At what age should children start school?
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There is much public debate about the ‘right’ age for a child to start school, with the most recent trend to ‘hold children back’. Associate Professor Alma Fleet from the Institute of Early Childhood provides some insights.
“As you would guess it depends on the individual child, the family and where they are going to school,” explains Fleet. “You certainly get averages across hundreds and thousands of children that say a little older is better than a little younger, but this is meaningless for the individual child.”
European research
According to European research, key issues include the child’s wellbeing and involvement. Professor Laevers from Belgium, who has worked with thousands of children, found that those children who are settled within themselves, can become involved with interesting things in their environment and can listen and contribute to conversations, are likely to move into an unfamiliar situation with confidence and ease.
“In terms of involvement, if a child is able to settle happily to a purposeful task and become engaged with another child or adult, that will transfer nicely to what most schools will expect,” says Fleet. “It is not age related - it is individual related.”
Should your child be able to tie his shoelaces and count to 10?
“There are really mixed arguments about what children should be achieving by the time they start school,” says Fleet. “I find the most important thing is that children have independent behaviours so they will not be bullied or feel at a loss when the teacher is responsible for them and 24 others.”
Today some private schools require children to be able to write their name, tie their shoelaces and count to 10 prior to starting school. If this is a problem for your child, Fleet suggests buying shoes with velcro straps! If this is not allowed, play some games that help them learn to tie their shoes.
“It’s important to remember that children under five can be the quickest learners in the world, when they are healthy, confident and pursuing something of interest to them,” she says.
Step into your child’s shoes
“The trick to the whole exercise is stepping inside the child’s shoes,” says Fleet. “The first weeks of school are overwhelming in terms of physical size. The child is used to the scale of the home or day care centre and all of a sudden the playground may seem infinite. A good experiment is to simply sit on the floor and look at the world from the child’s height.”
Simple things a parent can do to help their child make the transition
- read books on starting school and/or speak to a professional
- see the family doctor to ensure all is well with hearing and vision
- ensure children are familiar with the school environment
- offer strategies to help them deal with bullying
- chat with children about what they might be expecting
- share book reading in the home and library
- teach children how to take their raincoat, clothes, shoes and socks on and off
- practise things like opening lunchboxes and getting sandwiches out of lunch wrap.
“The thing to remember is that decisions about schooling will vary for each child and each situation,” says Fleet. “Each family can know that somewhere between four and six their child is likely to be welcomed and successful at the local school.”
For further information contact Associate Professor Alma Fleet alma.fleet@mq.edu.au