Determining if LO is ready for preschool...

sunnydays99

I am considering enrolling DS in preschool starting in the fall.  He will be 3 in November and b/c of his late bday I would prefer him to have 2 years of preschool before going into kindergarten.  My only concern is if he is ready or not.  What factors did you consider (or did preschools require) to determine child readiness?

 

howleyshell

Well... we did public pre-school and they had an age cut off of 3 by a certain calendar date so that was pretty cut and dry.  Your son wouldn't have made the cut off but they did have some kids who started in January instead of the fall.

Are you looking at public or private?

If you're looking at a center I'd talk directly with them about readiness.

Many true pre-school programs will have minimal requirements like essentially potty trained.  Not a requirement  but many pre-school teachers appreciate it when you've exposed them to proper grip on pencils/crayons, scissors and glue.  

To me it's like most other things - it's not black and white.  You can give it a go and if it isn't working out due to extreme separation anxiety, etc you can always back off and try again at a later date.   I think the biggest factor is if you think he's going to be OK at drop off and actually enjoy the experience of being around peers and in a learning and playing environment away from Mom.

Also - what is the cut off for staring Kindy?  Best to know that up front as well.  If it's an October or earlier cut off you're setting him up for 3 years of pre-school, not 2. 

angelakh

Check the cut off dates.  Here it is Sept.1st.  

When DD went to parents day out there were no requirements - she did that at two years old and went one day a week.

DD's preschool requires them to be potty trained and 3 by the cut off.

If you are concerned about his readiness I would just try and see what happens.  I don't think at this age there is really a way to determine if they are ready other than trying. 

Jen&Len

DS has an October bday but our preschool is a little lenient on the cutoffs (which for us is in September) and will allow kids in who miss the cutoff by a little bit.  They won't allow more than a couple months off.  I think the youngest kid in his class has a December bday, but she's is really advanced (and the second child) and seems older than some of the older kids in class!  We weren't sure about DS because he is soooo incredibly shy and had major separation anxiety.

THey did require that he be potty trained...but they are okay with occasional accidents.  They just don't want a diapered kid in class (although DH thought he spotted a kid in pull ups).

He had a rough first week with crying but after that he has been okay and has made friends.  We have seen a huge amount of change in him since he started school.  He is much more independent and assertive.  Most of all, his speech has improved immensely.he was a little bit behind when he started, with just 2-3 word phrases. 

 We didn't really think he was ready when we enrolled him, but we thought he needed it.  It really has helped him and he loves being with the slightly older kids, who teach him stuff.

regenab

Here they have to be 3 before Sept. 1st to start in the beginning of the school year (late August). But they also have to be potty trained. It is a church preschool so you can start your child anytime during the year as long as there are open spots. But if you enter after they turn 3 during the normal school year they will not move up the next year they will stay in the 3 year old class the next year. The 3 year old class that my girls go to is called the 3-4 year old class. The next class up is for 4 year olds that turn before Sept.1st, but they do not add kids to this class throughout the year. The reason is because in FL every child is able to be in the VPK (voluntary pre kindergarten) program and is paid for by the state, so if you don't meet the Sept. 1st deadline you cannot be in the class and have to wait until the next year.

 

hmr22

The private preschool where my DS goes has a list of requirements that the child must meet before being enrolled. It's nothing major just being potty trained & able to dress themselves and things like that.

rsd12

Our cutoff is December 31st.  I really wish it was Sep 1 or Oct 1.  I held out my 2nd son with a Dec. 26th birthday. But he started preschool at 3 because he had speech issues.  I am considering holding out my Sept 09 baby.  He would start next fall, but many kids will be a year older than him.  I am in a wait and see approach with him to see if he will be ready.  You can always hold a spot for the fall and decide over the summer.

sunnydays99

Thanks Ladies!  Here are the answers to a few questions being asked:

- the preschool that I *think* I want him to go to is approved to accept children 2.5 years old so DS would be fine starting in Sept because he turns 3 in Nov.

- kindergarten cut offs are Dec 31 here, so he'd be fine starting after 2 years of preschool

- we are in the process of potty training right now and he's doing excellent, so I don't see any reason why that would be an issue come Sept.

- he's never had any kind of separation anxiety or issues like that.  We go to gym babysitting regularly and other kinds of activities where he shows me that he is fine being away from me and interacting with other adults or children.

Thanks again for the info you provided.  It's good to know what factors led you to believe your LO was ready!