HOW OLD SHOULD MY CHILD BE WHEN THEY START SCHOOL?

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR CHILD IS READY TO START SCHOOL?
There are two kinds of kids in school today - those that cope and those that thrive.
Kids that cope develop all kinds of strategies to hide what they can't do. They're the ones that don't put their hand up, hiding at the back of the room trying not to be noticed. When they hit secondary school they're the ones that skip classes, don't do homework and, inevitably, leave early. The path for many of these kids can be one of welfare dependence and worse.
Kids that thrive are resilient and positive. They can accept a challenge and bounce back if it doesn't go as it could have. They engage in life with a sense of who they are and how they can contribute to the world.
What do you want for your child?
This is why when you strip back the layers of your child's life, school readiness stands out as one of the keys to the cope/thrive picture.
Ultimately it's your decision.
The starting age for children varies across Australia. You can send your child to school in Victoria at 4 years and 10 months. In some countries children don't start school until they're six and seven.
This creates its own dilemma - your four year old could be sitting next to a child almost a whole year older than them. How do you expect them to keep up, let alone shine? You know how much children develop over each year. That other child is possibly so much more mature than yours in so many ways.
Your child's pre- school teacher will have been observing your child all year and the growth of their maturity and development. Listen to them, ask them lots of questions. It is much easier for your child to do a second year of preschool than have them repeat a year at primary school.

HOW CAN I HELP MY CHILD PREPARE TO START SCHOOL?