Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school School readiness

Hi all,

We suspect that our daughter (2.5) is gifted, and have for about a year or so.

She will make the cut off for school (foundation year, ie the year before grade one) by five weeks, which means that she will be four and a half when she starts school (Foundation year, ie pre grade one).

If she was five weeks (Edited to fix - five weeks younger, not five years) younger she would have to wait until the year after to start, ie she would be five and a half when she started. Thankfully this isn't the case - I would be much more worried if it was.

Has anyone had a child start school younger than four and a half (or wish you had)? What are the signs of school readiness in gifted children?

I noticed my DD was teaching herself to read and write letters (no correct spelling, except her name and copied words) at three. When other parents pointed out that it was unusual that she was the only toddler drawing rainbows with sidewalk chalk in ROYGBIV order, I started to feel as if I had to do more for her. I didn't want her "schooled," however. I enrolled her in a half-day, five-day a week Montessori pre-school with the understanding that she would continue the following year into full-day kindergarten at 4. This allowed her to PLAY, explore, and learn what she was interested in without being in an academic, curriculum-driven environment. It was the best choice for her. Listen to the advice given here, and follow your gut.

My ds4 is ready now but here kids start school on their 5th birthday and starting early is specifically prohibited by the education act, 1981 ammendment. If I could I would start him at the beginning of the next academic year in February about 3 months before his 5th birthday. Your child should be fine. There are some kids who benefit from being held back but if they are ready academically at the right age they need to go unless there is a major additional problem. Though is the foundational year compulsory? Your child may find it deathly boring.

My DD was completely read at 4.5yrs, and very stressed by being held back when all her friends left for school and then bein skipped the next year... I so wish we had won the battle to send her at 4.5.

My youngest is 3,5, she's set to start at about 4y11m and she's going to be over ready, but hopefully it will be ok.

Yes my DD was the same age as yours, but she was 6 weeks the other side of the cutoff so we had to go for IQ testing etc to qualify for early entry. She was reading pretty well, say grade one level, very articulate, confident, and bored of preschool. All her classmates were going up as they had put her in the year above at preschool. It's been great, her teacher says she can't imagine her being in preschool this year. She is at top of the class for reading and maths and socially having a BALL - but with older kids, not first year of school kids! Great decision. She was not tired at all and has about 4 after school activities a week. She was not particularly desperate to go to school, but she didnt' get a vote cos she was 4 LOL. Her writing was "age appropriate" (ie terrible) but she has improved so much. SHe has really learned heaps in prep! Great move.

Yes, early entry is not an option at all for us (even with IQ testing). The only loophole that exists is if she has started school somewhere else she can get in regardless of giftedness. For this to happen we would need to move, then apply for early entry etc. so I'm very excited that she makes the cut off by five weeks.

If she was starting a 5.5 I would me much more worried, but do you think there is a need to push for her to start earlier than 4.5? (as in, does anyone else have a child who did that/ for whome they wish theyhad done that - and why)

We could always start her at 4.5 as normal, and then push to grade skip later in the year if needed (assuming that she will be ok at daycare the year before school)