My eldest was ready for grade 1 at age 3. She was reading and spelling words such as Elephant. I tried to get her into school early but it was a no go.

My daughter is in childcare/pre school at the moment and absolutely hates it. She doesn’t like being told what to do – if they’re doing craft/drawing and she hasn’t finished and they have to move onto the next activity she will start crying. I’m hoping she will get better with time but I think she’s a bit of a perfectionist and likes to finish things off.

Does it really matter what a parent thinks? It’s more what the law states as to when kids start school, ready or not

Go with your gut. If you’re not sure, discuss it with your child’s educator / teacher

I knew it was time when the government said “kindergarten enrolments for children who are 4 and turning 5 next year are now open.” The only other thing of importance on the list of readiness was that your child needed to be completely self sufficient in the toilet department. I don’t think my first born would have ever been school ready, he would happily have been home schooled. My second born couldn’t wait to start! My first would cry at bring left behind, at the same time my second would cry at being taken home. She would have preferred staying at school at age 1 with her brother.

Pre-school got too boring for them, they wanted to start writing stories etc and got sick of playing with sand. They got along well with their peers & could communicate clearly.

My youngest is 6yrs old, has down Syndrome and will repeat Prep. From this list she’s only able to get along with other children. The rest of this list would indicate she isn’t ready and may never be ready lol !
Able to get along with other children
Able to follow instructions and directions from teachers
Able to cope with minimal adult contact in a large group
Able to speak clearly and communicate their needs
Able to demonstrate fine and gross motor skills like running, jumping, holding a pencil etc.
Able to independently go to the toilet, carry their bag and manage their belongings
Don’t take this list too literally !!

the day care teachers help in understanding about your kid’s progress… speak to them 🙂

Yep I’m holding back my eldest. Age had come a long way in the last 12 months, but emotionally I don’t think she will be ready for school next year. She has struggled with proper communication and we are working on that with professional help, but she is still behind.

Interesting article

I thought she was ready and the kinder teacher confirmed it.

My daughter starts Prep next year.
I feel we could have started her last year as she is very intelligent. She did need the extra time to become emotionally prepared.

My daughter will be 5.5 when she starts in 2021 (July baby). So individual to each child – no one can determine it but you and your child

I started school when I was four turning five in Feb. It was very ready for school.

If any doubt, opt for a later start. It is not only starting school when social problems can crop up but also much later, even in the latter stages of school when all the peers are one year older. Scandinavian countries have a later start for their kids and it seems to work very well for them.

I could tell our eldest was ready because he started to become bored if he wasn’t being challenged. He kept asking for more educational based games, books, and wanted to know when he could be with his friends.

If your child has reached the age to start & showing good signs in eating habits, sleeping patterns & takes keen interest in story listening, books that means he is ready.

Congratulations to myself and all mamas around me, summers are finally approaching! And best of luck, to all those who will be starting school after summer first time. It’s particularly attractive yet challenging for me, because my little one will start as well. Which means, for some very few hours daily, I will have absolute quiet in the house. Let’s devour this….

It also means it’s gonna be crazy in the Archi Effect household, two kids to get ready, two bags to pack, two lunches to think up, double trouble, double craziness. Here are some helpful points We have made to combat it all. Hope they help you too.

1- Routine is God. Sleeping, eating, waking up, play time, homework times should be the same EVERYDAY. Even weekends. You can change a few things one day a week, but mention it to your child. Let him/her know and the reason. A lot of commotion cuts down when the child (and you) have fixed times.

2- Being late is ok, Hurrying up is not. There are days you will be tired, the alarm will not go off, long bathroom hours, unexpected vomiting etc. So, your child might get late. It’s ok. I have learnt that being late is better than hurrying through the morning routine. It makes them stressed and disoriented for the rest of the day. Don’t do it. Don’t drive too fast, don’t make them gulp down that glass of milk.

3- Discuss breakfast and lunch a day before. Lesser tantrums on the breakfast table and more chances of a finished lunch box. Try it, they feel like the deal is made. Also children enjoy the level of control, you can negotiate on healthy and things they would like to have.

4-Respect the child and people around you. This is so important, don’t scold the child. Don’t make him a target of your frustration early morning. Whatever went wrong, IT ISN’T THE CHILD’S FAULT. This has a great impact. They give back what was given to them. If you are driving to school, make sure you are not overtaking, tailgating or breaking laws. Be considerate, Park in the right spot. Your child is watching.

5- Spend quality time. With the children off to school, it’s possible you don’t get a lot of time together. You might have work schedule. But make sure the little time you are with them, you are wholly with them. Paying attention to what they say and what they are trying to communicate. Ideally 15 mins early morning and before going to bed are your best times to bond. This provides security and self confidence.

6- Cliched but NEVER compare. Accolades in school are not connected to how your child will do in life. Each child is unique, excellent if I may say. Pay close attention and work on discovering their strengths. They have it, they all have it. Once you know what it is, it will be a goldmine of opportunities for your child.

7- Takecare of yourself, emotionally, mentally, physically. A happy, content, well- maintained, in control mom is the solution to all problems!

Enjoy the new academic year!

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  • • Ellen replied
    • 02 Dec 2019 , 5:18 am

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  So true !

My daughter is so ready to start school. She is constantly looking for different things to do and I think she would thrive on the structure of kindergarten. I think our relationship will be even better with a bit of space from each other as well!

My made the decision to start our eldest early. Initially our three year old kinder teacher had advised another year of three year old kinder but we proceeded with four year old kinder and started him off at school being 4 years. He’s now in grade three and doing great. I don’t think there is a right or a wrong age to start school. We went against the advice which was mainly suggested due to social reasons and happy we did.

I’m so nervous for my daughter to be apart but I have to put a brave face so she doesn’t feel anxious