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Health & Fitness

Kindergarten Readiness

Kindergarten Readiness- do you feel your child is ready?

   Kindergarten readiness has been on my mind the last few weeks.  My son has an October birthday and will enter kindergarten at 4 years.  My older son entered kindergarten at 5 1/2.   This is a world of difference to me.

   The kindergarten screening is coming up next week.  I have no doubt that academically he is ready.  If you ever want detailed information on spiders, let me know.  I know my son can spell his name, identify shapes, cut, and knows what street he lives on.  I am not sure what he will be asked and I am certainly not sure how he will perform.  Lately, he has decided to speak like a baby animal at times and you would think we had an 8 month old in the car.   He could very well decide to be a baby animal on the day of the kindergarten screening.

  So then there is the question of, is this decision totally mine?  If the screening goes well then the ball is in my court.  If the screening does not, do I still have a choice to send him?   I have talked to many Moms and teachers.  I have gotten many answers in favor of sending him to kindergarten.  Some of these were, someone has to be the youngest, they all level out at some point, my child went at 4 and was fine, and I went at 4 and I was fine.

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  Some of the arguments against were at some point socially he will feel the difference, another year of preschool will really give him a strong start in kindergarten, the difference will begin to show somewhere around third grade.  I am not sure if they meant socially or academically on the last statement.  Oh, and the pediatrician, " You're not sending him to kindergarten are you?"

  If I lived in a state where children were routinely held back for sports, maybe my decision would be easier.  Many of my son's friends have younger siblings that my younger son knows who are going to kindergarten.  I selfishly want my son to go with a group of friends he knows and a group of Moms I know.  All of their birthdays are earlier so I am the only one facing this question.

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 So I think my blog is really a question to the readers out there.  What did you do? Or if you are facing the decision, what will you do?

 

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