One Family's Decision: When Should Our Child Start School?

Abstract

When should our child start school? Parents often get mixed messages. We are warned about the dangers of pushing young children too far too soon, but we are also reminded of the necessity of challenging them to do their best.

There appears to be an increasing trend for parents to hold their children back for one year past the eligible age for kindergarten entry. Coupled with the movement by school districts to push back the birth date for children beginning school, the result is a growing number of children entering school much older than was true in the past.

This presents a problem for many parents of gifted children who are ready to begin school before the prescribed time. What follows is how one mother and father made the decision to go against the trend and enter their child early. It is a chronicle of their dealing with the system, their problems and successes, and their reflections one year later.