I am facing this issue. I started this discussion with a different title, but then received an error message saying that the title is in use. So I changed and reposted. Now I can see 2 different titles with same topic. some old members help me out or Moderator if you can remove one of them. I am not able to do so

Dont worry Arunima, moderators will take care of it and merge the two threads..

Regarding the topic at hand - Parents are no doubt children's first and most important teachers and the habit of reading and love for learning is developed at home during the early years.By communicating and reading to the toddler is what forms the foundation for later years of learning. However, there are three stages of learning and brain development in children and almost 50% of the ability to  learn take place during the first 4 years of the child and during the second stage between 4-8 years another 30% is developed and in the third stage between 8-18 years only 20% is developed.So the first four years of the child is very crucial . 

Children develop discipline, social and interactive skills at school which is very essential for a child which one cannot do in the sheltered atmosphere of one's home. Many secondary skills too get taught in school . Ideally, a child should be taught the rudiments of schooling slowly like it is done in European countries where children are sent to pre school at the age of 3 just for two days in a week. They start half day of pre school for 5 days after they complete 4 years and go to a proper school at 5 years which is again for a short period of time.. But by this time they are taught  skills, values , knowledge and social graces ..I feel it is probably the most ideal system there is.

After completion of 3 years, the child should be admitted in to a Play school. These Play  Schools prepare the kid for the regular schooling gradually. Admitting the child in to the  school at the age of 5 will have adverse effects. As a result, the child will show some pretext or other to avoid the School

@ Rambabu . I have always heard this context of preparing for school. Does it take so long to prepare for schooling?? It is same like having exams in Primary school as a preparation for exams in High school. I think when the brain is mature, preparation takes less time. My daughter did not write alphabets till she was seven and now at the age of 10, she has her own poem books, story books, Nature diary, Own recipe book with recipes and her personal secret diary entries. While my other friends crib about their children avoiding writing ( they started school at 3 and so writing alphabets by 3.5), I am not concerned because she loves to write and even make her own compositions without my help.

I always ask parents at my counselling sessions -"You know your child has to be potty trained one day. So do you make him use toilet from first day or wait ??we wait for right time for everything??""

"We even know that they will be sexual beings at one time. But we do not prepare them from young age. In fact we avoid it even when they are ready"

"So why the hurry only for academics and school skills?"

My grand daughter who is in her fourth year got admitted in a play school. She has developed such a liking towards her school because she loves to play,sing songs with her friends. Play Schools trained her and her friends well.  Right now she and her friends are looking forward for joining in lower Kindergarten class.

rambabu wrote:

After completion of 3 years, the child should be admitted in to a Play school. These Play  Schools prepare the kid for the regular schooling gradually. Admitting the child in to the  school at the age of 5 will have adverse effects. As a result, the child will show some pretext or other to avoid the School

Play schools available only in big cities towns and village have not play schools. At present kids are much smart that children of 60 and 70's. There year is ideal age for children to send them school,

Of course, it is true that Play Schools are available only in Big cities. I think this condition must change.

Coming back to the Play Schools, there are many advantages of these Play Schools. Generally Children are afraid of leaving their Home atmosphere. They also are afraid of leaving their Parents, especially Mother.. In this regard, the well trained Teachers make the child forget all the fears  The Child that was crying just a few days ago will start loving the School. Hence the child automatically gets accustomed for its next regular School. It's a smooth transformation.

I am actually ok with sending kids to play group which is like 1.5yrs, as long as they dont push the limits and dont try to stuff too many things in the kid. The reason, i feel if children get to mingle with other kids outside house where they have only a few people, their learning curve is steeper. They learn to speak, to mingle with the crowd and also the fear is reduced at an earlier age.

I would suggest people to put their kids in play schools which have classes upto UKg. In such schools i feel the pressure on students is lesser and they adopt a more fun way of learning. After Ukg for 1st standard you can put them in regular schools. These play schools help in building a good base for children and there is more concentration to each student. 

Working mothers have no other option but to send the little ones to either as a cretch or a play school once they are two or two and a half years old. But at the same time we get to hear of some horrendous stories,about some of the play schools. Parents have their own limitations like having a school at a convenient distance  from their own home or work spot and also go by word of mouth. . Inspire of taking as many precautions , at times things don't work out as expected..

I totally agree with all the points. Most of the benefits are for parents. I am not talking about the practice which became need of the hour owing to various socio-economic changes like disappearing joint families and working mothers etc. But does it benefit the child at psychological and emotional level on a developmental scale. 

As far as the smartness of children is concerned, I disagree that they are smarter than older generation. Children are still the same but the childhood has changed due to the same socio-economic changes and technological advancements. They are definitely more exposed and over stimulated doing more bad than good for them in a longer run in life. 

Being more exposed to technology which they got by default and made to live a life in the garb of adulthood does not make them smarter