So, what DO you do with a child who is academically ready for kindergarten, but not mature enough? I am strongly considering delaying kindergarten a year for my son. I have lots of questions and don't know where to start!
Is time alone enough to help him mature or is there something else we need to do?
Is another year of preschool the way to go or are there programs available in our area for kids in this situation that would be more appropriate? ( I don't want him to be bored next year, or when he finally gets to kindergarten.)
There is a strong family history of ADHD - is a professional evaluation warranted at this point? What type of professional?
Our pediatrician has been basically useless in this matter. How do I go about finding a pediatrician who is a better fit for us?
Thanks in advance!
The Palo Alto JCC T'enna preschool has a "Young 5s" program that is supposedly amazing. Parents seem to come from everywhere to get their kids to this classroom.
I have younger children at T'enna (3.5 and almost 2) and can vouch that the teaching staff is simply astounding.
Good luck! Don't worry, I think a lot of families hit this exact scenario.
A.
What about putting him in a preschool program where he would learn another language for a year? (Spanish? Mandarin?) The would challenge him academically!
Parent Helping Parents in San Jose (280 and Meridian) www.php.com would be able to help you find a professional to evaluate your son.
I just read the first chapter of the book "Outliers: The Story of Success" by
Malcolm Gladwell, and it reconfimed my decision to "red shirt" my daughter 12 years ago. For her it was the right decision -- she's done very well in school and more importantly, had time to develop her social skills and do other activites that are important to her like dance, music and scouting.
Good luck!
I had the same situation with my son. He was academically ready (knew all his letters, most of the letter sounds, basic addition/subtraction and pre-reading), but he couldn't sit still, liked to be the "class clown", etc. We put him in a pre-K program that wasn't super-academic, but did concentrate on "kindergarten" things like circle-time, listening to the teachers and other students, taking turns, following instructions, etc.
When he started kindergarten, I could see kids in his class that were where he was the previous year and it was difficult for them to sit still, follow instructions, etc.
We just had his first grade parent/teacher conference and while he is ahead of many students in his class in math skills and reading, he is socially equivalent to them. He does not get in trouble for impulse control things. Although, he still likes to be "class clown" it only takes one reminder for him to settle down.
And the academic stuff is easy to supplement, he just reads a lot at whatever level he is comfortable with and his teacher gives him extra math homework that he can do to challenge himself. I think it is much easier to make up for the academic difference than it is to make up for the deficiency of classroom social skills.
Just my experience - hope it helps...
As a parent, who decided to "red shirt" my son this year I can tell you that his performance this year at preschool is a lot better. He participates in circle time, memorizes songs and is given "homework" 3 times a week. It is usually just a handwriting worksheet or dot-to-dot.
As a teacher, I can say that if you are worried about ADHD or focusing issues this is a great time to concentrate on it. Taking him to story times at the library or reading books to him at home, having him work on "Homework" from a handwriting or activity book that you can buy virtually anywhere or any structured activity where maintaining focus is involved are great ways to help him. I think doing one of these activities daily will help him with maintaining focus. At first it will be short but then in will gradually lengthen. You may also need to sit with him at first and then he will gradually become more independent.
Teaching your child how to maintain focus is an invaluable tool for any student to have regardless if he is ADHD or not and will help him the most when he enters school.
Hope this helps,
Suzy and her men
