Kindergarten redshirt

[pourcyne]

Can count to 30 without issue and recognize numbers up to 100, can write the alphabet in upper case, can do simple addition (due to watching sports with the old man), hates reading (like his old man) but knows some sight words, only a few verbal pronunciation issues, very energetic/athletic kid (but not ADHD type hyper), good at following directions once settled down, very social and can make friends easily, been at a "good" daycare center since just after birth.

Daycare center says to send him since he is ready. Elementary principal says we have a tough choice, but let us know he could take college credits on the school system's dime if we held him back.

If daycare says he's ready, I'm betting he's ready. But as others have said, there won't be any drawbacks in giving him another year, unless he has a group of close friends/acquaintances who are going in the fall. Then, staying home might be hard for him.

In the meantime, if I were you, I would do everything possible to get him interested in reading. Read to him every night. Get him a subscription to a magazine (Sesame Street); mail him notes/postcards in the mail; make up treasure hunts with written clues, etc. Let him sit on your lap when you read Cyclone Fanatic!

Reading is so more important than most people realize, even at that young age, and it's important for a child to start with a positive attitude. (Do NOT tell him that you dislike reading! There will be absolutely no reason for him to like it!)

Good luck. Whatever you choose, he will be okay. It's patently clear that you care about your son. You would be shocked to know how many "parents" really don't.

 

[HoopsTournament]

We held two of ours back and never regretted it. We didn't hold the other back and have regretted it ever since.

 

[CycloneErik]

Sorry - I was busy for a while.

For starters, we moved to Iowa when the boys were 4 & 5. They had been in a very progressive preschool in California. Older son is only 19 months older, so a lot of competition between the two.

And yes, we read books every night at bedtime. It broke my heart when older son decided at the age of 7 HE would do the reading for both of them, and they didn't need me any more... (but it was pretty cute to watch) They started raiding MY bookshelf (Dean Koontz, Tom Clancy, and many others) when they were around 10 or 11.

As for the math part, I'm a numbers geek...I love number games and card games. We played a lot of counting games and learning games, and it helped the boys learn numbers. Parents can really help their kids just by spending game time & reading time with them.

Younger son has a fairly high IQ and is intensely curious about many things, but was a very lazy student. Homework (busy work) bored him. Despite my threats, cajoling, etc, he coasted through highschool with a C+ average, primarily because he would ace all of his tests but blow off all the homework. Teachers don't like that much. He writes beautifully and is a pretty decent graphic artist, but found when he tried college he still didn't want to study, so he opted for the Air Force. He's out now, but is much more disciplined in his habits. I guess drill sergeants & Lt Cols are more intimidating than moms.

Two thoughts here:
1. He couldn't have interacted with too many LTCs, and Air Force tech sergeants can't be that intimidating to an actual human being.
2. A lot of smart people that aren't as motivated change when they look around at Basic or later military posts and see that they're surrounded by a lot of people who have about zero potential. Seeing a pretty large pool of low-potential people can make a person really appreciate the opportunities that they have a lot more.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

If daycare says he's ready, I'm betting he's ready. But as others have said, there won't be any drawbacks in giving him another year, unless he has a group of close friends/acquaintances who are going in the fall. Then, staying home might be hard for him.

In the meantime, if I were you, I would do everything possible to get him interested in reading. Read to him every night. Get him a subscription to a magazine (Sesame Street); mail him notes/postcards in the mail; make up treasure hunts with written clues, etc. Let him sit on your lap when you read Cyclone Fanatic!

Reading is so more important than most people realize, even at that young age, and it's important for a child to start with a positive attitude. (Do NOT tell him that you dislike reading! There will be absolutely no reason for him to like it!)

Good luck. Whatever you choose, he will be okay. It's patently clear that you care about your son. You would be shocked to know how many "parents" really don't.

I wish I could like that part of your post 100x...

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Two thoughts here:
1. He couldn't have interacted with too many LTCs, and Air Force tech sergeants can't be that intimidating to an actual human being.
2. A lot of smart people that aren't as motivated change when they look around at Basic or later military posts and see that they're surrounded by a lot of people who have about zero potential. Seeing a pretty large pool of low-potential people can make a person really appreciate the opportunities that they have a lot more.

He left as an SSgt working in a vault. He interacted with a lot of senior pilots, but I will admit I was guessing as to the rank. I know he talked about at least three LtC's (at his home base, at Edwards, and on Guam), but that might well be the only ones.

 

[Tre4ISU]

Both my dad and Grandpa didn't even go to kindergarten, my grandpa had polio and my dad I can't remember why. They literally just started as 6 year olds in first grade. I always thought that was a little weird.

That happened to my grandma. She lived in one place, turned 5 and it was time to go to school. They moved to a neighboring town and they didn't have kindergarten so they shoved he into 1st grade.

