If you're in NYC, Universal Pre-K would have started this year, with Kindergarten starting next year. You have the choice to delay starting school until age 6, but she would go directly into 1st grade and be behind her peers. Testing for gifted and talented takes place towards the beginning of the year; preschoolers will take it at the beginning of 2009.

I don't know about areas outside of NYC, but in the city you don't have a choice at what age you start your child in Kindergarten - either you start her in K the year she turns 5 or you wait until she's 6 and put her in 1st.

Now. If you want to apply for gifted program, the deadline to submit form is Nov 19. Go to DOE website for details

There aren't any gifted kindergarten classes so the Gifted and Talented testing isn't given until kindergarten. You should enroll your child in pre k as soon as possible so they can get used to the school environment and not be delayed in kindergarten. My daughter scored in the 97 percentile for the G&t test and unfortunately her school dropped the program for first grade due to funding issues. We are going to test again this year and get her into the program for second grade if she passes again this year. I will say the test has many questions and some young children don't have the patience to focus through the whole test. Definitely work with her on reading and comprehension and basic math concepts such as shapes and greater than less than. Also work with her on filling out those bubble forms and give her encouragement when she finishes a test. These youngsters need all the encouragement they can get to sit through so many questions. Also get to know her teacher and voice your interest in testing. we didn't know the exact day of testing , only the general month testing would occur in, but since her teacher knew we were interested and knew she was capable she gave us a head up the night before. We made sure our daughter got to bed early and had a good breakfast. When they send out the application they will send a practice test and the general date so make sure to do the test with your child in that time frame. Good luck!

my daughter is a December born child and so she would have been the youngest in her class always.. I met with the local p.s. principal and two of the teachers in the school to discuss whether we could wait a year to have her be amongst the oldest rather than the youngest. Everyone was in agreement that waiting year would give her one more year of emotional growth and that especially in her puberty years this would be a benefit to her.

Also if you are just curious about a wait list, I don't believe any school accepts applications until the year you start school.

Hope this gives you some thought. Good luck!!