School administrators expect children to demonstrate specific behaviors when they reach kindergarten. This includes motor skills like coloring or using scissors, as well as recognizing the alphabet, using the toilet and interacting with classmates. Other critical proficiencies are managing emotions, paying attention and finishing tasks. School systems rely on teachers' observations and formal assessment tests to measure children's kindergarten readiness. Educational specialists believe that repeating kindergarten allows little ones to catch up when they lag behind their peers.
Promoting a kindergartner when he's not ready spells disaster because he might not ever fully catch up to his peers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Children who struggle in kindergarten often continue to fall behind their classmates in later grades and engage in high-risk behaviors like quitting school or committing crimes. Immediate intervention --- such as holding a kindergartner back one year --- is one way to close the performance gap before a child advances into higher grades.
Parents often agonize when their children don't turn 5 until after the start of the new school year. States establish cutoff points on kindergarten age requirements so a child can start school in the fall so long as his fifth birthday arrives not long after the opening day. Some youngsters keep pace with peers who are a few months older. Other students lack the maturity to intermingle with slightly older kids. These younger children could benefit from repeating kindergarten, according to Focus on The Family website.
At the same time, kids who repeat kindergarten face social stigmas because of the age difference, according to the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development. A 6-year-old feels awkward sitting in a kindergarten classroom that is physically designed for 5-year-olds. However, that same 6-year-old who seems immature among his same-age peers may be more advanced than a group of 5-year-olds. A better solution is to ensure children are ready for kindergarten so they don't get caught in a midway point at the end of the school year.