School closures/delays?

I just wanted to touch on speech therapy and the idea of delaying school entry. My kid has been seeing a speech therapist for three years now. He hasn't quite hit those developmental milestones yet, and I worry some minor issues might stick around. I know things like essays, creative writing, and reading assignments are going to be a total grind, but honestly, requesting a delay never even crossed my mind—he’ll be starting kindergarten before he even turns seven. His attention span is pretty hit-or-miss too; he can rarely focus for more than 20 or 30 minutes unless we're talking about Legos. 🤣

Mine couldn't actually read when she started school; she could spell things out and understood what the sounds meant, but it wasn't until December that she could tackle syllables at any decent pace. They start introducing reading materials in the first semester, but usually, it’s just picture books used during class discussions, so it’s hardly a high-stakes ordeal.
As for math, they don't need to be experts yet. We're talking basic number recognition and counting up or down to ten. If she seems to have the hang of it, I'll test her with something tangible—usually using Skittles 😁—to see if she can figure out what 2+3 is. If she nails it, great. If not? It doesn't mean she isn't bright, and there's no reason to let it turn into a meltdown.
Mine saw a speech therapist before kindergarten (private sessions, specifically to work on those tricky 'R' and 'L' sounds, though it helped with other things too). Even though we aren't seeing the therapist anymore, we still work on stuff at home—expanding her vocabulary through reading and practicing storytelling since she struggles with sentence structure. During first grade, she practiced reading every single day, even on days she stayed late for after-school care. And math, too. Well, as much as her attention span allowed. Some days that was five minutes; other days, it was thirty.

It is perfectly standard for first graders to be unable to focus on one thing for more than 20 minutes. That is precisely why teachers rotate activities within a 45-minute period.

Honestly, I suspect that aside from legitimate reasons, some parents push for a gap year just so they can enjoy one more easy year of daycare. You don't have to drop your kid off at daycare just because you have a free day, but you *do* have to send them to school. You can't just send them to Grandma's place in the suburbs on a Wednesday because there's class, and you certainly can't just bridge Friday and Monday because you took vacation time and want to head to the coast in May...

Reading and writing aren't really an issue for him. He’s shown interest, and we’ve stepped in to help whenever he asks. I can see him starting to grasp basic math principles now, too. But speech, retelling stories, even general comprehension—that’s where he struggles. Honestly, once he starts school, we're just going to have to push him harder on those specific areas. He's absorbing everything, but it's slow, and he moves at his own pace. Given how much we've dealt with so far, I really wonder if a year of delaying enrollment would actually result in any meaningful progress in those areas.

Getting a handle on voice analysis and synthesis is huge. That’s honestly the first thing you gotta master if you want to know what you're doing...

But seriously, how do they even go about grouping students into classes? That's what I'm actually wondering about...

rowdypanther12 said:But what if the situation is different? If my little one had been born just two or three weeks earlier, she would have been the only one in her group heading to elementary school.
That’s why I think we need to be flexible during those few months. You shouldn't hold back a child who was born ten months early unless there are actual issues, but I really don't get why it's such a big deal to delay school for a child born on March 25th for whatever reason.

Well, I think it's fairly obvious I wasn't suggesting that a child born on March 31st absolutely must be pushed into school at all costs, especially if nobody else in their age group is starting that year.🙄
Being flexible within a window of maybe two or three weeks doesn't seem like an issue, provided you look at the whole situation.

But I'm specifically talking about the kids born in December and January (like my boy, the kids from [REDACTED], and Douglas Booth22), though I also know a child born in mid-December whose parents are going to delay their school start just because they feel like it—pardon my French, but purely out of whim.

Robert Rodriguez9 said:Reading and writing aren't really an issue for him. He’s shown interest, and we’ve stepped in to help whenever he asks. I can see him starting to grasp basic math principles now, too. But speech, retelling stories, even general comprehension—that’s where he struggles. Honestly, once he starts school, we're just going to have to push him harder on those specific areas. He's absorbing everything, but it's slow, and he moves at his own pace. Given how much we've dealt with so far, I really wonder if a year of delaying enrollment would actually result in any meaningful progress in those areas.

I know this isn't the main topic, but I'm curious—what are you all doing to tackle this?

Regarding the delay... I'd love to hear from parents whose kids are already in school after being held back a year. Did that extra year actually make a difference?

The teachers at our preschool are being pretty harsh; they're convinced he'll be struggling forever. ☕Fine, I hear you. I’ll work with him and stay on top of his lessons, but I'm really hoping one more year of preschool gives him a chance to catch up on his speech and sharpen his focus a little.

