Older kindergarten.

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

This is an intriguing article about the timing of when children enter Kindergarten. I don't have to worry about this for you kids fortunately. Because of your birthdays (early April and October) you will not fit into the group that even has this option. Daniel will always be one of the younger kids, by virtue of his birthday. While James and Emily will be the older kids.

As someone with an early October birthday I was always older than my class mates, and I think that helped me. When I changed schools in elementary school my parents were given the option of putting me in with the older kids, but they chose against doing so, and I have to say in retrospect that was a good decision.

I have a nephew who did jump a grade and as far as I know never really experienced any major trauma as a result so I don't think that's a bad things. I think it really comes down to challenge and interest. As long as the child is interested and and challenged by the subject matter then they are at a good level. Right now James is at that point. It will be very interesting this year as he moves into a different class room. He has become used to being the leader and ahead of the class so to be back at the lower end of the group will certainly challenge him. I think this year will give us a much better idea as far as how he will handle school.

If there is any concern it is for Daniel, because he is the small one, and socially pretty timid, so I hope he handles this year in preschool well. Intellectually I don't think it will be a problem. The problem will be socially, how does he handle the other kids? He has such a hard time with Brandon, who is only 2 weeks his senior but is bigger and far more precocious, I worry about he will handle other kids.

Of course we have no idea what Emily's personality will be like at this point. So I am glad that the idea of holding any of you kids back has not even been an option. Because I am not sure how we would handle it when the time comes. I do think that it is something that has to be handled on a case by case basis. And that is one of the reasons I am glad the boys will be in a Montessori class room, because there will not be as much distinction due to age and grouping. They will be given to the chance to learn and excel more at their own pace. And that, as much as anything, is why I am a supporter of the open class room setting, like I had in K-2, then Middle and High School. Because it is so hard to tell how a child learns (or doesn't learn). And rigid grouping by age group and grade can make it very easy for some kids to get left behind, even as they nominally advance in grade. Or get stuck in an atmosphere where they are not challenged intellectually.