I wrote a long response but apparently it's too long for reddit. Anyway my daughter turns 5 on Sept 5th. We are enrolling her in private school for Kindergarten and 1st because they won't even assess her for public. Socially and behaviorally she is much closer to the older children. Academically too but that's less important. There's no way I'm making her repeat pre k (called TK in CA) since she's starting Prek this fall. I cannot imagine having her in school for 3 years prior to Kindergarten when some students will have zero school experience if she goes in as the oldest. Furthermore, we've seen how she does as the oldest and one of the youngest, and she'll be a social outcast as the oldest.

Also, the research shows that for her demographic, the benefits of TK are practically zero and any slight benefits disappear by mid to late kindergarden. Unfortunately research also shows that as the oldest, children are more likely to skip school, drop out, and not attend college. Also research shows that children born at 41w are smarter than other full term babies born at 39/40 week. If she was born on her due date, she would be able to attend kindergarden next year but she was born at 41w.

I want daughter to be happy and to thrive, and that means starting her early in private school. It sucks. It really sucks.