If you have a child that meets the age requirement to start Pre-K, should you automatically send him along with the rest of the kids? Ask these questions, does he have delayed speech compared to other children his age, is he socially and emotionally mature enough, and will he be one of the youngest in his class? Even though you observe a very bright child you still should think long and hard before enrolling him in kindergarten.
Generally speaking in Pre-K it is the youngest boys who seem to struggle the most to adapt to school routines and procedures. Their age causes them to lack adequate social skills and they often have short attention spans making it more difficult for them to learn and retain concepts as compared with children who are older. At this age, months tend to be vast time periods; therefore you should pay close attention to your child's development.
Your bright young little boy will make gains in maturity in the coming year, however it is possible that he will not overcome his speech problems or his immature emotional reactions by the time he is four. Another factor, especially with boys, is that they can become targets for the more aggressive boys in the class and cause a lot of frustration.
Many people are not aware that our school taxes pay for speech evaluations and therapy should he qualify; a three year old could be receiving speech therapy in his home school. You certainly want to take advantage of this opportunity.
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