Has anyone sent their child to Prep when the kindergarten teacher has advised against it? How did they go?
Edit: the child has a speech delay but is working with a private speech therapist. Apart from that, she is a happy girl, very social and has no learning disability. The chosen school has advised they have a speech therapist on-site and is happy to work with our daughter and her family speech therapist. She has been accepted into a school by the principal.
14 Replies
It depends on why the kindergarten teacher has advised not to send them? I honestly don’t think I could send my child knowing this.
Yep we did and have never looked back. It did take a little while for him to find his place in the world but when he did he just flourished. His year 1 teacher (private school) told us that he would probably need to repeat at some stage. At the beginning of year 2 we moved interstate and enrolled him a public school which is where he flourished. After 1 term in the public high school system (Qld) we saw a significant change in him academically so pulled him out and went private. Best move ever despite the $40K in fees. He is now in year 12 and doing great.
What did the school say? Have you been to the school playgroup, spent time with teachers there, been for an enrolment interview and chatted with the principal/ prep teachers? You need to understand why you are or are not making the decision.
I guess the question is - why don’t you trust the professionals?
They don’t tell you these things to upset you? Ask a question received an honest answer.. the question is what is your motivation to send early? Weigh up pros and cons..
No one here can help you.. their children’s experience and readiness to school is not comparable to yours…
Don’t do it, it will hurt your child and you will be setting them up to fail.
I doubt the school has a speechie on site, at your child's beck and call, they usually visit schools.
The edit doesn't change my answer, I would listen to the professionals, otherwise you are setting her up for failure.
A speech delay isn't a small thing.
My sons school has one on-site three days a week. It wouldn’t be just for one child, it would be because the school has funding to have one
We put our daughter into Prep after feeling in our gut she wasn’t ready but being told she was. She has not progressed since starting and is also now in speech therapy. I would strongly say if you can leave your child in kindy and master the speech first before they get thrown into a whole new world and a whole new world of information. Our daughter will be repeating prep next year. I so wish we just followed our gut. She also developed anxiety because she was so aware that she was behind her peers. Just thought I would share my experience because we have spent so much time stressing about it this year and would love to spare someone else the worry we have experienced xx
I'd send her and use the school speechie. Perfect. My friends child has a severe speech delay but she's getting on great at prep. I think it'll be hard for her whether it's this year or next year, and look if she can speak well in one year then year 1 will be easier for her and if not, how many years do you think you'll keep her out of school due to a speech delay and no other reason?
It'll always be easier for a child that's started with her peers and moved through with them.
I think this might also depend on the age of the child and what state you live in - as states have different age cut offs.
If she is going to be one of the younger children then you need to realise that some of her peers will be over 12 months older than her. There will naturally be a big range of maturity.
It is worth wondering why/why not send her and the impact it will have on her but also the rest of the home.
If the Kinder teacher has raised a concern it needs to be explored further. They do not flag something without a valid reason.
School readiness is about how a child manages socially and emotionally but also with their own innate personality.
Best wishes with your decision- it is never an easy one.
We were advised by our kinder to give our daughter a second year of kinder. We listened. We swapped her kinders the second year to give her a different experience.
We have not regretted a day. She is confident and thriving in grade 1 now. The second year gave her the chance to catch up speech wise and she was so ready for prep when we sent her. She LOVES school now and has loads of friends.
She would have coped at school if we went against the kinders advice but there is no way she would be thriving the way she is now without the opportunity to catch up on her speech.
I would hold her back. Maybe she will go to prep and be ok, but why risk it. My son is young and is behind. It is hard to watch the effects on his confidence.
Also, the speech therapist at my son's school operated on a needs basis. Higher needs come first. If another child comes in with a greater need your daughter will be pushed aside.
Yes. Both my sons kindy and the school were questioning whether he was ready and advised holding off but I didn't agree. We are nearly at the end of the year now and I am so proud to say he has done amazingly, he has surprised everyone! Of course we have had some small hiccups along the way, my son has autism, he has a severe speech delay and a few other developmental delays as well as sensory issues, but his teachers have been so excellent and with us all working together we have tackled every hiccup along the way. He loves going to school, he actually cried when it was pickup time on his first week because he wanted to stay and play haha.
He has also made some major improvements in this time, his speech has improved alot, socially he is blossoming he has become so aware of others around him and what is socially acceptable and not.
I can't speak for everyone but for us, sending him to school has been the best for him and he has flourished from it, I do how ever know this may not be the case for all kids... I say follow your gut, you are the expert in your child and you know them better then anyone else.
It also comes down alot on the teachers, an excellent teacher makes all the difference.