My child has started Prep this year and we met with her teacher to check in on her progress. She is 5 in June and one of the youngest in class, I still believe she was ready to attend prep and had worked with the early educators to confirm. The teacher stated she is not picking up any of the literacy or numeracy and is struggling to grasp the concepts but at home seems to do well when we do it with her (I’m not a teacher though). She is socially fine and participates well in all other areas of school - she also loves going. The teacher has flagged her for extra support next term.
I’m just worried that this is the outcome after one term. What can I be doing now to help build her confidence in literacy/numeracy. We have the sight cards, books and other aids, I also read a basic book every night. My child has always been the one that does things when she is ready - not when a book or other person says she should be doing it. Has anyone experienced this and had it all just click into place in the coming terms?
18 Replies
Some school systems don't start teaching literacy and numeracy until age 8. There's studies to support it of course. 4 is very very young.
4 year olds will have trouble grasping these concepts. She is not developmentally ready. Once she is 5 she will start catch on, I however as a teacher think this is not the best start to school and learning. I think all children should be actually 5 before they start, so many of my colleagues agree and so many parents write in here asking for the same advice with their 4 year olds struggling. You obviously have already made the decision to send your daughter and can't go back on that. I would suggest a tutor to help her. Even with extra help in class there are 30 kids and never enough help. There certainly isn't the one on one funding for students to have someone sit with your daughter so she doesn't fall so far behind the rest of the kids. Literacy and numeracy are so important, if she doesn't grasp these basic concepts she will not be able to learn any thing else.
I agree but instead of a tutor as a solution I would be wary of the experience you're putting her through until she's ready, and how that perception will affect how she sees herself and school. So i would suggest just removing the importance and praising lots and telling her she's doing a wonderful job and doing the best she can and you're very proud. She has a long time and lots to learn, praise what she is learning and doing.
I disagree, it’s only term one, she can undo what she has done, she can take her out and start again next year. Just because you start, it’s not set in concrete, you can always change the situation.
Yep my little one will start aged 5 and seven months. Pulling out now if you choose to is a small blip really, it won't have any lasting issues.
My parents sent me to school at 4 and a half and I struggled. When I got to Year 6 they wanted me to repeat. I refused because all my friends would move on to high school without me. I never repeated but struggled more than ever when I moved into high school and sadly it has affected me my whole life (I am now 50). 4 is way to young to start school. I would be having her repeat Prep. It’s easier to have her repeat now than when she is older and has established strong friendships.
You run the risk though of ruining her confidence when she fails to keep up with her peers. Is it worth it.
My son was also in this situation. Thankfully it was picked up early enough, his school runs a head start program for three school terms leading up to starting kindergarten. When I was first approached by the teacher I won't lie I was heart broken, had every thought running through my head.... oh no what if he's developmentally delayed, dyslexic and the list went on. We chose to take him out and try again the following year. 4 is way too young to be pushing tutoring etc. Yes he had made some strong friendships but kids that age find making friends a whole lot easier then as they get older.
He started kindergarten the following year and it has been smooth sailing from day one! Things click straight away for him now. Just one year later and the difference in his learning capabilities is so significant. Please think about doing the same. It is a lot easier to repeat kindergarten then later on in primary school or even high school.
Kids start prep the year they turn 6 in my state (kinder the year before but that is solely play based) so kids are starting their formal learning at 5 or 6. The pressure children are under in other states makes me a bit sad actually, why is there such a rush?!
It really doesn't surprise me that your 4 year old isn't grasping some concepts because she's 4!!
Some 4 year olds cope with formal learning but the vast majority aren't ready for it, even my most sociable, outgoing child wouldn't have coped with the workload in prep at 4.
If it were me, I'd back off a bit with additional learning at home.
Read stories together, play board games that encourage counting, have fun! Doing more "work" after she's been at school for 6 hours probably isn't going to be effective anyway.
If this was my child I'd pull her out now, and start her next year age 5, turning 6. Mine went to 4yo kinder based in a daycare full-time and thrived - it turned out that they repeated a lot of the early concepts in Prep so consolidated a lot of her learning from there.
Pull her out. Why do people do this? “Oh she’s ready” really? Academically not apparently. And you think it’s bad now just wait until she’s the last to get her licence, or is hanging out with 18 year olds in her yearwhen she’s still 16 - because that’s what happens and trust me socially it matters then.
Why is the school so low? Make it 5 and give leeway to 4 year olds who would benefit from being there if not being there is a worse option.
In NSW they can start if they turn 5 before 1/7 so essentially you can get 4 1/2 yr olds in a class with 6+ year olds. It’s ridiculous. Worldwide results show much better results with later starts. I have one who turns 6 on 6/7 but due to his ASD I would have preferred to hold him back but government disagrees
If she ends up repeating her first year of primary school, it will not be the end of the world. If she is enjoying herself, keep sending her for the social aspect, but don't put so much pressure on her! I'm actually surprised her teacher is putting such emphasis on her literary and numeracy. My son's teacher said the first term is mostly about settling the preps into the new school routine and environment and getting them used to working in a classroom etc...
Shes only 4. Shes not ready mate. The teacher is telling you she is not ready. What harm would it do taking her out now and sending her back to kindergarten or 4 year old preschool for the rest of the year?
My son is a march baby. I kept him back from school until the year he turned 6. The best decision I made. Its not a race. Its about when they are ready.
Definitely too young for school, they were there for 13 years, why rush. Children grow and change so much in that year between 5-6 and they need that. You risk that your child doesn't keep up and starts to not enjoy school and then that's the next 13 years.
Obviously what you think is doing ok with work at home is not, if you choose to keep her in school you need to sit with the teacher again and ask what you can work on at home to help your child.
We have a Dyslexic boy. He was reading at pre prep level in year 2. Now in year 4 reading at about 3.5 year level.
$60 per hour 2x2hrs sessions a week in school time.
Its alot of money and a lot of effort.
Our girl slipped behind we caught her up for 1 term doing the same.
She was tutored through school holidays and has slipped behind again. The teachers solution was to put her back in tutor.
In my opinion she was way too quick to jump on this solution.
I pay school fees, it's not a state school. We seriously don't have money to chuck at tutors.
Do not stress and do not push her. She is only 5 and talking from experience of having 3 kids, they eventually pick it up. This is all new to her. It’s nothign to worry about. Worry in year 2/3 if she is still the same but she is too young to be pushed. Let her go along at her own pace and once she is ready it will all click. Please just let her be and don’t let the teachers worry you over it or stress you out. She will learn so much more next year and the year after. You will then realise it wasn’t anything to worry about. They place way too much pressure of these little mites at such a young age. It really is nothing to worry about.