Do you think 4.3 yrs old boy is ready as Junior Infant?

Based on experience I would totally agree with DrM and other posters re
five years+ being early enough to start school - especially for boys.

Originally posted by DrMoriarty
...in the case of a boy. I think girls of 4-5 tend to be more
socially adept, have more advanced language skills, etc.
Mind you, there are lots of other variables, and individual
exceptions

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Little girls are developmentally more mature and independent than little boys. A Junior Infants class with 25-30 children couldn't compare favourably with a Montessori class where there are smaller numbers and much more individual attention. In an ideal world all children would have access to a Montessori school until at least five years. Of course there will always be exceptions. Good luck with your decision.

Thank you very much for all the replies.

We finally decided to enroll him only next 2007 Sept. I don't think holding him back for another year will do any harm since he is still enjoying his montessori pres-school. Besides in Asia, we don't start proper school till we are 6 yrs old (kindergarten then 7 yrs old at Primary 1). But we only have 4 years in secondary. So normally we start college at 17 yrs old.

I too have struggled with this dilemma recrntly, my son is four in June and has a place for this September, However we have declined it until next year. I work in a childcare facility and having spoken to a lot of parents about this they all agree its best to hold them off. AS someone mentioned before boys are slower to develop emotionally and socially.
Also think of this, the legal ratio for a MOntessori class is one adult to eight children, and essentially this is still a "creche "facililty in that the staff are trained in childcare. I'm sure teachers are too to a certain extent but you would want to be absolutely sure that the child could cope going from a very small class of Montessori children with at least two teachers in teh room (legal requirement) to a much larger class with only one teacher. From my experience as a childcare worker and manager it is best to hold them off for an extra year. I knew one child who went to school at four, only for his parents to decide in December it wasnt right for him .they pulled him out and sent him back to Montessori. Did quite a biy of damage, this set the child back at least two years, he became clingy, disruptive etc.
I think you do more damage sending them too soon than holding them back......At least you will be sure the child is completely ready.
HTH!

My son was 4 in the April and started school in the September so was 4yr and 5 months old when he started. (School run & staffed by Dominican nuns.)
At 11 to 13 he went to his middle school - same order of nuns ran it. At 13 he went to his upper school in Leicester, at 15 miles away the nearest Catholic upper school to us. He left there at 16 and went to Welbeck College, 70 miles away, for A levels. Two years at Welbeck and one year at Sandhurst and he was leading an infantry platoon where the bullets fly.

An early start did him no harm at all.