SUNNYSIDE KINDERGARTEN

5 Cooinda Place, East Malvern Victoria 3145

The following information is intended to inform parents about some of the relevant issues to consider in deciding when to start their child at kindergarten.

 

Children cannot start kindergarten until they turn 3.  The child may be entering the group for a very short time in Term 1 after the group has settled and find it difficult to settle and not gain the maximum benefit from the program.  Term fees need to be paid to hold the place until the child turns 3.

 

It has been our experience that children whose birth date falls between January and April are more likely to be less mature/ready for kindergarten and school.

 

Whilst some chronologically “younger” children cope well with kindergarten, others would greatly benefit from having their entry to kindergarten deferred a year because

 

· they are less likely to experience separation difficulties;

· maturation of gross and fine motor skills will have increased and they will be more capable of handling equipment, especially fine motor manipulative equipment;

· speech will be clearer and more mature and therefore they will find it easier to be understood and participate verbally;

· the child will be more able to understand reasons for sharing and turn-taking and will cope easily with these type of activities/play situations;

· there will be less need for sleep during the day and toilet training will be more established;

· the child is more likely to comply with an ordered routine and fairly enforced limits/rules;

their ability to understand and retain information is greater, allowing them to complete tasks more independently.

 

Other issues to consider:

 

· Sunnyside Kindergarten cannot guarantee an additional (second) year of 3 year old kindergarten given the demand for kindergarten places in our program.

· A second year of 4 year old kindergarten is also difficult to secure as a child needs to be assessed as having major delays in two different developmental areas.

It becomes progressively more difficult to make a decision to give a child an additional year as their education progresses.

 

 

Our teachers at Sunnyside welcome the opportunity to discuss this information with you and answer any queries you may have.