As a parent with a son with a birthday near the cut off line, it’s something we seriously considered. We talked to some parents who said it helped their son thrive. Others said that said it made little difference and that by the time their son was a senior he was emotionally and academically ready to move on but had an extra year of school to go.

For our son we did not hold him back and it was the right decision. He’s ready to go out in the world and would have been bored and resentful if we held him back a year.

Another thing to consider is that you are sacrificing an extra year of incoming. If held back the man will have 1 less year to earn income which could be a significant financial difference over a lifetime or it could mean that they have to work 1 year longer before retirement. Delaying when he starts school has a lifetime of delay that it carries with it.

In short, at age 5 you can have a pretty good idea if it will help a boy to be held back. There’s no need to apply it across the board. Some benefit but some don’t.