Printable View
I also don't know if we'll be living in the same suburb by kinder, and we definitely won't be by the time DD's starting school. We have a MCHN visit next week so I'll ask them about what we need to do in terms of putting her name down. I may be over the moon by that time with two young ones to have DD go along. DH has always wanted DD to go to an alternative school, maybe we could speak to one of the ones we like about what kinder they take the most children from :think: :)
:
If you are looking into Montessori (sounds as though this would be something that may appeal to you :)), they start at 3 years old, but you will need to start the process now as their waiting lists tend to full years in advance.
We sent DD to a private kindergarten for 3 yo Kinder, as I found her CC centre woefully lacking once she got to the 3 year old room. It was a disgrace and she hated it. There is really no 3 yo kinder at all in WA, so I had to search hard to find one anywhere near us with a place open, but I was so glad I did. DD1 thrived there, they had small classes and was such a fabulous environment for her to be in. She adored it, learned so much and grew as a person so fully, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Had 4 yo Kinder not been a part of primary school in WA, she would have started 4 yo kinder there this year.
I have found our local PS has a Steiner kinder right next it and follows on with a Steiner stream offered concurrently at the PS. So DD1 will follow through with mostly the same kids and have already formed some friendships going into Prep.
I haven't read the article word-for-word PZ but that article seems to concentrate on the correlation between primary school academic results and preschool education. And concludes that there are no great academic benefits in starting "formal education" early.
It's hard to compare apples with apples because that's a US article/study.
These are my observations after spending some time at DD's kindy. It's not very formal at all. Granted, I've been there less than 10 hours all up, but I've never seen the teachers "teach" letters and numbers for example. I'm sure they incorporate this into the activities, but it's not like formal classroom learning.
The emphasis, at least at DD1's kindy, is on having fun. They do lots and lots of craft, lots of reading stories, lots of painting, lots of running around outside. It's just fun. DD1 loves it. She'd like to go every day. And I do think it's really important in getting them to share, take turns, etc. etc.
I also love the idea that she is making friends there who she will go to school with next year. We are in a small community and the friends we're making now will probably stay with us until she's a teenager. I love being part of that community and the kinder is an integral part. In the last 30 years, it's only had three changes of teacher.
What I'm trying to say, is that, to me and DD1, kinder is a lovely, holistic, fun experience, not a scary pushy pushy, let's start pushing alphabets and numbers on to them.
Most of the article was US, but there was a part that focused on an international study. Also, the conclusion's wording was pretty biased, but I am looking more into the points raised.
Maybe it's one of those things that I'll come to terms with...like this pregnancy, DD weaning etc, maybe once she's actually 3 it'll be different for me. I will continue to question the necessity of 3yo kinder though, just like I question most things; conventional ideas about pregnancy, birth and parenting have been things I've always challenged in some way or other :)
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.
:
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!