Thursday 21 January 2016

How Young is Too Young for School?

How Young is Too Young for School? 

Baby Charley just celebrated her first birthday last year, and it was a blast! We officially have a toddler in the family, and the house has never been the same. Toys are everywhere, and there has been nonstop gibberish and babbling in the house. Despite all these, we're happy just having her around the house.

However, after Baby Charley's first birthday, people have been overwhelming us with questions like,

When is she gonna have a brother/sister?

Are you planning on travelling together? 

Yet, the most intriguing question we had was, "Which playschool are you enrolling her?" 

Playschool? Seriously? I haven't really thought much about that since Baby Charley has just turned one. No matter how bibo she looks and how likot she is, in my eyes, she's still a baby. My, she can't even call me properly. Sometimes it's mommy or mama, but often it's Baba or Oi!

What exactly do kids do in a playschool? 
Playschool or playgroup offers class that caters to (very) young students. There are playschools that offer classes to students as young as 6 months, while many give classes to kids who are at least 2 year old. Class sizes are usually small with a 2:15 teacher:student ratio, and classes are held twice or thrice a week depending on the preferred schedule of the parents.

Lessons are integrated with art, music, and games - lots of them! Often, kids are given ample time for social interaction, so there'll be lots of singing, dancing, games, and play time with other students, which I think prepare the kids to a room-full of more kids when they enter Pre-K.

What I think about it 
Most big schools require their incoming PRe-K students to attend at least 6 months of playschool, so mommies have no choice but to enrol their toddlers in one. The question here now is at what age should our babies be to be enrolled in a playschool.

This one depends on the age requirement of the big school you're eyeing for your little one. Since AC requires their incoming Pre-k to be 3.8 - 4.7 year old, we have to enrol Baby Charley in a playschool by 2017 (she'll be 2 years old, then).

I honestly feel she's too young by then. Will she be potty trained na? Can she sit still during the whole class? Will she be bullying other kids there? and most importantly, How much is this gonna cost us?

Playschools aren't cheap, that's for sure. Most range from Php 40,000 - Php120,000 - and all the kids do are sing and get dirty! Right now, we're scouting for good and affordable playschools for Baby Charley - some place that will not bring our family in poverty level. :D

Are babies too young for playschool? 
Redshirting ("to hold back") our babies for another year is a common practice in the country. Many parents feel that the older the kids are when they enter school is more beneficial since it means that their kids are more mature and hopefully much smarter than the younger ones.

However, there are some studies like Too Young to Leave the Nest, and articles like When Should Kids Start Kindergarten and Youngest Kid, Smartest kid? that explain the benefits of attending the school early. However, there are no recent studies here in our country about this.


I believe that a child's readiness to school can be observed by parents at home. If we think that our child has the readiness, the necessary skills, and the appropriate maturity to enter school, then why not? However, it is still more important that we provide them all the love and nurturing they can get at home.









23 comments:

  1. Ako naman, I believe that kids are ready by the age of 4... nothing younger than that.. Of course it's just me and my old fashioned mind :)

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    1. That's what we had in mind, too. Kayo lang, the big school we're eyeing for Baby Charley requires them to attend a play school for at least 6 months. uhhh...we're really trying to weigh our options here. thanks for visiting. :)

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  2. I also consider play school before parang maging busy anak ko but I changed my mind. I only enrolled him in school when he was 4 months before 4 yrs old. I tried summer classes when he 2yrs old +, 6 wks lang just to check if he will enjoy the activities. 3 years pa nga siya nagpreschool, so parang ang tagal di ba kasi K to 12 na ngayon.

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    1. Yes until Grade 12 which is like college already. :(
      Baby charley will be entering pre-K when she's 3.8 since it's the age requirement of the big school we're eyeing for her. Thanks for visiting. :)

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  3. I go the opposite route from these books that say early schooling benefits kids. In fact, studies have shown that kids who are given more years to play are much more creative, intuitive, analytical and fast learners than their earlier-schooled counterparts. In fact, other countries are already adapting that principle. This is of course, my personal "convictions", if you may call it that.

    In terms of pressure, mommy, you'll get more of those, believe me. You know your child and you know what's best for her. You know what to do. :)

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    1. Thanks for the support, mommy. We're really weighing our options and will be on a look-out for her readiness for school. As much as i can, i wanna homeschool her sana until she's grade 1. but let's see. let's see. Thanks for visiting. :)

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  4. Perhaps you could start with ABCs, 123s, and some nursery rhymes at home. A few years after, I'm positive your girl will show signs she is ready beyond "home schooling." Good luck and enjoy every moment with her. Kids grow up so fast!

