4 too young to start school ?

[greendayrock]

i totally agree my son was 4 in the august and started school in the sept 2005 so a very young 4, i think it was far to young and i dont think he has benefited from it at all. i think they should wait till all children are 5-6.

 

[Jade&Evie]

Other countries make it a lot easier for mums to stay at home with their kids too

I think it does kids good to go to school early- not only does it mean they start learning earlier but also they get the interaction of other children.

Our education system is one of the best in the world- I think a lot of 5 year olds would be bored without school!

 

[*Star*]

yeah benjamin is 4 in july and starting school in sept. i think hes so ready for the learning aspect of it, but definitly not ready for the structure and the time that he will be there. maybe a year of half days for reception class then full time when they are 5-6

 

[kelsey]

i think it depends on the child. i started school full time at 3. where i live now its not compulsary to start them until the sept after they turn 5. with my eldest i felt he was ready to start at 4 but i know lots of parents who put them in a few days a week until they're 5.

 

[mrs_tommo22]

Im not sure tbh, stephen starts school n september, and im sure hes ready for school as ithink it will help hi alot as he does enjoy being with other kids but the learnig side im not sure. But my worries are more autism related then anything else.

Will see what happens, ut i know alot of mums down at the local school think 4 is too young as well.

 

[Sammystar]

Here they don't start until six. My eldest just turned five and she will start what they call 'compulsory kindergarten' in August. My four year old will go to 'voluntary kindergarten' at the same time.

It's five mornings per week, and one afternoon.

Structured learning only begins at aged six though. I don't think it makes any difference from and educational point of view to start them younger, as all the kids 'average out' by aged seven or eight, regardless of how early they start. I do think it's good from a social point of view though.

 

[Xena]

Lydia is desperate to go to school - it's agonising for her having to wait until January to go to nursery - she keeps talking about wanting to go to school with lots of other boys and girls. I think she's a bit lonely poor thing - she plays with Alex as best she can but he can't talk or anything so it's not the same. She knows about school and is dying to go.

 

[emx279]

jess starts school in september she will be 4 but she will be 5 on the 18th september is weird how it works, the school year i mean.

 

[kellie80]

Jess was another one who was only just 4 when she started. She turned 4 at the end of July then started full time school in the September. She was so ready for school, she enjoyed it and came on really well. Aimee on the other hand is due to start nursery very soon and I don't think shes ready yet. She still seems like a baby to me, maybe cos shes tiny, not sure.

 

[beanie]

I think its way too young. I would rather any formal education began later at about 6-7. Seren does go to nursery as I had to go back to work after having her, but I have reduced that right down. Cally won't be going to nursery unless I have to go to work. We go to alot of groups and see friends with their children, so they socialise plenty.

 

[Squiglet]

Tia went to "school" at 3....they take them from 2.... buts its just a playschool attached to the public school.... When the reach 5 they move over to the big school...but go back to the pre school to play at break times. Its to get them adjusted to big kids apparently...they don't start formal education until they are 6 here....although Spanish schools work their kids much harder than British schools (not always a good thing ).... and most Spanish kids here have lessons in 3 languages (Spanish, English and Valenciano) where British kids of equivalent age are only learning English...

tbh 4 is too young for formal education... they are just not ready in most cases and by forcing them to compete educationally at that age only serves to erode confidence...

Here though, it is not made easy to be a SAHM till 6...you are expected to return to work when your child is 16 weeks....

 

[kimmumof2]

reanna was 3 when she started nursery but they only offer this in some areas. she started school aged 4 and is in reception she turned 5yrs in january. i think its doen her good, she was a very shy unsociable child before but she is alot more happy and goes to ballet and dance classes as well as karate classes now in spare time which she wouldnt have done this time last year. she can also read fantastically she amazes me with how easily she has took to reading and writing, its amazing what your children can do at this age. i must say though the reception class do not push them, most of the day is made up of free play or if they are learning its put into a fun game like phonics bingo etc. all the children are at different stages, reanna is on stage 3 reading but i know from speaking to mums other kids are on stage 1 but they are fine with that because the school believes to let them move at their own pace. reanna started doing spelling about 10 weeks ago which only a few kids are doing because they normally do this until yr 1 and she loves them. for me her going to school has been greatly beneficial for both her and me as i have met alot of friends down the school over the past 2 yrs whereas i normally am one to sit at home on my own as all my friends are young, and free of responsibilities lol

xxxxx

 

