august birthdays

[lovemybabes]

Hello,
My son is an August 30 birthday. So he's three still today, and yet will be starting primary school next week.
He's really excited, but I can't help feeling really emotional about it all. I'm trying not to show him, but he just seems so little.
Does anyone have advice about August boys and primary school? Will he always feel behind?!
Thanks so much

[3andnomore]

no ideas...but I can totally understand where you are coming from...ys turned four on the 12th of August....and he just seems far to little....bless...

[schneebly]

Mt DS is an August b'day and has just finished his Reception year. While he is probably not as advanced as some of the older children he progressed very well, had an absolute whale of a time and made lots of friends. I have been told by many people (inc teachers)that they see a huge closing of the gap by the end of year one. HTH

[Niecie]

I don't have an August one, just a late July one. He didn't achieve a lot academically in Yr R but did really well after that.

I think, ime, that teachers are aware of the potential problems of summer born boys or should be anyway.

Is he getting a chance to go part time for a little while?

[schneebly]

Oh and he will be shattered My DS was on full days from the start and there wasn't one night during that first week when he didn't fall asleep into his dinner!

[MarsLady]

DD2's birthday is today (28th) and she was 4 and a few days when she started school. She's going into Y6 next week and has pretty much caught up with her class.

It is hard for them as they are still wanting to play when the older children in the year are getting on with work.

It will come. Just be patient and try not to compare him to the other children in the class.

[dhreadmyposts]

My nephew was born Aug 18. He found reception tiring but was always around average academically - until year 6 when he got the best SAT results in the school and is now doing brilliantly at Secondary. 2nd out of 300 kids I think (Pround Auntie)

[Marina]

Agree with the others - dd is just five and going into Year One. She had a good Reception, has cracked the principles of reading and done well socially.
Yes, you can see the age gap between her and her classmates who are pretty much a year older...but as Schneebly indicates, that gap really closes by the end of Infants (I have a late June ds who zoomed along by Yr2).
Tiredness is the biggest issue I agree.

[hifi]

had similar dilema with dd, june birthday. looked into it and june/july/august babies dont do as well, statistically, as the rest. 40% of august babies had sens.

im a june baby and did well,i think socially if they can cope then they will be ok.

dd teacher said its what we as mothers put in that counts.

[onwardandupward]

If he's happy to go and you're happy for him to go to school so young, that's fine. But legally he does not have to be in education of any kind until the term after he turns 5. The reception year is offered to us as a Brucie Bonus", and for many it is useful for childcare and they like the kind of play based learning that happens in reception year, but all that play based learning would be going on just as well in a nursery or at home TBH.

So don't feel pressured to start now just because of the arbitrary dates thing. 4 and 3 days is very very very young for full time school IMO.

If he's too tired, then just keep him home for as many days as he needs, yk? Whether that's regularly being "ill" on a Wednesday or just backing out of the whole thing for a year. You're the mum, you know best what's right for your child!

[3andnomore]

erm, they do learn spelling and writing amongst other thing...which is why the brittish system is stupid to say...oh they don't need education at that age, whilse they teach education....
if there waas a true choice children would be acessed as an individual and then there wouldbe diffreent choices...and one chould be that a child turning 4 just before the deadline should be able to access reception education when they have just turned 5...
only then will all non sn kids have a fairer deal, and for sn kids there should be a whole different assesment system and more support