What to do about september birthday (if anything)

In order to start school here, my son has to be 5 by September 1st.
His birthday is September 9th. Which will basically put him behind others
his age one year.
(let me clarify by saying he is only 2 now, but this applies to preschool as
well)

Many have told me that this is an advantage with boys, as they are slower
starters and
could benefit from the extra year in preschool. But in reading some of the
other posts here and
looking at other children his same age, I am wondering if it would be a
determent instead.

He just turned 30 months.
He knows his address and phone number, and can recite them clearly if asked.
He can say his abc's and can count to 15.
He and I have involved conversations on the way home from daycare each day.
He remembers what he had for snack, lunch and afternoon snack that day.
he remembers who he played with today (first and last names) and can tell me
the titles
if what books he read that day.
Does he sound like your typical 2 year old?


Anyway, is there a way to judge a child's readiness for school?
Do schools go strictly by age, or are other factors at play?

Thanks for your input...
jojo

"jojo" wrote in message
m...
He just turned 30 months.
He knows his address and phone number, and can recite them clearly if
asked.
He can say his abc's and can count to 15.
He and I have involved conversations on the way home from daycare each
day.
He remembers what he had for snack, lunch and afternoon snack that day.
he remembers who he played with today (first and last names) and can tell
me
the titles if what books he read that day.
Does he sound like your typical 2 year old?

He sounds advanced for a 2.5yo. My 3yo can do only a handful of these things
(though he hasn't had any of the exposures that kids in daycare often get,
so I wouldn't expect him to know his ABCs or count or express who he played
with by first and last name because no one's ever tried to teach him).

That said, I wouldn't place an inordinate amount of value on any of those
skills when it comes to determining school readiness. Just because your
child is advanced in some areas does not mean he is truly well-rounded and
ready for school. These days, kindergarten tends to be *very* academic (and
that's particularly true in places where the cut-off date is as early as
yours) and include a *lot* of fine motor stuff (cutting, writing, coloring,
etc.) that many kids with very advanced verbal skills like your son's still
find difficult. (Don't ask me what kindy was like for my linguistically
talented oldest child! He survived, but he *still* struggles with the
mechanical stuff despite being well ahead of the game in terms of verbal
skills.)

Anyway, is there a way to judge a child's readiness for school?
Do schools go strictly by age, or are other factors at play?

If your school district's cut-off is Sept. 1 and he misses that cut-off, I
strongly suspect that no public school will accept him with an earlier
birthdate. Birthdate cut-offs are pretty hard and fast, IME.

My personal feeling is that there is rarely any disadvantage to abiding by
the cut-offs your district has set, even if your child is gifted. He will be
one of the oldest children in his class, but you'll probably find that there
a few kids who are older whose parents red-shirted them even though they
made the cut-off the previous year. Being one of the oldest kids isn't
necessarily a disadvantage, though; being one of the very youngest can be,
particularly now that kindergarten is becoming more like first grade and
first grade more like second and so on, at least in terms of the academic
expectations.
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Mr. Congeniality (7), the Diva (5) and the Race Car Fanatic (3)

I have PMS and ESP...I'm the bitch who knows everything! (T-shirt slogan)

"Circe" wrote in message
news:bY_Xd.4002$uk7.3681@fed1read01...
If your school district's cut-off is Sept. 1 and he misses that cut-off, I
strongly suspect that no public school will accept him with an earlier
birthdate.

Ugh. That should read "later birthdate".
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Mr. Congeniality (7), the Diva (5) and the Race Car Fanatic (3)

I have PMS and ESP...I'm the bitch who knows everything! (T-shirt slogan)

"Circe" wrote in message
news:bY_Xd.4002$uk7.3681@fed1read01...
"jojo" wrote in message
m...
He just turned 30 months.
He knows his address and phone number, and can recite them clearly if
asked.
He can say his abc's and can count to 15.
He and I have involved conversations on the way home from daycare each
day.
He remembers what he had for snack, lunch and afternoon snack that day.
he remembers who he played with today (first and last names) and can
tell
me
the titles if what books he read that day.
Does he sound like your typical 2 year old?

He sounds advanced for a 2.5yo. My 3yo can do only a handful of these
things
(though he hasn't had any of the exposures that kids in daycare often get,
so I wouldn't expect him to know his ABCs or count or express who he
played
with by first and last name because no one's ever tried to teach him).

That said, I wouldn't place an inordinate amount of value on any of those
skills when it comes to determining school readiness. Just because your
child is advanced in some areas does not mean he is truly well-rounded and
ready for school. These days, kindergarten tends to be *very* academic
(and
that's particularly true in places where the cut-off date is as early as
yours) and include a *lot* of fine motor stuff (cutting, writing,
coloring,
etc.)


