Toddlers: 12 - 24 Months
starlingrose
member
What is preschool?
starlingrose
member
I know I can google but help me out if you can.
What is preschool? Do kids have to go? What ages is it for generally?
Do you plan on sending your lo? Will it be Montessori style?
* I was lurking on the 24+ board and someone mentioned how thier lo will be going to preschool by age 3. It freaked me out!! Do I have to send him to 'school' that young?? Im hoping to be a SAHM again later this year and I want him home with me. Plus I know nothing about registering a kid for school and which is best... ahhh not ready lol.
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Re: What is preschool?
Logan - 11/09, Lander 08/11, Baby #3 ~It's a girl!!~ EDD: 04/10/14
Being a teacher, I can answer this. Preschool is typically for four year olds. However, if a three year old has a late birthday (say, Sept 1st), they can enroll for that year since they'll be turning four early in the school year. I don't know of any state that requires it, and it purely is parental choice.
Private schools have a WIDE variety of preschool offerings, while many public school systems either offer it on a first-come, first-served basis, or a low-income basis (like my school system does).
My daughter will be going to preschool, but by that time, it'll really just be an extension of daycare-- they teach them so much already in the class she's in now!
Academic preschool, specifically is glorified daycare where kids will not only learn good social skills but also academic skills. It's not mandatory in the U.S. but I feel it should be and free or low-cost yet good quality ones should be more readily available. I'm a huge, huge, HUGE advocate of preschools. Having taught Kindergarten for 3 years and now teaching 1st grade for 3 years you can usually see a big gap between the kids who didn't go to preschool and the ones who did. Granted there are the exceptions where families take the time during the year or two before the enter formal schooling to help them to learn the academic skills and tools but in my experience that is far and few. Kindergarten, at least in California, is extremely rigorous. By June most of my students are writing 2-3 sentences on a specific topic, reading basic words and sentences, adding & subtracting numbers 0-10, skip counting, etc.
The reality is that competition for better test scores in U.S. is so ridiculous and yet change is so in the far future that all we can do as teachers (and parents) is to prepare the kids for all the rigorous testing they are expecting to go through. By sending your child to preschool, even if for just a year (although I strongly urge enrolling them at age 3), it can make a huge difference in your child's early academic success.
I don't want to scare you and I don't know how the educational system works in Canada but preparation before your child enters formal schooling is a MUST. And I don't mean cramming the ABC's, numbers, and writing their name during the summer before school starts. I'm talking about a 1-2 year commitment, whether in a preschool or home setting. Another benefit of sending your child to preschool is that he/she will learn social skills/tools. Besides learning how to deal with other kids beyond your circle of family and friends your child will learn how to sit still during a story reading (or at least sit still for a couple minutes at a time!), learn to follow one to two-step directions, how to be part of a group/team member, etc. You may feel that you can get that all taken care of on your own but it really is a huge feat and you shouldn't have to take on all of the burden, even as the parent.
Thank you very much for the info ladies. I am sure now that I will have to put alot of thought into this. BTW In Canada they dont do SAT's ect. We have Provincial final exams for each course starting in grade 9 which is highschool but it just determines your final grade for that course. I have a friend who's 19mo can count to 10 and knows about 150 words or probably more. Its so stressful! I try to teach my son words and he just says DA! Its freaking me out and Im feeling pressure to get him ready for school but I think I have some time. No need to freak yet right? Maybe once Im on the 24mo+ board....
OMG, you have so much time. There's nothing to freak out. There are always going to be kids who are exceptionally brilliant and can truly read by age 2 or 3 but for the most part a large majority of those early readers can read due to memorization. That's why I do NOT advocate programs that advertise and guarantee reading at an early age. It's all simple memorization and yet you can't possible memorize every single word. True reading is being able to decode a word by breaking apart the sounds and blending them together.
IMHO, the best thing you can do right now is to continue to read to DS and carry on as much dialogue with him. By constantly talking to him and verbally labeling everything that comes into his sight you are building up his vocabulary bank. By reading to him daily and making sure to point to each word as you say it you're teaching him the meaning behind printed words. Eventually he'll make the connection between what you're saying and the words on the pages. A big word that's always used in primary grades is a "print-rich environment." Meaning having anything from books to magazines to newspapers readily available in your house. So many kids (especially those in lower-income areas) go through their early years with very little exposure to books of any kind so when they finally come to me I have to literally teach them how to properly hold a book! So for you as a parent to provide him these opportunities and to create a positive learning environment you are on the right track!
Oh, and stop comparing. It's evil.
I wish my older daughter were in preschool. At this point I can't offer her the socialization she's looking for. Unfortunately, in my area preschool is prohibitively expensive, so she will hopefully be doing a year of preK starting next fall before starting K the following year. It's so expensive around here that I'm currently filling out financial aid applications that are more in depth that the forms I filled out to get financial aid for college.... no joke.
I feel that preschool is important in terms of social skills and getting used to a classroom setting. DD has known all her letters for a long time, can read some short words, can recognize her name and her sister's names, has known her colors since 19-20 months. So many of the skills worked on in preschool she has down. But, the only way to get used to one adult to many children and getting along with peers is to experience these things and she desperately needs that. Hopefully one of the schools we have applied to will accept her and give her aid. The public schools in my area have free preK at elementary schools, but there are limited spots and we would not get a priority spot because I wouldn't use the one I am zoned for since that particular elementary school is not good.
OP, I noticed you are in BC. Within BC, there is the "Strong Start" program. It is free, and offered in many elementary schools. The times vary - but in my community it is offered in several schools Monday - Friday, 8:30-11:30. It is drop in and casual ... but the kids start the socialization process of school, and some of the basics they will need before heading to school.
It is one inexpensive and fun way to get your LO involved
I already take DS - I don't think he is picking tons up yet (we have a "DA-er" over here as well) but it is good socialization and he loves being with the other kids ... even if it is targeted at slightly older ones.
Just thought I would send the info your way. Especially in case you get to be at home with him again soon!
Thanks! We have been to strong start once before. It was a little overwhelming for us because ds was just over 12mo. It was mostly older kids and there were ALOT of them (the teacher said she cant turn kids away as there is no set limit) and ds got a little overwhelmed/trampled. I think it would be good for him when he is a bit older. I was told Circle of Friends was geared toward a younger age group and was the same idea so we might start that.
Really? Preschool is SO important. I got my bachelor degree in early childhood development/education. Kindergarten readiness has been shown to prevent crime, divorce, so many things.
Education starts early and preschool promotes that.
ETA: I taught preschool ages 3 and 4, and then pre-K age 5. I had a 3's class and a 4's class. I also had a pre-K class. My son will be in preschool by age 3. I strongly believe in the importance of preschool.
Do kids have to go? No. Should kids go? Yes.
Edit again, sorry! If you are researching Montessori (which is fantastic!) you might also want to research Reggio Emillia and high scopes curriculum.
High scopes is my personal favorite. If you have any questions about the differences feel free to PM me. I always planned my curriculum around high scopes. If you want to google high scopes, it's based on the theories by Jean Piaget.
It's really a personal choice whether to go or not and what type of preschool. There are many different programs available.
DD didn't go as I didn't see a large benefit for her. I probably won't send DS either. He seems a little more shy and I might consider some type of class for socialization when he's older.