Dear IM's
Our beautiful 4 year old is due to start prep next year and we've been reviewing several schools for her.
My question is, how do I know if she is ready?
She turned 4 in May and is a confident, clever and kind child. I feel as though my judgement is clouded because when I look at her, I see my 'baby'. She currently attends kindy (at a daycare centre) and is usually fine at drop off, although she does have the odd day where she may be overtired and a little emotional. There are occasions where she will hold on to number 2's so will come home with soiled underwear. I was starting to get nervous about this knowing full well that she is due to start prep next year. Her Kindy educators are not concerned, however when I asked the Centre Director for her opinion as to whether she was ready for school, her recommendation was to repeat a kindy year in order to allow her to mature a little more and not damage her self esteem in her later junior school years.
I know that my husband and I are the only ones that can make this decision and that every child is different and we should not compare, however I'm just wondering if there are any other mums and dads who have experienced this and what the pros and cons might be. She will be 4yrs, 7 months when starting prep. Many thanks :)
7 Replies
I'd hold back a year. Being that little bit older will do her the world of good, it's also becoming the norm.
If you're having doubts, keep her back another year. Better to do that than to have regrets about sending her too early. If she did start prep next year there's a good chance of her being the youngest in the class considering she's a May baby.
Can she has open her lunch box. Be responsible for her own water bottle and jumper and hat all day. And go five days full time without napping or being wrecked exhausted.
Personally I'd hold back, but I'd gold back every kid. They're only children once, 4 is very young she's still learning the world around her through play and freedom an extra year of that is never a drawback.
Okay first off, prep teachers are bombarded with this question every year and no one knows except her educators who can measure her against her peers and have an understanding of what is required. If the centre director is telling you to keep her back, then that's probably your answer. Also, don't feel bad about holding her back, as it depends on what state you actually live in; as I understand it (in the past, may not be current) but the cut off in Vic is actually April, so she wouldn't even be eligible to enrol if you lived there. I know in Qld it is currently 30 June, so it does vary.
Also, and I may get some backlash, but if you can, send her to a kindy next year. I know that childcare centres have approved kinder programs and they are awesome, but the learning environment is a little less nurturing at kindy and more preparation for the school year. Child care centres are set up to be a home away from home, as they should be (my child has attended) and if they have attended the previous years, the kindy year is more like just moving to the next room in the centre (if that makes sense). Anyway I am a working mum and know how hard it can be to fit work around the kindy days/hours, it was just a suggestion. Good luck with your decision.
If you were in vic you wouldn't even be allowed to send her. Cut off is April 30. What's the rush?
In my opinion if your questioning if she is ready it probably means she's not . My son is born in June so we really could choose either way . He definitely wasn't ready to start at the beginning of this year but now he's 5 he is! It's actually really obvious all those little things you were describing were similar for him and he's changed so much !! So he'll be more then ready in January !!
I wasone of the younger ones in class growing up and although I did ok I did feel like I was always trying to keep up with the other kids ...
My daughter is roughly the same age and we have decided to hold her back so she will now start school in 2018 when she will be 5 1/2. My opinion, she is going to be at school for 13 years! Why start at 4 1/2 when she can start at 5 1/2? It has not been a decision that has been made lightly, she's a clever little girl but if it's not necessary why do it? As a teacher I know the kind of pressure that's put on them once they start school, it's not painting and playdough anymore.