WHAT AGE SHOULD A CHILD START PLAYGROUP IN PAKISTAN

Annual Graduation Ceremony 2019

Internationally, in most developed countries, children do not start formal schooling before they turn five. In Finland, which has reputedly the best education system in the world, children start comprehensive school after they turn seven. 

However, in Pakistan, because of lack of good day- care centres and rising number of working mothers, a system pf preschool has evolved. Thus, in most urban centres of Pakistan, most schools admit children to playgroup between the age of 2 and 3 years,

Preschool Levels

Many leading schools of Pakistan offer three levels of preschool: 

  • Playgroup
  • Reception / Nursery
  • Preparatory (Prep) / Kindergarten

 All of these preschool levels focus on offering basic developmental programs for toddlers, and they follow the Early Childhood Education and Child Development Programmes. 

In Pakistan, it is the concern of nearly every parent that at what age should their child start Playgroup, the first level of Preschool. Parents need to know that the ideal age to start the preschool, depends on the child’s developmental readiness rather than age alone. A child’s development is categorized according to multiple domains, which  are:

  • Physical Development – This involves muscular movement or development of gross-motor skills (running, jumping, hopping, climbing stairs) and fine-motor skills (holding a pencil, beading, using scissors or pouring water) etc.   
  • Language and Communication Skills – The child’s ability to speak and express feelings and thoughts. Express likes and dislikes and communicate with friends and adults. 
  • Social and Emotional Development – This involves the ability of a child to interact with others, control and express feelings, share and take turns. Identify, express and manage one’s own feelings as well as develop empathy for others. 
  • Cognitive Development – It focuses on the development of the thinking processes. It’s how a child processes information, learns and understands the world around. It can be further segregated in
  • Thinking and Reasoning – problem solving, learning and cause and effect of various actions.
  • Concept Building – spatial awareness, numeracy. observation and exploration. 

School Readiness:

Educationists and behavioural scientists say that ‘school readiness’ is more important than the age of the child. A child is usually ready to start playgroup when he / she: 

  1. Can bear separation anxiety – can be away from parents for a short while without being much upset. 
  2. Can follow simple one – step instructions / directions 
  3. Can communicate basic needs and requirements verbally or through gestures
  4. Can show interest in their environment – other children and activities.
  5. Can follow simple daily routines like circle time, snack time, play time and clean – up time. 

How to decide appropriate Playgroup age in Pakistan:

A parent should ask the following questions before deciding if the child is ready for playgroup: 

  • Is my child potty trained?
  • Is my child comfortable in my absence for short durations?
  • Does my child play happily and independently with other children?
  • Does my child understand and follow simple instructions like ‘sit down’, ‘come here’, ‘give it to me’ etc.
  • Is my child able to tell basic needs to an adult care giver, like, ‘I need to go to the toilet, i need water, I am hungry.’ The child may communicate through gestures or in mother tongue.

These signs are very crucial for deciding to start playgroup

Advantages of starting around the age of 2.5 – 3.5 

    1. Social skills and interpersonal skills develop.
    2. Communication skills – listening and speaking improve simultaneously.
    3. Learn to follow routines and procedures early in life.
    4. Physical development of both fine and gross motor skills takes place through self – paced, independent play- time activity – based learning 
    5. Confidence and ability to tackle variety of adult life challenges develops

When and why should a parent delay start of playgroup: 

Sometimes, some children benefit from waiting for a couple of months in starting playgroup, if they: 

  1. Have extreme separation anxiety 
  2. Are unable to express themselves clearly or need speech therapy and support
  3. Feel uncomfortable or get easily upset in a group setting 
  4. Do not interact with new persons or environment.  

In such a situation, starting playgroup can become a hinderance in child’s progress and growth. Delay of a just a few months benefits the child’s development in the long run. 

Playgroup age for Pakistan

In metropolitan cities of Pakistan, such as Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi – Islamabad and other urban centres like Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sialkot etc all preschools accept children from the age of 2+. A good quality playgroup focuses on development of 

  • Social skills 
  • Communication skills 
  • Investigation and exploration

At Playgroup age formal academics are neither important nor the focus of Early Childhood Education. 

Admission Policies for Playgroup Age Children

Admission policies differ school to school, but, most elite and popular preschools  have the following age criteria: 

 

Preschool Level Age Group 1 Age Group 2
a. Playgroup 2 – 3 years 2.5 – 3.5
b. Reception / Nursery 3 – 4 years 3.5 – 4.5
c. Preparatory / Kindergarten 4 – 5 years 4.5 – 5.5 

  • Ideal age: ideally a child should be above two

               – Usually playgroup starts around ‘age 3’ according to Early Years Education Programme 

               – Earliest at 2

               – Commonly at 2.5 – 3

  • Elite Schools: All leading schools require a child to be toilet trained and able to follow simple directions. 
  • Specific School Requirements: Some specific schools follow a strict policy of 2.9 to 3.9 for admission to playgroup. These institutions do not admit a child to playgroup if younger than 2.9. If the child is older than 3.9 , then instead of admission to playgroup, they offer admission to Nursery / Reception, based on the child’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development as well as basic academic learning. 

Important Guidelines for Parents: 

A parent ascertaining the appropriate age for starting playgroup should follow these guidelines: 

  • If the child is 2 – 2.5: Start with short hours or a gentle playgroup
  • If the child is nearly ‘3’: Start playgroup as it is easy to adapt  and follow a regular preschool routine. 
  • If younger or shy: Wait for a few months as it will help the child to bloom naturally.

 

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