Hello Wonderful Moms! My daughter is 4yrs and she is ready for school!However her birthday is late.

DANA - posted on 08/17/2009

I went through the same with my son who is now 10 going to the 5th grade. Our school district Kindergarten is 5 by October 1. He missed the cutoff by 12 days. Well I'm proud to say that he is an high honor roll student, everyone in the school loves him and the extra year in preschool didn't hurt. Besides there are many in the same situation.

Penny - posted on 08/17/2009

Our school district has 4year old Kindergarten. Might check into that. We also did 3 day preschool.

Kim - posted on 08/11/2009

Why not try putting her in a 4 yr old preschool class. I live in FL and we have free preschool for 4 year olds. It gets them ready for Kindergarten even if they've not been a preschool environment before. Where do you live? Does your state have something like that? My daughter's birthday is right after Christmas so she's late, too. She's been going to preschool since she was 2. The preschool she attends has a Kindergarten as well. Her 3 yr old class teacher thought she was so bright she suggested she be moved to the Kindergarten class. So, she starts Kindergarten Aug. 26th. However, she'll still probably have to attend Kindergarten in the public school next fall because of her birthday. I doubt the school will let her go straight to 1st grade.

Tonia - posted on 08/11/2009

Dione, I suggest that you go ahead and send her. If she is socially and academically ready, she may get bored if you hold her out any longer. Boredom usually leads to trouble.

Billie (Jo) - posted on 08/10/2009

Does your state offer preschool? My daughter is in the same situation as yours. Her bday falls right after the cutoff also, and she seems so ready for Kindergarten. We were alittle disappointed she has to wait for Kindergarten. But our state offers preschool to all kids, so she will be attending that for this school year. Even though it's frustrating to make your daughter wait, it may work out to her advantage down the road. She will never have to play catch up with the other students. My other daughter is the opposite...She just made the cutoff by a few weeks so she is the youngest in her class. Even though she scores amazingly in the academics, she lags behind in other aspects and it hurts her self confidence. Good luck!

Dahlia - posted on 08/10/2009

I have the same problem. My son's will be six in November and he is very advance. He is doing 2nd grade work. However, the school would not allow him to register for first grade because he had to have been six by September 1. Some schools have gifted and talent programs, but only for kindergarten. Other schools, will give your child more challenging work. It might be too late to register her for public school now. Nonetheless, they will not put her in Kindergarten and if they have a pre-kinder class, it may already be filled.



Recommendation: Enroll your daughter in a private school. Most private schools have K-4 programs. This way she will become adjusted to the school routine. If they find that your daughter is academically advance, they will give her more challenging lessons to do. This is what I did with my son.

Dione - posted on 08/10/2009

That's all we can do.

Jen - posted on 08/10/2009

That's great. I know it's a disappointment that she can't start Kinder. I was very upset but I am glad that my son found an opportunity to go to some sort of school. If they hadn't start the public pre-school this year he wouldn't have been able to go cause we can't afford one. I just keep trying to look at the positives!

Dione - posted on 08/10/2009

Thank You!

Dione - posted on 08/10/2009

Thank You!

Dione - posted on 08/10/2009

Thanks! She will be doing a preschool program for now.

Jen - posted on 08/10/2009

My youngest is 4 1/2 and ready for kindergarten but his Birthday is also in October. 21 days after the cut off date. We moved to Indy from Ca where the cut off date is Dec 2 so we have been working with him so he could start this year. We got lucky, they are starting a public pre-school program this year so he got into that but I was very disappointed. I had told them in Dec about wanting my son in Kinder, told them his birthday and got permission to have him tested (which he passed) and was also told by the superintendent he would meet with him to evaluate him because of his age and the super never did, he called and told me, (after testing and shots) that my son was to young. I was very upset, I am hoping that they end up moving him up a grade, I know he is going to be bored in kinder next year, he helped his brother with his school work!
I saw get her into a preschool program at least she will have the opportunity to make friends and develop social skills!

Stephanie - posted on 08/09/2009

Do u have Preschools in your area? also some schools do test and let them go early! But not all of them i know my son missed the dead line last year and knew prob more than the kids that were starting! So he went to a pre K program and Also you could stick her in a daycare 2-3 days a week Most have preschool classes in them! Helps get her to interacted with other children! I know this year my now 5 year old is starting kindergarten already knowing how to read add some subtraction he knows all his letters and letter sounds! So i'm really not sure what they will actually have to teach him lol! A preschool or something like that will just make her even more prepared when she starts next year!

