Kindergarten for two years?

Dear Drs. Beasley,

My husband and I are having a disagreement. Steve wants our six year old son to spend another year in Kindergarten and delay starting first grade for a year. He says this will give our son an advantage when he is eligible for middle school and high school sports. I disagree and believe our son is ready to begin first grade now. What are the pros and cons from your point of view?

        Daniela


Dr. Lori: School readiness is the important question here. If your son is developmentally ready to enter first grade, it is best, in most cases, to begin him in first grade now. Certain developmental milestones such as the ability to recognize letters of the alphabet, count to 20 or higher, write his name, and read, or pretend to read, should be present in a successful first grader. Developmental milestones are not determined by a birth date or school cut off date, but through growth and experience of the child.

Dr. Stewart: Girls, generally speaking, develop more rapidly than boys and, therefore, are more likely to be school ready when their chronological age permits. If you have doubts about your son’s school readiness, there are a variety of assessments that can be administered to determine whether or not he is ready to begin school. Public schools often administer one of these assessments at various times during the school year to assist parents in making this crucial decision. Call your local school superintendent’s office to determine where and when these assessments are being administered. There are also professional psychometrists and school psychologists in private practice that can assess your child’s school readiness. The school district office may provide you with this information upon request.

Dr. Lori: Retention, or an extra year, was popular in the late 1980s. Since then, the educational community has had time to track and research children who were retained in preschool and Kindergarten. Research continues to find that there are no academic benefits for the extra year of school—however, research has uncovered negative impacts on social-emotional outcomes in the children who have been retained for reasons not related to academics.

Dr. Stewart: I’d like to address the issue of your husband’s belief that a one year delay will give your son an advantage down the road in high school sports. High school athletics have become quite competitive today and parents and coaches, in my opinion, have lost sight of the true value and lesson of middle school and high school athletics. Participation in secondary school athletics should be recreational, not a business. I hope your husband will re-examine his priorities and see athletics as being only a part of a total liberal arts education that prepares your son for living and surviving in the adult world.

Dr. Lori: And if your son begins school and you later discover that he is indeed struggling academically, there are certainly points during his education in which you may reassess repeating a year, ask for additional testing, examine school options, or consider tutoring. In those events, we hope the decision to promote or not is based on information and observations from you, his teachers, counselor, principal, and school psychologist.

Dr. Stewart: We empathize with your struggle in making this difficult decision, however, we are confident in your ability to reach a mutual decision based on what is best for your child’s future. Take your time.

Lori Beasley, EdD is Asst. Vice President of Academic Affairs and Professor of Family Life Education at the University of Central Oklahoma. Stewart R. Beasley, PhD is a licensed psychologist who practices in Edmond and Oklahoma City  and is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.  Do you have a question about early childhood issues for the Beasleys? Email
SRB@DRStewartBeasley.com.