What are your thoughts about redshirting children with summer birthdays? Specifically daughters? It seems that because the Kindergarten cut off date is Sept 1st, more and more people I speak with are waiting a year before sending their kids to kindergarten if their child's birthday falls anywhere between May-Aug because they don't want their kids to be the youngest in the class. Also, is a child Kindergarten ready if they only know their ABC's, numbers, shapes and colors, but can't read yet, or do you think they would benefit by having an extra year in pre-k and learn to read basic words and sentences before entering Kindergarten? I know the kindergarten curriculum is more academic now and it's also a longer day. My only fear is that if I decide to give her another year in pre-k or kindergarten in transition, she will be bored once she enters Kindergarten next year. Then there is the social maturity aspect- are kids that enter kindergarten at 6 really more confident and more mature than a kid that enters at 5? Has anyone regretted redshirting their kid? My feelings are mixed, but I need to make a decision soon and are wondering what your thoughts are on this topic.
@Catcat:
I would send her. Most pre-k programs teach a kinder curriculum anyway. As far as kinder readiness, most teachers I have spoken with will tell you that some kids come to kinder and do not even know their ABCs, colors, shapes, etc. It's great if they can read but it's not expected and not common. And by reading I do not mean sight reading. I am talking about reading comprehension. Sight reading is not really reading if there isn't any comprehension as to what is being read. At least that is what I have been told. Personally, I never understood the whole red shirting thing. But maybe that is because I have a kid with a late birthday and would have loved for him to start early. 4951