I wonder why they do so much coloring and stuff? I ask only because my son
particularly dislikes this kind of activity. I was lead to beleive (tee hee)
that *all* children like craft projects. Well, not my son. For the longest
time I thought I was doing something wrong. He simply does not enjoy
coloring activities as much as other kids.


that many kids with very advanced verbal skills like your son's still
find difficult. (Don't ask me what kindy was like for my linguistically
talented oldest child! He survived, but he *still* struggles with the
mechanical stuff despite being well ahead of the game in terms of verbal
skills.)

Anyway, is there a way to judge a child's readiness for school?
Do schools go strictly by age, or are other factors at play?

If your school district's cut-off is Sept. 1 and he misses that cut-off, I
strongly suspect that no public school will accept him with an earlier
birthdate. Birthdate cut-offs are pretty hard and fast, IME.

My personal feeling is that there is rarely any disadvantage to abiding by
the cut-offs your district has set, even if your child is gifted. He will
be
one of the oldest children in his class, but you'll probably find that
there
a few kids who are older whose parents red-shirted them even though they
made the cut-off the previous year. Being one of the oldest kids isn't
necessarily a disadvantage, though; being one of the very youngest can be,
particularly now that kindergarten is becoming more like first grade and
first grade more like second and so on, at least in terms of the academic
expectations.
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Mr. Congeniality (7), the Diva (5) and the Race Car Fanatic (3)

I have PMS and ESP...I'm the bitch who knows everything! (T-shirt slogan)

"Stephanie" wrote in message
...
"Circe" wrote in message
news:bY_Xd.4002$uk7.3681@fed1read01...
That said, I wouldn't place an inordinate amount of value on any of
those
skills when it comes to determining school readiness. Just because your
child is advanced in some areas does not mean he is truly well-rounded
and
ready for school. These days, kindergarten tends to be *very* academic
(and that's particularly true in places where the cut-off date is as
early as
yours) and include a *lot* of fine motor stuff (cutting, writing,
coloring, etc.)

I wonder why they do so much coloring and stuff? I ask only because my son
particularly dislikes this kind of activity. I was lead to beleive (tee
hee)
that *all* children like craft projects. Well, not my son. For the longest
time I thought I was doing something wrong. He simply does not enjoy
coloring activities as much as other kids.

Your son and my oldest are definitely cut from the same cloth: he *hated*
coloring with a passion. (Of course, now that he has to do a lot more
writing, he longs for the days of coloring, so the grass is always greener
g.)

My feeling is that *some* of the coloring is busywork designed--it keeps the
children who can finish their work very quickly from getting finished *too*
quickly and therefore gives the teacher time to assist some of the children
who work more slowly before having to find something for the quicker kids to
do.

There is, however, a fine motor skill value in all that coloring--it does
ultimately feed into the children gaining confidence and control over a
writing implement and that *is* necessary. As the children get better at
coloring, their handwriting tends to improve as well. And that's one of the
reasons it gets emphasized so much, especially in the early part of
kindergarten when letter formation is very difficult/slow for the majority
of children and therefore writing itself isn't a good activity for improving
motor control.
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Mr. Congeniality (7), the Diva (5) and the Race Car Fanatic (3)

I have PMS and ESP...I'm the bitch who knows everything! (T-shirt slogan)

In article , jojo says...

In order to start school here, my son has to be 5 by September 1st.
His birthday is September 9th. Which will basically put him behind others
his age one year.
(let me clarify by saying he is only 2 now, but this applies to preschool as
well)

Many have told me that this is an advantage with boys, as they are slower
starters and
could benefit from the extra year in preschool. But in reading some of the
other posts here and
looking at other children his same age, I am wondering if it would be a
determent instead.


Right. Even if he is a slower *starter* (and it don't sound like it), he's not
a slower *finisher* probably. But children don't develop on this inexorable
progressive linear scale going from K to 12 - they go in leaps and bounds at
various times.

People who red-shirt their kids think about the little 1st grader a little
larger and more mature than their classmates, so they think they've done a Good
Thing by holding their little boys back.
What they *don't* think about is the bearded bored-out-of-his-mind and restless
EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD that's supposed to bide his time as a senior in high school
until he graduates. Starting school late is forever. The little first grader
becomes the bored fourth grader becomes the eighth grader going through puberty
a year before a lot of his friends, becomes....

On your boy, if he seems ready, and especially if he has peers, friends in the
neighborhood who will be entering school, I'd contact the school and plead his
case for a not-really-early early start.

Possibly, your school district is very strict about starting dates. Some are
that way. Well, sometimes that's how it is - one day in the future, your boy
would break the law if he were to buy a beer. The next day, by the law's
account he'd be welcome to buy that beer - drawing lines is sometimes
unavoidable. If the school district is really strict, you can reassure yourself
that 1/12 of the kids would be within a month of his age anyway, and the
redshirters will make some kids older than yours in the class, too.

But I'd give it a try to start him in the September he's of age. Hopefully
you'll encounter some flexibility.



