By ECMS Communications
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If you’re thinking about Three-Year-Old Kindergarten for your child, there’s plenty of evidence to support your decision making. It’s also great to know that research shows the long-lasting benefits of early brain development and that two years of kindergarten has a greater impact than one.
The links to improved outcomes from two years of quality Early Childhood Education are widespread, across language, literacy, numeracy and social and emotional wellbeing. Overall, it improves the quality of children’s early experiences.
ECMS Head of Pedagogy Emma Forsyth sees a huge upside for children having access to two years of funded Kindergarten.
“When we think about what the research tells us around children having access to high quality, play-based learning opportunities, and how this leads to success throughout a child’s education, leading to a life-long love of learning, two years of kindergarten makes sense, and Victoria leads the way in funding Three-Year-Old Kindergarten. The Best Start Best Life reforms really are groundbreaking.
“Now that funding is in place, I encourage families to always think about kindergarten as two years.”
Your options for starting Three-Year-Old Kindergarten
If your child turns three on or after 1 May, they start Three-Year-Old Kindergarten the following year. However, if your child turns three between 1 January and 30 April, you have a choice: they can wait until the following year or as soon as they turn three (which may mean beginning Kindergarten part way through Term 1).
If you have a choice, how do you decide?
Every child is unique and how they experience Early Childhood Education will depend on many things. Knowing your child and beginning conversations early with Early Childhood Professionals (like your Maternal Child Health Nurse or local Kindergarten Teacher) are essential when you’re considering what is going to be most supportive for your child and family.
Emma stresses the importance of having these conversations and making use of the resources available. These resources can support your decision about whether your child is ready to start Kindergarten.
“You know your child best. Think about what your child needs, knowing that participation in quality early childhood education matters most, and you want it to be thriving, not just surviving.
“These are important conversations to be had with teachers and where your relationships with Early Childhood Professionals are supportive. If you’re in one of our integrated Early Childhood services that offer education for children from 0-6, you can be having these conversations earlier.”
What about families who are newer to early learning?
We know that most people who have been thinking about starting kindergarten at the beginning of next year have already put their name down with the Council or on our centralised enrolments list. So, they can be having conversations with the kindergarten they have selected. If your enrolment form has come to us, our team would already be having conversations with you.
Emma reassures us that “our teachers are always happy to talk through this and we’re happy as an organisation to talk with you about your decision. We’d much rather have the conversation now than wait until you begin and then have you feel unsure.”
It can help to think about your child’s age when they start school, and even further along their journey.
As a teacher, Emma noticed that “it was important for many families to consider what they wanted the next two years to look like at kindergarten in the lead up to transitioning to primary school. Some families even consider what age their child will be when they begin their final year at secondary school. What will their experience be like depending on whether they are 16, 17 or 18 years old?”
Are there resources I can access?
The government has a variety of resources in multiple languages to help you consider the benefits of Three-Year-Old Kindergarten.
You can also access a calculator for a quick way to find out what year they can start Three- and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten.
What if my child will be attending multi-aged kindergarten?
If you’re curious about your child starting Three-Year-Old Kindergarten in a multi-aged group with children who are three, four and five years old – say for instance how they will make friends, or what learning will take place when there are children of different ages in the same group - talk to us. Your educators will tell you the strategies they have in place to respond to your child’s individual needs and interests.
By accessing a Kindergarten program, your child will have the opportunity to experience quality play-based learning in a learning environment that is purposefully planned to ensure children flourish with difference. They can develop friendships and engage in learning just as they would in same age settings, while being supported by and supporting others. This gives your child the opportunity to develop more sophisticated social skills and interact with peers they naturally connect with, regardless of age.
Talk to us
Emma urges you share your thoughts and ask questions of the teaching team:
“Have conversations - or if you’re quite not ready for that yet, use the resources available to help you with the decision-making process – and really think about who your child is and what they need. Many of our children will enter our kindergarten programs having already attended an early learning centre, with a rich experience and fully formed relationships, and the transition to kindergarten might not feel that big. Or this might be the first time your child and family has entered an early childhood education setting. There are lots of different experiences that families will have, and we want to meet families where they are, support their thinking and understand how we can support them.”
