Aimerfamily

we are looking at moving to Canada this year. My son is in reception and will be 6 in October, so I assume he will be going to Grade 1. My daughter just turned 4 and would have done a year at nursery in the UK. She is due to start reception if we stay. I did a search and they said she is not even due to start kindergarden till 2016. Would I be able to get her into Kindergarden this year or not?

rivingtonpike

A child starts school in the September of the year they turn 5 years old.

scilly

isn't that Kindergarten, with Grade 1 following in the September of the year they turn 6?


My grandson (not in Alberta) turned 5 in March and will be starting all day Kindergarten in September.

There are some things that are taught in Kindy in his province that they have to know before Grade 1 ........... but the biggest part seems to be getting the kids accustomed to school life. Most of them will have been in pre-school for at least the previous year.


My daughter went to half-day Kindy in the year she turned 5, and then to Grade 1 at age 6 .............. so the system hasn't changed that much between her starting school and her son, even though, again, in different provinces.

Although what he is going to be taught is quite a bit more than she was taught ........ actually she knew everything they were to be taught by the time she started at Kindy. She'd been in Daycare from the age of 3 ............ but there was no jumping ahead.

scilly

I have been quite horrified reading the earlier posts on this thread ..............

I had not realised that kids were put under such pressure in primary.

I came up through the English system when we had 11 Plus exams .......... and boy, that was pressure with a capital P

They really did determine your future ............. pass and you went to the Grammar School, but you had to get a high enough mark to be put into the Academic stream or else you were slotted into the lowest stream.

Fail, and you went to the Secondary Modern School.

School leaving age at the Secondary Modern School was 15, but it was 16 at the Grammar School .............. and your father had to sign a form that you would stay there until 16 or else he had to pay a fine. I think that was £10 when I went ........... a lot of money in those days.

There wasn't even an "escape" from the Secondary Modern for late developers at that time, although they did later bring in the 13-Plus exam that allowed for those who passed that exam to transfer to the Grammar School.

We were streamed in the Grammar School, and then at the age of 14 had to choose 8 subjects to be taken at GCE level ............ only 3 of those were "options" that you could choose. Basically, you were choosing your speciality for the rest of your life ............ Arts or Sciences.

I, of course being me, changed my mind between the age of 14 and 16 as to what I wanted to do for the rest of my life ............ and had to stay at school for 3 years in the 6th Form (instead of 2) in order to make up the Chemistry I had dropped and take A level sciences.


I believed that all the pressure that was put on us as children had been done away with.

Definitely a backward step IMHO!

Aimerfamily

But is that the school year September to June OR calender year Jan to Dec

scilly

The school year is September to end of June

Entry is based on the birth date .............. ie, the year in which the child turns 5

So you have a mix of ages from the child with a birthday on January 1st and the one who will not turn 5 until December 31


It's Australia and NZ that have the school year January to end of November

rivingtonpike

Scilly is right, it's Kindy at 5 years old. The school year runs Sep to June but to determine when you start it is a calendar year, Jan to Dec. So you start school the September of the year you turn 5 years old.

Aimerfamily

Thanks that what I was trying to understand. If they turned 5 during the school year or calendar year. So can anyone tell me how the schooling compares to the UK. ie Are they doing reception work in Kindy or Grade 1. I am not so concerned about my son doing Grade 1 after doing a year in reception. I am more concerned with my daughter suddenly not due to start anything after very successfully doing a year in nursery in the UK. She is so ready for reception if we stayed and will
be highly set back if not getting that schooling. So what is available
before
Kindy

scilly

sorry

I have no idea what "reception work" means

So far as I know, we do not use that term over here ........... you might well have to learn a "new" language

I suggest that you look at these sites showing the curriculum for Alberta kindergarten, which I found by using Google

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/m...ndergarten.pdf

education.alberta.ca/media/828326/kinderview.pdf

education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/ecs/programs.aspx

scilly

I just Googled "kindergarten curriculum"


you find sites for every province, so you can get an idea of what is done over here.

but only YOU can determine what you want from a school .................. but you might be making your children miss a valuable life experience if you decide that the Canadian education system is not up to your standards.

I can only tell you that I have an extremely well educated daughter, with 4 university degrees and an excellent job. Her husband is also well-educated, also has 4 university degrees including a PhD in education and has an excellent job in the school system ........... both are the products of the Canadian system.

Over 47 years, I have met many well-educated Canadian students ............ and seen some English-educated ones struggle in the different system while many more have thrived

Shard

I think you're being a bit precious. Nursery/reception/kindergarten...whatever they have done at this level will be dwarfed by the six years of primary/elementary. In short, you'll probably find the Canadian system gets off to a slower start than the UK, but the real differences in systems do not start until secondary.

Gowest

My youngest is in year 1 here and will finish year 2 before we land but will have just turned 6 so I think will start year 1 in Canada. I wouldn't dream of putting her in a different year age group because primary/elementary school is all about socialisation.
I don't actually care about the differences. Kids will learn and the exact order is irrelevant. Given support without too much pressure at home they will find their own place in the world.
The UK attitude to education of very young children is insane. And counterproductive. We have some of the worst worldwide rates of functional illiteracy because we try to teach kids before they are cognitively ready and they switch off. My youngest gets far too much homework and yet her teacher says parents are always complaining about them not getting enough and that they aren't getting ahead. And they're 4 and 5 years old
I will give the op the benefit of the doubt. Emigrating is scary and this is a focus of that anxiety but seriously it really is not that important.
My eldest is 17 so Ive seen him through the whole of school and can honestly say nothing he did before age 9 at the very earliest made a button of difference to him.

Aimerfamily

I have NO DOUBT the Education system in Canada is very good. I havent had any concerns regarding that. As I mentioned if my son who is completing his reception year in the UK goes to Grade 1,2 whatever I dont mind. If he is behind we will adjust I can assist him at home. If he is ahead we will have things at home too that that help stimulate him.

MY CONCERN was my daughter going from nursery to NOTHING as she would only be due to start Kindy next year. I couldnt find info on what was available at schools for 4 year olds. I have found Junior Kindy which is catered for 4year olds which is great. As you all mentioned at this age the social aspect is more important. I aggree 100% my kids are both extremely socialable and love school and nursery because of this. With a new country it is important for them to have access to other
children their age to make friends.

I dont think for one second I am been precious in
my concern for my kids. I wouldn't be a good parent if I wasn't concerned

Tirytory

Without jumping on the op... It did make me laugh..the idea of "successfully completing a year of nursery" ...

Anyway we live in Ontario, my middle child whose birthday is Nov (so one of the youngest) was still three when she started Junior Kindergarten which in Ontario has now become full time. Senior Kingergarten I guess is the equivalent of Reception since she will be turning five when she starts. How this compares to other provinces I'm not sure.

Fwiw even in JK my daughter is doing English and maths way above nursery level. I'm actually surprised about what they expect four yr olds to know especially having had my son go through the first few years of UK schooling. Maybe it's because she's in a French Immersion school and so SK will mean 90% french...they're trying to cram English

Tirytory

It's true... My 9 yr old seems to have all sorts of lightbulb moments atm where everything is clicking into place...