. To me (personal opinion) far more awkward.
If you feel your child is ready (whether you are or not) AND your preschool teacher feels they are ready - send them.
But, that's just my 2 cents - as a teacher and a parent.
Terry Parris Jr.
2:04 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
Karey: Interesting point. A child could be held back and still not adjust. Thanks for chiming in.
H S
1:05 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
I think another point to consider is the end result. I am a high school teacher and have taught 11th & 12th grade for many years. There is a significant difference in maturity in boys, especially, during these two years between those whose parents started them early and those who waited. The boys who are 18 their senior year generally display more maturity than those who are not. It hasn't been as obvious to me with girls. I am also a parent, of a boy.
One other item this article could have looked at is birth order. That has an impact on academic readiness as well.
Terry Parris Jr.
2:04 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
HS: Can you elaborate on birth order... how might that impact academic readiness in your opinion. Thanks!
JJ
1:46 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
Some people are getting carried away with this. My son has a June birthday and we did not consider "redshirting" . Still, there were students in his kindergarten class that turned 7 before he turned 6.
The first few years were tough academically. However, he is in middle school now and he is doing very well. I am glad we did not hold him back, I don't think it would have worked for him socially.
Kirsten Branch
3:58 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
I'm interested JJ, when you say "tough academically," do you feel that the standards in the grades have been developmentally appropriate to the average age of a child who "should" be in the grade?
H S
2:56 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
There is research that shows that a 3rd child might be more prepared for kindergarten than a 1st born with the same birth date. Obviously there are many factors that would contribute to this. A book that highlights this is Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers. It is also a topic we spent a lot of time studying in grad school. As a high school teacher, when I notice a very immature student (last year one kid was 13 until Feb 1 of his Frosh year b/c he started school in Europe), I always look at their birth date. Usually-there is a correlation. And usually-they are the oldest child in their family.
Kirsten Branch
3:57 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
Thanks for adding this in, H S. I am also watching this factor in my family, since I also have a second son that is an end of August baby. Because he gets into the action with so much I do with his older brother, some of the functional benchmarks he's picking up faster in part because of more exposure, I think. It will be interesting to see where he is at when his time comes. I appreciate your perspective on the issue! Outliers was an interesting book, and I think about that example of the Canadian youth hockey system.
LG
4:29 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
My daughter has a summer birthday and I held her back. Even though she was emotionally, academically and socially ready for Kindergarten last year, I still felt the extra year would be best for her in the long run. Being ready for Kindergarten was not my concern; my reason for holding her back was more about the long term gain that she will get during middle and high school when that extra year of maturity will really do her some good. We all know that kids can be cruel and being on the older end of the spectrum might help her deal with that when and if the time comes.
Kirsten Branch
5:38 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
A friend also made that decision, not because she was concerned about the elementary level...she was also concerned about high school as well.
Kirsten Branch
5:42 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
It's interesting to me that the social/emotional aspect comes through so strongly in responses I've gotten. Does this play a part in the rising issues with bullying? Please add your thoughts on this dimension!
LG
5:58 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
I believe that it does. In my experience, a bully is typically someone who is insecure and doesn't know how to deal with their emotions. They end up lashing out at others in order to distract from their own issues. These insecurities can come from feeling like they don't measure up academically in class to not fitting in with the "in" crowd at recess.
Sharon Svitak
8:19 am on Saturday, January 21, 2012
My son is now 33 years old. Because he started school in another state and transferred to California in fourth grade he was always the oldest child in his class - his birthday is September 22. I am so grateful that he was "held back". Instead of being the youngest always subject to bullying by the bigger kids, he was able to excel in the classroom, was the first of his high school classmates to drive and developed into a natural leader. He is now a CPA, happily married with two children of his own. I don't know that he would have turned out differently had he started school a year earlier, but I do know that being held back a year certainly did him no harm and may have helped him along the way.
Kenny
6:40 pm on Saturday, January 21, 2012
This is a great topic. I have twin boys who turned 5 on November 24th. I did not enroll them in kindergarten for 2011-2012 school year. They will start kindergarten this fall (2012). One of them was simply not ready from an academic standpoint. The other was academically ready but not socially ready. Frankly, kids that aren't ready socially run the risk of being a distraction which is unfair to the other students.