Lisa - posted on 08/09/2009

My daughter is also an Oct and will be entering "big school" this Aug as a Pre-K four year old. I would recommend that you try to find a school that offers such a program. Mine go to private school so the option is there. When I asked what they would do if she was too advanced to go into Kindergarten next year they told me that they dont "skip" grades, but will make sure she is challenged in the things she is advanced in within her class. The emotional maturity is important too. Mine has a 13-yr sister so she is pretty advanced in the social area, but never the less she is still only 4. We need to keep our children from growing up too fast and just let them be children for as long as they can so I am satisfied with how she will begin her schooling. Good luck to you - hope this helped a little!

LaTonya Sherrelle - posted on 08/09/2009

Also my daughter have been in a school setting since 15mths. I'm cheering you on make this happen "A Mama with a mission is what I Love" you cannot stop the positive.

LaTonya Sherrelle - posted on 08/09/2009

@Dione When you get a chance tomorrow go to the local school and ask for the curriculum that is required of kindergarten during and towards the end of the year. If they ask questions tell them you will like to keep her on top of her learning skills. Two weeks before her birthday have her ready for enrollment, because if she is ready they will test her an allow her to come in this year. I am going through the same thing here in Southern California. Stay strong in what you feel there is a reason for it. The school told me what to do to be prepared. The children should know how to spell their name, know their address, phone #, have reading skills, ect..... If your willing to put in the hard work & have the patience when she does not understand you both will succeed. Look me up on FB and we can chat more about our goals the help our future scholars out. That is for any mom that reads this. Send me an inbox, so I know who you are.

Jodi - posted on 08/07/2009

Oh, another thing to keep in mind, is that if you start her too early, remember this could make her much younger than her friends down the track, which could also have its own difficulties. Not saying you shouldn't start her early, but it also comes with its own problems.

Jodi - posted on 08/07/2009

Dione, given she cannot start school yet, I would recommend getting her into a pre-school with other children her age. If you have already chosen the school she will attend when she can start, try and find out if there is a pre-school in the area that feeds children into that school. This way, she will be able to start forming some friendships with other kids her own age who will end up starting at her school with her. School is as much about those friendships as it is about academics, and starting school with those friendships will be a really positive start to her first year at school.



I really understand your need to send her to school. My daughter is currently 4 1/2 and she is ready and will be starting in February (that's the start of our school year). She only just fits into the cut off, thank goodness. People have been surprised that she starts next year (she is very little - most people think she is only 3), and have suggested I keep her back because she will be one of the youngest, but there is no way!! But she is in pre-school this year and it has been great for her. They really do prepare them for the aspects of school we don't think of. They integrate them a little by taking them to school assemblies, teach them all of the courtesies of addressing the teachers, prepare them for using school toilets and change rooms, and so on.



I hope this helps :)

Dione - posted on 08/04/2009

Thank you so much for your recommendations. I am very serious about my daughters education all my attention is on my daughter for sure. In my post i never asked for a school recommendation. I asked for recommendations on starting her early or waiting til she turns 5yrs. Thank you Cori Farmer for reading my Post Clearly.

Cori - posted on 08/04/2009

I would just send her to a preschool through a church near you, so you can have her socialize, and get her prepared for someone else guiding her academics. I would not push her to start early, it is just not neccessary. If she starts K next year and they find she is way ahead, they will move her up!

Jen - posted on 08/04/2009

School starts in about 2 weeks here, so I'd think you're probably a little late to be looking at this question. The first thing you should do is CALL THE LOCAL SCHOOLS. Who knows, she may be just on the right side of the cutoff. However, I wouldn't personally recommend starting her off early no matter how ready she seems right now. You've heard the statistic the by first grade most of the kids with no pre-school skills have caught up with the ones who started kindergarten so brilliantly? It's so true. I personally would try to find some sort of preschool program that can keep her mind active and challenged. Once again, the school system may have a suggestion for you. But if you're serious in your quest to get her into school, I suggest you get off facebook and pick up the phone.