Opinions / experiences of combined class of 3 & 4 year olds?

sunnydays99

My top preschool choice has a combined classroom for the 3 & 4 year olds, and I can't seem to figure out if that will be good or bad for DS! lol. So I thought I'd see if any of you have had this and how it played out! My biggest concern is that DS will already be one of the youngest in the class so I worry that the older kids will dominate everything. On the other hand he'll always be one of the youngest (we won't be holding him back), so maybe this will give him a great head start at interacting with older peers?

just looking for some feedback! Thanks!

Mrs.RockyM

I think it depends on the child.  DD's preschool has a room of kids who are 2 by September of 2011, and then another room that groups 3 and 4 year olds togehter.  I personally love that environment.  The younger kids learn from the older kids and visa versa.  They're now starting to put the 2 year old room with the 3 and 4 year olds to get them ready as they transition in September, and DD is doing great. 

howleyshell

Ditto PP.

At our public pre-school they literally repeat the same pre-school but they are in different "small groups" to focus on more advanced academics at 4.

I think the older kids who have been there a year already help the younger kids learn the ropes and settle in nicely.  The younger ones seemed to just accept that sitting down and focusing on certain activities was simply what was expected and normal in this environment because they saw the older ones being comfortable with it.

I think the teachers did an excellent job of handling social development discrepancies.

I think the kids naturally sought out a peer group they were comfortable socializing with during their free play time and their recess time.  For some that meant same age and for others it didn't.

It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me as long as there is a good student to teacher ratio.

omurray

When I was looking at preschools, there was one that had a combined 3 & 4 yr old class.  That was very appealing to me because my son has an October birthday so he is one of if not the oldest.  I thought it would be nice to have a good mix of kids older than him and younger than him.  However, when I really got to talking with the teacher for that class (the day I toured the school), she said that nobody ever signs their 4 yr old up for that class.  So, although technically it was 3s and 4s, in reality it was not going to be the mix I was looking for. 

 

rsd12

I was a bit concerned about this with my middle son. He got into our towns collaborative preschool with a speech delay. It is a combined class with 3 - 5 yr olds. But the teachers do an excellent job grouping the kids and my son has excelled academically. My oldest did go to a 3 yr old and then a 4 yr old proegram before kindergarten and I definitely think socially it was a nicer fit, but my middle son needs more help. I was having a tough time figuring out where to put our youngest because of these two preschools since they both have advantages!

kmhunt11

Being the youngest means learning from other kids (a very good thing).  When he gets to be one of the older kids, he will learn self-confidence and leadership skills (another very good thing).  I think multi-age classrooms are great.  

CD+AL

At the beginning of the year, DS was 3yo, but he was one of the youngest.  It seems like most of the class ended up being redshirted 5yos, but at this point, they are his best school friends too.  He's done really well with the older kids.  I think it probably depends on a lot of factors: the child as an individual, group dynamics, the teacher, etc.  In DS' case, he has a really small class (9 students total), and I think that also helps.

sunnydays99

Thank you so much for the feedback everyone! I really think DS will thrive in the environment. He seems to be ahead academically, and on par socially so hopefully it'll be a good fit!

Court0026

I taught a 3/4 class for 3 years.  It honestly was never an issue.  We had 17 kids and 3 staff, so we did circle and stuff together, but then centers were all small groups and there was a lot of smaller group stuff.  We were able to differentiate instruction for the most part.  I agree that it depends on the group of kids and the teacher/classroom model. 

cecee36

My daughter is in a combined class for the 2nd year in a row.  Last year she was one of the younger children and this year she is the oldest.  Last year, as a younger student in a class with 3-almost 4 year olds, she watched them for clues as to how things worked and by imitating them, she matured alot.  This year, as an older student, she's a leader; showing the new students how things work so it's been a blast for her.  We've enjoyed watching her progress over the past two years. Her personality is one that is naturally outgoing, bubbly and energetic so it was easy for her to get in there, make a place for herself and make friends easily.  

ArcticFox

My older DD turns 5 next week and she's in a mixed class of 3 and 4 year olds.  I will say that she gravitated towards the kids that are her age - her 3 best friends turn 5 this month.  I should clarify, the kids spend some time together, but not all the time.

My 2 year old turns 3 in October and will be going to the same preschool.  She is tiny and I am a little worried about her being kind of 'bumped around' by the larger kids, she might be more intimidated by the older kids, but I think it is good to mingle with different ages.  I will say though that I already feel more "hovery" than I ever was with my older daughter.. it's the fall baby thing :P

jlw2505

At the daycare preschool where my youngest DD still attends through the summer, the split the preschool classes based on age - Pre1 is 2 1/2 until 3 and potty trained, Preschool 2 is for 3 years olds and preschool 3 is for 4 years old and then the kids move to the school age room once they turn 5.  Often, kids move to the class up or below to even out the staffing levels or at the beginning/end of the day when the student count is lower.  It really works out well.  My DD is now one of the oldest in the Pre2 room (she will be 4 on Tuesday) and she loves her class but she also loves going into the 4 year old room - she is pushed to do more things on her own and they have different toys that are geared for the 4 year olds.  When she was 3 to 3 1/2, should would often visit the pre 1 room and had the chance to be the big kid and help out the younger kids.  At the preschool they really encourage the kids to help each other and do a lot of great group things.  There is a huge difference in how a child behaves at just turned 3 to almost 5 but I would think that for most kids who fall in the middle, it would be great.

WannaBMommy81

DD ps does a 3/4 2 day a week and then a 4/5 class either 3 or 4 days a week.  she is one of the youngest (most have turned 4 already) but it doesn't seem to be a problem.

Echowysp

Ds is 3 in a 3/4 room.  He's probably the youngest there.  I was hesitant at first to move him from his 2 1/2 year old room because I wondered if he was there socially, but his teachers encouraged me to move him for academic reasons.  I'm glad I did and his behavior and academics are right on par.  He doesn't always play with the others because I think he's still a bit more into the independent play, but he loves it and loves his classmates. 

Crazy thing is he will be in a pre-k class already in August.  My baby is growing up.