In recent years, early-education specialists have been arguing whether it is better for children to commence formal education earlier than the normal age of seven. Although some claim that this is beneficial they can learn new knowledge quickly, the traditional age of seven seems to be the best choice for children to start to go to school because it guarantees better running of classes and provides children with enough time in playgroups and preschools.
Some educationists advocate the idea that as a result of starting earlier and consequently having more time to absorb academic knowledge, children are more likely to be successful in the future. This is because learners of younger ages tend to have better cognitive performance. A child under the age of three, for example, can learn new words twice as fast as those above this age. This means that they are able to gain knowledge faster than older children, which makes education more time efficient.
There are, however, more significant reasons why children should start their when they are seven. The primary reason is that children at this age are more independent, which means they need less attention from their teachers. These teachers can therefore focus on the learning progress of the whole class instead of the individual needs of each child. Starting formal schooling at this age, in addition to this, guarantees that children of lower ages can spend more time playing and learning in informal environments such as playgroups or kindergartens. This contributes to the development of their creativity and imagination, which are more difficult to develop when these young ones grow up.
In conclusion, educating children under the age of seven in a formal school is associated with certain benefits such as the extra time for learning academic knowledge. These benefits are, however, not as clear and significant as the advantages of sending children to a formal school when they are seven. It is therefore recommended that very young children spend time playing games or joining informal classes in order to cultivate their ability to imagine and think creatively.