Children not ready to start school aged 4

Some countries start at 3. I think it is way too young

The US does not start at 7.
At 7yo, they are in 2nd grade.
Optional schooling is prek at 4 and all kids go to kinder at 5.

They have kinder here at 4 and most start preps( primary school) around the age of 5 and a half or 6. They have quite a few 3 year old kinders which are now government subsidised. They seem to take things a lot more slowly than when I was at school and many don’t seem to learn to read until they about 8 or so. When I was at school most could read fluently by age 6 or 7 at the latest. They do have more fun I think.

www.nurseryworld.co.uk/News/article/ofsted-to-make-early-years-its-focus-over-next-five-years?

Ofsted are on the case...

The expectations on reception and year 1 children seem excessive to me. Homework at 5-6, why? My just 6 year old grandchild has spellings, reading and project work every evening. Children have to behave well and focus on work all day at school. I really don’t accept formal homework is needed.
We put too much pressure on them. Let them learn through play

I read to my children btw and loved them and stuff

I just had a really vivid memory of it!

I don't think any of mine could read much before going to school. I also remember lots of children used to wet themselves when I was at infants school! They had drawers with pants and spare clothing in the corridor outside the classroom

Oopsadaisy1

I started school at 4 yrs old in the 1950s because of where my Birthday fell. I played catch up for the rest of my school years and really struggled, however I was toilet trained, was able to do up and take off my own clothing, I couldn’t read or write though, but I could knit and sew! Shows what my mother thought were the skills I needed! By then my Mum was severely depressed, so I was left to sit by her side most days and she knitted and sewed, if I tried to read anything she would rant and rave at me. Anyway .

Our girls were aged 5 and could read basic words, could write, draw, definitely toilet trained and could whip off their clothes as soon as the sun came out ( we had to tell them about not doing that in school!)
GCs, again started school aged 5 and could read and write, draw and do pretty much everything. By then laces had been replaced by Velcro fastenings. They threw themselves into Ballet and school activities at a very young age.

1950s August birthday here. I think in those days, some LEAs started pupils the term they were 5. But I'm certain it varied.

Schools are judged by their exam results measuring the pupils born Sept 1 - Aug 31.
When a friend's little one was born 11 months after her brother, in the same school year, I asked a primary head friend if she thought their local school might let them be in different school years. 'Incredibly unlikely'. They started school on the same day. She was 4yrs and 3 days old.

I don't think this is just a problem to do with homes though. When I started teaching Reception class was very much play-based. There were small class teaching sessions but they were relatively short. Everything from using pencils to preparing and eating meals was introduced as play. Although there is still a focus on play in schools the introduction of Literacy and Numeracy hours begins seriously in most schools in a child's third term. That means that a child who is only just 5, or even not quite 5 will have an hour a day literacy teaching and an hour a day numeracy. For those children with nursery experience and home support it will be fine but the youngest and most deprived children will still need more play.
I suppose if the Conservatives are coming round to the idea that more early years support is needed it's a good thing. Pity they didn't just keep Sure Start going though.

MaizieD

From the article:

Tory MP Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons education committee, called for a catch-up programme to help families and nurseries teach children 'practical and social' skills.

I wonder if he's ever heard of Sure Start?

He was part of the government that so enthusiastically cut funding to local authorities which led to the closure of many SS schemes?

Why is it we are doomed to have governments who ignore research into Early Years. David Cameron started the decimation of Sure Start. He claimed the centres were attracting middle class families like his, ignoring the families they were aimed at. Maybe that was so in Kensington but not in Accrington, Blackburn, inner city Manchester and so many other areas.

From the article:

Tory MP Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons education committee, called for a catch-up programme to help families and nurseries teach children 'practical and social' skills.

I wonder if he's ever heard of Sure Start?

He was part of the government that so enthusiastically cut funding to local authorities which led to the closure of many SS schemes?

Sorry had to answer the door.
I think the more you engage with a child the more they will respond, our GCs were like little sponges and loved books, floor jigsaw puzzles, singing along to music, even copying Dora the Explorer when she spoke Spanish.
Sadly paying someone else to do it doesn’t seem to be working very well.

The article mentions the use of mobile phones and you have to admit that people spend a lot of time on them. The use of phones has speeded up the pace of life in general, which leaves less time to spend on basic child care.

I started school at 4 yrs old in the 1950s because of where my Birthday fell. I played catch up for the rest of my school years and really struggled, however I was toilet trained, was able to do up and take off my own clothing, I couldn’t read or write though, but I could knit and sew! Shows what my mother thought were the skills I needed! By then my Mum was severely depressed, so I was left to sit by her side most days and she knitted and sewed, if I tried to read anything she would rant and rave at me. Anyway .

Our girls were aged 5 and could read basic words, could write, draw, definitely toilet trained and could whip off their clothes as soon as the sun came out ( we had to tell them about not doing that in school!)
GCs, again started school aged 5 and could read and write, draw and do pretty much everything. By then laces had been replaced by Velcro fastenings. They threw themselves into Ballet and school activities at a very young age.

Sure start was a brilliant system for supporting struggling families and particularly helped children.
It’s to the conservatives shame that they closed most of these.

I have just checked and 88% of 3 - 4 year olds are in formal childcare, so that usually means a nursery, or a nursery class attached to a school.

Do we all imagine that the pandemic has had no effect on children?

I agree. I've always thought that 4 is too young. I didn't let my children start school until they absolutely had to at 5, in spite of offers to let them join the nursery class, etc.

So the chairman of the Education committee thinks a catch up programme is needed. Wouldn't that be Sure Start?

I suppose my grandsons benefited from me having them all day. We looked at, and later read, a lot of books, drew and painted, made things and talked and talked. Not so easy if you are a parent working full time.

I spend my career across a range of early years provision, I dont recognise that situation at all. For a start most children will have been in school for a year prior to reception . Obviously covid will have impacted on that.

This problem may not be new but I'm sure it's getting worse. Some are only just turned 4yrs which is quite young. So maybe they should start school on their 5th birthday regardless of the time of year. The school should learn to integrate them during the school year as they turn 5yrs old.

The USA starts at 7 too.

Children in Europe start school
at 7. Yes they have heavily subsidised kindergarten etc but surely 4 is far too young.

We used to complain, when I was teaching (1970s), about children starting school unable to tie their shoelaces. Fortunately no longer a problem as there are alternative fastenings.

I do think - from what my daughter-in-law and sister-in-law have said - that it is true that many children are unprepared at 4 years old. In many countries they start school much later.

Here, I think part of the problem is that both parents need to work to be able to pay all the bills and they don't have much time to spend with their children, even if they want to. In other cases I think there are some parents who just think that talking to the children, toilet training them etc. is someone else's job.