Kindergarten or Young 5's program? Thoughts from a middle school teacher
A new kindergartener!
Theresa Bassett | Contributor
We have been calling our son's first year of kindergarten in the Young 5's program "Begindergarten," because next year he will go to kindergarten at his neighborhood school.
It is fabulous that Ann Arbor has this program for children whose birthdays fall in this 3-month window. It just makes sense as the cutoff is constantly being debated anyway. Should they be 5 by Sept. 1? Dec. 1? It is just an arbitrary date.
And for children who fall outside this window, there are still many who delay the start of kindergarten.
Why do parents delay the start of kindergarten, one might ask? There are many possible reasons. From most parents I hear that their child just isn't "kindergarten ready." Some schools actually do screening and then suggest to either hold the child back for another year or give the parents reassurance that yes, their child is ready.
Some delay the start of kindergarten because their child is emotionally immature, socially immature or just physically small. I have heard some parents holding their child back so that they will have more of an edge later on in sports. Sports can be very competitive, especially in this area, and some parents feel that their child needs a leg up.
Some opt never to go to kindergarten, as it is optional. Compulsory school attendance does not begin until age 6 in Michigan. And then there are students who are homeschooled or unschooled and are outside of this requirement.
For some families, it is not an option to delay entry. They can't afford to pay for day care when the child can legitimately be in kindergarten.
Our son, by all accounts and assessments from preschool, say that he is on target and not at one end of the spectrum or the other in terms of cognitive, social and emotional well-being. He seems to be right where he should be, and a "traditional" kindergarten would be a good fit. However, I think the rub comes further on down the road, in middle school.
As a teacher of those in the middle years, I do see many kids who are academically equipped, have the capacity and the skill set to do the work at this level. What sometimes is missing is the emotional or social maturity that can definitely make a difference in a child's success. It is hard for them to always be academically successful when they are dealing with even more complex social drama than usual, due to the fact that they are more immature than most of their classmates.
We looked at this as we made the decision to have our son do the two years of kindergarten. I would rather have him at the top of his game than always feeling like he was playing catch up if that was the case. I also would have a small fortune if I had a dime for every parent who has said to me that they wish they had held their child back and given them "the gift of time." Very few if any have ever said to me that they missed the boat and should have pushed their kid ahead.
Something else that has come into play is that so much of what happens in school seems to be the high stakes testing and the ever increasing level of expectations. We seem to be requiring more and more of children at younger ages. I figure if I can delay the onset of what I see as pushing kids to do more, earlier in life, I will. I am a huge proponent of kids being kids. It seems like we are losing sight of this.
There are of course some negative aspects of being the oldest child in the class. No one willingly signs up to be the first child to start puberty. It can be awkward, and sadly, kids still tease one another. They will be the first to drive, have their license and get asked repeatedly for rides here and there.
There is also pressure that comes with being the oldest (and possibly the youngest). But with kids with fall birthdays, it is impossible to avoid — they will be either be the youngest or the oldest.
We are thrilled that our son will start his elementary education in the Young 5's program. I think it is going to be the perfect fit for both child and parent.
Theresa Bassett is parent to six. Passions include kids, adoption, alternative and transracial families. Reach her at theresabassett1@hotmail.com
Comments
Mary Dooley
Wed, Sep 1, 2010 : 5:02 p.m.
Two quick comments from me: First, Sarah Bradley, the current Young 5s kindergarten teacher, is amazing, and I could not have been happier with program (my son attended, last year). I also have another late-November-birthday child, and I wish she had had the opportunity to be in Young 5s, also. Kindergarten is definitely just about learning to share, graham crackers and milk, and naps, any more!
Beth
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 8:50 p.m.
@Michele - yes!! You've said it perfectly!!!
Michele
Tue, Aug 31, 2010 : 8:42 a.m.
