Nursery World - How do children grow in a hot house?

Not only should the school starting age be raised to six (Letters, 8 November), but we should actively discourage formal learning before that age. My wife, despairing of finding a decent state primary school in our area for our son, began researching some local private pre-prep schools. At one, an educational psychologist interviews all applicants at the age of three. Among the questions the children are asked are 'Where does the sun set?' 'What happens when ice melts?' and 'How many pennies are there in a pound?' At this point, we decided to move rather than subject our son to some rather nasty hot-housing. Out of interest, however, I asked my two-year-old to tell me everything he knew about money. He replied, 'Chocolate money! Yum yum!'

My wife, despairing of finding a decent state primary school in our area for our son, began researching some local private pre-prep schools. At one, an educational psychologist interviews all applicants at the age of three. Among the questions the children are asked are 'Where does the sun set?' 'What happens when ice melts?' and 'How many pennies are there in a pound?' At this point, we decided to move rather than subject our son to some rather nasty hot-housing. Out of interest, however, I asked my two-year-old to tell me everything he knew about money. He replied, 'Chocolate money! Yum yum!'

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