When to start grade R

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chefshrek

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My twins turn 5 on the 22nd of December 2022. Do I have to enroll them in grade R next year or can I wait till 2024? I feel that they will be considerably younger than a lot of kids in their class and might be disadvantaged because of this.
 
chefshrek said:
My twins turn 5 on the 22nd of December 2022. Do I have to enroll them in grade R next year or can I wait till 2024? I feel that they will be considerably younger than a lot of kids in their class and might be disadvantaged because of this.
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Year turning 6 is the norm but your kids are on the extreme, I think if they are six for the majority of the year it's a better indicator but chat to the schools too.
 
My youngest in grade 1 turned 6 in December. So she is one of the youngest in her class. Initially we were a but concerned because she couldn't settle and concentrate, and struggled a bit with fine motor skills compared to some. But now that's all sorted and she's even top of her class in maths and fine motor skills have caught up. Go for it.
 
chefshrek said:
My twins turn 5 on the 22nd of December 2022. Do I have to enroll them in grade R next year or can I wait till 2024? I feel that they will be considerably younger than a lot of kids in their class and might be disadvantaged because of this.
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We had this problem, my son was 5 when he started Grade R, eventually we had to keep him back in Grade R as he didn't cope. He turned 5 at the start of December. In the old days it would be if they turned 6 before June and if they turned 6 after they'd be the next year. But they seemed to scrap it to when they turn 6 doesn't matter when in the year.
 
Sensorei said:
My youngest in grade 1 turned 6 in December. So she is one of the youngest in her class. Initially we were a but concerned because she couldn't settle and concentrate, and struggled a bit with fine motor skills compared to some. But now that's all sorted and she's even top of her class in maths and fine motor skills have caught up. Go for it.
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Sadly not all kids handle it the same way, it needs to be looked at on a kid by kid basis. My son didn't cope, but when he did at at 6 years old he did a lot better, sure he is a little upset now in Grade 4 that some of his friends he had in Grade R are in Grade 5.
 
rh1 said:
@chefshrek, I was 17 in my first year of University. It was not the schoolwork that was the problem, I was straight "A's", it was the fact that I was up to 2 years younger than the boys. If I had a choice, I would have preferred going to school with my own age group.
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I was 17 when I finished Matric, when 95% of the students were 18 or older throughout, luckily I was tall and never got asked for ID :). But still they had cars, could legally go to clubs and and while I couldn't legally.
So yeah not quite as young as you were, but I get partially where you are going.
 
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Quicks said:
I have a sister that started school earlier and finish matric in the year she turned 17. She was fine and everything worked out for the better.
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When I was in school more than half the class would have turned 17 in the year they finished matric. Parents in my area send their kids to school as soon as they eligible. Had the weird result were kids born in May were essentially a year younger than the kids born in June in the same class.

The kids born in March, April and May seemed to always be the worst performing in school and a large percentage ended up failing at least one grade.

Now thinking about from my friend group from school who finished Matric withI'm the youngest of all of them and I'm born in early January
 
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Are they stupid, under developed and lack intelligence? If not, don't put them in a box. Send them to school to get properly indoctrinated. Age is not a sign of intelligence, check some of the retired folks on this forum as an example.....
 
I was a year younger than most others in my class and it was great. Would encourage for anyone.
 
rh1 said:
@chefshrek, I was 17 in my first year of University. It was not the schoolwork that was the problem, I was straight "A's", it was the fact that I was up to 2 years younger than the boys. If I had a choice, I would have preferred going to school with my own age group.
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17
Oh wait, you didn't have to go to the army after school
 
chefshrek said:
My twins turn 5 on the 22nd of December 2022. Do I have to enroll them in grade R next year or can I wait till 2024? I feel that they will be considerably younger than a lot of kids in their class and might be disadvantaged because of this.
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Ideally you want your kids to be at least 5 or turning 5 with the first couple months of the school year. Kids who are younger are at a distinctive disadvantage.

(My mother was Preschool and Junior Primary teacher before she retired.)
 
chefshrek said:
My twins turn 5 on the 22nd of December 2022. Do I have to enroll them in grade R next year or can I wait till 2024? I feel that they will be considerably younger than a lot of kids in their class and might be disadvantaged because of this.
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A big percentage of professional sportsmen/women are born in the first half of the year. They're simply a bit stronger/faster at the start and then because they're picked they get more opportunities. Intelligence can go either way.

Personally I'd wait.
 
chefshrek said:
My twins turn 5 on the 22nd of December 2022. Do I have to enroll them in grade R next year or can I wait till 2024? I feel that they will be considerably younger than a lot of kids in their class and might be disadvantaged because of this.
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Seems Grade R as per criteria.

Also since you got twins, any perceived disadvantage you think would be overridden by that factor (sister-in-law has triplets and they were the youngest in their class - all 3 did well). I would go for it.
A Grade R applicant must be at least four years old and turn five or older by 30 June the next year. An applicant for Grade One must be at least five years old and turn six or older by 30 June the next year.
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Link
 
chefshrek said:
My twins turn 5 on the 22nd of December 2022. Do I have to enroll them in grade R next year or can I wait till 2024? I feel that they will be considerably younger than a lot of kids in their class and might be disadvantaged because of this.
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Get them evaluated first. Most good primary schools require evaluation for Grade 1 admission.

This is why Grade RR exists for them.

My son was held back in Grade R, best decision ever for him. His evaluation made the recommendation.

Neither of my two daughters where held back, best decision ever.
 
Experiencing same issue. Small private schools around us don't consider June criteria so as per them, child goes to Grade R when she is 6 and Grade 1 when she is 7.

I talked to some people and it seems that this is a devious way to get pupils in the school for one extra year.
 
Lupus said:
I was 17 when I finished Matric, when 95% of the students were 18 or older throughout, luckily I was tall and never got asked for ID :). But still they had cars, could legally go to clubs and and while I couldn't legally.
So yeah not quite as young as you were, but I get partially where you are going.
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I am tall for a coloured guy. (It is relative, I know, only 182cm, only as compared to other coloured guys). But I only reach my full Height during my first or second year of Varsity. At school reunion type gatherings, I am taller than the guys that were taller than me during my school years.
 
chefshrek said:
My twins turn 5 on the 22nd of December 2022. Do I have to enroll them in grade R next year or can I wait till 2024? I feel that they will be considerably younger than a lot of kids in their class and might be disadvantaged because of this.
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General rule of thumb is 7yrs = Grade 1 even if you turn 7 on the 1st of January.

If you turn 7 on the 31 December then you would be one of the youngest in the class which would also apply to your twins so yes I would enrol them now.
 
Other Pineapple Smurf said:
Get them evaluated first. Most good primary schools require evaluation for Grade 1 admission.

This is why Grade RR exists for them.

My son was held back in Grade R, best decision ever for him. His evaluation made the recommendation.

Neither of my two daughters where held back, best decision ever.
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We were also concerned about my son.
Got him evaluated by the receiving school.
Principal actually did the evaluation personally.
Said, she had no problems with taking him in early.
worked out well for us.
 
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