Better Late Than Early

My firstborn is a June baby who was reading at 3 and multiplying at 5. Some parents agonize over whether to have their summer-born child begin kindergarten at 5 or delay a year, but the choice seemed rather obvious to my husband and me. At fresh-turned-5, my firstborn began kindergarten. Academically, he thrived. But I began to regret our decision a few years later when he was on the cusp of fourth grade. Always a good student, I realized there was much more that should have been factored into the decision beyond academic readiness, such as emotional maturity, social skills and the ability to focus for set amounts of time. For some kids, sooner might be better. But for my son, I could say without reservation that I would have waited an extra year if I knew then what I know now.

One reason many parents don’t even consider delaying kindergarten for their child is because of the stigma attached. Starting early seems to imply that a child is ahead; in contrast, delaying kindergarten for a year appears to imply that a child might be behind. But behind what exactly?

In generations past, kindergarten was the introduction into formal learning and it began on the pretense that students didn’t know their alphabet, yet alone how to read. As early education has morphed through the years, kindergarten has become the new first grade (or beyond). Whereas students once dressed up and acted out fairy tales, kindergartners now are expected to be able to read them and take a comprehension test.

Expectations of kindergarten curriculum have changed greatly over the years, but children haven’t. As parents, we note that our children are every bit as smart, whether they begin walking at 10 months or 13. We don’t rush motor development when things play out within the healthy range of normal. Brain development also needs to be treated with the same respect. Just as no two children learn to ride a bike at the same time, we need to allow grace for children to blossom in their own time as they tackle the task of learning to read. Expecting children to become emergent readers or count to 100 at 5, for many, is just not developmentally appropriate. In her Wall Street Journal article, “Is Kindergarten the New First Grade? It’s Actually Worse,” educational writer Valerie Strauss says this:

As for kindergarten, it could be argued that in some ways, it is the new third grade. How? It used to be that kids were given time to academically grow at their own speed without being declared failures by first and certainly second grade if they couldn’t read. Kids intellectually develop at different rates, and one of the most damaging aspects of the “earlier is not only better but necessary” philosophy is that this natural process is no longer respected.

Meanwhile, research studies, such as the National Bureau of Economic Research’s The Gift of Time? Starting School Age and Mental Health, tout that delaying kindergarten not only provides academic benefits that persist up until the age of 11, but in many ways it even provides mental health benefits. The study, spearheaded by Stanford Department of Education professor Thomas Dee, compared Danish census data to information gathered from a mental health screening survey taken by tens of thousands of Danish children. The results concluded that the better the child’s self-regulation and attention, the higher the assessment scores were. Dee expounded on this in his Stanford release, saying:

“We found that delaying kindergarten for one year reduced inattention and hyperactivity by 73 percent for an average child at age 11 and it virtually eliminated the probability that an average child at that age would have an ‘abnormal,’ or higher-than-normal rating for the inattentive-hyperactive behavioral measure.”

Delaying kindergarten might help children get the jumpstart they need. After all, an extra year of creative play and growing in divergent thinking can be just the ticket for well-rounded kindergarten readiness. But one of the greatest benefits for delaying kindergarten may have less to do with early education and more to do with long-term outcomes. Consider this:

• A delayed kindergartner is a child who will have an extra year before having to navigate the crazy world of social media as a middle schooler, something none of us parents even had to think about when we were in sixth grade.
• A delayed kindergartner will be a high schooler with an extra year to grow and mature before tackling the big questions in life.
• A delayed kindergartner will be a 19-year-old freshman in college that has had a bit more time to process a future career path than a rushed 18-year-old.

My youngest child, like my firstborn, has a summer birthday. He's now 6, and I have a whole new approach toward his school experience. Namely, I have come to learn that childhood is a gift, and there’s no prize offered to the one who completes it the soonest. You could say we held him back (or as many now say, we “red-shirted” him). But I like to think that by delaying kindergarten until now, we actually gave him a running start.

When your summer birthday child will begin kindergarten is a weighty decision and one only you can make. Just as no two children are alike, there is not a one-size-fits-all way to determine when your child should begin formal education. If you need an outside voice, consider consulting with your child’s pediatrician or preschool teacher. And most important of all, rely on that parental gut instinct. It’s there for a reason!

Lauren Greenlee is an Olathe mom of three, a violin teacher of six, a tutor to eight and a wife to one. A serial researcher and bibliophile, she can be found studying pedagogical techniques and educational methodology in her free time.