Joshua Ortiz2 said:Getting a handle on voice analysis and synthesis is huge. That’s honestly the first thing you gotta master if you want to know what you're doing...

But seriously, how do they even go about grouping students into classes? That's what I'm actually wondering about...

balancing them out

Brian Jones8 said:I know this isn't the main topic, but I'm curious—what are you all doing to tackle this?

Regarding the delay... I'd love to hear from parents whose kids are already in school after being held back a year. Did that extra year actually make a difference?

The teachers at our preschool are being pretty harsh; they're convinced he'll be struggling forever. ☕Fine, I hear you. I’ll work with him and stay on top of his lessons, but I'm really hoping one more year of preschool gives him a chance to catch up on his speech and sharpen his focus a little.

I'm not really sure I follow. In what sense, though?

Brian Jones8 said:I know this isn't the main topic, but I'm curious—what are you all doing to tackle this?

Regarding the delay... I'd love to hear from parents whose kids are already in school after being held back a year. Did that extra year actually make a difference?

The teachers at our preschool are being pretty harsh; they're convinced he'll be struggling forever. ☕Fine, I hear you. I’ll work with him and stay on top of his lessons, but I'm really hoping one more year of preschool gives him a chance to catch up on his speech and sharpen his focus a little.

We mostly prompt him during daily conversations by asking follow-up questions to get more detail. He tends to leave out important stuff—like the subject—so there are a lot of gaps, making it hard to follow his train of thought. With the speech therapist, they work through picture books routinely. His memory is great, so when he retells a story or a cartoon, it’s usually just verbatim dialogue or text pulled straight from memory. If he can't recall an exact line, he just skips it. It seems like he hasn't quite grasped the difference between summarizing a story and reciting it from memory yet. 🤣 He’s definitely not quiet; he loves to talk, but yeah... 😁

Robert Rodriguez9, you got any Story Cubes? They’re pretty great for stuff like this

I know how it goes. We’ve been working on that using visual aids, but honestly, I find it works best when we just weave the exercises into casual, everyday conversation.

My child was born right at the end of March.
To be honest, I don't even remember how all the early milestones unfolded.
She wasn't reading or writing yet, and she had zero interest in drawing either... I didn't push her.
She didn't attend daycare, either.

We went in for the evaluations, and the professionals said she was ready for school.
I didn't ask for a deferral. I don't know. It just never crossed my mind.
She learned everything she needed to in class and ended up on the honor roll.
It proves that being ahead on reading, writing, or drawing isn't the deciding factor.

In my view, if the experts—doctors, psychologists, and so on—recommend holding a child back, you should listen to them.
For my own reasons, I don't quite get the hesitation...
Kids still play. Even once they start school, they'll have plenty of time to make friends.

That was my exact reasoning—I decided not to get tangled up in the drama. I’ll simply offer my perspective and leave it at that. We move forward with testing, and if the experts deem it ready, then they proceed; that is precisely why they are employed. But honestly? I am quite relieved that we’re looking at another year without having to deal with school.

I honestly don't get why everyone's so obsessed with knowing who's involved or why someone would choose to put things on hold... and more importantly, how does any of this actually impact a single person on an individual level?

People come here looking for actual advice, not a lecture or a moral high ground.

silentraven6 said:I honestly don't get why everyone's so obsessed with knowing who's involved or why someone would choose to put things on hold... and more importantly, how does any of this actually impact a single person on an individual level?

People come here looking for actual advice, not a lecture or a moral high ground.

Preach,
exactly
thank God someone actually gets it.👍

silentraven6 said:I honestly don't get why everyone's so obsessed with knowing who's involved or why someone would choose to put things on hold... and more importantly, how does any of this actually impact a single person on an individual level?

People come here looking for actual advice, not a lecture or a moral high ground.

I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
If we don't agree, that doesn't mean we have to start a fight.

I laid out my situation. Based on the criteria being discussed here, I could have easily asked for an extension.
So, we have a kid born right on the border back in March who can't write, can't read, and barely even knows how to draw.

The experts gave her the green light. She’s ready. So, I signed her up.
It was honestly a little unnerving. She didn't have the slightest clue what she was talking about.
She handled everything without breaking a sweat. No issues at all.
So, they were right. That doesn't mean they're infallible, obviously.

