As with any mother I want the best for my children.
Over the last couple of years I had to make decisions about Lulu's education, and eventually I made the decision to hold her back. Her birthday is in January and now she will turn six the year she starts school, which means:
# She will be one of the oldest in her class
# She will turn the same age each year as her peers (well most of them)
She doesn't realise at this stage that she could be at school already. I made the decision when it was time to start 3 year old kinder, so she has never 'repeated' and therefore no questions were asked.
However as all her 'mothers group' friends started school and she did not, I felt there was no harm in continuing to encourage her learning. She was starting to question the letters of the alphabet and wanting to learn.
So after a little investigation I enrolled her and my son Tom in a reading program.
The more I think about the job that lies ahead for early learning teachers, the more I realise and accept that my children learning to read will be determined by how much we as parents put in.
I can't even begin to fatham how one teacher, teaches 20+ children to read (or start reading) over the first year at school.
However my mum has questioned my decision to encourage this learning. She is concerned that they might get bored in the classroom when the group are learning things they already know.
As I talk to more and more mums I'm finding that many children are participating in literacy based pre-school programs. And it got me thinking, what about those who don't do this?
Suddenly in a society where famillies are busy running around from one activity to the next, are we over doing it?
Are we putting too much pressure on the remainder of society, who may not be able to provide this extra curricular activity for their children?
I know I need to think about what is right for my children and nuturing their needs, but are programs like these simply widening the learning gap?
I am interested to hear what you think, as I wonder is this the new normal, part of preparing for starting school?
Mandy
It's Tuesday so I'm linking up with Diary of a SAHM
we made the decision to hold MissE back until she will be turning 6 too. I was the youngest in my year and while i got through there are alot of things that i did way too young. It might not be a big deal in primary school but high school is different. I was always at least a year behind everyone else. Im worried im not doing enough for MissE im scared she will go to school and not know as much as everyone else. I still dont know exactly what shes meant to know before she goes.
ReplyDeleteGood on you or being open to holding Lulu back - at at such an opportune time.
ReplyDeleteI'm a big believer in setting your child up to enjoy school with the greatest possible chance of as much success as they can reasonably manage. For some kids, the extra time up their sleeve does just that.
You make an interesting point though.
As an early childhood teacher I have watched the curriculum be pushed further down the school over the last ten years.
What we were doing in year 1, ten years ago, is now an expectation in pre primary and some kindys.
The curriculum has become seriously overcrowded and play experiences and scaffolding learning have suffered as a result.
Now, as a parent - I have the struggle between pushing a young child and letting nature take it's course.
The 'buzz' thing over here in WA is 3 year old programmes. People are panicking if their child is not in a 3 yo programme which is actually pre kindy.
If you are interested, one of the best resources I have come across is a text titled 'Your Child Can Fly - Skills For School' by Lisa Sloan and Jennifer Kemp.
I think I've overstepped the word limit here! Sorry!!
A topic close to my heart!
:-)
I think the biggest driver in choosing what activities your child should do and when they should go to school, should be the needs of your child.
ReplyDeleteI think many parents do push their children into too many activities, but if your kids are genuinely enjoying them, and they are getting enough time for free play, then there is no problem
As for your child getting bored at school, a good teacher (and I say this as a teacher) will be able to extend and build on your child's strengths.
Give yourself credit for trying to do the best for your child, and ignore all unwanted advice (that's my advice lol)
This is interesting, Mandy. My daughter is 2.5 yo now and already been learning a lot in childcare since she was 1 yo. We had to put her in full-time then because I needed to return to work full-time. I haven't given much thought to the issues you raise yet. I guess I've partly relied on childcare (and they have been excellent) and she is also my first child so it's all new to me. You make some logical points though. And I suppose hubby and I need to think seriously about all this real soon.
ReplyDeleteI was always a year behind at school because we were moving countries when I began. Even though I could have started school early. I started school at 6 and turned 7 mid-year, but could have done at 5. My brothers birthday's are just after the mid-year cut-off and they should have started school at 6 but both started at 5. I know they struggled later on with various challenges probably more on a social level since both were actually quite bright. I don't know if there challenges were age-based or gender-based.
You've left me with some food for thought.
Hello there...this is timely for me to find your blog post today (thanks Gemma). I've just blogged and updated a post from the school's perspective of starting or not starting school. I'm a retired school deputy principal and principal (K-6 NSW Dept of Ed) who has seen around 1000s of children start. Generally parents KNOW the right thing for their children, and schools respect that choice. In fact, if they're not...rethink the school! My blog is going to have some hints and more, from the school's perspective, and as I'm a parent & grandmother of 7 I cannot help but have a foot in each camp... Love to have you visit anytime.
ReplyDeleteThanks Denyse Whelan
Teachers have such a full on job, I think anyway we can help them is good.
ReplyDeleteI think holding her back is the right decision. Both of my older girls are the youngest in their classes and the older one is fine with it, but the younger one lacks confidence. Anything you can do to help your kids with confidence is a good thing in my book!
Thanks for linking up!
Hi Mandy, great post! I too held my son back from starting school, although we were told early in four year old kinder that he was not going to be ready to start school as he needed some extra time to mature. It was a huge decision for my husband and I to not send him to school like all of his friends. So many mums at kinder thought I was crazy holding him back but after a lot of research and thought, it was the best decision we could have made for him.
