As the beginning of school draws nearer, talk about starting kindergarten is in the air. Parents get nervous, anxious, and excited about their child’s first year of school.
However as time goes on, it seems that I am getting more and more of the same reply from parents. As I question about their child beginning school I am hearing, “Oh, I am not going to start him/her this year.”
I find it very odd that many parents are choosing not to start their children when they are eligible. Some children that are not beginning on time have birthdays very close to the cut-off date and others do not. Our cut off is September 30. I know some children that are remaining out of kindergarten for a year with June, July, and August birthdays.
In return, many teachers are also on the “hold them out a year” campaign. They quickly look at a child’s birthday to determine if he or she is ready for school.
I for one am not really sure where all of this got started. It has gotten to the point in my county that it almost makes you feel guilty to begin your child if he/she has a birthday anytime during the summer months. I can say this because my daughter’s birthday is in September. I have gotten the “hold her back” speech several times already and she is only three years old.
I think that it is very important not to send your child to school if he or she is not ready. I believe many parents are probably doing the right thing. A parent knows their child and knows if he or she is mature enough to handle kindergarten.
What I do not like is children being judged on their date of birth rather than their capabilities. How can one tell me this summer that my child will not ready for school next summer? Especially when they have not worked with or evaluated her.
There will always be children with birthdays near the cut-off date.