Any advice about starting Kindergarten early?

My daughter's birthday is 9/11 and in our school district the cutoff to begin school is 9/1. My daughter has been to preschool for 2 years, is very socially mature and is bright. She's not gifted by any means, but she is smart. I spoke to someone at our school district and they said the only way she would be allowed to start school in the fall would be for us to pay a $450 fee and then we have to have her examined by a psychologist who then deems her ready or not ready for school. I really am leaning towards getting her tested and trying to get her into school but I don't want to push her either. I just think its so silly since she misses the deadline by 10 days, that certainly doesn't make her any less ready for school than someone who turns 5 on 9/1 right? If I wait another year then she will be old for kindergarten and I worry she may get a little bored because she'll have gone to preschool for 3 years and really loves learning new things so kindergarten could be a bit mundane if we wait a year. I'm just looking for any advice or personal stories! Thanks so much!Any advice about starting Kindergarten early?
You know your child best and if you feel she will be bored of another year of nursery school then go ahead and see if she is ready for kindergarten. At least then, you will have done the test and will know for sure otherwise if she is bored come next year, you will probably regret not even trying to see if she could go to kindergarten. Also, speak to her teachers as they will also have an idea of what she is capable of and if she is ready.





In Scotland, where I'm from, generations of kids have started primary school at four-and-a-half years old and we all coped. Many of us probably would have grown bored if we had to wait an extra year.Any advice about starting Kindergarten early?
Talk to her teachers at preschool. do they do advance studies for the pre-k's? they can do assessments and give you a good idea if they think she will be ready for school. I would try to get her in early since she is soo close to the cut off date.
Try looking into a private kindergarten. I don't know why your district can charge that kind of money for a free education but that sounds strange. Private K sounds like the way to go or even a pre-K. Good luck.
just do it, by the end, when she gets to high school, she'll be thanking you. Lots of my friends are younger and have adapted perfectly.
If you feel she is really ready I would go ahead and pay the fee.
One fact I can give you is that developmentally, girls mature faster than boys. That might sound strange, but still important for you to know. If you had a son and whose birthday was in September, I would recommend for you to keep him in preschool. Trust me, I am not trying to sexist, but I have seen plenty of boys who were pushed into kindergarten and didn't make it through successfully.





After all, you know your daughter better than anyone and you would know what she is capable of coping with. Kindergarten is a unique turning point in a child's life and psychologically, children need to be mature enough to cope. The only questions I would leave you with would be 1) Have you asked the preschool teacher what he/she thought of the idea? 2) Does she know all of that core knowledge that children going to preschool need to know? (ABCs, numbers, colors, shapes, etc)
I have taught preschool for over 16 years. I strongly recommend following the guidelines. I think it is better to give children that extra time to grow and mature. Even if she is mature already, it may not always be that way. especially if you put her in a class with kids who just missed the cut off last year! If she is in a quality preschool setting, her teachers will see that she wont be bored. Wouldn't it be better for her to be a bit older and smarter and have school come that much easier for her. The next 12 years could be a breeze if she has that extra year! Trust me, I was a sept. birthday but when I was young, the cut off was oct. 1 and I was a young one. School was a but harder for me. A year makes a huge difference. Good luck!