Should kindergarten be compulsory?

Will the bill require full day kindergarten?

More government telling people what’s best for them. No it shouldn’t be compulsory.

A child is often not ready for Kindergarten at age 5 and shouldn’t be forced. The child should not enter first grade the following year though by the same logic. They should enter Kindergarten at age 6. Kindergarten is important for acclimation to the school environment and as a foundation.

When our daughter had been potty trained, our doctor suggested a prep school – sort of a combination creche and early childhood education facility. If I recall, they taught her how to recite her name, address and telephone number, and simple writing and spelling skills. She enjoyed it very much. Why make it compulsory? if the authorities will pay for it and make it attractive, it need not be compulsory.

I think kindergarten should be compulsory, but I think any age requirements should take the child’s birthday in to consideration.

Nowadays children learn in pre-school what I learned in kindergarten, and kindergarten curriculum is what first grade curriculum used to be. Without kindergarten, first grade would be incredibly challenging for almost any student. That would be setting the student up for failure and taking the risk of charting a course of frustration, lowered expectations, and increased risk of dropping out.

Very little should be mandated by government, but that’s a lengthy different discussion entirely. A child’s readiness should be considered in the matter of when they should start school. This is why not all kids start pre-school at the same time, and many don’t go at all. Same thing goes for kindergarten.

The problem is that there’s such a stigma attached to starting kindergarten at 6. No parents want their kid to be “behind” and so they assume that’s what will happen if they start them later. I mean, I started kindergarten a week after I turned 5 (which has always made me one of the youngest people in my grade). It worked for me, but it might not work for everyone. I just assumed kindergarten was compulsory; I had no idea that it wasn’t.

I guess I don’t really see the point in making it compulsory if most people go to kindergarten anyway. I think there would have to be a noticeable problem before making it compulsory.

@DominicX
What about a child who would just turn 5 in September like myself at the end of the month. I entered 7th grade at 11 and turned 12 that month. It would have been better had I waited a year in Kindegarten. It gets even more awkward when kids are in adolescence.

@SeventhSense

Yeah, but I don’t think there should necessarily be any rule about it. I think the December 1st cut-off date is fine (that’s how it is in California; I’m not sure about other states). I know a kid who’s birthday is November 21st and he was always the youngest person, but he was taller than everyone and it really didn’t affect him negatively from what he told me.

I on the other hand was always like the smallest kid ever. Additionally, I had the fun of being a late bloomer who sounded like a girl and didn’t change much at all until the summer before junior year of high school. But still, I think it was fine when I started kindergarten and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. It just totally depends on the kid. The August/September birthdays are the hardest ones to decide when to start the kid, but it just depends. My mom said it was obvious I was ready and that’s why I started at the age I did. Since it worked, I can’t say she was wrong. :\

@SeventhSense It’s called “red-shirting” when you hold a child back from Kindergarten when they have a late birthday.
I have a July birthday, and started Kindergarten at 5, so I was always one age the entire school year, unlike most friends.
I don’t know. I thought it was mandatory…that preschool wasn’t. I didn’t know you had a choice in the matter, and always thought Kindergarten was a good introductory to school since they usually go half time.

@casheroo
It’s not just mental capacity. I was speaking at 11 months and reading well by 4 but childhood shouldn’t be rushed. As a teacher I saw it from the other side as well. That’s just my opinion.

The age cutoff dates drive me crazy. My daughter misses the cutoff by 3 days, but she will be ready by next fall. She will be 5yrs. 11mos. by the time she gets to start. Many of her friends will be a year ahead of her just because they were born in September. She is at least on par with them, if not ahead of them in some areas.

No arbitrary date works. A child born Sept. 30 @11:59pm is ready but one born at 12:01am on Oct. 1 is not? That is absurd.

I know, off topic, but I had to get that off my chest.

Regarding the question… yes, I do think at least half-days should be required. Some children do not go to preschool and I think they need a transition from being home all of the time to being in 1st grade all day. Even preschool kids benefit from Kindergarten as a gentle transition from pre-K to 1st grade.

<—-September 29

I guess some clarification of the question would be important. Is the state of Missouri making the act of going to kindergarten compulsory or is it beginning at the age of five they are requiring. I think the age restrictions cut both ways. I started kindergarten at four and turned five at the end of September. My oldest son on the other hand turned five in November. He began school in California and because of their December 1st cut off I had to decide whether he should be one of the youngest kids in his class or one of the oldest. In the end I held him back. When we moved to the midwest that turned out to be a good thing because their cut off is October 1st.

@SuperMouse
It sounds like they want to make attendance compulsory for children who are five when enrollment time comes around. I haven’t seen anything that would indicate that they don’t want ‘em younger.