Top 5 Signs You Should Delay Starting Kindergarten for Your Child

Kindergarten is a crucial point of your child's learning as they will transition either from a homeschooling environment or a small preschool to a big school with a large classroom. However, sometimes postponing kindergarten may prove beneficial for your child. Before you enroll your child for kindergarten, consider these top five signs:

If your child is taking longer than average to learn basic math skills, such as counting from one to 10 or recognizing basic shapes, then it might be best to delay kindergarten and continue practicing these skills. If the child attends the new school and continues to have a difficult time, this may stress them out as the teacher may not be able to delay the other kids from moving to the next lesson.

If your child shuts down and becomes frustrated while learning something new, then you should look into why this is happening before starting kindergarten. If this takes place in the new classroom setting, it can disrupt learning from your child and the students in the class.

Social and emotional skills are essential for doing your best in kindergarten, and there are certain social skills that your child should be able to know how to accomplish before entering kindergarten. From an inability to interact with other children to being unable to handle separation from you without having a meltdown, there are several signs that can indicate that your child may not be ready to enter kindergarten. For instance, your child’s teacher may give your child specific tasks to complete during the day. To carry out these tasks effectively, your child should be able to pay attention to the teacher’s instruction for a task for at least five minutes.

If the child continues to get up or moving around a lot that could be a sign. In school teachers stress the importance of your child sitting still. If this occurs in the class, it will be disruptive to the other children in the class.

Your child should be able to use scissors and handle it properly, and that requires fine-tuning her gross and fine motor skills. Moreover, using pencils or markers to make basic shapes may be essential for doing well in class. During kindergarten, teachers will normally use these types of tools throughout the year.

Sending your child when they aren't ready could be harmful to the child's social and learning growth in the long run. By recognizing these signs, you can determine whether or not postponing kindergarten is right for your child's situation. To learn more about why our whole-child approach is the most effective way to help your child, contact us online or find a center near you.