In the school my kids go to, there's no question about doing what I
did (skip half of kindergarten and go right into first grade) because
there's a pedagogical reason, at least to the school and to other
Waldorf schools worldwide, that kids need to be 6 1/2 or so before they
enter first grade. Having come from an entire family of grade-skippers
that went back generations, this was a little hard for me to accept at
first. After all, I did it, why can't my kid? He's smart and I know he
can do the work, what's the big deal?
As it turns out, I'm happy
that the whole thing was moot and that he had to wait to start first
grade along with his age peers, but that's my son's story and not every
kid is alike. And his story was about skipping ahead and being the
youngest in his class, anyway, not about waiting an extra year.
Educators are disturbed about a growing trend in parents holding their
kids back from kindergarten so they'll be the oldest in their class. An estimated 9% of kids are being held back from starting kindergarten with their age group.
Naturally,
there are pros and cons on both sides. In defense of waiting an extra
year to start school, why not let your kid be a kid for another year?
Childhood is fleeting enough as it is. And many kids simply aren't
ready for school, either emotionally or socially or whatever.
The
problem is, sometimes that sense of being "held back" can stay with a
kid all through his school years and create further problems. According
to the article, research shows that social disconnect could follow
children, possibly causing behavioral problems in their teen years.
Kids sometimes wonder what's "wrong" with another kid who's a year
older than everyone else in the class.
Also according to the
article, developmental abilities (unless there's something else going
on to cause a delay) among children tend to even out by the third
grade, which means that a kid could have a tough time for the first few
years but then things magically work themselves out after a while. And
there's something to be said for being in your own peer group,
age-wise. Being the youngest in the class during my entire school life
made me stand out in ways that weren't always welcome. Like when
puberty hit for everyone but me.
But is it enough to say, well,
every kid should be with his age group because overall that's the best
course of action for most kids? Of course not. Bottom line is, every
child is different and only the parent really knows what's best, and
even then there's no crystal ball. In the end you make the decision you
think is best based on everything you know, and hope for the best.
