Home
>
Parenting
>
Starting School - What Age Should Children Begin School?

Starting School - What Age Should Children Begin School?

"What age should my child start school?"

This is a common question that concerns many parents. It is complicated if your child's birthday happens to fall near a closing date for new school enrolments.

There are many factors to consider including: a child's gender, his or her general readiness and maturity and also family circumstances such as sibling proximity.

However as a general rule I advise parents not to rush children down the academic track. It is tempting to get children off to Pre School or school at the earliest possible age, particularly if your child is socially aware and generally a bright spark.

It is a mistake to assume that an early start in any area is a good start. The Finnish experience stands out as a beacon for parents and educators all over the world. Even though Finnish education authorities have delayed the start of school until as late as seven years there appears little or no gap between educational performances at the later end of school. In fact, in terms of dropout rates and readiness for further education those kids seem streets ahead.

Currently, in many Western countries we seem to hell-bent in shaping environments for kids from the earliest possible ages to maximise learning and child development. Nothing wrong with that per se but we must keep it in perspective and remember that kids need time, space and opportunity to be kids. That means that they shouldn't always be in an adult-structured environment or live in a childhood that is an adults' version of what a childhood should be. They need space and time to explore, climb, hide, balance, bounce, and use their imaginations. And adults don't have to do all that much to allow this to happen. Kids will climb and bounce on furniture, hide behind chairs and turn a living room into a space ship given half a chance and the television off.

It is tempting to underestimate the importance of parents' as a child's first early teacher. Pick up a parenting magazine and you will see all sorts of advertisements for early childhood classes ranging from movement through to music classes. Okay, there are some experiences a parent can't provide but I am unsure of the wisdom of cluttering child's early lives with music, ballet and tennis lesson and neglecting the chance of giving them a chance to daydream, explore and just muck around.

Children's basic needs don't change. The foundations of early social, physical and mental needs are laid in the first seven years ? and it is through play that children develop most.

What has changed is the amount of time a child spends sitting rather than being active, the ever-shrinking age that stress can kick in and how some kids barely have time to be kids.

Providing opportunities for outside play and activity at home is important. One-to-one interaction with a parent is important to boost confidence, promote language development and teach problem solving and perseverance.

The best start for a child is to have the chance to grow up in a relaxed atmosphere with the time and space to explore his physical and social environment; to mix with his peers in a mixture of structured and unstructured environments and plenty of language and experiential rich one-on-one time with a trusted and caring adult. It sounds a lot like home!

Michael Grose is The Parent Coach. For seventeen years he has been helping parents deal with the rigours of raising kids and survive!! For information about Michael's Parent Coaching programs or just some fine advice and ideas to help you raise confident kids and resilient teenagers visit http://www.parentingideas.com.au

experienced cleaning professionals Northbrook ..

In The News:

Cybersecurity experts warn about one of the largest credential compilations ever found, urging users to check "Have I Been Pwned" and change passwords immediately.

Quick iPhone and Android battery optimization techniques help your device stay powered all day by turning off hidden features that secretly drain power in the background.

Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.

New 401k catch-up contribution rules in 2026 will change taxes for high earners over 50. Learn how scammers exploit these changes and protect your retirement savings.

Kurt Knutsson's guide covers social media privacy protection through location settings, account privacy controls and two-factor authentication to prevent scams and data breaches.

Revolutionary retinal implant restores central vision in 80% of patients with advanced macular degeneration, offering hope where treatments once only slowed blindness.

Learn how to use passkeys on Windows and Mac computers without cameras or fingerprint readers. Discover secure authentication methods that replace passwords.

Tesla's FSD v14.1.2 update reintroduces Mad Max mode, enabling higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the standard Hurry profile setting.

A phishing email scam targeting American Express customers shows how cybercriminals use fake urgent messages to steal personal and financial information.

Facebook's new Meta AI feature analyzes your camera roll photos to create polished collages automatically, but requires cloud processing and raises privacy concerns.

A New Jersey teenager filed a major lawsuit against AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. over ClothOff, an AI tool that created fake nude images from her social media photos.

Microsoft reports Storm-2657 cybercriminals sent phishing emails to 6,000 addresses at 25 universities to steal payroll credentials and redirect funds.

Astronomers have discovered asteroid 2025 SC79, a skyscraper-sized space rock orbiting the sun in just 128 days. the second-fastest known.

The Fox News AI Newsletter delivers the latest developments form the world of artificial intelligence, including the technology's challenges and opportunities.

A cyberattack on SimonMed Imaging exposed personal information of 1.2 million patients, including medical records, financial details and identity papers.

Spotify's managed accounts for kids under 13 now available in at least seven countries, allowing parents to filter and block explicit content and songs.

Friendly text conversations about BBQs and social events can lead to WEEX gold trading scams that target older adults with fake investment opportunities.

California company Skyeports creates self-healing glass spheres from Moon regolith that generate solar power and support plant growth for sustainable lunar living.

Cleafy researchers discover fake VPN streaming app Mobdro Pro that installs Klopatra banking Trojan, giving attackers full control over Android devices.

Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are adopting virtual reality training to better prepare officers for high-pressure, real-world situations.

House Bill 469 would prevent AI systems from owning property, serving as executives, or gaining legal personhood in Ohio under Representative Thaddeus Claggett's proposal.

Public voter records expose retirees' personal details to election scammers who create targeted cons using names, addresses, and voting history data.

Instead of fearing what comes next with artificial intelligence, think outside the box. Here are high-earning AI jobs that don't require a computer science degree.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says polite words like "please" and "thank you" cost millions annually, while direct prompts may improve ChatGPT accuracy by several points.

Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat exposed intimate conversations and photos, revealing users spent up to $18,000 on AI companions before the breach.

Starting School - What Age Should Children Begin School?

Parenting