Is Your Child Ready For Kindergarten? The Do's And Don'ts Of Redshirting And Enrollment
Is your child ready for kindergarten? Age and kindergarten enrollment is a popular topic that gets plenty of parental and media attention. If you're not sure whether to enroll or wait another year, take a look at the do's and don'ts of the decision-making process.
Do Talk to the Pre-K Teacher
Did your child attend preschool, daycare, or another early childhood education program? Before you decide to redshirt (hold back) or enroll your child in kindergarten, talk to the pre-k teacher. Not only does the teacher know what local kindergartens expect academically, socially, emotionally, and overall developmentally, this early childhood professional knows your child.
The pre-k teacher can help you to understand your child's strengths, areas for improvement, and ability to effectively transition from preschool to kindergarten. While they can't ( or at least, shouldn't) make this decision for you, your child's preschool teacher can help to guide you through this process.
Don't Do What Everyone Else Is Doing
Your best friend, sister, and neighbor may have held their barely five-year-olds back one year before enrolling them in kindergarten. Does this mean you should follow along and redshirt your child?
Even though there's a trend towards waiting, you need to do what's best for your child. Every soon-to-be kindergartener is an individual. This means your child has a different developmental level, personality, and temperament than another child might have. Instead of following what everyone else is doing, make this decision for your child—and your child alone.
Do Consult Your State's Compulsory School Age Requirements
Every state has a compulsory minimum and maximum school age limit. Your state's may differ from your local school district's minimum cut-off age. The compulsory school ages provide the guidelines districts need to work within. Make sure your child isn't well below or above the start-of-school age.
Don't Skip a School Educator Conversation
Your child's pre-k teacher isn't the only educator you should talk to. Contact your child's future school and ask to speak with the principal, a guidance counselor, or a teacher. These key figures can help you to understand the kindergarten-level curriculum and the academic expectations.
Again, like with a pre-k teacher, the elementary school educator can't make this decision for you. But a conversation with someone at your child's soon-to-be school can help you to learn more about what kindergarten really is, manage expectations, and decide whether right now is the best time for your child to transition out of pre-k.
