PREP Are they old enough?

[LachlansMun]

Who agrees with the new PREP year. I'm not sure I agree on the new rules for Prep Year starting 2007 (QLD). Children born from 1 Jan - 31 June with start Prep but those after will begin the next year.

When my son (born in May) begins Prep in 2010 he will be one of the youngest in his class and I'm not sure he will be ready with children who turned 5 the year before him (July 2009 - June 2010).

What are your thoughts? :ecomcity:

[SassyMummy]

My little girl will be one of the oldest...her b'day in July 25.

I started school when I was 4 turning 5 (when most of the other kids were 5 turning 6) and it didn't bother me. I knew I was younger...but it just made me feel more intelligent...lol. (Especially since other kids my age were in the grade below).

I think it's all a matter of the individual child though...so I think children should attend an orientation in the year they're going to turn 5. If they don't seem to cope too well with that...then they should start at 6 instead. That's what they did with me at my school...I was ready earlier than the others so I started earlier than the others.

[cwsmum]

I understand what you are saying...but how is this going to be any different to the kids who are born in December and started pre school the year they turn 5? My sis was born dec 21 and bro was dec 11 and they both went to preschool the year they turned 5 and have had no problems, they are now 18 and 15. There will still be the same age range of kids in each class too.
I do think 5 full days a week is going to be a bit too much for some kids tho, I think there should be an option for parents to enroll their kids for the full 5 days or just for 2 full days and one half day like alot of preschool programs are now.
Prep isn't compulsory, so I guess there's nothing to stop you sending you child only 2 or 3 days a week anyway.
My DS will go in 2008, his b'day is in march, so he wont be one of the oldest, but definatly not the youngest either.

[natasha]

Most kids start school when they turn 5 in England (where I am from) , I think it's really depandant on the individual child.

Most children adapt really quickly but I do think 5 full days a week may be bit much. I will be sending my DD to prep school only if I have the option of putting her in say 3 days a week.

[Nan]

Hi everyone.
As a South Australian former Reception teacher, I have to say that one of the things I absolutely LOVE about Queensland is that they start children at school older than we do here (or by the sounds of things, they used to!!) IMO children begin school too early here in S.A. If this Prep year isn't compulsory, then I would probably skip it. That's just my opinion, but year after year I have seen four year olds come into my classrooms and consistently not do as well as children who are already five turning six. The brightest or highest achievers in my classes have consistently (over 6 years) been the oldest. I won't go into the datails unless asked, but start your kids as late as you can!! They will benefit enormously from it. :D

Love,
Nan. xx

P.S. As far as the poll goes, my answer would be that children are capable at five years old, but do better when they are turning or have turned six. It would be a shame if Queensland adopted this compulsorily. A backward step IMO.

[Shazbutt]

My DD1 was born on June 30, so WILL be the youngest in her class....I am seriously thinking of letting her go to the next year if its not compulsory, then she'll be among the oldest. 4 1/2 is way too young the way i see it, especially for 5full days a week. 3 might have been better. I'll see how she develops by then....

I can't see how its any different to old way, there's still gonna be kids a whole year older than others...why did they change it? 2 of my sisters are Nov-Dec bubs and mum kept one of them back to do a second year of pre-school, as she wasn't ready, to save her having to repeat a year later on in life...and have problems adjusting. She's now top of her classes, being a year older than the others....

[mum2four]

Growing up and having my first child in NSW, 5 is the norm to start school, you could hold them back that extra year if you wanted though, same with prep, it won't be compulsary but is a good idea to help them get used to the idea and environment of school, I was another that started school aged 4 tuning 5 on July 15, It didn't do me any harm and I was still the top of my class and a straight A student. I say as long as they are ready it's fine, and you will know if your child is ready! Holding them back because you don't want to let them go (by that I mean don't want to cut the apron strings and keep them back because you want them with you) isn't going to do them much good. JMO

Oh also DD's are both one of the youngest in their year, one being born 14 Dec, the other 7 Dec, in NSW they would have been one of the eldest, but here in QLD they are youngest, DD1 got put up a year here in QLD because she had the kindergarten year in NSW DD2 turned 5 in Dec and is in Grade 1, in NSW she would have been starting school this year too, but would have been in Kindergaten not grade 1

[MilkOnTap]

I started school when I was 4 turning 5 (when most of the other kids were 5 turning 6) and it didn't bother me. I knew I was younger...but it just made me feel more intelligent...lol. (Especially since other kids my age were in the grade below)...
So was I! I finished year 12 when I was 16 (I turned 17 two weeks later) This was a HUGE advantage to me. I had age on my side when looking for employment. At university most degrees are 3 or 4 years full time - that means by the time I was 21 I could have had a bachelor in something!!!

Though I always hated that my friends were older than me and could go to 'blue-light discoes' and M rated movies before I was allowed to...

Personally - if my child is born at a date where I have to choose if they are the oldest or youngest in their class, I would definitely choose the first option and keep them home an extra year...

[k&Hmum]

My DD will be one of the youngest and that worries me as she is behind in her language development now so i dont know how she will cope going to school at a young age. i may keep her back a year i dont really know. My sister who is a teacher said that she has found most children who start at 4 yrs tend to end up being repeated a year or are usually on the lower end of the grades scale (not all but quite alot) so she recomends i keep DD back a year.

I think it all depends on the child, i think some will be fine with it but others will struggle and should be held back.

[Refresh]

My DD1 was born on June 30, so WILL be the youngest in her class....I am seriously thinking of letting her go to the next year if its not compulsory, then she'll be among the oldest. 4 1/2 is way too young the way i see it, especially for 5full days a week. 3 might have been better. I'll see how she develops by then....

