What age do you think children should start primary school?

[sarahht]

What age do you think children should start primary school?
Is four too young for children to start school?
Are children ready to start school at such a young age?

Some children are more than ready and others will never be ready

My 3 were all as ready as they ever were :)

I found that finding problems at 4 has given me plenty of time to fix them. And then only barely enough time.

I shudder to think what would have happened if I'd discovered their problems any later.

As msz says, age is not the defining factor. This is true throughout school, not just at entry level.

But to rejig the school system to work entirely around ability level without consideration of age would be extraordinarily difficult, and the improvement may not be worth it.

I think 4 can be too young. DH is Scottish and I don'y understand why we don't move over to a system like they have with an end of feb cut off rather than end of Aug. That way, the youngest are at least 4.5yrs.

I used to teach. All four of my babies have birthdays between Sept and Jan. I absolutely planned it that way, deliberately stopping trying between August and Christmas. I was fortunate that I conceive fairly easily but I still actively planned autumn babies (one didn't comply and came in Jan! to help ensure they were as old and as ready as possible.

I teach and my children are summer birthdays - I didn't plan it... but luckily they didn't have problems due to being younger than their class mates.

Mine were ready at 4 years. My eldest has a November birthday, and was probably ready 6 months before.

Not all summer babies will have problems. Some will be more than ready. But in the abstract, I planned autumn babies to give them as much advantage as possible.

Yes, I think that children should start all day school at 4. Before that, a year or so of half-days is plenty.

I think 4 is far too young. Children in the UK start school earlier than almost everywhere else in europe and yet our children are not better educated by the time they leave school.

I think it depends on the child, but also their position in the family. Dd1 was 4.5 when she started, but could easily have been another 6 months- year at home. Dd2 was 4.5 and would probably have benefitted from starting sooner, she hated nursery, but next door classroom, same teaching staff, she loves the structure and learning. Ds (2.5) is already saying that when he starts nursery he wants to wave goodbye at school gate - obviously I won't. He will be nearly 5 and I imagine desperate to start.

I was talking to a German family on holiday who said they had the choice of starting anytime between 5 and 7yrs, which seems an interesting approach (though nightmare to teach I imagine). I can see what Indigobell means about picking up problems, but some children seem to not get it at all in yr R+1, but then it all clicks into place, so problems might not be fully investigated until then anyway, and by starting school early some parents of later developers might worry unecessarily, when actually it will work out ok for their child.

As kids vary so much there is no ideal age, but to me 4 is just too young and both my kids had miserable yr rs which could have been avoided with a later start date.

DS ignored the first 2 years of school (yr r and yr 1) as he wasn't ready socially and was miserable. He was fine academically. He just withdrew and pretended it wasn't happening. Now he is in yr 4 and doing OK socially, I do occasionally spy on him at break times on Mondays when I'm not working. This school year I've seen him playing with friends for the first time and laughing, which is a huge weight off my mind.

DD was summer born and a slow developer, physically especially. Yr r was hard for her, with lots of bigger, faster, less clumsy children to cope with, she got behind academically, was extremely aware of this and lost her self esteem and stopped trying. Fortunately she is now in another class with a lovely motherly supportive teacher and is now catching up rapidly, she has grown physically which has really helped and all of a sudden she can read and write. Last week she said she liked school sometimes, prior to this she has firmly stated that she hated it. Still not making friends much though.

Both were so tired in yr r it had a real negative impact on family life. No going out, quiet weekends, very little playing as both had to be in bed by 6pm or they couldn't manage the week without serial meltdowns.

DS was just 4 when he started he could have done with another 6 months. He is now in Y2 and is struggling but we will get there as he has tremendous enthusiasm and determination.

My eldest three started school at the expected time my youngest two started school the term after they were five full time. They had attended part time before then building up to five half days. It was right for them at the time.I'd say each child's needs are different and there isn't one set right time.

Some countries encourage children to start at a ripe old 7! Apparently they do better in Maths is the research.

Though don't really know what they do till such a late age - whether they go to nursery or grade 0 or something.

Different kids will do better or worse than others, I guess it's individual.

1. it would save me a fortune in childcare

I think 4 is ok but I think they'd be better with half days for the first couple of years. I don't suppose it's practical in a world where most parents have to work though.

Both mine are September babies and would have had no trouble starting 6 months earliest. In fact. Dd was beginning to start.

What about a year earlier though bruffin I have two summer babies which means starting at only just turned 4.

They probably would have been okay. My problems were more in yr 6 when they both outgrow primary. They were ready to move on to the independence of secondary. Along with being Sept babies they were very mature for their age, and still are.

7 years old...but with teacher led early years provision from 3 years.

7, yes some children are ready sooner but whats the rush.
we put children in uniforms make them sit and do work when all they want to do is play and explore.
By the time they can explore, when they are older, not so tired in the evenings and can stay up later they are told to stop being so childish.
country's that have a later start age have better outcomes, mostly because children have been able to play for so long and work things out for them self's.
i know this is not a popular view point but the government did some research a few years ago and found there was no benefit in children starting school below the age or 6 or 7.
To most people this is just the norm and dont really think about it, to others they see the sooner the better, ether because they want to get back to work and need the child care or they want to show off what there children can do. some just think if a child can do something then they should, i would say what are they not doing?

I think 4 is too young for some of our expectations of reception kids and this isn't fair. I don't think 4 is too young for school as such, I just think school should change for reception and even year 1 to fit children's development at this age so they don't have to change (shudder) to fit school. Why not have a broader nursery/kindergarten experience up to beginning of year 2, so that school is full time from 4 but there are more teachers to kids and flexibility in terms of formal learning until this point. I remember when my DS started in September that he looked strange in his uniform, and he's an Autumn born big chap. I thought then that children under 6 shouldn't be in uniform- ie shouldn't be in "school" as such and all that that entails. Although DS is thriving I think my first reaction was the correct one.

Between 6 and 7, with good full-time nursery available from 3.
Starting at 4 seems incredibly early: children need time to play, explore and learn through experience. There is plenty of time for formal study later, while tine before school could be used to improve talking, motor skills, social skills and having fun.
I started at 6.6 and by 6.8 was reading longish chapter books, writing came later that year and times tables to 10 were learnt and used regularly by 7.10. All without stress and in a class of 36!

Compulsory education from seven.
Non compulsory education (swedish style) until seven.
Also ability to go part time or at least have short days until seven. even at seven school day to end no later than three.

My son was part time until he turned five and then full time. I would like him to have been part time until seven.
School is fine,but he would rather be with me and I with him. He gets over tired and though there is lots in school that is good it is not five times six and a half hours worth a week which is far too much LUDICROUSLY young. I end up with a tired child who can't do all the things he used to enjoy.

His education is suffering as a result of full time schooling.

Yes, when your child comes home and has meltdowns that they didn't have a year ago........happened to us tonight......