preschool wwyd?
I have a question about preschool. DS will only be 3 when he starts preschool because his bday is in late October. I just found out that the universal pre-k in our district is full days, 5 days/week. They get on the buses with the other elementary kids and go to school the full day just like the rest of the grades. DS won't get bussed because we live 2 blocks away.
I'm very hesitant about sending my 3yo to school all day, everyday. I have 3 options. Do the free, universal pre-k at age 3. Hold him back a year. Or pay for a private preschool for less time. It seems ridiculous to pay to send him to school LESS often, but I also don't think I'll be ready for him to go full-time next year. He won't go this September, but the following year. Maybe by then I will be ready for him to go that much. The other thing I worry about is, he will be one of the youngest in his class, and if I send him to a private school for less hours, will he be behind the other kids when he starts kindergarden? WWYD?
Re: preschool wwyd?
Do they take a nap during the day? How much of the time is spent with sit down learning activities and how much time is spent with free play/centers time? Do they go outside during the day? Do they have music/movement/art time?
A full day seems like a lot, but there are a lot of kids who go to daycare for full days 5 days a week. DD's daycare is run very similar to a preschool, there are times during the day where they do art, music, structured centers, free play, outside play, nap, lunch, etc.
You need to find out what happens during a day of preschool before you can make a decision.
I would find a private preschool and go 3 full days or 5 1/2 days per week.
So he will be going to kindergarten when he's 4? Where we will be living at that age, the kid has to be 5 at the start of the school year so DD will go to a preschool part time at 3.5 then full time preschool if we like where we are at or the public pre-k full time when she is 4.5. She'll start kindergarten when she's 5.5. Maybe start him at 1/2 time preschool this year to ease him into it?
All this. DS is in the preschool room at daycare and their day is split with curriculum stuff and play/outdoor time/crafts/etc. I don't feel like he's being forced to be in an educational environment for 5 full days but I have no issue wiht him BEING there for 5 full days.
Ds just turned 3 in May. We did a PDO (Parents day out) program one day a week at a local church last school year. This fall we decided to do PDO 2 days a week from 9-1pm, so I can get him home for nap time. In the Fall 2014, we will enroll him in 3 day preschool, either normal or extended day depending if he still naps. And then in the fall of 2015, he will begin all day K too.
Most moms in my area are doing 2 years of preschool, so I feel a little self conscience about our choice, but I think it'll be a good gradual transition for Ds. And I don't think he'll have trouble being "behind" when he gets into K.
I agree with this. DD is 4.5 (5 in november) and has been in daycare that runs like a preschool 5 days a week 40-41 hours since she was 3. She has done fine. I definitely wouldn't make a decision until I found out what a full day of preschool consisted of, it might be good for him.
I agree with this. DD is 4.5 (5 in november) and has been in daycare that runs like a preschool 5 days a week 40-41 hours since she was 3. She has done fine. I definitely wouldn't make a decision until I found out what a full day of preschool consisted of, it might be good for him.
I'd probably pay for him to go a couple days a week to a private preschool at 3 and then send him to the universal pre-k at 4. My nephew was in a private pre-k program this year (at age 4) that was 8 - 3 every day and he loved it.
I agree. My boy was the youngest in his class. He went to school right after he turned 4 (like a few days later). He thrived and did a great job--I wouldn't hold back a child just for being a certain gender.For us-we had to pay tuition to the public school for him to go (some perk to working there, lol). I'd do just that-put him in and see how it goes.
Well, I have a birthday in late November, and was always one of the youngest in my class. And I have 2 DDs in daycare 5 days a week, so I'm biased. That said...
I think you should base your decision on your LO's readiness. Generally, preschool and pre-K programs have a list of behaviors they expect upon entering and ones they'll develop through the year; would it be possible to get such information and use it to evaluate your LO ahead of time? I would also ask about the curriculum. Preschool is often much more about learning how to work in a group (with things like circle time, group play, etc), and is usually learning disguised as fun, with lots of fun mixed in. And studies show kids who've gone to preschool and pre-K do significantly better in K, in part because they're just more used to the setting and routine. If you do decide to delay preschool, you may want to continue the delay (ie start in K as 5 turning 6).
For my DD, she thrived in her preschool daycare, and we moved her to a formal pre-K school program at 4, but every child is different. Learn as much as you can about the daily routine, and the expectations of the program, and assess your LO.
Sorry about the post and run, I ran to the store. Thanks everyone for their responses. He will be 3 for a month and a half of pre-k, and 4 for a month and a half of kindergarden. The cut off here is nov 1, so he will be pretty much the youngest in his class, which is fine. I think he will be ready, he goes to daycare 2 mornings a week now, and he does well. I know it's not about me, and I need to do what's best for him, but I feel like he's still so little! Maybe a year will change a lot. They do testing, it will be done next May, if we want him to go, so we will have an idea of where he's at.
The program does have a nap time, lunch, snack, outdoor play when nice, they have access to the gym, pool and art class. It seems like a very structured, and overall good program. I think I'm going to look at the other programs in the area and see how we feel come May.
My heart says keep him home the extra year, do part-time pre-k then send him to kindergarden. But given he will be the youngest in his class, I don't want him to be behind. My head says send him to the free, all day program.
It's even hard to find full day K 'round these parts.
My son is on an IEP, so this is a little different, but he is in a full day, five day, full year program and it is intensive. They do not nap, unless the child really needs it, but as a general rule they don't. He is three and he LOVES it. He asks to go to school all the time.
My thoughts are that your child can handle more than you think. My impaired child goes to school and gets HOURS of therapy everyday and a very intensive social and academic program, and he can handle it. You may be surprised.