I'm with you there. My DS is the 23rd June and I really dont think I'm going to want him away from me 5 full days a week from the age of 4.5:(

The thing is, Prep will not be compulsory but if they are going to do prep, they HAVE to do it the year they are eligible:( I think that we should be able to wait a year. I am not sure what we will do, but maybe homeschool for prep.

I was 16 when I finished school as well, and unlike the others, i think it DISadvantaged me...I would have done better if I was older.

[Nan]

... My sister who is a teacher said that she has found most children who start at 4 yrs tend to end up being repeated a year or are usually on the lower end of the grades scale (not all but quite alot) so she recomends i keep DD back a year.

I think it all depends on the child, i think some will be fine with it but others will struggle and should be held back.


I totally agree....and there is nothing wrong with the children who would be fine doing even better!
Love,
Nan. xx

[maydr]

ayisha was born august so for me her age is just right to start prep on 2011. considering that we're doing it much earlier in the philippines on the following age:

kinder 1: 4 yrs old
kinder 2: 5 yrs old
prep: 6 yrs old
year 1-6: 7-12 yrs old
year 7-11: 13-16 yrs old

since schools are not that strict on the age before, my mom had me skip kinder 2 and jump to to prep at the age 5. so i finish primary at the age of 11, secondary at the age of 15 and got my degree on accounting at the age of 19. i finish school really early so i face the real life pretty early too.:rolleyes:

[Shazbutt]

I don't want to keep her back because i want her to stay with me...just that if she's not ready confidence and learning wise, i'm not going to push her. Like Nan said, 'there's nothing wrong with a child who may be fine, doing even better!'

[mumof03]

Prep school is not all that different to the way pre school is now, except for the fact that prep will be 5 days per week.
My daughter turned 4 in December, then started preschool the following year, which meant, when she started grade 1, she had only just turned 5 years old.
I was worried that she would cope, thinking she was too young, and was told by the preschool that she should repeat pre school.
After a long discussion with teachers of the school, preschool teachers, and advisors of Qld education department, I decided to let her go to grade 1 and if necessary she could repeat grade 1, 2 or 3. In Qld, children are allowed to take 4 years to complete grades 1 -3.
My daughter was willing to go to school, and wanted to attend everyday. She hated being home, while her older brother was in school.
She thrived at school, and with the extra classes she was given to help her catch up to everybody's elses level in her class, the was no need for her to repeat. She is now in year 6 and is amoung the top in her class. She has never needed to repeat.
My advise to everyone would be, let you child attend prep even if you think they are too young. If you find they aren't coping, then take them out and try again next year.
Prep school isn't about teaching them to read and write, it is about preparing them for the long days, teaching them rules, sharing, co-operation etc, so that once they do attend year 1, they know how to learn. Most prep schools will start teaching them to count, say the alphabet, write their names etc, just like in pre school, but it isn't compulsory that they know all of this to start year 1.
My DS will start Prep in 2008. He will turn 5 in April, of the same year, so he will be almost 6 when he starts grade 1. As he has never attended a child care center, I think prep will be a great start for him to learn what is expected of him, once he starts year 1.

[Sarie]

I think it is way too young, I don't agree with them being in full time at that age at all.
Prep is also not compulsary, you can keep them in kindy a few days a week before they go to school.
Going back a few years when I was at preschool we did 3 half days and towards the end of the year we went for full weeks, this is a far better idea, it gets them used to it gradually. Not throwing them in at the deep end when they're not prepared.

[Refresh]

Im with you Sarie:)

[babytoo]

I am still confused.. my son was born 18 July 2002...I believe he is due to start prep in 2008...is this full time....is this compulsory?? Does he then do year 1 the following year?? He just misses the cut off I think

[Refresh]

Yup, he would be eligible 2008, no its not compulsory but you have to do it that year if he's going to do it. Yes, he would be doing year 1 the following year:) He will be one of the oldest in his year:)

HTH

[caitsmum]

I think that you have to look at each child as an individual and see what you feel is right for them at the time.

My daughter is doing Prep this year and it has been of great benifit to her. She could of gone to grade one (turns 6 in August) but didn't have the skills of emotional maturity to deal with the ciriculum and the expectations of grade one. She has really come ahead. My sister is a learning support teacher and told me that the Prep teachers have been "hand picked" so to speak. My daughter's teacher is very grounded and calm and has a lovely rapport with the kids. I have not heard her raise her voice once. They do heaps of fun activities but learn how to be part of the school community at the same time. We have given her 2 extra days off so far to combat tiredness.

My youngest daughter was born in Nov 2001 and will not be elligble for Prep next year. There is 15 months between my daughters and this means they will both be in grade one together. I can't keep my youngest daughter back for another year because she is already needing the extra stimulation that school would offer her. So I can really see the pros for and against and I really think it is dependent on the child as to whether Prep is a positive or not.

[LachlansMun]

Thanks......some really helpful and insightful comments. I'm probably worring about it a bit too early though, he's only 10 months old!

[Melissa1983]

My eldest DD starts prep in 2008. As her birthday is in Nov... I think it is good in one way, so they are getting a look in, on what school is about.

I just can't believe how fast the time goes though, i still remember when she was born, not nearly really for school!

[Rell]

My DD starts pre next year:smiliedance: She will be 4 when she starts and turn 5 at the end of April so she will be one of the younger ones. As others have said I think it really depends on the child. DD already knows the letters of the alphabet and the sound each letter makes, can count and add numbers together and has started to read so i have worries about her not being ready. She also goes to daycare 1 day a week to her her with the socal skills she will need.
I'm not sure how things will work here in QLD but I know lots of parents in NSW are holhing their kids ( born May, June) back a year if they are not ready.