what age did you start kinder?

[almondpigeon]

i'm thinking of letting my son start kinder next year.  he won't turn 5 until the end of november.  he would miss the cut off date if he were going in to public school, so i've been on the fence about when to start.  he's very bright and i think he would do okay....how old were your kids when you started kinder?  has anyone started a 4 year old?

[bluerooffarm]

 I'm starting my 4yo this fall.  He's ready for the knowledge work, but his motor skills are not fine enough for writing, so there will be a lot of tweeking of the curriculum.  I follow the kids.  If he is ready and wants to "do school" then go for it.  My 4yo wants to be like his brothers, so he is ready earlier than the others were.  Also he sits in on many of our lessons.

[Leissaintexas]

My youngest was 5. I assumed being bright and eager was all the criteria I needed. If I had known then what I know now, I probably would have waited a year or even more. He hated the sitting, the scheduling, the circle time, the crafts, etc LOL. I had never heard of unschooling,that would have been a better fit for him. He didn't read till 9, just because he wasn't ready.

[oredeb]

 Hi almond!!!

well we dont use grade levels, i think of grade levels and i think it means they have to stay in that mode/level of learning! hahahahaa so i decided not to have grade levels, i started the kids when they were ready!

during the 2 3 4 5 ages we did lots and lots of hands on stuff, art stuff

while doing that i could tell who was ready to start with phonics learning, so a couple of them started phonics stuff at around 5 and 51/2, one already could read at 3(from listening to me teach the older ones,) and a few more started at 7 and 8 so really   so i guess to answer your question all different ages!! or when the child was ready!  

if you think hes ready go for it! doenst matter his age!!!  dont wait!! make it fun, hands on, have a good time teaching him!

[katinahat]

When I was a child, I skipped kindergarten and started first grade at 5. I had been in preschool for two years and would have done well in kindergarten at 4.

[almondpigeon]

that's what i'm afraid of.  he usually sits with us when his older sister is doing school (1st grade).  some days, he's really eager to "do work", some days, he doesn't want to sit with us at all.  i used some flash cards the other day as a gauge and was really surprised that he knows as much as he does.  i guess i could always try it and if he's not ready, i can back off.

Quoting Leissaintexas:

My youngest was 5. I assumed being bright and eager was all the criteria I needed. If I had known then what I know now, I probably would have waited a year or even more. He hated the sitting, the scheduling, the circle time, the crafts, etc LOL. I had never heard of unschooling,that would have been a better fit for him. He didn't read till 9, just because he wasn't ready.

[debramommyof4]

 I did with my 7 year old.  We are also doing that with my niece this year and my son next year.

[babygrl92795]

I'm starting my daughter this Fall. She will be 4 in May. She is ready for the work. I have people telling me that I shouldn't rush her, but the beauty of homeschooling is that we can speed up/slow down as necessary. My daughter literally cries when her preschool lessons are over, but she FLIES through the curriculum. I can't imagine waiting almost 2 more years to start her on K work when she is ready now. She has the passion, and the desire to learn. What if I wait, and she loses that?  I'm going to do a K4 year, and a K5 year, so she will be starting first grade when she is 6. 

[BramblePatch]

I think it depends on the kiddo. My son was ready the month he turned 4. He was already reading and writing and loved worksheets. My daughter will start at 5....and at a slower (normal) pace.

[.Lovemythree.]

My daughter turned 5 in October and we have been taking it slow, but I have been working with her on basic kindergarten things. In the next few weeks we will be doing more and probably continue over the summer, and then start 1st grade a little later into the school year. 

[twyliatepeka]

Dd will be 6 in may & is has been doing a k/1st combo kind of thing. We aren't really focusing on the grade level just doing what she is ready for & interested in.