I have a daughter in college who I held back for a year when I transitioned her from public school to private school. She attended a public school in Dublin and was earning straight As without opening a book. I decided to transfer her to a more rigorous private school. They were about a year ahead of the public school so I had her repeat the 6th grade. Her birthday is in late September. She was mad at first but once she got to high school she was thrilled to be one of the first in her class to drive.
Rick
9:55 pm on Saturday, January 21, 2012
Some additional points I've heard from other parents going through this.
* The year difference is not that obvious in the early years of elementary school. However, it is most obvious during the 3rd-5th grades (and for social reasons).
* Holding kids back later in their schooling career may not be an option. Some districts won't allow it if the child meets the academic standards. Moving to a different district or switching to private schools is then the only option.
Kirsten Branch
10:01 pm on Saturday, January 21, 2012
Thanks for adding this as well, Rick! Again, I'm interested in the social aspects of this decision. Can anyone with some kids a bit further along shed some light on what kinds of things they are seeing? What challenges they are encountering/impact of their age?
Barbara Austin
6:40 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
I have a freshman and a 5th grader. They were born in September and late August. My 1st born is a girl. I felt she was very ready both academically and socially. She did ok but did struggle in some areas that made me wonder. Eventually she caught up. My 2nd born on the other hand is a male child. I put him in early because the thought of not paying childcare was appealing. In our minds, we were thinking if he didn't do well he could always repeat Kindergarten. He really didn't do that well and I am kicking myself to this day for not keeping him in preschool for that additional year. Socially he did fine but academically he struggles. If you are like me and thinking you will just repeat K, think again. The schools do not like to keep the kids back and if you don't have a Kindergarten teacher that will be advocate for you and your child you might as well forget it. If I could do it all over again I would definitely wait that extra year with my son.
Kirsten Branch
6:50 pm on Monday, January 23, 2012
Thanks, Barbara for sharing your experience!
Doug
10:19 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Our oldest son is now 20 and a soophmore in college. He has a late August birthday. Best thing we ever did for him was hold him back in Kindergarten. He's was definitely more mature than most kids in high school and as a freshman in college. He has made many better decisions than most kids in his classes. Another consideration... A that age, you don't know whether your son will be a really good athlete and be abe to compete at a high level in high school or college. I will add that one more year of physical and mental maturity can make a significant difference for a high school senior athlete in their sport and whether they get a recruited to play a sport in college. In our case, that additional year definitely made a difference, particularly when a college is now paying for 50% of everthing. Of course, our decision to hold back our son was not made on this speculation. Just pointing a long-term side benefit we and our son realized from a decision we made 14 years ago.
Debbie
10:27 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
My son has an early Sept. birthday and so he started kindergarten right before his 6th birthday. I consulted with his pediatrician before waiting and she said it is much easier on the child to go extra year at preschool (he did pre-k) then to have him held back later on. Soooo glad we waited as he was probably ready, but pediatrician said "do you really want him to be smallest, youngest, as he goes into high school?" He is now a confident and very mature 17 year old junior who is at the top of his class!
Kirsten Branch
12:13 pm on Thursday, January 26, 2012
So, it's sounding like those who have summer or later babies is nearly unanimous to start K the following year. What about people who have kids in the earlier part of the year? I would love to hear your experiences as well. Thanks once again everyone for sharing your experiences!!
Karey
10:08 am on Friday, February 3, 2012
As a middle school teacher - I have a 7th grader that is 11 (will turn 12 this month) and one that turned 14 in January. One clearly started early, one started late AND was still held back. Socially and academically the 11 year old is doing far better than the 14 year old. The 11 year old is better recieved by her peers, social, involved in school and maintains a 3.8 GPA. They 14 year old is the "cool cat" on the block, but struggles to fit in and stuggles academically.
You can not allow society and the "trend" of holding kids off on Kindergarten for a year to make the decision for you.
My daughter will be 4 when she begins in the fall - her teacher and the director at the preschool she attends had a very lengthy conversation yesterday - bottom line, she's ready (even if mom is not). She may be even getting bored in PreK as she understands concepts very quickly, finishes exercises quickly and wants to move on. I'm not only looking in to the public sector (this is where I teach), but the private as well for alternative programs that may suit my daughters type a personality. :)
Handy Andy
2:14 pm on Thursday, March 8, 2012
I guess nobody mentioned that there was LA Times editorial recommending the termination of "transitional kindergarten". Also, Brown has come out against funding this program in the upcoming budget. So, I would guess this program may be eliminated.