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    1. Thank you. I agree they grow up soon fast. For me she's still a baby and I'm enjoying every moment of it. Thanks for visiting. :)

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  5. Hi Phoebe! I got your package na! So sorry to have replied late on that. But oh my goodness, those questions!!! BURN! Just kidding :p Philippine society sometimes makes me want to barf because of so much pressure other people have put on other parents (lalo na ako, young mama!) but you've handled it very well! I admire you! :)

    I actually wrote about a daycare that also acts as a playhouse but without the required activities (it's a free play daycare) called Dave's Funhouse, you might want to check more details here: http://earthloveskin.com/daves-funhouse-district-dasmarinas/

    They have branches in Metro Manila and only goes about 150 per hour or 350 PHP for unlimited play per day. If you're near Las Pinas, I can recommend you to a pre-K school owned by a former colleague of mine.

    As for Avis, I have decided that she will go to homeschool instead. Until I find the right school for her, I would want to be able to prepare her for the "hard" life. My sister got bullied at a young age and so did I so I'm avoiding that in the early childhood years. Not only by the kids, but by the teachers as well. Kids can be silent even when bullied kaya later on na lang nalalaman. And I will be traveling a lot later on so homeschooling is ideal for me and her.

    Love you and thanks for the wonderful gift + dropping by my blog!

    Hello to beautiful little Charley! How have you been? :)

    Iris @ Earth Love Skin
    www.earthloveskin.com

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    1. Hi, Iris! I'm glad you love it. :)
      I'm checking your article now. We're from makati and las piƱas is a little far from us. Thank you though.
      This pressure is really getting on my nerves already. :) Thanks for visiting. :)

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  6. The requirements these big schools impose to families are getting stricter and unreasonable. Why do they have to require 6 months of playschool? More than the age and playschool requirements, children are now forced to learn academics at such an early age. There are schools which require incoming grade 1 students to be readers!
    In our experience, we are for relaxed homeschooling and learning through play. No pressure in learning academics. We look for topics or things that interest my son and use these to teach him concepts. Oops, parang napahaba ang comment ko. Hope to meet you in one of MBP events for more chika. Thanks for opening up and sharing your insights, sis.

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    1. I'm seriously considering homeschooling since I think kaya naman ng powers ko and ni roommate (my husband, btw) to teach her. But if I wish to enrol her to a big school in Grade 1, we'll be required to give an assessment from a kinder who would require us to enrol Baby Charley in a playschool for 6 months.
      I remember going to school when I was 5 for Kinder 1 so I was 7 when I was in Grade 1.
      Yes, looking forward to meeting you soon. :)
      Thanks for visiting. :)

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  7. I didn't enroll my son in any play school or the like - - it was just old-fashioned homeschooling (reading and talking, mostly) and trips to the playground for us. Now that he's turning 4, I believe he's ready for school.

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    1. I seriously want to do the same thing for Baby Charley, and we bring her to occasional play dates and gym plays in Greenbelt; however, most big schools really require an at least 6 month enrolment in a playschool. :(
      Thanks for visiting. :)

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  8. i think there's no "right age", it depends on the readiness of your child. :) just not later than 5 maybe :P

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    1. LOL! Agree with you there, Mommy. Big schools now have a required age for their students. For example, 3.8 - 4.7 (Pre-K).
      Thanks for visiting. :)

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  9. Same age pala your baby as my little girl. :) I am thinking as well of this on when we should enroll her. I personally think we will depend it on her willingness to attend playschool since it really helps enhance as well her comm skills.

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    1. Oh!! hugs to your little girl! :) Imagine we're thinking of this as early as now. *gasp* Thanks for visiting. :)

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  10. I'm based in Korea, where it's normal for the kids to go to school early. I agree that there are benefits because I've seen it in my friends' kids (my mil asked me not to send my kids yet). They're more social, and they get more attention (like they get to learn more stuff) because they learn from their teacher and their peers. Also they get to do lots of arts and crafts daily and they start to eat better because of peer pressure. For me there are advantages, but the problem is finding a good (and affordable) school there in Manila. Here in Korea it's government-subsidized kasi so hindi mabigat sa bulsa ng parents.

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  11. Hay kami naman we always ask if kelan namin susundan ang 1 yr baby namin and we always answer na 2 to 3 yrs pa hehehe. I am planning to send my son in school when he reach 3 yo old, if papayagan.

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  12. Hi mommy in my experience, I enrolled my son in progressive school 2.5 years old he is not that too interested he wants to play lang but he know the number, shapes, letter and colors already. He started to show intrest talaga 3 years old we tried kumon first then after school na

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  13. me too mommy charley,gusto ko din na e enroll c zd plan ku pag 3 yrs old sya seat-in lang atleast ma introduce lang sa kanya ang school I know mas ma enjoy nya lalo na ang makipag socialize sa other kids.

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    1. Hugs to ZD! There are playschools that offer trial classes. You can check whether ZD will be ready na. Charley will start playschool by next year. She will turn 3 by December then. :)

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I would love to hear your thoughts!