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In our area (Maroondah) you have already missed the deadline for enrolments for kinder in 2013. So you may want to at least contact the kinders as soon as you can to keep your options open. - oops, just realised that you won't be wanting it for another year anyway.
I think the main point of 3yo kinder is a very gentle introduction to education - a few hours a week, lots of playing with other kids, and as much parental involvement as is needed.
With the new kinder hours, 4yr kinder is for 15 hours / week. which means that a single kinder teacher can't take 2x4yr classes.
Schools have feeder kinders, and being in the right kinder can make getting into the school you want easier. So to ensure a place for 4yr, parents enrol their kids in 3yr kinder. Then you get first option at 4yr, as do subsequent kids.
ITMS.
As for us, well, DH decided we couldn't afford CC but kinder was cheaper and it gave him the skills he needs to transition to prep OK. Plus he's in the community that he'll be in at school - a number of kids from our kinder are going to his school.
:)
When DD1 was about the same age as Isla, PZ, I just couldn't fathom her going to kinder or school either. I convinced myself that in order not to be apart from her, I'd train to be a kinder teacher, then a primary school teacher, then a secondary school teacher.
Things changed :)
hmmm, I should read this ...
subbing for another day.
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.
We have just found out that this is not compulsory. Our kinder is offering 2 x 15 hour groups and 1 x 10.45 group for the 4yo.:
In our area 3 yo is run by the kinder itself, 4 yo is run by the council. You can enrol in 3yo whenever you like - but no earlier than 24 months. 4 year old kinder enrolment for next year closes in a week. So it's not super crazy down here. You don't have to enrol the day they are born ;)
PZ. It's good that you question the necessity of it. As with all things with your DD, you are making your own decisions based on what is right for you and your family.
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I read this and instantly thought Balamory!!! LOL! With Edie Macreadie driving the bus! :)
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!
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.
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!