As a mom with a Master's in Early Childhood Education, I too have had to make the difficult decision wether to send my 4 year old daughter to kindergarten. Dispite her being able to read already, I worried about her size, always being the youngest, and frankly, being with boys who were almost 2 years older throughout her education. In the end I sent her and she is still at the top of her class and very mature for her age. I believe holding boys back for size or sport is unfair to the child and his classmates. Changing the Michigan birthdate to Sept. 1 wont help in my opinion because then all the summer birthdays will hold back so they're not the youngest. I think the law should require kids to start when they are age eligible. And we should expect 5 year old boys to be immature and design our classrooms and curriculums around them and stop expecting them to behave like 8 year olds. It's simply unfair and unrealistic.
Eric P
Sat, Aug 28, 2010 : 9:51 a.m.
As someone who started kindergarten at the age of 4 (I have a Sept birthday), I have to say it was the second biggest mistake my parents made about my schooling. In the book Outliers: The Story of Success, author Malcolm Gladwell lies out a case for the success of the oldest in the class room and athletically in schools. He also points out that grouping children by age alone can be damaging not only to the individual child, but to the peer group that is either waiting for the child to catch up, or being pushed beyond their limit by a child that is so far ahead. I think I like what other systems do with children entering school, until age 10 they group them by ability and not age. The bottom line is that kindergarten is for kids 5/6 years old, not kids 4/5 years old. As for those that say you are robbing you kid of an extra year of adulthood? you turn 18 when you turn 18 and life is the trip not the destination.
Beth
Sat, Aug 28, 2010 : 8:56 a.m.
@JuliaAnnArb - the 6 schools I mentioned earlier offer only all-day K, for all students - there's no fee, and no need or "at risk" component. The other elementary schools offer a variety of K options, as you said - half-day K, fee-based all-day, half-day Kindercare. Is there still a free all-day program at some of those schools for the at risk students? AnnArbor.com, I would love to see an article about the different K offerings around town. When my oldest started K, we were very upset that our school was switching to only all-day, and considered going elsewhere. As we talked to parents around town, we realized how very different the K experience and offering is based on what your neighborhood school is. We also realized that parents at all-day schools were being told that a half-day program doesn't provide enough time for good learning to take place, but parents at half-day schools are certainly not hearing that. There are parents like me who are unhappy to not have a half-day option, and there are parents at half-day schools who are unhappy to have to keep paying for childcare for the other half-day. It seems really incredible to me that we all pay the same school taxes, but can be offered such different things. This holds true for many other things about the AAPS elementaries as well, from Halloween policies to paying for field trips to in and out-of-school activities, and it really bothers me that AAPS does not have more standardized policies and offerings across the board.
JuliaAnnArb
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 8:57 p.m.
I also wanted to add to a discussion above re: all-day kindergarten. AAPS offers, at some schools, full-day or all-day, which are apparently different things (?). One is for disadvantaged students and the other is a fee-based extension of the kindergarten curriculum to match the older kids' schedules. Then there's "extended day", which is after-school child care for working parents. Kind of confusing, no?
JuliaAnnArb
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 8:52 p.m.
My oldest son (4 1/2) is watching all his preschool buddies head off to kindergarten in a couple of weeks, but he'll be staying in preschool for another year, since his birthday is eight days past the cutoff. As far as I can tell, we have no options or wiggle room. If he had been born a couple of weeks earlier, we could have chosen the young 5's program, which would essentially mean a 13th year of FREE public education, but instead we're stuck paying for another year of preschool. Somehow it doesn't seem fair that the parents of kids born during three months of the year get the chance at young 5's. I'm also curious what the socioeconomic makeup of the Young 5's class is. Just off the top of my head, it seems that to get a child to and from half-day kindergarten across town you'd need a stay-at-home parent or some other private transportation. Does that effectively eliminate the option for some families?
Basic Bob
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 8:46 p.m.
My older daughter has a July birthday and when she entered school in Pennsylvania at age 5 + 1 month, the teachers complained that although she was technically old enough, they thought there was a disadvantage to having children so much younger than their classmates. They suggested a voluntary cutoff of maybe May or June. My younger daughter has a late November (turkey) birthday. She stayed home until she was age 5 + 9 months. We would have loved all-day kindergarten for her, but it was not offered in the public school.