[sarah113]

Abigail starts school in september she is only 4 but will be 5 in november, i think she is too young really

 

[Rosieroo]

Ella is starting an independent school in September, when she's 2 years 9 months for 3 mornings a week.
Until she is 3 she will be with 16 other boys and girls and 3 assistants (not sure the correct term!), her day will start at 9am and finish after lunch at 1pm. She will learn 'mark making' (i.e how to hold a pencil correctly), her alphabet etc and do most learning via play. But it is a school setting with a classroom, tables and chairs.
When she is 3 she mostly likely will go 5 mornings a week, though we haven't decided yet. At this stage she will move into a class with a teacher and helper and will learn how to write. She will still learn via play for some of the day, but this is more structured.

Up until a couple of months ago I would have choked at the thought of sending her, but she is more than ready now. I have visited a nursery and don't feel it can offer Ella what she needs, which is structure.
She is a bright girl (I know every mother thinks their child is but I know she's not brain of britain or anything) who is easily frustrated because she isn't getting the mental stimulation that she needs, I feel I am failing her. She will get what I can't offer her at the moment via school and we'll still have lots of fun outside of it.

I think it depends on the child tbh, some are ready for it some aren't. Ella's more than ready for it and if I had to wait til she was 4 then I think I'd be holding her back!

Ella has been asking every day since our visit last Wednesday when she is going to school. Even though she is socially stimulated with visits to toddler groups she needs more than that.

 

[lisa&alex]

charl was 3 when she started.. she turned 3 in the november and started in teh march.. although she was young she was ready.. she went part time.. and it wasnt compulsary.. shes only started actually learning things this year.. and shes 5 now..they learnt colours and to spot their name etc in nursary..which she already knew.. i think its good to get them to learn about communication and to respect their teacher and peers from a young age..but i dont agree with them actually learning or rather being force/taught to read and write etc unless they are ready or before the age of 5.. charlottes show a desire to learn and ive gone at her pace.. shes had those maths and english books for pre schoolers etc.. and done them at her own pace.. she enjoys doing it.. wont hold my breath tho haha

 

[lea m]

All mine started school at 3! My dd turned 4, 4 months later, my boys were 3 in June and July and started in the September (different years lol)
I think they were definitely ready for it!
They didnt do much learning as in sit down lessons in nursery! They learnt through play! It did wonders for the social development!
In their school, they dont start "proper" sit down lessons until Year 1 which is when they are 5!
I personally think it would be harder for the children if they went to school at 5-6! My OH started school at 5 and said he can still remember it now and it was horrible! He was just used to being with his mum and couldnt understand why she had left him!
I think it is better at 3-4 personally!

 

[HappyAlice]

alot of the lessons on reception are play related anyway. at my daughters school she has every afternoon with free reign, just playing indoors or in the playground, the mornings they do some phonics work etc and other curriculum work but it's not 'work', just using play to teach them things. It's not until year 1 and mostly year 2 when it gets more regimented

 

[MissSara]

harrison was ready for nursery at 3years old, he was bored at home and i felt that he benefited so much from being around other children.
He is in Year 1 now and this is when his proper lessons started in reception tehy still did alot of playing and painting and fun things. Yes i feel it was the right age for him to start school.

 

[abcd1234]

I think it differs from child to child.

Due to my parents both having to work i was with a childminder from a very young age (literally months old) so even though i'd never experienced nursery when it came to going to school at 4 it didnt bother me at all, i'd given up crying when mum left as i knew she was gonna come back lol.

I dont want to have to put Tally in to nursery, my friend works in one around here (the kinda place i could afford as i make hardly any money) and she comes back complaining about management and how they treat the kids and i dont want that for her. If possible i'll try and get her in with the childminder down the road, we've known her for years and my sister still goes to her after school most days as my parents are at work when she finishes. She takes them to a little play group and runs activiteis with other mums and children so she'd definately get social interaction.

I hope she has a natural desire to learn or i may find at 4 she's too young to go in to a reception class, baby daddy has no desire to learn and if she takes after him she may just play up and not do as well as she would if we waited antoher year.

 

[SarahH]

I started school at 4 and I loved it, but I think it all differs from child to child.