Starting school

We have this discussion lots at school. Muppitty is right that a child has to turn 5 july 31st in NSW to start kindy and must start school by the age of 6.

I am a kindy teacher and in my opinion she is too young. You could still ask the school for an interview but another year at preschool wont hurt. You can still get her ready for school by teaching her the sounds that all the letters in the alphabet make, get her to do some writing (doesnt matter if its not correct- jsut as long as she is experimenting with writing) and mosst importantly get her looking at books and expose her to them as much as you can.

Do we even have preschools in nsw? I dont want to send her to childcare again. But she needs something and preschool might just be it if there is one. Thanks for all the advice though, givesme a lot to think about.

Hi Antheia,
Yep we have pres-schools and alot of them (well the good ones) have programs to prepare children for starting school. They often prepare the children for a more structuresd day, some have computer programs they teach kids, news, a sound a week type of thing. I dont know Newcastle very well but maybe your local council will have a list of preschools in your area.

By the sounds of it you are right that your daughter needs more than just child care (and you would know your own daughter and her capabilities).

You could also go to your local public school and ask the head of kindergarten which preschools she/he thinks may be best in your area as teachers can often tell from the intake of children that they receive from the previous year group.

Good luck hun and if you need anymore advice just let us know.

P.s. I think your belly pics are gorgeous!

There are loads of quality pre-schools out there T. All cc centres will do a preschool program, but I personally think that a stand alone preschool is better as they only interact with their peers that they will go off to school with. I forgot you were still in NSW LOL - so yes, definately keep her home till 2010. Paige is doing friday's at preschool as a 3yo now (even though she is already 4, they do what they call a 3yo class for those that are turning 4 during the year and then they move on to 4yo class which is when they will turn 5 during the year). And you don't have to send her 5 days a week - the most a child can do out here is 3 days per week. Also ask her speechie next time you see her what she thinks.

T there are lots of preschools around and the good ones will prepare them for school, Matthew goes to one twice a week and the things they teach him is quite amazing, it`s great to know that when I drop him off at preschool he is also learning lots without knowing it, he has come a long way in a short time and making some lovely friends along the way.

I personally think just turned 4 is too early to be sent to big school, I`m not sure when Matthew will be going being a May baby he`s on the boundary line of should I send him 2010 or 2011, I`m thinking of 2011 just to give him that extra year at home but I think I`ll be fighting with MIL with this one but he`s my child and I`ll do what I think is right by him.

So preschool sounds much better then. The only thing is we are moving to QLD next year but have no idea when. It could be just after bub is born or it could be at the end, all just depends on when our house sells. But would it disrupt her going from a NSW setting to a QLD setting or is it pretty much the same? And should i enroll her in the QLD one as soon as we know when we are moving or wait until we get up there?

Unfortunately Qld system is different to NSW.

The Queensland School System goes like this:
*1 year of preparatory schooling (non-compulsory)
* 7 years of primary education (Years 1 - 7)
*3 years of junior secondary education (Years 8 - 10)
*2 years of senior secondary education (Years 11, 12)

Prepartory is like kindy in NSW but not compulsory. They also still have preschools up in Qld where your child can go 2, 3 or 4 days a week.

It is so confusing moving states and their different rules and regulations. Here is a link to the Qld state education site on starting school up there Preparing for Prep

The following link will take you to a page where you enter your child's birthday and they make recommendations for when to start your child Preparing for School - A Preparatory Year for Queensland

Hope that helps :)

The basics of what they will *teach* at preschool would be very similar between states, although the structure is slightly different from what I can work out. They are definately an excellent way to prepare them for school as they do have a structured day planned out. As for putting her on a list, enrolling her etc, I would do that as soon as you knew when you would be there JIC there is a waiting list kwim?

Here is another link that will take you to arrangements for children beofre they start prep (so preschool information and other daycare info. There are some numbers there that might be worth contacting before you move so that you know exactly when to enrol, etc.

Arrangements for children prior to Prep

Thanks for that.

Just emailed the only preschool that is close. Hopfully i hear back from them as the rest are too far to travel.

I agree with those opposed to the idea of you sending Lily to school. I work in early childhood and the feedback we get from the schools is that children cope much better when parents send their children the year they turn 6. Is Lily in any form of organised child care? If so this would give you a good indication of whether she is ready through feedback from teachers. Also as mentioned she is too young anyway. The rules have changed a few times and they are there to protect children's wellbeing. I think it's also worth pointing out that school has changed a fair bit over the years and the expectations have risen with homework and what children are expected to know pre kindy as well. You also should concider that she would omly be 10 when entering high school, thats very young to be exposed to sex, drugs etc that we all know exists there. In my experience most 4yr olds just want to play. Sorry to rant but i'm quite passionate about this. That extra year will make a huge difference to her maturity.

Legally she is too young to start school in NSW next year. She will be the perfect age to start the year after if you are still in NSW.

I do agree 4 is young to start school and no she isn't in any sort of care at all which is why she needs something. I just didn't know that we had preschools here and thought the only other option was school. So i'll definalty be sending her to preschool next year (if they ever get back to me!).

Hi
I would keep her back, Alot of parents don't look down the track, What about when she is in year 12 and all of her friends will be 18 driving and going out.

The thing with that those is if she started school in 2010 (which she will now) she will still be the youngest and turn 18 in December in year 12(which by then they will be finished school anyway), so it makes no difference really.

Antheia,

Even though you sound like you've made a decision, I thought I would still reply.

We started DD in Kindy (which was kind of like daycare where she went and where we live) Then we sent her onto Pre-school, (which is now Prep) when she was 4 turning 5.
When we got to the end of the year, we had a chat with her teacher, who said although DD was smart enough to continue, she was worried about her socially as she was quite shy and not really confident. So we kept her back and she did another year of pre-school. She was not the only one to stay back for the same reason, plus her birthday is only a few weeks before school finishes for the year, so most of the kids she would have been going to school were already a year older than her to start with.

She stayed back, and the teacher got her and the other kids who stayed back, to be the ''helpers" and lead the way with activities etc.. Her confidence was boosted quite a bit, and when we had our teacher interview that 2nd year, her teacher said she had no concerns with DD starting school the following year.

Her pre-school teacher, said they kept an eye on students who stayed back and also the ones who had gone forward against their advice,and she said the kids who had gone forward were fine until they got to about year 4, then you could see the difference between them and the kids that were a little bit older, not just socially, but also academically (sp?)

DD started grade 1 when she was 6, turning 7 at the end of November.
When she finishes year 12, she will turn 18 a couple of weeks afterwards too. I figure she will be legally allowed to drink at schoolies, so hopefully won't go off the rails too much (might be wishful thinking on my behalf there lol)

Nic

Antheia she won't be the youngest in 2010, there will be children who turn 5 in the months after December, up to July of 2010 if their parent's wish. Your child is at an age in NSW where you don't have to make the decision about holding back or sending early she is the prefect age being born in December.

DD1 had a range of kids in her class from 4.5 years to 5.5 years, so a year's range in age when she started school. That was fine...until they got older. They're in year 4 this year and it has been quite difficult for the younger ones. EVen though some of them are ahead academically, it is very very obvious that they are younger socially. It is a really big jump at about the ages 9-11 and they grow up, but the younger ones seem to really lag. I have heard 2 mothers now say that starting their kids at 4 was something they wish they hadn't done, and both are considering repeating their kids, even though they are ok with the work. A big problem is with the boy/girl relationship, and some of the kids are just way more mature, but the younger ones are struggling.
I also though NSW was bringing in a new law that kids couldn't start school until they were 5? Maybe it was just talk. xox