I am sure there are lots of posts on this forum about this topic, but maybe someone can just give me some quick feedback. My child has not yet been tested, but will be next week. IF she tests gifted, I have been given the possible option of putting her in Kindergarten instead of preK4. She misses the Kindergarten cut off date by 6 weeks. PreK 4 is run on a lottery here. (No preference for gifted IEP.) So, she might not get in. If NOT, would you consider putting her in kindergarten at age 4? She would be 4 years old for August, September, October, and part of November. The cutoff in my state is September 30th. Will 6 weeks make a big difference long term? I know she can do the work now because I teach kindergarten. That part doesn't concern me at all. She's also very friendly and outgoing and making friends with any and all kids isn't an issue. Other opinions I have heard question what will happen when she is a teenager and in a grade with older kids making older kid decisions. Then there is the whole going to college at 17 thing. Opinions? Would you use an IQ of a certain number to help the decision? Or no?
Thanks!
Lots of kids start K at 4. My older daughter started K at 4. Her birthday is in the end of Sept. and our cutoff at the time was Dec 2nd. Although many parents will fall babies held their kids back. She was on the young end her whole life. Since she went to a 'year-round' school she attended K for at least 6 weeks before turning 5. Six weeks is really not THAT early.
One question I would want to know before making this decision is how common it is for parents hold back fall babies. Ie.. if she would be the youngest by months in your class not because of official cut-offs but because parents choose to hold their kids back. This is usually more common in wealthy districts. And how well she holds her own socially. For most parents posting on this board the K curriculum is really not the issue.
