Kindergarden Early Admission

Updated on April 06, 2013
K.D. asks from Happy Valley, OR
25 answers

My daughter is turning 5 on september 3 and i know shes ready for kindergarden. Is there anything i can do or any school that can test her or something.

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answers from Washington DC on

Question: Do you really want her to be the youngest in the class when she is in middle and high school?

1 mom found this helpful


answers from Iowa City on

Article you might find helpful. Google 'when to send a child to kindergarten' by Amy Wang. She indicates that the cutoff for Oregon is September 1st and that only 19 out of 4073 children who applied to enter kindergarten early were allowed to do so.



answers from Detroit on

Are you worried about socialization? I couldn't afford preschool for my daughter this year, but I do let her use and it makes her feel special. When the older kids go to school she can practice school on the computer. She will start
Kindergarten in the fall, though.

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answers from Seattle on

Most school district have the info online. In our last school district and the one we currently live in the cut-off is August 31 (must be 5 on that date) and kids born between September 1 and October 31 can apply for early admission if they undergo a school readiness exam. Parent have to pay for this exam, the school district gives a list of accepted psychologists that can do it. It is expensive. Our school district explicitly states that they strongly discourage early entry.

We considered it for a hot minute for DD who has an October birthday. she had a year of pre-k under her belt, her entire class went on to K and she was probably socially and academically "ready" - by which I mean she would have probably passed the test. And lets be honest, had we decided to go through with it, we could have saved a pretty penny for pre-k/FT childcare.
I had three points that made me decide against it:
- there have recently been several studies that show that the oldest kids in a class on average do better than the youngest AND they are less likely to fall prey to the rampant ADHD (and other behavioral issues) overdiagnoses.
- in our school district students are MUCH more likely to be red-shirted (enter late) than entering early. This would have meant that she would have been very much younger than the oldest kids in her class, putting her at an even greater disadvantage.
- my niece entered K early two years ago, she hit it off great for the first 6 months or so, then she started to struggle. As the academics increased her immaturity showed, she got really turned off from school and the increased homework, increasing amount of reading and so on. She's in 1st grade now and doing just ok with lots and lots of staying on top of her by my mom (who takes care of them in the afternoons).

My DD enters K this year and for the last 9 months her maturity has skyrocketed. I have no doubt whatsoever that we made the right decision in not trying to get her in early. AND in her current pre-K class she is one of the older kids, but by far not the oldest and consistently receives praise from her teachers for her social skills.

I would evaluate very carefully if this is the right thing for your child. Don't just look at where she is at (maturity and academics) but also at the curriculum (many K programs nowadays have curricula that would have been 1st grade a few years back) and the average age of entry to K at your school (is red-shirting common).

In the end I came to realize that childhood is not a race to the finish line and there are no trophies for graduating at 17. In my eyes I gave my child the gift of one additional year of worry-free and low-pressure play.

Good luck!

5 moms found this helpful


answers from Washington DC on

Is there some reason, not mentioned in the post, why you are eager to get her into K early -- other than "she's ready"?

She may be social and like being with other kids, but that does not mean she's ready for K, which she (and you) will probably find to be MUCH less easygoing than any preschool, if she's in preschool. Many K classes expect kids to adjust quickly to a lot of firm routines, and kids must be able to move from activity to activity without balking, fussing or lingering at that fun thing they were just doing. K will require her to do what an adult who is not mommy tells her to do, when she's told to do it. Unless she's in a preschool that is strong on routines, why not give her another year if she already does not meet the cutoff date?

If she's smart and you fear she's going to get bored if she doesn't go to K: She is still very young. There are many fun ways for you to challenge and interest her for the next year -- and she will be so much more prepared for K, and will be one of the oldest in her class (which can be a big advantage, as others have noted so I won't go into that here).

Testing at her age frankly does not mean much at all. That is why many school systems do not even begin any "gifted" program until about second or third grade at the oldest (ours starts in third grade). Please be aware that at her age and at K level, what is most vital is the ability to cope in the school setting and with school routines -- and that can have nothing to do with a child's academic ability or a child's test scores.

4 moms found this helpful


answers from Chicago on

My kids have always been the oldest in their class. One misses our cut-off by 2 weeks and the other 6 weeks. Eventhough my kids were ready early, and could have been successful as the youngest in the class, I always thought being a little older, a bit more mature and having an extra year at home with me practicing some skills was a better deal than rushing them in.

