What is the ideal age that a child should start going to school?

Question

What is the ideal age that a child should start going to school?

Answer 1

The ideal age that a child should attend school is as soon as they are potty trained. They can then interact with other children their ages. It is also good social skills for child and the mommy. (FREEDOM)!!

Answer 2

I have a child development degree & have personally decided to keep my son at home while learning in an unstructured environment, till he is 4, then I may return to the job market (but only in a flexable situation at part-time).

Or he will be registered at a kindergarten after his 5th birthday, unless homeschooling is possible.

Answer 3

4 to go to pre-k.

Answer 4

I am a preschool teacher, but I have a different answer.  I think young children are better off with their parents or another loving adult  when they are young.  They are still learning, but not in a structured environment.   I think the ideal age to start at regular school would be 6 or maybe even 7.  A two or three morning a week preschool program is all that is needed before that.  That should be started at 3 or 4.  

We shouldn't push children to grow up so fast.  They are going to spend many years in school, so why rush it.

We have put children into a mold that says they have to do certain things at certain ages.   However, all children mature and learn at different rates.  It would be ideal if we would let them.

Answer 5

Honestly, I don't think there is an "ideal" age.  The thing about kids is...they're people.  They're all different.  There are no cookie-cutter instructions for them.

Young children in general are better off with a parent as the main teacher/caregiver, at least until they start gaining some independence.  This doesn't mean that they should be kept in the house with Mommy all day - far from it - but it also doesn't mean we should ship our kids out to be "socialized" as soon as they are potty-trained.

I understand that many people need to take advantage of preschools because of the need to work...but if you are able to stay home, your 3yo is really better off there with you.  Preschool can be very good on a limited basis - like the preschool teacher above stated - but a young child still very much needs their parents, much of the time.

*Please know that I'm not saying that kids who are in preschool full time are going to be scarred for life or anything.  There are many really great preschools and there are kids that love being there.  But studies show that kids who remain with their parents through these years and gently broaden their social horizons tend to be better off in various ways.*

Some kids are ready for school at 5 or 6; for others, they are really best suited to be at home until they are older.  Some kids just plain don't learn well when they're in a large group setting for long periods of time, and some kids aren't developmentally ready for formal, structured education until they're mid-elementary.

So there is no real pat answer to this one - it's different for each child.  As a parent, it's my job to make the best choices for my child, rather than lumping him in with the "expert"-determined status quo.  My child is just that - he's my child.  He's a person.  He's not a statistic on a bar graph.

Anyhooo...there's my 2 cents :-)

Answer 6

This all depends on the child.  I am a kindergarten teacher, and I have worked with all ages from toddlers to pre-school, Pre-K, Kindergarten and in various grade levels.  With my kindergarten students, they usually enter kindergarten when they have already turned 5 prior to the September 1st cut-off date.  With these students, there is a large difference between the ones who come in knowing their alphabet and can write their names, and those who do not know the alphabet and cannot write.  The students who already know the alphabet usually leave kindergarten better suited for 1st grade (the role of kindergarten has greatly changed since you and I have been there...what kindergarten is now is what 1st grade used to be 20 years ago)  I would suggest that when you child is 4, they should go to some sort of Pre-K, even if it is just for half a day 2 or 3 times a week, so that they may gain social skills with other children and get used to a school environment and leaving their parents.  This may also help your child with their academic skills, but I also strongly advise that you work with your child to make sure they know their alphabet and can identify all 26 letters in it, and be able to write their name prior to starting kindergarten.  This gives your child a great advantage and a better starting off point.

Answer 7

Well this is an opinion question I suppose. My daughter has to go at four and that is probably ok. But I would prefer 5. I just want to hold onto her as long as I can. But the truth is the early years are so important that maybe getting to school sooner is better. Preschool is a good idea too to prepare them for school.

Answer 8

about 3 years old

Answer 9

Early Childhood Education is very important as recent  studies have shown that the most learning takes places in the first three years, that is from birth to age three.  So learning should begin right from the start.  There are many programs that are extremely good, quailty programs that start at birth and continue on to about age 8.  One way to know if its a quailty program is to look at its creditials, is the program certified?  How much education does the teachers have in that program?  ETC...  

Its never to early for education and learning to begin.  In fact if the child is suffering any problems, such as speach problems, the best chance the child has at over coming it is through early intervention.  The early the problem is discovered the better the odds are that the problem can be fixed.

Answer 10

about 5 for Kindergarten, 4 for preschool

Answer 11

That depends on your child. Here are a few sites that may help with that decision. I have been teaching preschool for many years and have seen how much a child can learn. That being said,  you need to be very involved and make sure the program is developmentally appropriate for your child. There is nothing worse than a child sitting in an inappropriate classroom learning to hate school. Just remember that learning should be fun!

Answer 12

i think its 4. isn't it? yeah good luck with that.=)

Answer 13

In Florida, they have made preschool a requirement for 4 year olds.  My daughter is 7 now, but she started at 4 and absolutely loved it.  She still talks about Pre-K.