Appropriate school starting age: A focus on the cognitive and social development of a child
Keywords:
Academic performance, cognitive development theory, early childhood educationAbstract
The early years are the most important in the emotional, social,
physical and cognitive development of a child.. A child’s early
experiences have an immense impact on the development of his/
her physical, emotional and cognitive skills. Therefore, it is very
important to understand the kind of environment children need in
the early years for their healthy development and also to understand
when it is appropriate to begin their schooling in order to optimize
their social, cognitive and emotional well-being. It is observed that
the number of formal pre-schools have increased drastically in the
past few years. Children between the ages of one to five are attending
these pre-schools. This paper attempts to look into the various
researches conducted to find out how early childhood experiences
affect children; how their emotional and cognitive development
occurs; and most importantly, whether or not starting school at an
age earlier than seven years, benefits their academic achievement
in the long run. The findings of the various researches indicate that
children in the early years need to spend time in free play rather than
in structured and scheduled school environments. This will also help
them in their future academic success. Thus, starting school earlier
than seven years of age is not beneficial socially or academically in
the long run.
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