You will be amazed at how quickly they mature during that Kindergarten year. I was so surprised by the influences and how my daughters personality shifted almost immediately from my innocent little girl into a kid susceptible to other kids' influences and behaviors (and she spent 2 yrs in preK). She will make friends with other girls who have older sisters and yikes!

That being said, I struggle with being a helicopter mom, but never regretted for a second not rushing either in.

I'm sure if you call the elementary school she will be attending, the secretaries will know exactly how to answer your question and who to speak to to get the ball rolling.

3 moms found this helpful


answers from Kansas City on

you need to call the school.

fwiw i have never understood the rush to go to kindergarten. why? why not give her the same chances as everyone else, or better ones? seems to me like the parent that starts their child early is just deliberately putting their child into a situation that they may not be ready for. you may think she is ready but it is completely different for the kids than preschool. why jump the gun? just for bragging rights?? i've never heard a truly valid reason.

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answers from Washington DC on

You need to call your local school board to find out the answers. Requirements are different state to state, and county to county.

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answers from Rochester on

I will politely disagree with Dana and say that the majority of valid studies do show that the older children in a class tend to do better. And who really needs a study to validate this...a year old, a year wiser, a year more mature, and a year full of knowledge you didn't have the past year.

I'm not sure when your cut-off date is, but if she's past it, I really wouldn't stress about it. You can use this year to really prep her well for K, and encourage enrichment some birdwatching, learn the names of flowers, simple crafts, start music lessons, etc.

1 mom found this helpful


answers from Washington DC on

I would go with the guidelines for age set by your state. The younger kids usually have a harder time keeping up socially. There's no reason to rush all flys by so fast. Unless your child is truly gifted, I wouldn't forge ahead of her time.

1 mom found this helpful


answers from Pittsburgh on

You should be able to look at your state's policies on line. The most recent research shows that kids do NOT benefit by being the oldest. The rest of the class benefits from having an older kid in the class. But the younger kids do no worse than the oldest - both socially and academically all the way through high school dating age.

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answers from San Francisco on

You send her according to the cut off date for her district. Advanced, slow, it doesn't matter, because kids come into K at many different levels. If she is considered "gifted" she will be put on a more rigorous, advanced track. But she still needs to be mature enough, emotionally, physically and socially, academics is only part of it. And you need to think about middle and high school, do you really want her to be the youngest one when her peers start driving, dating and everything else?

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answers from Washington DC on

You need to see what your district's requirements are. Locally, we must have our child evaluated and they will only test kids who are within 6 weeks of the cutoff date. Then it depends on the kid's abilities, maturity and space. Your school district can tell you if she qualifies, or not. Some districts draw a hard line on the cutoff date and that's that.

1 mom found this helpful


answers from Norfolk on

In our district you have to be 5 on or before Sep 30th in order to start kindergarten (so your daughter would be fine to start in the fall).
My son's birthday is end of Oct, so he was 5 for only 2 months before turning 6 in kindergarten.
Unless there are earlier Oct birthdays, he's always the oldest and tallest in his class.
It's worked out very well for him.

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answers from Sacramento on

My daughter started K this yr and she turned 5 on Oct 1 (cutoff was Nov 1 in CA. It will be Oct 1 next yr) She is doing great. Her writing still needs a little practice but she is reading at an end of 1st grade level already and does well in math too. My only worry is socially, being the youngest in her class, but I think she would have ended up bored academically down the line if she had waited longer. It all depends on the kid. You can also ask the district if they have a list of suggested things the child should be able to do before entering K (like write their name, be fully potty-trained, follow two-step directions like pick a book, then find a seat at the table, etc.) so you could assess how your child would do. They may also have a list of the things the kids should know by the end of K so that you can see if you think that will be too much.



answers from Boca Raton on

my kids turned 5 in july and were enrolled in kindergarten that same year. i think it's fine unless you think she won't be able to do all day kindergarten. if that's the same she may be too young so let her stay home another year. i don't think any testing can show you if she is ready. a lot of kids are ready socially but aren't mentally prepared for 'schoolwork' and being able to sit still or pay attention and follow directions. i say older the child the better. i don't regret sending my kids to kindergarten at age 5 but it would have not been wrong if i had waited as well (a bit on the immature side they still are).



answers from Missoula on

We sent our son early last fall. Our cutoff date is September 10. Our kiddo has an early November birthday, but was so ready for kindergarten. We had to have him tested and provide the results and letters of recommendation to the principal and school board for approval. Apparently they don't usually approve early admission in our district, but they did for us.

