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Mickey's 4Walls
08-28-2009, 07:01 PM
:mickey:I'm the Mom of a four year old who we were blessed to have my parents keep him since he was born. He's birthday is in July and we were going to start him in pre-school this year, but I think I've decided to hold him back a year because of how his birthday falls. He is very smart now all he should at this age and is reading beginner books...(My mom and him have school during the day). I just want to make sure i'm doing the right thing. What do my intercot teachers think? :shrug::thanks:

Pirate Granny
08-28-2009, 07:44 PM
He sounds very advanced for a 4yr old, especially if he is reading...and since December 1st is the cut off date, why would you consider holding him back? I would start pre-school and see how he does...most parents forget that at lower grades, school is also for socializing and learning to get along with others...especially if he's been at home (getting great care), but not a lot of interaction with other children.
:pirate:

Mickey's 4Walls
08-28-2009, 08:08 PM
Because of his size next to other kids in his Sunday school class that he would be in the same grade with, and the attention span! Sometimes i think his is the size of a firecracker fuse:fworks: thanks again!:thumbsup:

Jeri
08-28-2009, 08:24 PM
I am not a teacher, however I have boys who were born in June and July.
I don't know where you live what the cut off date is but here it is Sept 1st.

As far as him being smaller, My 6yr old is going in 1st grade (July b-day) and he is only 43 1/4 inches and weights 36 pounds. He is the smallest in his class. Always has been. Like your son he is a ball of energy 24/7. He went to 2yrs pre-school and Kindergarten and did great. He loved going and always did good and wasn't too wild at school. The teachers are use to 4yr old short attention spans.

I would say you should send him, the social interaction will be good.
When we were trying to decide if we should send my oldest to school we were advised to do it because when they are so smart at that age if you wait they will be soo much more advanced that they almost be come naughty because they get bored. They are soo far ahead that what their peers are learning they already know.

Good luck, sometimes sending them to school for the first time is hard. If I had my way my yougest would never go.

Jillirose
08-28-2009, 10:38 PM
We have two preschools here - two or three days a week. Some people start with the two day and then decide to go to 3 day or Kindergarten, based on how things go.

I will say that I started my son and did not hold him back and now regret it. He is doing great academically, but he is the second to smallest in his grade level. He has said he is a "freak of nature". His doctor says he is in the average range for his age.... He is in class with many boys who are actually a year or year and a half older than him (becuase thier parents held them back)!

Georgesgirl1
08-29-2009, 10:17 PM
This is a hard call without knowing you and your son. I have two boy cousins with late summer birthdays who were not held back and did well in school. However, both of them were advanced both academically and emotionally. As a pre-k teacher every year I have students with late summer birthdays. Some of the kids really need to be held back another year, but others do great. I have one student this year with a late August birthday who went to preschool part time last year and is in Pre-k this year (a year later than she could have). She is very prepared this year. The extra maturity will really help her in the long run. You may consider doing something like that.

My parents had the opposite issue with me. I missed the September 1st cut off by 28 days. They even considered putting me in private school so that I could go ahead and start school a year early. On the advice of their teacher friends, they did not push me ahead. I think it was the right decision, and I was always one of the more advanced kids because of it.

Good luck making this decision.

Magic Smiles
08-29-2009, 11:47 PM
I would definitely not hold him back. The kids up here start Jr Kindergarten at 4 as long as their birthdays are before the end of the year. If you son is already reading, he will probably enjoy both the socialization and all the new things that he will learn. My son was also reading at four and has always been an advanced student. Without knowing your child, I think that you should give it a shot.