As a parent, you might be wondering what age to send your child to kindergarten. Besides the fact that most kindy programs are available to children aged 4 to 5, there are other factors to consider too.
Whether you’re wondering what age is kindergarten or when can my child start kindy, we’re here to answer all your questions when it comes to finding the best age to send your little one to kindergarten.
What age does kindergarten start?
Kindergarten, also known as kindy or preschool depending on your home state or territory, is a program designed for children aged 4 to 5. Some kindy programs may also accept children as young as 3.
These programs are offered on a part-time basis. They use a play-based curriculum to help prepare children for the transition to primary school.
Is my child ready for kindergarten?
While there are minimum age requirements for most kindy programs, the question of whether or not they’re developmentally ready to attend a kindy program is another story entirely. There are a range of different factors to consider when it comes to deciding whether or not to send your little one to kindy. To make the transition as smooth as possible, children should possess basic skills across social interaction, language, emotional and physical development, fine motor skills as well as early numeracy and literacy skills. During their time at kindergarten, they’ll further develop these skills to help them succeed in their future schooling.
Some of the key building blocks that contribute to kindy readiness include:
- Self-regulation,
- Sensory processing,
- The ability to understand and use language,
- Emotional regulation,
- Social skills,
- Planning and sequencing, and
- Reasoning and thinking.
As a parent, it can be difficult to know whether your child has the foundational skills to thrive in a kindy environment. Rather than putting pressure on yourself to make such an important decision, it can be worth chatting with your child’s early childhood teacher to gauge whether they think they’re ready to take the next step in their education. Some steps you can take as a parent to help prepare your child for kindy include:
- Exposing your child to books,
- Encouraging them to socialise with other children,
- Introducing your child to routines and schedules at home,
- Taking your child on outings or excursions, and
- Playing games that involve letters and numbers.
Signs your child is kindy ready
While kindergarten settings are designed to help equip your child with the skills they need to succeed in prep and beyond, it’s essential that your little one has the foundational skills and knowledge to thrive in a kindy environment.
Here are a few telltale signs that your little one is ready to start kindergarten:
- Social skills: Your child demonstrates an interest in playing and interacting with other children. They can take turns, share and engage in basic social activities.
- Independence: Your child can complete some basic self-help tasks, like using the toilet independently, washing their hands and putting on and taking off simple clothing items.
- Communication skills: Communication is key to success at kindy, so it’s important that your child can express themselves verbally, communicate their basic needs and follow simple instructions. Bonus points if they have some pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills, including recognising letters, numbers and basic shapes.
- Interested in learning: Kindergarten programs hope to inspire a lifelong love of learning among children, so if your little one has a curious mindset they’re sure to enjoy their time at kindy. They should demonstrate an eagerness to explore new things, ask questions and participate in learning activities. It also helps if they have a basic attention span and can focus on simple tasks.
- Basic motor skills: It’s helpful if your child has developed some basic motor skills, such as holding a pencil, using scissors and engaging in physical activities like running and jumping.
- Ability to follow a routine: At kindergarten, the days are intended to mimic the routine of prep and primary school. Ideally, your child should be able to easily adapt to a new routine and follow a schedule. This includes being able to transition between activities and understand basic rules.
- Emotional readiness: If your child is able to manage basic emotions and separation from parents or caregivers, it will make the transition to kindy much easier. They may be able to cope with minor frustrations and show a level of independence. If they’ve already been attending childcare, they may be more settled in a new environment.
- Interested in books: Your child enjoys listening to stories and looking at pictures in books. They might even show an interest in pre-reading activities.
- Basic problem-solving skills: As children approach school age, they’ll need to be able to solve basic problems. Before starting kindy, your child should be able to solve simple problems and make decisions that are appropriate for their age.
- They’re excited: If your child is excited about transitioning to kindy, it’s often a good indication that they’re ready to take the next step.
Every child is different, so it’s important to use these indicators as a guide only. It’s also not uncommon for some children to exhibit readiness in some areas while still needing additional support in others. In some instances, your kindergarten service might also be able to provide you with a bit of guidance as to what skills and knowledge your child should be demonstrating before starting kindy.
And just because your child starts kindergarten doesn’t mean they should move on to prep once they wrap up their first year. If you think they would benefit from repeating another year of kindy then there’s absolutely no harm in keeping them back. In fact, you could be setting them up for greater success with their schooling down the track by making sure they’re ready for that transition.
Looking for a kindy near you? Use our childcare search tool to find, compare and contact local kindergartens and pre-schools near you. Want to know more? we also have a stack of great resources and articles to help you better understand kindy and your options so you can make the best decision for your child.