Our son has done really well in K this year, and even spends time a few days each week in the first grade for reading. Like I said, he was ready.

Call your school to find out what your options are.



answers from Honolulu on

Public school: they have cut off dates, for the entry age of the child.
Per this entry age, a child can enter Kindergarten.
There is not "test" to see if they can go or not. But there is an assessment, on basic stuff, that they give to the kids. It is SO that, the Teacher, knows where the child is, skills wise.
Not IF the child is ready or not.
That way, the Teacher knows, ahead of time, where each child stands. Skills wise.

Per our public schools in my city: Kindergarten is for 5 years old. 1st Grade is for 6 years old.
Both my kids, entered Kindergarten at 4 and then turned 5. They are born late. And they were fine. They, like all the other entering Kindergarten children, had an assessment. It is not a "test." It is simply for the Teachers to see, where the child stands, per basics. And they tell the parents, it is NOT something to "study" for. They like to see the kids, just as they are.

THE school, that your child will be going to... has their routines for entering Kindergarteners. Simply, call the school office and ask them what that is. If you "test" your child at another school that your child is not going to attend, what is the point? The "test" is for THOSE kids that are going to that, particular school. Each school, has their routines, per entering Kindergarten children. So you need to directly ask the specific school, that YOUR child will be attending.

Now, in my city per public school... IF a child is turning 6 or is already 6 upon entering elementary school at the cut off dates, they will place that child in 1st grade. UNLESS the parent says, that they want their child in Kindergarten. But that is the parent's responsibility, to inform, the school of that.
In my State per public school, Kindergarten is 5 years old. Or 5 then turning 6.
Again, both my kids turned 5, after entering Kindergarten.
They being late born.
OR at my kids' school, they also have a Jr.Kindergarten class. Which is basically for kids that are born in December. Or for any child that is lacking in maturity but does make the age.



answers from Dallas on

Your school district sets the cutoff dates. In general, if her birthday is after that date, there is nothing you can do.ours was Sept 2nd and my first's birthday was the 9th. He was more than ready when he finally went.


answers from Dover on

What is the cut off date for your school district or state? Ours is Aug 30th but for kids within a week or two, you just have to call the district and have them do an evaluation. If they are ready and have a close birthday they will typically let them in; however, often times they don't want them to be "ready" they want them to be beyond ready (like testing at almost a 1st grade level) before they let them start "early".

The cut-off used to be Dec 31st (when I was in school and up until the year after I graduated. Then they changed the date and implemented it one month at a time until they hit Aug 30th. To me, turning 5 in Sept or October isn't really early at all but it is to them.



answers from New London on

I am guessing that many of her classmates will have turned 5 in January. So, they can be up to 8 months older than her. Your daughter has a "ber" birthday. In CT, the Sept, Oct, Nov and December babies are the youngest ones. When is the cut-off date? Kindergarten is very academic now. I would ask to sit in on a K class this month. Many people are shocked to find out how K has changed over the last 10yrs.
Yes, some kids are ready academically and not socially and emotionally.



answers from Columbus on

Look up the school district's policy on early admission. Most districts post their policies online. My district allows early admission if they turn 5 by the end of the calendar year of the school year they want to start K. They will test your child at their expense to determine if they are ready academically to start K early. The building principal may also ask you to fill out a short questionaire to help determine if your child is ready.



answers from Las Vegas on

My son went when he was about 4 1/2 (a little over) as he didn't turn five until November. He did well.. I might also add that although a child may be ready academically, I tend to think that at that age , it's more about social interacting.

There were no tests administered to my son prior to Kinder and in terms of what WE did to prepare him, we had him in a Tiny Tots Program in the park and then preschool. Additionally, we've always read to him and encouraged his reading as well. All in all, we felt he was prepared for school. IF once he got there and it didn't appear to be the case, I would have pulled him out until he was older.

good luck :)



answers from St. Louis on

most school districts have a preK testing prior to the opening of the school year. Our district holds an early one in May, & then again in July/Aug....before the kids start mid-Aug.



answers from Chicago on

My son has a late aug birthday and we had his preschool assess him for readiness for kinder. They felt he was ready so we started him when he was 4 and he turned 5 a week after school started. Well, I knew it was iffy that he was old enough but we decided to start him. Turned out he could not keep up and we had him restart the next year. Now he is one of the older kids and he is fine.

As long as you understand that they are reading,writing and doing math by the end of the year. My son was so not into it when he was one of the younger ones.

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