I wouldn't hold back a child unless I seriously thought that child had learning difficulties, and I 100% definitely would not hold back a child who's likely gifted. There's a lot of recent research that suggests it's better in the long run to be young for grade, though there are plenty of people clinging to the old "common sense wisdom" of holding back.
My DS was born in October and will be almost 6 when he's "supposed" to go to Kindergarten next year. I have been trying all year to figure out how I can get the school to admit him to 1st instead. He will totally be the most immature 1st grader in the short run, but in the long run I think it would be worse to have him sitting around bored. Because he WILL entertain himself and nobody wants him to be having to make his own entertainment. (After having had to try to differentiate for DD9 all this year, her teacher is now all on board with this idea, too.)
As far as preschool, I will say that both my children started preschool at the age of 22 months, attending a 4-hours-per-week program through Early Intervention. (DD qualified for EI services, but I enrolled DS as a community peer simply because I loved the program.) They both attended other preschool programs after aging out of the EI preschool (2.5 years of part-day Montessori for DD; 1.5 years of full-time daycare center/preschool for DS followed by 1 year of part-day Montessori). They both love preschool.
Last edited by Aufilia; 04/06/15 02:47 PM.