ReplyDeleteAs for extra curricular activities, I think you have to do what suits each child. My son was never interested in reading so I never pushed. He is now in grade 2 and is a total book worm! He found his way in his own time. My daughter on the other hand who is nearly five can't get enough of letters and words and numbers so i encourage it. each child is different. There is no right or wrong..!
Thank you for this post, we are not at that stage yet but I already am conscious of giving Skye the best start.
ReplyDeleteMum started us with flash cards around the house quite early on and I loved it but my brother wasnt interested at all, if they are showing an interest by all means encourage it as much as possible.
Very interesting. Like Denyse said, parents know their kids best.
ReplyDeleteMy Sophie started at 5 1/2. It was right for her. I wasn't worried about if she knew all the letters of the alphabet or anything like that, she is pretty confident and resilient most times and to me that maturity was the most important thing. She was able to separate easily, run into the classroom with enthusiasm etc. Easy as.
I don't believe there is any advantage to really pumping young kids with things they learn at school. often they learn sounds and the alphabet in a different order. Kids catch up and they also learn at their own pace.
I help in the kindy class room a bit and they are certainly all different with different strengths, what is great is to see kids learning and building confidence in their reading and seeing it in their eyes that they are learning and they get excited by it.
Great topic! I'm a little bit in two minds about this.
ReplyDeleteMost research will tell you that it doesn't matter if a child learns to read at 3 or 4, or at 7. Reading levels at primary age show no advantage for children who have started earlier.
I work as a Speech Pathologist. With the type of children I often see, I would prefer to see their parents spend more time on verbal interaction and verbal language skills, play skills and social skills rather than drilling literacy skills. Good verbal language skills are a better predictor of long-term literacy outcomes than early reading is.
However, for kids who are strong in all other language and social skills, there is really no harm in introducing some literacy skills at the preschool level.
In my head and heart I tell myself that I will not direct my kids' learning in the preschool years, but will follow their lead instead (my eldest is 3). I have managed this so far, but I must admit that I became a little insecure in my position when my 3 year old daughter had a friend around (only slightly older) who could already write her (quite long) name unprompted. Though my daughter has great verbal skills, she is only just starting to show limited interest in letters.
Sorry this is a bit "rambly", but it is a topic I have thought about a lot!
Lots to think about here!
ReplyDeleteI taught myself to read fluently by the age of four. I started school at 4.5 but was absolutely not mature enough and spent the first 6 months sitting on the teachers lap (true story). i started again aged 5, but was bored because I already knew how to read and write. Luckily for me I had a great teacher who extended my learning to counteract boredom (sadly I only had her for 2 years and she was one of a kind!).
I homeschooled my eldest until he was 7.5. When he started school (because he asked to), he couldn't read. He went straight into grade 1 (skipping prep - Vic), but our school has multiaged classrooms, so a third of his class were preps, a third grade 1 and a third grade 2. Grades 3/4 and 5/6 are also shared grades. So, he was able to learn to read alongside the preps but also be with children his age. Just today he received his Naplan results and he is well above average reading levels for his grade now (grade 5), being in class with grade 6s allows him to extend himself in areas he more accomplished.
Our children don't do extracurricular activites because we can't afford them, but I don't resent other parents for doing what they can for their own children...
It's a hard one hey?
ReplyDeleteWe held the big girl back... her birthday is right on the cutoff here so the choice was youngest or oldest in her group.
To be honest she would have been fine as the youngest, she's that kind of kid. But I'm so glad we did decide to hold her back as she is just thriving. Her teacher has nothing but praise and she revels in the entire school thing with complete comfidence.
Can't ask much more than that as a parent :)
CrashGirl is doing 3yo Kinder this year, but she started before she turned 3. We made the decision to repeat next year because we'd rather she be the oldest than the youngest in the class. Especially when it comes to high school.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to extra curricular activities, I've been pulling back on them. I was concerned about all their time being organised and that our time together wasn't 'organic'. I felt like I was giving them interests rather than letting them discover their own. I'm enjoying our free time more than racing around everywhere doing organised activities.
I volunteer in my eldests' prep class and have been amazed by the differences in reading abilities (just for starters). There are children that cannot read a single word and are still struggling with recognising letters and sounds, and others that are reading at level 15 (something like a grade 2 or 3 child I believe).
ReplyDeleteI have started both my girls on Reading Eggs, even though Rubster is only 4. I will monitor their learning and supplement it where necessary. Just like extra-curricular activities, why should school-work where they need to do more, be any different?? And unfortunately, you cannot rely on the education system to do it.
I am a school psychologist and a mom to a 3 year old who just started preschool. I say, follow your gut for what you want for your child (when it comes to early reading classes); however, I would NOT support doing nothing and leaving all of it up to kindergarten. Kids greatly benefit from preschool. It helps with their adjustment to kinder GREATLY. If you aren't sure about starting in extra/specific reading classes for a "boost," well that is more up to the parent and specific child. It can't hurt. If the fear is that they will be bored when they get to school, deal with that then. You may have to ask for some enriching activities at that time and schools SHOULD accommodate that...
ReplyDelete