Role of Immaturity in Retention

As the principal of an elementary school, teachers often tell me about immature kindergarten children at the beginning of the schoolyear. In the majority of cases, when we waited until March to either recommend promotion or retention in kindergarten, the child's developmental clock had kicked in and the original problems were no longer present. I am suggesting that in some cases, just waiting the child out could be the answer. -- Principal
Answer: Immature behavior in kindergarten children often has a lot to do with their previous exposure to classroom experiences and playing and working with other children. And waiting it out is great. At the same time, it is definitely important for teachers to guide children toward more mature behavior. Some of this problem can be avoided if parents do not enroll very young children in kindergarten when they are only ready for pre-kindergarten. Immaturity alone is rarely sufficient reason to hold children back.
Keep in mind when enrolling a child in kindergarten that every child is unique, and age is only a number. You have to look at the whole child. That includes the child's personality, ability to be away from parents, and his or her interaction with unknown peers.