Taking a Child Out of Kindergarten

You might consider taking your kindergartner out of school for a number of reasons, including religious beliefs, family changes such as a move or divorce, academic problems, emotional immaturity or illness. You may realize your personal values do not line up with things being taught at your child̵7;s school, or maybe he has frequent personality conflicts with the teacher. Perhaps your child had an illness and fell behind his peers, and you would like to take him out of school to give him time to recover. The Education Commission of the States reports kindergarten is not a requirement in most states, so you may have more flexibility in withdrawing your child at this time than in later grades.

  1. When to Consider

    • According to the Maryland State Department of Education, you have a right to withdraw your child from kindergarten when you feel it would be beneficial to wait until the following year to begin again. You might realize your child is more immature or academically behind peers and want to place her in a preschool or pre-kindergarten program for the remainder of the year. Withdrawing from kindergarten might be a good option if your child has specific learning needs or performs better in a one-on-one setting, such as a home-school or working with a tutor. If your child is going through a major life change, such as a move to another country, you might choose to remove him from kindergarten during the transition.

    Benefits

    • Withdrawing your child from kindergarten could potentially give her time to mature and then re-enroll the following year after she has had more time to develop socially and emotionally. Taking your child out of kindergarten might relieve a stressed or under-performing child out of an unhealthy learning environment. Removing your child from a public school so your family is able to home-school might be a valid and beneficial option for your family.

    Drawbacks

    • The Connecticut State Department of Education reports that children enrolled in kindergarten are more likely to have a potential learning problem identified. If your child is struggling with a learning disability or needs special services of some kind, taking him out of kindergarten might limit his access to those services. Taking your child out of kindergarten might set a bad precedent, and he might be more inclined to want to drop out of other things in the future.

    Legal Requirements

    • If your child is already in enrolled in kindergarten but you would like to withdraw him, there might be legal documentation required, according to the California HomeSchool Association. For example, the Texas Education Agency reports you have a right to withdraw your child from kindergarten at any time, but attendance is mandatory if he is actively enrolled. Even if kindergarten is not required in your state, you will need to follow school- and state-specific withdrawal procedures before you stop sending your child to kindergarten.

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