Best age to start school

holuc

Hi all,

We are just wondering if we should send our daughter to school this september or next september. She has been in a creche since she was 14 months. She will be 4 this July and we think she might be a bit old 2 start next sept (5 years and 2 months).

At the moment she is very socialable, knows her colours, her alphabet, her numbers.

We're afraid that if we wait till next yr we might be holding her back rather than doing any good for her, or would it be better for her to enjoy another year of 'play'.

We always said we would send her to school when she was 5 but now we don't know what to do!!

Just wondering what would other ppl would do or have done that were in this kinda situation before.

Morag

Talk to the school about it, aske them what the average age of the children starting Junior Infants is and then make your decision.

Tayla

They say girls are ok to start from 4 but boys are better off waiting until they're 5. It really depends on social skills rather than what they already know, would she be capable of sitting down and doing what the teacher says? Could she manage her coat and lunch by herself? Those little things are the important things.

I would say if she has been in a creche that she probably is well able for school but it's really up to you, you know your child better than anyone.

I started school myself after turning 4 that July and it was fine, In secondary school that was where the issues arose because of age gaps. For example when I was 13 a lot of my friends in my year were 15 and so when there parents would allow their children to go to discos and late showings at the cinema, my parents would literally have murder with me saying no you can't go they are 2 years older than you etc. and yes there can be a big maturity difference between 13 and 15 years but as far as I was concerned my parents put me in the year with them and they were my peers regardless of whether they were older than me or not.

It might seem trivial now but that was the big issue that both I and my parents had as a result of me starting school when I had just turned 4.

yungwan

IMHO I think you should wait until she is 5.

I had this issue with my son who was 4 on sept 1st so technically could have been sent to school that year. He was definately ready and knew his colours etc but I decided to wait until he was 5 as IMO it was better for him to be ahead in his class than struggling (not that I think your daughter would!)

Also, when I went to school I was 4 since the previous April but was always the youngest in my class and year and had only turned 17 the April prior to my LC. (I didnt do Transition yr)

For me I always felt I would have benefitted maturity wise if I had been kept back a year.

A year is nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it is your choice at the end of the day.

Oh and P.S my son was in creche from about 18 months too so he was social too.

Dizzyblonde

One of the things to consider is the age your child will be when they're sitting the Leaving Cert and under pressure to decide what direction to take with college etc.
My daughters were both born in June, and would have been well able academically to start school at 4, but the first didn't get in due to the cutoff date for her year as the school was so full. This turned out to be a blessing because at 5+ settling in and coping with the schoolyard etc was so much easier. Also, being one of the older children in the class has the advantage of the child often being more confident about answering questions, participating etc. So I didn't send my second daughter until she was 5 too.
Both my daughters turned 18 at Leaving Cert time, so they coped very well with the stress and pressure. Also, they were old enough to go on holidays with their friends after the Leaving - it's a whole different story when they're 16 or 17 and all their friends were going away, and they're begging to go! These are things you might not think of now, but I think they're important.

I definitely wouldn't send them at 4, unless they'd turned 4 at least 6 months before the start date. My friend's daughter was kept back a year because she was so much younger than most of her class and didn't cope well - she did really well in the younger class.

Orion

Have you checked with your local schools about their enrolment policies? A lot of schools have a cutoff that you must be 4 on or before 1st July/June or even March in some cases. So she may not be eligible to start this September.

That said my personal opinion is that she would be too young. Not for now - for later. The age won't mean a whole lot now - but starting secondary and college and doing the Leaving that extra year could be a big difference.

Our girls started at - and we had the chance to start them at 4. We haven't regretted waiting that extra year. They were in a creche since 8 months too. Bear in mind that the year can be used educationally too - you can start her on reading/flash cards/etc yourself. It can give a great head start to school.

As Tayla said nobody knows her better than you - if you feel she's ready then send her. There's no right or wrong answer here - just use your best judgement

Crea

My daughter was 4 in the May but I waited the extra yearand she started last Sept. She is by no means the eldest in the class and in fact the youngest in her class has just turned 5.
Check the age proile in your daughter's class. If she was to go into a class like my daughter's she'd be over a year younger than many in the class which is huge in relation to socialising.

snowdaze

I would recommend waiting until 5. I teach in primary and it is often disadvantageous to the kids to send them when they are a young 4. As a parent, I sent my eldest at 4 because she was very bright and extremely sociable. However, sociable did not mean mature social skills for her age. She was my first and at an extreme disadvantage - she repeated first class and from then on, she got on fine. The choice to repeat is no longer an option so you need to be sure and make the correct choice from the start. I have never heard a parent saying they regretted holding their child until 5 to begin school but I have heard of many who regretted sending them at 4.

