So I know it's a while away still for this little spud, but I really don't like this idea of having one intake per year for school. This means she will be 5.5yrs to start school. DH and I were both June babies and only did half a year of reception, whereas our little one will have to do a full year...
I don't think reception is a vital year persay as I can quite easily teach her to read etc. is there any way we could just skip reception and start her at 6 in year 1?
I know in SA you do not have to attend school until you're 6, so you could only really keep your child home if they were one of the early starters. My child is the opposite to yours and will start school at 4.8 years so legally I could keep her home until the following intake but not sure if she would still have to start in reception or not?
Yeah im not sure about it all either. I guess I feel better knowing my child is starting early and will more than likely be ready for school early.
It's strange though, my friends child is just 2 weeks younger than mine and misses the cut off by one day, therefore they'll be in different grades at school!
At a teacher (and in SA at that), I don't think you could keep her home and start in year 1. Even if you wanted to start her at 6 (so I presume you'd want her to start mid year), I don't think they'd let her start mid year anyway....I think it's the beginning or not at all....
That being said, reception is a very important year. It's not all just learning to read and write, they are also learning school routines, social skills, and don't forget maths! The new Australian curriculum that is out actually has really high expectations for the early years in terms of number. By the end of year 1 for instance, they need to know numbers to 100 and how to count in 2s, 5s and 10s, and by the end of year 2 they need to be good with numbers to 1000!! A full year of reception will be very valuable in giving your DD a head start and good foundation for all that she will need to know.
I agree about Reception being so important. My oldest actually did 6 terms of reception (with how it is currently set up) and it was the best thing we ever did for him. It does not bother him in the slightest that he is the oldest in all his classes.
Spud definitely won't be the only one starting school at 5.5 years old.
Both my elder girls did over a year in reception. Eldest did 6 terms and middle did 5 and I believe they need it.
My youngest is meant to start school term 2 next year therefor she will only do 3 terms before heading to year 1. And I'm not happy with that so I'm thinking I holding her back to start in term 3 so she will have to do 6 terms. Because thy have to do minimum of 3 max of 6 with the current system.
The 1st term of reception to me is a write off a well because it's more about settling in emotionally and getting used to school rather then learning to read etc.
Just another point - I personally did 5 terms of reception and I think it was the best thing ever. I don't remember much of that first term at all, but I do remember that a lot of time was spent learning routines and school rules (not that I was a naughty kid or anything, it's just a new thing to learn). I was always very confident at school, and I do honestly feel it was a result of not being 'rushed' through reception. I was always one of the more 'advanced' kids in my year level and it made school a much nicer place to be than some of my friends though it was.
I dont think its a bad thing at all considering every other state, their equal reception year is compulsory; if you are 5 years old between April 30-July 31st depending on the state you go to kindergarten/prep/whatever. If you choose not to then you go as a 6yo, no bumping up a grade to year 1 just for age!
That first year is vitally important and all the teachers I know are adamant that children are DISadvantaged by not attending the first year of school if its not made compulsory (which Im pretty sure most states are now, SA might be the only one that it isnt still).
Gosh i wouldn't want my kids NOT to attend Prep here in VIC, my DD is loving it. it is a great year for them to settle into school life, routines, make friends, for the Mum's to meet each other. Why would you want your kids to miss out on all of that and start year 1 on the back foot, maybe not in learning but all the other social aspects of school.
My DD1 won't start until she is 5.5 either. I don't love the idea, but mostly because I think she be more than ready by then and will be chomping at the bit to start kindy waaaay before she is 4.5! But other than that fact I don't have a huge issue with it, there will be lots of kids in the same boat and it will be the new normal. My preference would be for more than 2 terms of reception for the reasons other have stated (getting used to routines, social aspects etc.) so this is the way it has to be!
Just wanted to say, my eldest has started Prep this year at 5.5; out of my three he will be the oldest starting school, my middle son will have just turned 5 a month before school start and my youngest will be 5 in the March of his first year. Im not worried at all about them not being ready, but if I were I would probably hold them back; but they WOULD go into Prep as a 6yo not automatically into Year 1. I asked our school because I wasnt entirely sure Ds2 would be ready, but if we kept him back he'd be in Prep with his younger brother.
You'd be surprised at how vital it is. And, it's only coming into line with the rest of Australia. They wouldn't do it if it wasn't beneficial.
The territory only did it a couple of years ago and you'd be surprised how many mums say it's better.
Is prep kindy? I'm not sure why you would think it wasn't necessary. I think the first years of school are the most important. They set the tone for the rest of their education and if children start a year behind their peers feeling bewildered by the routine and trying to join a group that has had a year to develop relationships it's not a great start.
In Victoria the cut off date for a child to start school the year is April 30. Any child with a birthday after then starts the next year. It use to be 30 June but was changed a few years ago
Prep is a wonderful year for children and parents.
There is a huge change from kinder to prep. They take a while to adjust to the longer days as in 9-3.30 5 days a week, being in class in hot weather and even the difference of eating snacks and lunch.
Prep at the start of the year is taught with fun activities but lots of learning and with lots of interaction with class members and even older children.
Many children have not had much interaction with older children and seeing a year 6 boys can be very scary and not just for the prep child
MIL teaches reception here in SA and is looking forward to the change to one intake per year. With the current system of taking in students every term, she finds herself spending every term focused on helping new students adjust to school life. While she does the best she can to involve her existing students, she feels it's often to their detriment. New students take the most time/energy/attention so just as she gets an entire class accustomed to school, the term ends and she has to start all over again. With one intake, the first term can focus on getting everyone used to attending school and the rest of the year can build on that.
Just thinking back to the start of the year with DD, she has come so far, there are so many little things that we as adults take for granted but in Prep they really do a step-by-step orientation into school life, even things such as walking in the classroom and going to their lockers and unpacking their drink bottles/lunch box sounds simple but for the first few weeks I was doing this for DD and now she confidently walks up to her locker and does it herself, it is just all these little things about school that they learn to do for themselves that makes the Prep year so beneficial. When I look at what DD is doing in Prep I just think that she has such a fun time and in having a fun time she is also learning too. Not only that, it is a chance for Mum's to build up friendships/networks themselves.
I do keep forgetting that there will be a lot of other children in the same boat. I just know when i was 5...many years ago...the two terms was plenty and i was ready to move on to year 1.
Both DH and I found it an advantage being the younger ones in the class and we both excelled.
There has been good points raised though, and like its been mentioned at least SA will be in line with the other states. And i am sure school has changed considerably since i was there.
Guess i'm just being a paranoid mum who doesn’t want her child disadvantaged lol!
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