Anyone held back from Prep?

[Jandals]

Just wondering if anyone here has decided to hold their little ones back to start Prep a year later? If anyone has - how did it work out?

I don't think DD is emotionally ready for Prep - socially and academically she is fine but I really feel that at 4 her emotional well-being is VERY important. But I worry how holding her back will effect her socially. Plus she knows that most kids go to school at 5 and has been talking a lot about going to 'big school' so will keeping her back make her feel 'different'?! I'm am sooooo feeling the pressure!

Do schools ever take kids in during the year? I have thought about just giving her another 6 mths then starting her half way through the Prep year. Coming from NZ I find this whole one intake at the start of the year system to be quite bizarre - I can see the benefits of it but it does seem a little 'one size fits all' to me. In NZ kids start when they turn 5 - often on their actual birthday, or very close to it. But it seems to allow for a little more flexibility than having one intake.

TIA for any feedback.

[nic]

We kept our daughter back in what was preschool at the time, and now would be prep. So she did a repeat year of pre-school. Her teacher thought socially, she would benefit from it, considering she was a little shy. She said that she would be fine for the first 3 years at school, then when she got to year 4, the curriculum sp?? changed, and got harder and that was when she saw students start to fall behind (she kept an eye on all her students as they progressed through school) If we kept her back, she would develop her confidence more, and be a year older emotionally, and be able to deal a little better (hopefully) with her school work and social situations amongst her peers. If we had sent her on, she would have been going to school with the majority of her peers being a year older than her.

A family member sent their same age child on while we held back. Their child needed tutoring once they hit year 4. Our DD, went into the advanced part of her maths class when she got to year 4. This year, she aced her naplan, and has just been recommended to some committee for extension work at school.

Not sure if any of that will help you or not?
Our DS is born on the last day of the age cut off, and we are already talking about holding him back a year.

In QLD, you can't start half way through the year. (not that i know of anyway)
Goodluck with your decision..

[Floweryfields]

Do you realise that while you can hold your child back from prep, your daughter will be required to start year one the following year? Unless she is assessed as not being ready by the correct authorities, she will have to start year one in the correct year for her age.

[Tinks]

Speak with the Kinder teacher. It's very hard to get 2nd year funing for Kinder these days (where I live, might be different where you live) so you might find that holding her back will mean she's home for a year. Schools probably would take her mid year but then she'd be 6 mths behind all the other kids which could be hard for her.

If she's academically ready then I'd be inclined to send her to school, the social skills will come and if need be she can repeat prep.

[Floweryfields]

Jandals is in Qld, our prep system is different to kinder - the rules are frustrating at times. I am not sure about starting part way through the year - I know if you moved you certainly would be allowed to do this, but not sure whether you can if you are already living in the intake area. I also am not sure about the benefit of starting part way through the year, as she will have missed all of that the other children have learned. She may also find it difficult socially to start part way through a year.
Is she attending kindy or childcare with others her own age? Do her teachers there share your concerns about not being ready?

[Jandals]

Sorry for the delay in replying. My email notifications weren't working - seems to happen quite often

Thanks for all of your comments.

nic - Your experience definitely helps. Interesting that the decision to hold your DD back has had such long-term benefits. I was really only thinking of next year but it's great to hear that it has worked out so well for you guys.

ausgirl - I have some 'contacts' that will give me the necessary paperwork to hold DD back if I want to. I would only hold off if she was able to start in Prep as I can't see the benefit of keeping her out of school only to throw her in to Year 1, IYKWIM? Which is the same as starting half way through the year now that I've had a good think about it. She is in childcare 3 days a week and she does really well there but she does require a lot of 'emotional support' from her teachers ie, extra cuddles and spending a lot of time with her on mornings that she doesn't want me to leave. I usually stay until she's happy for me to go but some mornings it's not practical for me to hang around so one of the teachers will take over. Through-out the day she goes to her teachers for reassurance more than most of the other children and I worry that a single teacher in a room of 25 children just won't have the time (or inclination) to give her what she needs. I have really good relationship with her preschool teachers and they agree that she is ready socially and academically but not emotionally.

I'm not really sure what to do with her if I keep her back though. I don't know that another year with younger kids at preschool is a good idea and she would be so bored if I kept her at home as all her friends will be at school. I thought about enquiring at the local C and K to see if they have any other children DDs age that are doing something similar. Aggh, it's such a big decision to make!!