What's the deal for 3yo kinder in Vic?

[peanutter]

hmmm, I should read this ...

subbing for another day.

[Traveller]

I was the same as Fiona. I didn't want to be apart from my children at all and constant nagging from people to put at least one child in childcare to give myself a break (which I didn't want or need) drove me up the wall. When we moved to Scotland, I was heavily pregnant with the twins and there is a free kinder scheme. The village I lived in had a service where they would pick DS1 (then aged 3) up from my front door and drop him back after his session. He absolutely thrived in a preschool system, so much so that DS2 started going from 2.5 years. I really rate some form of interaction in a school type environment before formal schooling if that is the chosen route of education but I found the kinder I chose here to be woefully lacking for reasons I have discussed in other threads. The childcare that my twins attend is far superior but as others have described is about fun and socialising as well as learning letters, numbers, colours. They also get the entire group to focus on whetever letters my son is focussing on with his speech therapist so he gets to practice without feeling left out. There are also 3 of their friends who will be going to the same school which is a bonus.

My point basically being that you know your daughter best, you know how she will thrive best, and that could be with a nanny and local playgroups, a formal kinder, childcare, or just by interacting with you herself and making friends with other kids through swimming, playing in the park, library sessions and all those sorts of activities. FWIW I believe the 4yo kinder we chose here was unusually bad and most are far better but DS2 was better out of any formal kinder system after his experiences there.

[Loveinamist]

When we moved to Scotland, I was heavily pregnant with the twins and there is a free kinder scheme. The village I lived in had a service where they would pick DS1 (then aged 3) up from my front door and drop him back after his session.

I read this and instantly thought Balamory!!! LOL! With Edie Macreadie driving the bus!

[Traveller]

haha it was the same type of bus, with a very similarly colourful character as a bus driver. I think that's why the kids loved it so much!

[Ginger]

i agree with fionas. i can only speak for my son's 3 yo kinder- but it is not formal learning at all. it is about play and fun and socialising. they do lots of singing and painting and playing in the dirt. it is totally awesome and in no way relates to the article that you posted- which had a strong homeschool bias to it.

[Mak]

Our experience with both 3yo and 4yo kinder has been that it is mostly child directed, with little or no obvious emphasis on formal learning at all. Loads of singing, painting, and fun. The kids are exposed to group mat time and showing courtesy and respect for each other during these times. We enrolled DD1 (as well as using cc) as she had severe separation anxiety issues. Whilst this improved there were many other benefits that we hadn't anticipated, she transitioned to prep really well on terms of being able to function as part of a larger group, she is responsible for her belongings and discusses the upcoming requirements for her week, like needing her library bag/news items. Now this may just be her but the teacher commented that she knew she had been to kinder as these skills are common amongst those that have. TBH I think the jump from home and one on one would have been a massive jump. Additionally we've made some wonderful friends at kinder who we can't imagine our lives without!
I agree with examining the pros/cons but I wouldn't risk eliminating any options just yet!