Jeannie
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 8:09 p.m.
My daughter's birthday is Dec. 10th. She was VERY ready for kindergarten, both emotionally, socially, and intellectually. Unfortunately, Plymouth-Canton schools, like all other local systems, doesn't care about "readiness"; it's all about the calendar, period. No discussion, no testing, nothing. So I altered her birth certificate from Dec 10 to Dec 1. Problem solved. Funny how not one person metioned she wasn't kindergarten caliber. After all, her DUE DATE did fall in November! :-)
Beth
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 6:39 p.m.
@KRC - 6 of the AA elementaries now only offer all-day K - it's totally different from the old program you are describing, which was for at-risk kids. I find it interesting how few people know that not all AA schools offer half-day K - we certainly would have chosen that option if we could have. I believe the schools that are only full-day are Allen, Bryant, Carpenter, Mitchell, Northside, and Pittsfield.
stb
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 11:19 a.m.
I should add to my previous post that I know there are exceptions and don't mean to be insensitive to situations where holding back a close-to-the-bubble kid would be beneficial. Every child is different!
krc
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 11:11 a.m.
Beth: I hope your little guy is tough and independent and you have done your homework. All day KGs can be a real challenge. I worked in a full day KG. Of course this was years ago and I don't know if the practice has changed, but most if not all the kids were from questionable socio-economic backgrounds and required intensive help and supervision all year, even the ones who had supposedly benefitted from the AAPS preschool program. There were 27 kids in that class, again, most with special needs (and I don't mean physically handicapped). It takes a very special person to handle a class like this and fortunately they had one of the best. But the next year the powers that be again gave this teacher another big group of these special needs kids. The first class had taken so much out of her that she immediately applied for and got a transfer to another grade level. And she was an excellent teacher, as I've said. And it was the burnout year for me. I never went back. Just wanted to put this in front of you. If this hasn't changed, think about how much attention the teacher will be able to give your little one if he happens to be in this kind of student group. If your boy is tough and independent, he'll be able to deal with this and thrive. But if he isn't, be willing to apply for a transfer. Maybe you could see if your baby could get into the older child's PM KG. Then he could ride the bus home with his sib. But what do I know? It's been a long time since I have been in a classroom. Things may have changed. Sorry if I seem to be meddling. I just love new KGers and used to love to watch them learn and grow.
Theresa Bassett
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 10:12 a.m.
Thanks to all for their thoughtful responses. What some readers have hit on strikes me as one of the more important ideas and that is how the curriculum has changed for kindergartners. If your child struggles at all in the earlier grades, it is much more likely that that struggle will continue and then you have to confront the idea of retaining/tutoring/summer school later on which for some kids can be brutal. Also, while there is a group which may wait on kindergarten, there is another group of students who go to private schools for kindergarten because they are not yet 5 on Dec 1. Parents want to accelerate them and start them earlier. My understanding is that if you have completed kindergarten, they you go on to 1st grade, regardless of age. I haven't seen anything in writing by AAPS in terms of policy regarding this issue.
a2scio
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 9:50 a.m.
The decision is not an easy one and readiness should be determined on an individual case basis. I entered college at 17 (Feb bday)and my second child did the same (Dec bday). For my child, I checked with the preschool teachers; had the child in a private kindergarten that accepted the occasional younger child and again checked with teachers about the child's readiness for first grade. Note - children born between 12/1 and 2/1 can be assessed for first grade readiness by the AAPS.
aamom
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 9:23 a.m.
@Cathy What has also changed since you went to school is the curriculum. What you did as a 6 year old (and did just fine) is what we now ask a 5 year old to do. For some kids that will be okay, not so for others. I am grateful we have choices as parents and If we are confident in the decisions we make for our children, I'm sure they will all turn out just fine.
