[Taff]

For those of you who started children early - did you skip kinder or skip prep?

Also if the FYOS class is a composite prep/grade1 is it likely that a child will skip from prep to grade2 if she achieves at the same level as the grade 1 students throughout the year?

Hi,
My child skipped Prep ( 5yr olds) and went straight into Grade 1 ( 6 yr olds ). We are in QLD. he was born no where near the cut off date. The reason for him starting school in Grade 1 instead of placing him in prep was down to the Principal's decisions. The Principal thought he would be bored in Prep , which he would have been . He was not assessed by psychologists, and didn't have to show any reports or IQ tests, as it is pretty obvious to anyone who meets him that he is academically advanced (although he was assessed by the gifted and talented teacher at the school)
This is a private school, maybe they are more flexible than state I don't know

I don't think they would skip a prep child (5yr old) to Grade 2 (7 yr old) here - there are too many differences in their social skills at that age . My child is in grade 2 now , he finds the yr 2 maths boring , far too simple for him ( I'm going to have sort that one out ) even though he is academically advanced and he is on top with his subjects , he has difficulty with the social aspect of it . He acts so much younger than his classmates; you can tell he is the youngest there. He gets upset more easier than they do, he tires quicker than they do, he is more childish in his behaviour than they are , and he's always last in sport. It breaks my heart sometimes , it's not an easy ride- he really should be with classmates of his own age , but can't as he wouldn't be learning.

[Charmzy]

Move to QLD - our cut-off is end of June.

If only it were that easy!

[libbylu]

My Mum tried to get me in early in VIC in the 70s. I was 5 weeks after the cut off date and already reading and writing etc. They wouldn't do it. I don't actually know of anyone else who has tried to do this.

[threelittlegems]

I would be really concerned about the child's age compared to the rest of the class.

In our school, the trend is to hold kids back. DS1 started prep aged 5 turning 6 in November, and he is one of the youngest in his class. The majority of his classmates turned 6 by March, and some turned 7 later in the year.

Academically he is fine, but socially he plays better with the kids the year level below him and it is quite an issue for him.

Before this experience, I would never have dreamed of holding a kid back, but when everyone else does it, it forces your hand. Never mind starting early!

OP - you need to find out whether a lot of people hold their children back at your chosen school, ask the average age of prep in June, (years and months).

[shine]

I knew my DD needed to start school early at a little over 2yo. She scored on 99.6 percentile. The ACT education department make the decision centrally and provided us a letter to use with her enrollment. As we knew very early on (as in the dept accepted her early entry application just after her 3rd bday) she never skipped a year. The hardest time was when she was 2yo and daycare could not put her in the preschool class because of the staff ratios for the under 3s being higher. DD was only happy when they mixed in the playground with the older children.

I personally believe that you know very early on your child is "different"(not a great term but) as they find it difficult to play with other children their own age etc, its not just that they learnt to read early.

I got alot of stick for being a pushy parent.

DS on the other had will be the eldest in the year and although he could be told to knuckle down and read (and he'd be good) he doesnt want to, so I am letting him go to Kindergarten next year.

HTH

[Akatara]

I agree with threelittelgems.

Around our area, It is more the other way, and a lot of kids are being held back, and starting at 6.

So if a child turning 6 in May, was in my DD class of 21, there was 6-8 kids older than her. It was a large percentage of the class.

The school placed kids in classes, with age and abilities considers. There is a huge range.

We also have a lot of composites at our school, so they group the kids into ability levels, and teach to there level.

[liveworkplay]

This was my DD. She was 12 days after the cut off. Here in Tas they are very strict with early entry. Assessments with the ED dept and must have a IQ higher then 145. I do not know of anyone who has received it. The only people who have a choice to send their kids or not are those born on the cut off date (1st Jan)

We didn't do it in the end. We just tried to engage her in that extra year. She is in yr 2 and at the top of the class in all aspects (academics, socially and physically) as are the handful of Jan kids with her.