Stephen completed his first year of full-time school in mid-July. It was a pretty good year overall, full of learning and developmental achievements like reading, writing, and zipping up his own jacket. Back when he started the school year, I didn’t even know if he’d make it through lunch at school in the cafeteria confronted with strange food choices. Now he tells me he tries new things every day! Cucumbers! Lettuce! Carrots! Baked beans! School has been good for him.

IMG 5977There have been, of course, a few bumps along the road. Being one of the youngest in class and a singleton as well, it’s been a challenge for him to learn some of the social graces like waiting his turn. But I’d take this anyday over academic challenges. (So I’m showing my true colors….)

In any case, I just read this piece by Elizabeth Weil about the practice of “redshirting” children so they start school a year later than the actual cut-off. One study showed that more redshirted children take the SAT and attend four-year college and university. Is that a reflection of the child’s abilities or the type of parent who would intentionally hold a child back to give him/her an advantage?

For just a brief moment, I considered holding Stephen back but my competitive nature pushed him forward. Besides, I was always among the younger children in class and didn’t suffer for it. In fact, I’d always wished I could have skipped a grade and shown how brilliant I really was. Like my friend SinP. ;)

Fred Morrison, developmental psychologist:

You couldn’t find a kid who skips a grade these days. We used to revere individual accomplishment. Now we revere self-esteem, and the reverence has snowballed in unconscious ways – into parents always wanting their children to feel good, wanting everything to be pleasant.

Heck if Stephen’s going to be lulled into complacency. He’s learning that he doesn’t always win the drawing competition (even though I think he should! ha) or even get to be first in line.

When the end-of-school assessments rolled around, I began to hear stories of other children’s challenges. One child Stephen’s age in another school was apparently sent to an “occupational therapist” because he had a difficult time paying attention in class and concentrating. lock lacesThe OT assessed him on a number of skills like tying his shoelaces of all things. Who has shoelaces anymore? Even Marv uses a shoehorn to put his laced shoes on instead of tying and untying them every day. And look at these cool lock laces.

That made me curious about what skills schools think make a child ready for school. In the article, children have to complete these tasks in a 20-minute test:

  • Skip
  • Jump
  • Walk backward
  • Cut out a diamond on a dotted line
  • Copy the word cat
  • Draw a person
  • Listen to a story
  • Answer simple vocabulary questions like what melts, what explodes and what flies

Here are some other skills from a FamilyEducation.com kindergarten readiness checklist:

  • Recognize rhyming sounds
  • Show understanding of general times of day
  • Manage bathroom needs
  • Button shirts, pants, coats, and zip up zippers
  • Begin to control oneself

I don’t believe a child’s ability can be assessed in 20 minutes especially with a teacher who s/he has never met before. Another issue is situational behavior. Stephen may act out at school because there are 25 other children acting out. On the other hand, he learns some life skills from the other children as well. At home, he’d rather have me help him put on his shoes and socks and at school, he knows he’s got to do it on his own and he does it.

Figuring out whether a child is ready for school or not is hit or miss. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like had Stephen been the oldest rather than youngest, but I believe that more important than his age is the support he gets at school and at home. And fortunately, he gets plenty from both places.

HT: Rice Daddies