There is a lot of pressure on the transition to ‘big school’. For parents, this raises the question of how best we can prepare our kids and ourselves for this time.
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Anxiety about starting school is common – among both children and parents. This can be for many reasons, but it’s useful to keep in mind exposure to our fears helps reduce anxiety.
Students in Year 3 had slightly higher results in NAPLAN if they were held back. By Year 9 students who were held back did no better on NAPLAN tests than those sent when first eligible.
By year three, children identified as having difficulties when they start school, are around nine months behind their peers in learning.
Many children will be anxious about going back to school. Some might be excited. Either way, there are some things you can do to help ease the transition.
One-quarter of children who start school aren’t developmentally ready. Play-based learning in the early years of school can help with the transition, as well as providing a host of other benefits.
There are a number of questions parents should be asking to determine what age is best to send their child to school.
At the ages of 6-7, when children are transitioning to starting school, 14% have high levels of emotional problems, including depression and anxiety. This percentage is higher in the later years.
There are lots of ways teachers greatly influence children’s outcomes, including improving motivation and resilience.
And many of them are not getting the help they need.
With more parents opting for their child to start school later, it is now possible to have four and a half year olds learning alongside six year olds.
It takes a combination of people, places and activities to make school a happy environment for kids. Here’s how teachers and parents can get involved.
In order to make young children “school ready”, the English government is now encouraging parents to place their children in school nurseries shortly after their second birthday. But there is evidence…
Top contributors
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Senior lecturer, The University of Melbourne
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Senior Lecturer and researcher in Education, University of Technology Sydney
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Director, Center for Community Child Health Royal Children's Hospital; Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne; Theme Director Population Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
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Scientia Professor and Professor of Educational Psychology, UNSW Sydney
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Clinician, Australian Catholic University
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Senior Lecturer, Department of Children, Young People and Families, Leeds Trinity University
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Professor of Developmental Language & Communication Disorders, UCL
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Professor, Faculty of Education, Stellenbosch University
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Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan University
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Fulbright Scholar and Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Monash University
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Senior Lecturer, School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology
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Research Fellow in Educational and Developmental Psychology, Charles Sturt University
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Associate Professor, School of Educational Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Education, Monash University
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Senior Research Officer, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
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Former Education Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria University
