4 year old kinder - or 3 year old again? (VIC)

[Beach Mama]

I am really tired and need to go to bed but need to reply and probably come back to reply properly.. but ....

kindergartens and teachers often suggest repeating for children who are not ready - but what are you going to do if your child is 'not ready' every year? He/she can't repeat more than once! You can't stay at primary school or high school forever if you are "not ready".

Well kids have to start by 6 so you can't keep doing it forever, however as a teacher of many kids in prep who really, really aren't ready I have to say that we don't see problems related to kids ages and the gaps in age, there are academic gaps regardless. Teachers DO cater for individual needs based on what kids need regardless of how old they are. When we are teaching them we teach to the child -we don't stop to ask or think about how old each child be before we teach them.

If kids are genuinely struggling at kinder though, chances are that will continue at school and if they get half way through 4yr kinder and are still struggling it is worth looking at holding them back if possible (in some cases it's not because of age - for eg. my DD cannot start school next year in 2012 and has to to start in 2013 which is the year she turns 6. We don't have a choice, however some people who fall outside of that do have a choice and it is reasonable to expect them to look at if their child is ready. If DD was born in April she could be going next year, she would academically be SO ready, socially close to ready, but I would have huge concerns about how tired she would get because if she has no nap right now she is beside herself I am super glad the choice is out of my hands.

Not sure I have response as well or as eloquently as I wanted to so might have to be back in the morning with a fresh brain on.

ETA: We should be looking more and more to Europe and countries like Finland, where kids don't start to learn to read or start school until they are 7 because they are not developmentally ready to do so. Instead we look to the US where we are going more and more down a data and statistic driven path where kids individual needs are not looked at, and where kids level of reading takes precedence over the fact that they are kids and simply need the chance to explore, play, develop curiosity and create their own learning. Off my soapbox and into bed now