When are your babies old enough to start school?

This is the title of an article of interest written and  published by Bruce McDougall, Lisa Power The Daily Telegraph 29th Sept 2012. In the time leading up to the end of the current school year in Australia and in anticipation of the new one in January 2013 articles of this type tend to become more frequent in the media . As I have previously mentioned in other posts parents these days are particularly anxious in all aspects of their parenting and are unfortunately very vulnerable and doubtful of their own ability to judge the arguments for and against sending children to school at a young age or keeping them at home for another year. Once again this article has interviews with parents who are extremely confident in sending their 4-year-old to school….. ” because she had been in daycare or pre-school since she was eight months and was familiar with learning programs, and seeing other children socialise through her older brother’s Jayden’s school experience.” “She has also been to the local primary school many times and has seen what happens there so that is a big advantage,” she said. “It was mentioned at preschool – whether to hold kids back from starting school and that more people were doing that. “People may think it benefits the child, gives them an advantage later and helps them to avoid any social or emotional issues but it depends on the child’s personality. “In Jayden’s first months at school he was invited to six birthday parties at which the kids were a year older than him.” On the other hand some parents had made the completely opposite decision. Tim Hamilton of Allambie Heights on the northern beaches will start his four-year-old son Zachary next year. Mr Hamilton said Zachary, who will turn five in January, was “months ahead” of his elder brother Archie in basic skills at the same age because of the two years he had spent in a well-run pre-school. “Zachary is much more school-ready than his brother was,” he said. However they had decided to keep him back. Research tends to support either decision,with little difference noted by the age of 7. However it has been my experience as a teacher of Kindergarten for several years in my career that children are happier and more open to learning IF they are confident in what is happening in the classroom,and they understand and enjoy the new experiences. Happy children at school become enthusiastic learners it’s as simple as that. Children need to be physically,emotionally and socially ready for school. So how do you make the decision? By asking yourself the following questions. Language Readiness Is your child …. Speaking clearly and pronouncing words correctly without obvious errors such as “dod “for dog or “dirl” for girl?( this is essential !) Talking to others both children and adults about familiar events or objects? Asks and answers simple questions? Is able to follow simple instructions. Enjoys books through sharing or on his or her own. Uses a variety of things to scribble with. Joins in singing familiar songs. Recognises that numbers can be used to count. Uses words such as many ,more or less Identifies things that are the same or different. Social Skills Knows his or her name and address orally. Adapts easily to change Can finish a task and tidy up Plays cooperatively with others Can sit still and listen to a story. Participates in imaginative play. Personal skills Will follow instructions from adults other than their parents Will behave cooperatively Is curious about the world and how it works Uses scissors to cut a straight line Enjoys both indoor and outdoor play Can dress themselves including jumpers,shoes and socks Uses the toilet independently. If your answers have more no than yes at the end of the list , I would advise you to consider keeping them home for another year to allow them time to mature. All children mature at different rates and we want to avoid your child becoming disenchanted with learning and school just because they are not quite ready for it . All of the above are essential school skills for children to be happy at school. If children have a  happy first year at school they tend to stay positive about learning and develop into confident learners.