Moonbeam

if she can read and is can write basic things I would send her when she is 4 if not I would give her the extra year.

amiable

Hi Op, we sent our daughter to school when she was 5 and her birthday is in July too.
She's thriving in school and loves it.
That's just our experience and i wouldn't like to tell you what to do.
Good Luck

Smashhits

Hi OP. Both my kids were born in July and I didn't send them to school until they were 5. As said by other posters it's in second level that the maturity makes a difference. My son is in 5th year now and will be 18 doing the LC next year, closer to 19. I'm delighted as he's more focused and knows what he wants in life.

lazygal

I'm a Montessori teacher and I say if in doubt, wait the extra year. It's just easier to wait out a year now that have to deal with problems of age in primary or second level.

gcgirl

I sent my eldest at 4 total mistake, sent the boy at 5 and now sending the youngest girl at 5,

Decoda

Our local school called to us and asked us to look at starting our son at school. He was 4 in April of that year. Apparently the school was in danger of losing a teacher if it could not keep numbers etc. At the time we were happy to send him because he knew his letters / numbers etc. However looking back on it now, we regret that decision. Our son is extremely sporty and plays on a lot of school and club sports teams, however a drawback to him starting school at 4 is that 99% of his friends now play at the older age groups, e.g. our son is still playing at under 10 this year yet all of his friends have been playing under 12 for a year. It seems like a minor thing but its amazing how it affects him, seeing all his friends progress while he is left behind.:(

DC

Ayla

For what it's worth, a thread was going on about this a month ago:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056182960

And just another point - the NEWB (national education welfare board) doesn't require children to be receiving a "minimum standard of education" until the age of 6, so concerns that 4 yr olds are missing out may be premature.

Jumbo156

For what it's worth, we started our little fella when he was 5 ( in August). Some of his mates from montessori started at the same time and some where the same age , maybe a little younger than your daughter.
There is now a noticable difference between my little fella and the others. ( the teachers words not ours).Not just academic but social skills as well.

Just my tuppence worth, but I would wait til she was 5, do you really want her leaving school at 16/17 years old.

I am not doubting that your daughter is intelligent but don't we all thing that our little bundles of joy are the next Einstein .
Personally I know that my little fella will be the next Albert Einstein and the next Lionel Messi, all in one.
Feet up for me when he moves to Barcelona!

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Jumbo156

.

Chuchoter

Always go with 5, you don't want her going into college at 17. That would suck, and in any case the girls in my year (5th) who are the full year younger do still suffer. On the whole they're way more immature and restless when it comes to study/

cassid

I have a boy who will be 5 starting school. He attends a consultant and he said the biggest mistake he ever made was sending his 2 kids to school at 4 , he kept them back a year and are both doctors now.

I have another little who just turned 2 yr old who already knows his numbers, and letters, so will have to see with him,

dan_d

Mum is a teacher, started all of us except one at 5.The one who started at 4 was kept back a year in 6th class. Nothing wrong with the schoolwork, but maturity levels were a bit...behind (a girl). She has always said you're better to wait til they're 5, especially for boys. It's fine now but as the years go on the difference will become apparent. I remember people in college too, who were only 16 in first year, couldn't get into any pubs and clubs or go to any class parties because they were under age (a big deal when you're in 1st year in college!!)
Anyway what's the rush?? The child is 4 years old. She's got the next 14 (18 if you count college) years in school. She's not missing out on anything, she'll do it all next year anyway. when she does start.

angelfire9

On the other side of the fence my daughter started school at 4 and 1 month (She turned 4 in the August)
She is now in 4th class and has had no problems academically
Socially she is fine as well which probably comes from the fact that she was in a creche from 3 months until school
She is 9 now and will be twelve starting secondary school which i think is fine
She can do transition year and will be 17 doing her leaving cert but 18 when college starts