August 7, 2019
What is the Best Age to Start Kindergarten?
Enrollment for primary education at 7 years old is made compulsory for every citizen of Singapore. Due to the competitive nature of its educational systems and increasingly academic subjects taught in schools, some parents begin early education plans as they are concerned or confused on when and what age should their toddlers enroll into reputable kindergartens and preschools.
According to Ministry of Education Singapore, the holistic development of children is the most vital at the preschool level and by the time they leave kindergartens to pursue primary education, children must already possess self-confidence, social skills and be equipped with necessary basic academic knowledge. With the grade classification provided by the Singaporean government, the recommended kindergarten age should begin by the age of 4 years turning to 5 years as K1 and K2 is for children aged 5 to 6 years old.
Developments and Growth in Children
Every child’s growth is different. Speed and skills vary, and a child’s inclination changes over time. Some will be stronger in hard skills, and for others, soft skills will be their advantage. The best age for enrolment may differ due to the circumstances observed in the child’s developmental stage.
Since kindergartens have their own daily activities for children to follow through, children are expected to be well-behaved throughout the classes with minimal interruption. The preschools syllabus and education consist of learning English as the first language and building a foundation in the Mother Tongue. Alongside mastering the ABCs and 123s, children acquire soft and hard skills and most importantly, it is preparation for formal education after kindergarten.
Is Early Enrolment Better for My Child? Should My Child Be Older or Younger?
There is a noticed trend where the cut-off age for attending kindergartens has been lowered by parents who are becoming more competitive to prepare their children for primary schools. The age of children starting preschools or kindergartens vary due to privately established institutions which gives them different access to accept enrolment of many different age groups of children starting from an early 3 years old and above. However, the school fees may cost more as the schools have to care for their young ones who are mostly not potty-trained and with only basic communication skills.
Skoolopedia reports that more and more kindergartens are accepting children from the age of 3 years, which even parents believe is the golden period for children to finally explore and inquire about the bigger world outside of their original home environment. Do note that this is not available at most preschools and that the recommended age by the government is still 4 years old.
In conclusion, education in Singapore is really being looked upon as something that is worth the time spent researching and planning for your child. Due to a competitive education landscape, it is no wonder that children are encouraged to learn as early as possible and as much as they can to give themselves a better standing.
What’s most important is that as a parent, you have the most intimate and best understanding of your child. Both you and your child must be psychologically, academically and emotionally ready to start kindergarten before embarking on this educational journey.
Read more about our Kindergarten Curriculum here.
