Very stupid "pre-school" question.

stacynikki

What exactly does preschool entail?  It's just the year before they start kinder, right?  So, if DS goes to a daycare center that has classes for ages up to K then I don't really need to worry about finding a preschool for DS then, right? 

jen5-03

Pre-school is usually for 3yo, Pre-K is for 4yo. It's just supposed to be a little more structured than daycare, have a curriculum, etc. If your DC teaches kindergarten, then it's likely that they are a pre-school.

Angela814

That's what I assumed.  DD is in a small daycare center now, and her preschool room is ages 2-4 years.  I've been wondering lately if it will be stimulating enough for her when she's 4 or if she'll be bored.  I guess I'll worry about that in another year.  For now she's doing well and learning a lot.  Most of the kids are about the same age as her, so maybe the teacher will just change the lesson plans as the kids get older.

shopgirl78

Our daycare has the same.  However, the school district in which we live (which defers from the city we live in) offers preschool to all children within the district...they have a partnership with the daycare (PT) and we will do that, saves us 25 dollars a week.  H will go to Prek4 next year.  

But no, your kid will be fine in daycare until K.  

august0605bride

My DS is not in daycare. ?He goes to preschool 1 day a week this year (he's 2), and he'll do 3 days a week for the next 2 years.

*sparky*

That's not a stupid question.  Many of the daycare centers include a preschool program for their 3 - 4 year olds, so it is very likely that your DS is getting what he would if he were to go into an official preschool. 

DS attends preschool at a Catholic school.  In the 3-yr program, it is mostly about socialization, learning to follow directions, but they learn colors, numbers, letters, and concepts such as the calendar, weather, grouping items, patterns, etc.

In the 4-yr program they focus more on Kindergarten prep - word recognition, some language immersion, as well as all of the basic skills they focused on in the 3-yr-old program.

And there is lots of imaginative play, arts and crafts, and playground time.

 

stacynikki

Thanks girls.  I actually just looked up the website for DS's center and the 3-4 year classroom is the Pre-K Readiness Academy and the 4-5 year classroom is the Advanced Pre-K readiness academy so I guess we're all set!