He just turned 30 months.
He knows his address and phone number, and can recite them clearly if asked.
He can say his abc's and can count to 15.
He and I have involved conversations on the way home from daycare each day.
He remembers what he had for snack, lunch and afternoon snack that day.
he remembers who he played with today (first and last names) and can tell me
the titles
if what books he read that day.
Does he sound like your typical 2 year old?


Anyway, is there a way to judge a child's readiness for school?
Do schools go strictly by age, or are other factors at play?



Depends, depends. But if this goes back to preschool as you say, you have some
opportunity to see how it works out early on.

Banty

"Circe" wrote in message
news:%l%Xd.4006$uk7.3232@fed1read01...
"Stephanie" wrote in message
...
"Circe" wrote in message
news:bY_Xd.4002$uk7.3681@fed1read01...
That said, I wouldn't place an inordinate amount of value on any of
those
skills when it comes to determining school readiness. Just because
your
child is advanced in some areas does not mean he is truly well-rounded
and
ready for school. These days, kindergarten tends to be *very* academic
(and that's particularly true in places where the cut-off date is as
early as
yours) and include a *lot* of fine motor stuff (cutting, writing,
coloring, etc.)

I wonder why they do so much coloring and stuff? I ask only because my
son
particularly dislikes this kind of activity. I was lead to beleive (tee
hee)
that *all* children like craft projects. Well, not my son. For the
longest
time I thought I was doing something wrong. He simply does not enjoy
coloring activities as much as other kids.

Your son and my oldest are definitely cut from the same cloth: he *hated*
coloring with a passion. (Of course, now that he has to do a lot more
writing, he longs for the days of coloring, so the grass is always greener
g.)

My feeling is that *some* of the coloring is busywork designed--it keeps
the
children who can finish their work very quickly from getting finished
*too*
quickly and therefore gives the teacher time to assist some of the
children
who work more slowly before having to find something for the quicker kids
to
do.

There is, however, a fine motor skill value in all that coloring--it does
ultimately feed into the children gaining confidence and control over a
writing implement and that *is* necessary.



How much does pointing and clicking help?

As the children get better at
coloring, their handwriting tends to improve as well. And that's one of
the
reasons it gets emphasized so much, especially in the early part of
kindergarten when letter formation is very difficult/slow for the majority
of children and therefore writing itself isn't a good activity for
improving
motor control.

I hear you. DS is pretty little, so we do not push to hard or too long on
doing activities such as this that he really does not want to do. That is
going to have to change come school time. And I, frankly, am not looking
forward to it. Oh well.

--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Mr. Congeniality (7), the Diva (5) and the Race Car Fanatic (3)

I have PMS and ESP...I'm the bitch who knows everything! (T-shirt slogan)

"Stephanie" wrote in message
...
"Circe" wrote in message
news:%l%Xd.4006$uk7.3232@fed1read01...
There is, however, a fine motor skill value in all that coloring--it
does
ultimately feed into the children gaining confidence and control over a
writing implement and that *is* necessary.

How much does pointing and clicking help?

IME, not at all. (My oldest mastered the mouse at age 18 months or
thereabouts. He loves computers and computer games and plays a lot of them.
His fine motor skills when it comes to writing are still weak. I think the
guitar lessons he's just started are more likely to help.)

As the children get better at
coloring, their handwriting tends to improve as well. And that's one of
the reasons it gets emphasized so much, especially in the early part of
kindergarten when letter formation is very difficult/slow for the
majority
of children and therefore writing itself isn't a good activity for
improving motor control.

I hear you. DS is pretty little, so we do not push to hard or too long on
doing activities such as this that he really does not want to do. That is
going to have to change come school time. And I, frankly, am not looking
forward to it. Oh well.

But this is something that sometimes improves with time. My oldest, who has
a mid-July birthday, was ready for kindergarten in almost every respect, but
his fine motor skills remain about six months behind the curve. That isn't
enough for me to have thought that keeping him back a whole year would have
been a good idea, but frankly, if we'd had the option to start kindergarten
6-9 months later, all of the fine motor stuff would have been much easier
for him and not so much of a painful struggle. IOW, the fact that your son
resists coloring and those types of activities is a reason *not* to try to
get around the cut-off.
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Mr. Congeniality (7), the Diva (5) and the Race Car Fanatic (3)

I have PMS and ESP...I'm the bitch who knows everything! (T-shirt slogan)

HI --

It's not just age. It's state rules many places about how many
teachers/childcare providers must be present in the room. (The rules
change at age 2, and again at age ... 5? maybe?) It's also the issue of
so many kids applying for so few spots.

If you can find a preschool that's accomodating, you coudl probably have
your child attend provided you stay on the premises until his birthday.

Or you can find a school that starts a group mid-year.

Honestly, preschool can be fun at 24 months, but lots of kids aren't
ready to separate from their parents that young. And grade school is
another kettle of fish entirely! (Don't get me started ...)

Hope this helps,
--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.

A lot of schools allow kids to attend early. Wait a couple of years. You
should have a better idea if your son should go to kindergarten then or wait
another year.

Jeff