Right Age to Begin Formal Education

I keep asking myself when the right time for children to start schooling is. When I say schooling I mean foundation learning from counting 1-20, reciting the alphabets flawlessly, knowing and identifying colours and lots more. Put simply, Formal Education.

Many parents feel early enrollment in school is a good first step for a child’s’ academic career. But some experts warn that too much, too soon may not necessarily be the way to lay the ground work of a successful academic career.

According to a study published in The Cambridge Primary Review in October 2008, the consensus was that formal schooling should be delayed until children reach 6. The findings offered that trying to teach literacy and math at a young age is counterproductive. If children under 6 are in school programs, they should continue to learn through play-based initiatives. This is where the advantages of daycares/playgroups come in. 

Starting a child in school early isn't necessarily a good start. Some may show the readiness to attend school, but they may not have the maturity to absorb concepts outside of their play-based way of learning. Forcing information on a child who is not ready could cause harm to him or her. After all, the fact that a child has an early start in schooling doesn’t guarantee he or she would be a more educated child compared to him or her who starts much later.

It is true that some children are naturally more advanced than others and may benefit from early, more structured schooling. However, the vast majority will do fine during their academic career if they begin formal education at an appropriate age. 

Parents who have little choice but to enroll children in daycare/pre-school programs because they work or for other reasons should ensure that there is emphasis on:

 play-based learning

opportunities to go outside
interaction with story books
less focus on grades and performances
most especially activities that involve the family so mum and dad are participating in their child’s learning

From my point of view, children should start Formal Education as from the age of 5yrs, by then they would have attained better social (communication and interaction) skills. Parents importantly need to partake in educating their children and be great role models by setting good examples and not leave it all to the teachers in schools, remember kids are very impressionable. 

We need to let kids be kids; lets not make them grow faster than they really should.