Kinder question, again!!

DS is currently attending a kinder room at childcare, with kids between 3 and 5. He's doing well, although his speech is still way off (we're doing early intervention for that). I want to start him in school when he will be turning 6 (he will start primary school in the year he turns 6 on 15 March). My next kinder question is, should I enroll him in the 3 year old kinder next year when he's 4 and then he'll be doing 4 year old kinder at 5 and goes to school at 6, OR, do I enroll him in the 4 year old kinder next year, and then have him do the same the following year? Is there any benefit of doing 4 year old kinder twice? I'm not sure if he is emotionally ready for 4 year old kinder next year. Has anyone have any experience with this or advice? The government kinder is a 2 minute walk and across the primary school I want him to go to, so he'll be mixing with his school buddies. I need to decide about he 4 year old kinder within 2 weeks as enrollments have to be made by the end of June...

I was in a similar situation in terms of having an April baby (so would either be one of the oldest or one f the youngest depending on start year). Like you, we elected to start her the year later.
I had a great chat to our kinder staff and they reccomended that we do 3yr old then 4 yr old. The most compelling argument being that toward the end of 4 yr old, they tend to make a pretty big deal of the kids all going off to school. It'd be really tough for a little person to know that they're not progressing with their peers. They also said that they have to 'reccomend' that a child repeat a year and there's a bit of an assessment process and hoops to jump through. You can't just do two years of four year old by parent choice, the decision has to officially come from kinder staff. Finally, I wanted to develop her social confidence by allowing her to be one of the eldest in her group - I guess more of an individual choice as DD tended to be very shy and was quite socially immature. 5 months into 3 yr old kinder (as a now 4 year old) and I wouldn't describe her the same way. She's still cautious and quiet at first but she's really blossoming and her teachers tell me that she's engaging with the other kids beautifully - something I'm not sure she'd do with as much confidence if they were all a year older.

HTH!

Thanks Santosha, this really helps!! It was actually the kinder teacher that I spoke to yesterday, that suggested doing the 4 year old kinder next year and then repeating it the following year. She said you need to get it approved though?? It makes sense though, I wouldn't want the teachers at the end of the 4 year old kinder to make a big deal about going off to school the following year, only for DS to be left behind and having to do the 4 year old kinder all over again...

i was also suggested to me that it is usually better to do 2 years of 3 year old kinder, and 1 year of 4 year old kinder. I have an April baby and we will decide at the end of year whether to do anther year of 3 year old kinder. So far, the Kinder teachers have encouraged me to put her in 4 year old kinder next year.

I have also been told that is has become more difficult to get funding for a second year of 4 year old kinder, particularly after the increase was made to kinder contact hours.

Unless you know for sure you will get an extra year of funded 4 yr old kinder then repeat 3 yr old, there has recently been a huge cut down on finding for second year of 4 year old, basically unless the child is developmentally delayed you won't get it, funding is worth about 4k plus fees :O I'd repeat 3 yr old

Yep, what olive and HotI said.

Thanks ladies. DS has been diagnosed with a developmental delay, that's why we do the early intervention, I guess that's why the kinder teacher said the funding would be ok on those grounds. I might have a chat to the early intervention lady there and get her opinion, but I am leaning towards doing 3 year old kinder next year again and then 4 year old kinder when he is 5. Thanks again!