Cathy
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 8:26 a.m.
I was yet another one of those mid-November birthday, 17 year old college students, and I too have turned out just fine. The problem is not the 4 year olds, nor parents holding their children back a year. Parents were choosing to keep their children at home for one more year back when I was in Kindergarten. What has changed, creating this problem, is that the 6 year olds who were held back by their parents were put directly into first grade, rather than Kindergarten, back when I was in school. Kindergarten was optional grade level. If Kindergarten has become a required academic grade level than the obvious solution is to change the mandatory school age from 6 to 5.
Atticus F.
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 8:17 a.m.
4 years old is just too early to start school for some children. Part of the problem here is that everybody is so concerned about their own children, that they dont have any consideration for the needs of others.
Beth
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 8:09 a.m.
My youngest turns 5 this September and will be attending our neighborhood school, which only offers all-day K. We thought long and hard about what would be best for him, and feel that he is ready for K - and he wants to do it. If there were a young 5 program closer to us, though, I might have gone that route. I know the district has limited classroom space available, but there was no possible way to put my older child on the elementary bus in our SE neighborhood and then drive across town to Abbott every AM and still get my youngest to school there on time. Maybe they could offer a 2nd location at the preschool center?
OTdiva
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 7:52 a.m.
Well-written and thought-provoking. Every child has different needs and it is wonderful that we have the option to make choices about where to place our children. I have one child with a late birthday entering kindergarten this fall who will do very well, and a teenager with a spring birthday that I wish I had held back a year, in retrospect. I can't figure out why there is so much antagonism in these comments - choose what's right for your own child and don't judge the choices that other parents feel compelled to make.
bbc
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 7:44 a.m.
I agree the cutoff is ridiculously late. Also, each child is different. My son was much less mature than my daughter at 5.(although equal academically) He benefitted immensely from Young 5's. They have a great progam in Saline.
bluehoo
Fri, Aug 27, 2010 : 7:36 a.m.
In Michigan, the problem is the December 1 date. In every other state I've lived in (three) the date has been Sept 1 or Oct 1. Some places the cutoff is June 1. All the kids that I've known who were "held back" fall in this Oct-Nov limbo. If kindergarten is for 5 year olds, then why not say you have to be 5 to start and stop having 4 year olds there. While any cut off is arbitrary, I think this simple change would make most of the problem of having kids almost 2 years apart in age, but in the same grade, disappear. Parents feel the pressure when they're sending a 4 year old in with all 5 year olds.
aamom
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 9 p.m.
I think the cutoff date is part of the problem. Most other states have cutoff dates on or around Sept. 1st. Your November kid moves to another state and suddenly he's in with a group that's much older than he is because technically he isn't old enough to be in that grade in that state. Then they want to know why you have "accelerated" your child. This is what happened to us. We also have one with a September birthday and we're not sure if we will start him or keep him in line with most of the rest of the country just in case we move again. We have a few years to think about it. People are just too mobile these days to have different start dates everywhere you go. Michigan should change the cutoff date to Sept. 1.
hypsi
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 7:39 p.m.
Also agree with John and STB. My son started kindergarten last year.Every conference the teacher would tell me that while he was academically one of the top 3..his maturity level was not where it should be. So I'm supposed to keep him back because of his social level, where he'll be bored out of his mind? Way to focus on the social aspect of school and not the academic one. One day I happened to look at the class birthday list and most of the kids were turning 6 while in kindergarten. Not just kids that met the cut off date for keeping kids in Young 5s, kids that were having birthdays in June and July. This year he will be going into first grade, many of the kids are already 7!! So, I'm sure I will be hearing once again how his maturity level isn't matching the rest of the kids yet academically he'll be in the top 3. Young 5's is a trend that is making some of us have to follow the social herd even if we don't want to.
CLX
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 4:07 p.m.