I gave my two cents. Maybe it’s time we actually start listening to the people who actually know what they're talking about.
I have no intention of supporting any more delays just to serve someone's personal comfort or to extend this little "game" for another year.
Of course, she won't stop talking about school. Kids just can't help themselves when they're in play mode.
Look, I have my own take on this. That doesn't mean I have anything against people who decide to delay school on their own terms.

Maybe there are some moms here feeling anxious about how their kids will fare in school. If you're worried, take a look at the kids who started with zero prior knowledge. They jumped right in, found their footing, and turned out just fine. It all worked out perfectly.
Maybe they'll finally decide to stop pushing back the start of the school year.
Hello.

Why all the lectures and the judgmental looks just because someone asked for a delay? It’s clearly more convenient for them that way—just a way to spin things. Honestly, what’s the big deal? Is your kid somehow being deprived because of this?

If it were up to me, I’d love it if we weren't forced into these rigid schedules—if we could just take an extra year of vacation whenever it actually suits us... In that scenario, my kid would have been looked after at daycare for one more summer, just a little extra buffer. And they might have gained a year of "independence" by stepping away from the constant grind...
There’s nothing to lose here; you can only gain.
I mean, why should my personal reasons bother anyone? Seriously.

Tyler Ruiz502 said:Why all the lectures and the judgmental looks just because someone asked for a delay? It’s clearly more convenient for them that way—just a way to spin things. Honestly, what’s the big deal? Is your kid somehow being deprived because of this?

If it were up to me, I’d love it if we weren't forced into these rigid schedules—if we could just take an extra year of vacation whenever it actually suits us... In that scenario, my kid would have been looked after at daycare for one more summer, just a little extra buffer. And they might have gained a year of "independence" by stepping away from the constant grind...
There’s nothing to lose here; you can only gain.
I mean, why should my personal reasons bother anyone? Seriously.

I still remember you from back when you were pregnant. 😉 Is your girl starting this year?

Love your signature. 😁 Really took me back 25 years.

It’s actually quite nice to see some familiar names popping up here; it feels like we all grew up in the same neighborhood🎉

My son is set to start school, and I’ll admit, I spent a fair amount of time debating whether we should hold off another year. He isn't exactly the most mature kid just yet, though I have to say, when he finds something that truly captures his interest—whether it's a specific cartoon or some video game—his level of focus is surprisingly intense🤦

The neighbors and family members keep telling me how great he is, which is lovely, of course, but we’re waiting to see what the pediatrician says at his checkup and how he handles the initial assessments at school,
Honestly, it would be much easier on us if he just stayed home a bit longer, but I suppose we’ll just face the music next year too

Procrastination isn't inherently the villain here, not really. It’s just that lately, it seems to have morphed into this complicated trend where overprotective parenting meets these sky-high expectations we place on our kids, and honestly, that intersection is a messy place for both the individual child and society at large.

If you look at it from one angle, there are parents out there who go to extreme lengths to clear every single obstacle out of their child's path, essentially allowing them to drift through life without ever grasping the reality of the world that's waiting for them once they step out from under the parental umbrella. On the flip side, there's this refusal to let a child be imperfect—to let them be mediocre at something, to stumble, or to make a mistake and then figure out how to fix it. A kid who never faces a challenge or grapples with a real problem is going to struggle to become a capable adult. Eventually, they start to realize that their parents don't actually trust them or believe in what they can do, and that realization carries a lot of weight.

To be blunt, most of the comments I'm seeing on this thread are a bit much. Someone says their kid doesn't want to go to school, so they just didn't enroll them? Or maybe a preschooler hasn't quite mastered storytelling yet, so they aren't "ready" for kindergarten? Then there's the person who just wants an extra year of carefree living—honestly, looking back through the last few pages, that feels like one of the most reasonable excuses out there 😁. (And obviously, I’m not talking about the kids who truly, legitimately need the extra time.)

I’m not trying to sit in judgment of anyone; these are your children, and you should do whatever you feel is best for them. But please don't cling to the idea that these choices don't impact me or my own child. We are all part of a larger community, and we're increasingly seeing a rise in people who lack basic competence because their parents shielded them from everything.

Before anyone starts coming after me personally, I want to be clear that I wasn't targeting any specific individual here (though that one dad asking for a delay just because his kid is reluctant to start school can probably identify himself). The reality is that everyone here has their own set of reasons and will choose what they perceive as the best path for their family. Some of you might be absolutely right. Most of you probably aren't. I'm just speaking to the broader pattern I see unfolding around me.