Not a Guaranteed Solution
On the other hand, holding a child back doesn’t solve the problem but perhaps prolongs it for another year. Most educators believe it doesn’t do much good to hold children back beyond the first grade. Social factors and stigmas far outweigh any academic benefits. There’s not enough academic growth to justify the turmoil. Does your school have an enriched program? If you don’t know, find out. What are the teachers willing to do to help? Could he attend kindergarten this fall, get further assessment and be double promoted (another set of issues)? Social maturity could become a factor. Does your school have an advanced/enriched classroom for students who “test in?”
Go Ahead, Enroll Him
Overall, I believe there are more reasons to send your child than hold him back. Regardless of what you decide, don’t look back. Move forward. Do everything you can to make your decision the right one. Keep close contact with the teacher(s), and at the first sign of slacking off, move forward with gusto and demand the teacher address the issue. Talk to as many people as you can about your situation. Surely other parents in your area have faced a similar dilemma. Talk to teachers outside your school district on all grade levels and get their opinions. Get a lot of suggestions/advice but then make your own decision. See what private schools have to offer. I’ve always been a public school person. But I know they get students who, as a group, are more academically motivated, parents, too. This could be an option to explore, just so you know.
No Consulting With Child
Make your decision on the best information you can find. Do not ask your child what he wants to do. He is not equipped at this age to make decisions of this nature. Keep emotions out of the picture. You decide, make it happen and then make it work.” On The Old Educator’s website, you’ll find the, Kindergarten Readiness Checklist. Check the skills your child has mastered. Then recheck every month to see what additional skills your child can accomplish easily. Young children change so fast — if they can’t do something this week, they may be able to do it a few weeks later.
· Listen to stories without interrupting.
· Recognize rhyming sounds.
· Pay attention for short periods of time to adult-directed tasks.
· Understand actions have both causes and effects.
· Show understanding of general times of day.
· Cut with scissors.
· Trace basic shapes.
· Begin to share with others.
· Start to follow rules.
· Be able to recognize authority.
· Manage bathroom needs.
· Button shirts, pants, coats, and zip up zippers.
· Begin to control himself.
· Separate from parents without being upset.
· Speak understandably.
· Talk in complete sentences of five to six words.
· Look at pictures and then tell stories.
· Identify rhyming words.
· Identify the beginning sound of some words.
· Identify some alphabet letters.
· Recognize some common sight words like "stop."
· Sort similar objects by color, size, and shape.
· Recognize groups of one, two, three, four and five objects.
· Count to ten.
· Bounce a ball.
Postscript
If your child has acquired most of the skills on this checklist and will be at least five years old at the start of the summer before he or she starts kindergarten, he or she is probably ready for kindergarten. What teachers want to see on the first day of school are children who are healthy, mature, capable, and eager to learn. Read more of Mr. Honeycutt’s accumulated wisdom in the Back to School category at www.oldeducator.com.