 

[Cyvilian]

Redshirt, especially for a boy. Boys generally need the time for social/emotional development.

 

[AuH2O]

Yeah there are a lot of mothers who are keeping their kids in preschool an extra year lately, even if they aren't that young for their grade. I think it's largely a case of them being overprotective. Quite a few of my sons friends in preschool stayed an extra year for no reason.


As far as getting bored later in school I don't think that has anything to do with how old they started kindergarten. I think a kid who's going to get bored will do that whether they go early or not. Unless they are truly behind in preschool I don't think the academics have that big of an effect.

The biggest thing is socialization in my opinion.

I see this trend all the time now. I just assumed it was dads that sucked in HS football wanting their 20 year old son to get a crack at the varsity. I swear 1/2 the boys birthday parties my kindergartner goes to are for their 7th Bday.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

I see this trend all the time now. I just assumed it was dads that sucked in HS football wanting their 20 year old son to get a crack at the varsity. I swear 1/2 the boys birthday parties my kindergartner goes to are for their 7th Bday.

Happens a lot in Texas.

 

[kingcy]

It depends on the kid. The smartest boy I graduated with, was a good athlete, happened to have a June birthday making him one of the youngest in our class.

I know kids that have been held back and it really helped them getting that extra year.

 

[TitanClone]

June birthday here who wasn't "held" back.

Always knew I was one of the youngest in my class, it gave me a since of pride knowing I was keeping up with everyone when some were almost a year older than me. Everyone else turning 16 wasn't a huge deal because I had a school permit, I could just meet friends at our high school.

May have held me back athletically a little bit, but I managed to get by. One extra year isn't going to make a DII athlete a DI athlete.

If they're ready academically I don't see any reason for spending another year in preschool. Instead put that money in their college fund.

 

[tec71]

We have a boy due in late-late-late August this summer. We'll see how he is developmentally before making the call for him.

Have you been hiding this news from us? Why doesn't this have it's own thread and a betting pool set up?

 

[Angie]

Have you been hiding this news from us? Why doesn't this have it's own thread and a betting pool set up?

Just found out the gender and that he's perfect on Monday! :smile: So definitely not intentionally.

Men in my family tend to be short and strong (often wrestlers), so I don't know that we need to place any bets on what position he'll play for Hoiberg.

 

[isuska]

Just found out the gender and that he's perfect on Monday! :smile: So definitely not intentionally.

Men in my family tend to be short and strong (often wrestlers), so I don't know that we need to place any bets on what position he'll play for Hoiberg.

149 lb

 

[Angie]

149 lb

Now that's the type of betting pool that's probably going to work!

I'd love it if we had an ISU wrestler. My uncle went to Drake on schollie, but my grandpa always reffed for ISU meets. Start a new family tradition - just hopefully without the restrictive dieting.

 

[oldman]

If daycare says he's ready, I'm betting he's ready. But as others have said, there won't be any drawbacks in giving him another year, unless he has a group of close friends/acquaintances who are going in the fall. Then, staying home might be hard for him.

In the meantime, if I were you, I would do everything possible to get him interested in reading. Read to him every night. Get him a subscription to a magazine (Sesame Street); mail him notes/postcards in the mail; make up treasure hunts with written clues, etc. Let him sit on your lap when you read Cyclone Fanatic!

Reading is so more important than most people realize, even at that young age, and it's important for a child to start with a positive attitude. (Do NOT tell him that you dislike reading! There will be absolutely no reason for him to like it!)

Good luck. Whatever you choose, he will be okay. It's patently clear that you care about your son. You would be shocked to know how many "parents" really don't.

I will second that reading remark. My dad quit school after 8th grade, but he is a voracious reader. He is quite possibly the smartest person I've ever known.

 

[oldman]

Two thoughts here:
1. He couldn't have interacted with too many LTCs, and Air Force tech sergeants can't be that intimidating to an actual human being.
2. A lot of smart people that aren't as motivated change when they look around at Basic or later military posts and see that they're surrounded by a lot of people who have about zero potential. Seeing a pretty large pool of low-potential people can make a person really appreciate the opportunities that they have a lot more.

This exactly! I went to the Navy before college. I saw a LOT of incompetent people, at all ranks. I decided I needed an education. I would never have gotten through college without my experience in the military first.

 

[cycopath25]

As a former kindergarten teacher I say wait the extra time. Less stress for all parties involved.

 

[NATEizKING]

I'm currently reading Outliers: The Story of Success. If you're interested, read chapter 2 as it talks about this exact subject. Long story short, even if you think they're ready, it's still better to wait a year. Trends in International Mathematics and Science (tests given every four years to countries in many countries around the world) shows that the oldest children score somewhere between 4 and 12% higher than the youngest. That's just one example.