An additional problem is that kindergarten is no longer an opportunity to experience a classroom environment and learn a few simple things during that process. Now, kids are expected to read by the end of the year and they start "writing" stories early in the year. We have a twisted view of school these days, pushing and pushing kids. I also agree, however, that too many parents are holding kids back because they are so used to sheltering their kids that they cannot imagine their kids functioning in an environment that demands something of them. Our child was on the young side in K (Sept. b-day). A good number of his classmates were 14-16 months older than he. It's hell for the teachers. I think schools should have kids start on time unless they receive an assessment that suggests otherwise.
notinypsi
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 3:36 p.m.
Speaking as a child that attended a young fives program back in the day, I believe that each child should be assessed to determine if they are emotionally, physically, and intellectually ready to attend kindergarten. I myself attended a young fives program and feel that I benefited immensely from it. Yes it did stink somewhat being 19 when I graduated from high school, but I did extremely well in school. Now my husband on the other side of the spectrum did not attend a young fives program and did poorly in school. So much in fact that he was held back in third grade which he feels was detrimental to him on so many levels, even to this very day. In my opinion it's a very difficult and delicate decision that should be made on a child by child basis by the parents with possibly the help of a qualified educator.
kesey
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 3:19 p.m.
@mommaof2 I am actually one of those 17-year old college students you are talking about and if I say so myself I think I'm just fine. I don't see what's so scary about it. I have a late november birthday and my parents put me into school at age 4. Obviously it depends on the child, but if they are mentally ready for kindergarten, then put them in! I think it's ridiculous the author held her child back even though they were ready. I agree with stb that it's the children who HAVE been held back that end up making it harder for those of us who entered school on time. And as for "they will always be playing catch up if they enter at 4" well I was one of those children and I was in the top 10% of my class at graduation.
John
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 2:57 p.m.
It seems that the most logical and sensible thing for parents to do is to start their child on time and if for some reason during kindergarten the kid has trouble then move him or her into a pre-K program. Not starting your kid because he MIGHT have issues is what has led us to this 18 month differential in ages which could be eliminated easliy if people followed this rule. (Although we will still have the parents who hold their boy back so that he will be big for football.)
mommaof2
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 1:53 p.m.
Umm interesting comments. I think every child is different. I state that I face the decision because my son has an early November birthday. I do agree if they are emotionally ready then you should start your child when they are ready, but I believe some children are not emotionally ready and they play "catch- up" their whole school age years. Think about it for the future..you are going to have a 17 year old college student?? That scares me. All good points though and honestly, I am 99% sure my son will be going to school when he is 4 going to be 5 in November. But again, everyone is different!
MonkeyintheMiddle
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 1:11 p.m.
Exactly the problem, stb! Well said.
Greggy_D
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 12:20 p.m.
I agree 100% with John and stb.
stb
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 12:02 p.m.
As the mom with an early November birthday daughter, I am worried about parents holding kids back. The cutoff in our school district is December 1, so my daughter should start K next fall. But parents who hold back their (earlier in the birthday year) kids are, in my opinion, causing the problem. My daughter will be (age-appropriate) ready emotionally & physically for kindergarten at age 4, but when you compare her to kids in her grade who are 1.5 years older than her, she is going to look/act as thought she isn't "ready". So am I supposed to hold my kid back from starting when she meets the "before December 1" deadline, just because she will be at a disadvantage with kids who *should* be in a grade older than her?
John
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 11:47 a.m.
This is a joke, right? You write that your son is emotionally ready and mature enough to attend kindergarten, but you hold him back anyway? Why in the world would you do this? By starting your kid in school when he is supposed to start you are giving him a gift of an additional year of adult life, rather than an additional year in romper room. This is why the schools have rules about when to start your kid. If there is a legitimate reason for him not to start that is one thing, but simply holding him back for no good reason robs your child of a year of adult life. Do your kid a huge favor and follow the rules and start your kid on time.
mommaof2
Thu, Aug 26, 2010 : 11:34 a.m.
Great article and thanks for writing it. It is a hard decision to make one that I face as well. Appreciate your feedback and thoughts