Are you planning on sending them to 3 year old or 4 year old kinder next year?

I am planning on sending my daughter (3 on the 20th March) to kindy next year. So the year she turns 4.

I am in WA, not sure if its different anywhere else?

ETA: I think the cut off here is June 30th?

My twins turned four yesterday - and this year they started 3yo kinder.

They'll do 4yo next year and start school just before they turn 6.

We're in Vic and the cut off is April 30th - they have wonderful vocabularies and are bright and intelligent and very tall for their age but once you start school that's it - it's for good and so if they started prior to turning 5 they will always be the youngest (or among the youngest).

We made the decision that it is not about who/what they are now - but what it will be like when they are 14 and 15 and how that might affect them socially.

Also, I have never heard of anyone saying they wish their parents had sent them earlier so they were not the oldest in the class, but plenty who have said it was always a little hard being the youngest and who wish they had been kept home for another year.

I'm in no rush to 'ship' my kids off into the system, I feel they have benefitted at home with a 1 adult to 3 kids ratio rather than the 1 to 11 they would have had at kinder last year.

It's a tough decision - do what feels right for you and stand by your decision if others question it.

Good luck!

My boys will be 3 at the beginning of April. The cut-off for the school year is the 30th April here in the ACT (not sure about anywhere else) and next year I will be sending them to pre-school (which is 12-15 hours a week of play based learning). They do kindy, which is the first year of primary school, the year after that. So they will be 4 still when they first start school... I don't want to keep them back any longer though, as I think waiting another year would be just too long.

My DD did not get a place at 3yo kinder (even though DS went there previously ). Nonetheless she will be doing 4yo kinder next year.

Thank you so much for the feedback. DD will be 3 at the end of March. She did not get into 3 year old this year & kinder is suggesting that she do 3 year old next year, the year she turns 4. I can see it both ways, just wish I had longer to decide!

The cut off in QLD for 4yr old Kindy is 30th June, (DS's bday is 7th June) so he ended up going to kindy at 3.5 yrs old. But I think for him even though he was so young it was the best thing as he had to start school this year at 4.5 and I would rather him have that time at kindy than not at all, it was amazing how far he came last year and so far he is doing really well at prep.

DS1 is 3 on March 26.
And already in a Pre-school program for 3yr olds (we are in NSW)
Totally undecided as to whether he will go to school in 2012 or 2013 though...

I also have a DD who is turning 4 on March 27...
We are thinking we will send her to school next year. Kindergarten in NSW, is a formal year of education. She is ready according to her pre-school educators. DH & I are not yet 100% decided though.

My middle and youngest child both have birthdays in March so they are both doing 3 year old kinder (start first year in term 2) for 2 years then 4 year old kinder before school. My middle child turns 5 in late March, is currently doing 4 year old kinder and having 2 years of preschool previously has been fantastic for him as he certainly wasn't ready for 4 year old kinder this time last year. It made the decision making easy when it came to deciding what to do for my youngest. I'm in Victoria and I know some places also have a deferred class for those too old for 3 year but not quite ready for 4 year.

I would do 4 year old kinder the year she turns 4 - much more age appropriate.
DS2 is an end of March baby (he's 2 next week!) and I definitely wouldn't hold him back. I think he would gain more from being with kids that are slightly older than a lot younger.

DS1 is doing 4 year old kinder now but isn't 4 until June 24th. He is getting MUCH more out of being in the preschool room than the 3year kinder room.

My DD is now 6y with an early March birthday. She started our equivalent of 3yo kinder at 2y11m, did preschool the following year and started full time school at 4y11m. She is now in year 1 and we have had no problems. The cutoff here is 30 April and there are several children in her year with Feb-Mar-April birthdays.

Steph

Having the same dilema here. DS just turned 2 and we have enrolled him for 3yo the year he turns 4. We were able to enrol at 18 months which is far too early to know. I think I will reasses at the end of the year when he is closer to starting.

Amoungst others with those the same age, the mums of girls tend to be sending to 3yo at 3 but boys waiting that extra year.

Also in talking with a number of teachers/mums, many say it depends on how they are socially, they need to be able to cope more with the social side of things when they start then anything academically.

As an alternative I know a few mums who enrol is a few sessions of occasional care just to give them something different before starting kinder.

my daughter turned 3 on march 25, since Jan she's been doing 3 days a week at a childcare centre in the prekinder room, next Jan she'd move into the kinder room. I'm thinking of leaving her for the year next year and then maybe doing 4 year old kinder the next year and then school the next. My biggest issue right now is every kinder I've seen is only a few hours where's she's doing 6 hours a day, 3 days a week and loving it, I'm not sure I want to pull her out to go down to only doing 2 hours at a time

My eldest 2 were early and mid March babie they did 4yo kinder the year they turned 4, and then off to school no worries.

My dd#2 who was 4 in early feb is at kinder this year and at this stage will not be attending school next year as she is having speech issues ( some sounds she doesnt use) therefore those who dont know her dont always understand what she says.

Due to cut off dates here, my just turned 4 yr old will be starting kinder (2 days a week) next year, so she will be 5 soon after school starts. No 3 yr old kinder offered here, although If we were still in Vic, she wouldnt be going to 3 yr old kinder, she would be in daycare 2 days a week which I personally think is ample preparation for school.

We are in NSW

DD will start preschool (9 > 3) 1 day a week, building up to 2 days a week next year @ 2years & 11months

She will do 2 years of pre school, might move to 3 days?? in 2012

Then Kindergarten @ School from 2013, so she will be 4 years & 11 months when she starts school.