Preschool vs. daycare

MrsSR

isn't it pretty much the same thing?  I think they just put the word "preschool" there to make it more appealing to parents.

Really though, at 2/3/4 years old the kids play most of the day.  Yes there are some educational things that go on, but that's the same of any daycare, at least around here.  At that age kids learn through play.

Is there a difference where you live?

Karschingham

OK! thank you for asking, because that's exactly what I was wondering...If DD was previously in daycare and now I'm a SAHM can't I just wait til she's like 4 or 5!? I'm soooo confused!

isacdimi10

I worked in a preschool/daycare hybrid.

Birth-4yrs was daycare. The lead teachers had Early childhood ed diploma/certificate. We did simple work with them through play and fun activities. Most to get them to recognize colors, numbers, and the alphabet. The older they got the more we sat them down with papers.

4-5yrs was preschool. The preschool teacher had a Elementary Ed diploma. She began to enforce rules you see in a typical K class. You must sit in your seat unless its playtime, you must raise your hand, etc. Also she had a very strict lesson plan (not saying they didn't have fun but they got things done in a certain order by a certain date) and then they had play times.
ETA: They worked on writing, simple mathematics, and beginner reading along with reenforcing colors, numbers, and letters

B-3 you were moved up shortly after your birthday (or as quickly as we could shuffle the room ratio). But in the 3-4 room we held kids so that they would start preK the fall before they were eligible for K, in our area we have a cut off of 5 on or before Sept 30. So yes we had some kids turn 4 in the 3-4 room and stay there for almost a year after they turned 4.

amberdl28

To me a preschool is a few hours a day a couple times a week and daycare is more hours for a working parent.

My best friend has her son in full time preschool and is sending him to the preschool room and then he will go back to the daycare room. I dont understand this. If it is a good daycare they should be teaching him things not just watching him. He should be learnng his ABCs, counting, colors, listening in circle time, how to transition centers and how to socialize with kids, etc. Thats what they should be learning in preschool as well as a daycare. I do not want my kid to go to a preschool where they are sitting at tables doing worksheets. I want him to play and learn, to read stories, sing, play with centers etc.

Since I stay at home I will send him to preschool. If I worked full time I would send him to a daycare and excpet the exact same thing.

Most daycares have infant, toddler, and preschool rooms. Each room they have certain cirrculums. In the preschool room they should be doing what a child does at a preschool that is only that.

But thats my opinion.

fancynewbeesly

The preschools in our area (that aren't in a daycare center) are ages 3 and up--and have to be potty trained. I plan on sending my daughter there when she is 3. (I went to that school). The full day is between 9-3, however you can sign up for half-days. They do have before and after care (similar to elem. school for a working parent--but that costs extra and isn't in the tuition.)

 

klondikebar

The preschool DS is going to functions as a little classroom and seems pretty structured with lessons and rules. My children never attended daycare so I can't really compare the two.

Angela814

Our daycares always ran a "preschool" program in the morning. So from 8:30-11 or so, they'd do circle time, learning activities, reading (teacher reading to the group), art projects, etc. That was followed by outdoor time, lunch, nap, and then free play in the afternoon. 

At 4 yrs, DD1 was in our districts public 4K program. She took the bus to school every day. School was structured like a half day kinder program. She was there from 9-11:30.  

littlemermaid

Daycares are childcare for people who work, they offer preschool programs for the children in the daycare.   Preschool programs that are not part of daycares are for 3 & 4 year olds.  They usually are 2.5 hours and are 2 or 3 days per week.  They are in a classroom and have a structured program.  They ready your child for kindergarten and offer socialization for your child.

sharksfan

I work at a school that has students from preschool through middle school.  The Preschool starts at age 3, and it is definitely different from day care.  There are structured activities and educational curriculum.  At the end of the 4-year-old program, the students enter kindergarten reading one and two vowel words as well as simple sentences, knowing how to count forward and backward, simple addition/subtraction (though they don't use this terminology), and have had science lessons in things like kinds of dinosaurs, bugs, ocean life, etc.  

chardonnay24

There isn't a huge difference, but the private schools that have pre-k programs are more academic. We are keeping A in DC until he is 4, and then he's going to pre-k at the private school that he will attend through 8th grade.

frlcb

cmeon_the_water:

There is a huge difference between stand alone private preschools and daycares with preschool curriculum in our area.

Daycare centers are open year 'round, don't operate on the county school schedule, have longer and earlier hours, tend to not do as many events, and are less expensive. They also clearly cater to working parents who do not have grandparents or other family watching their children- no part-time hours, no 2/3 days a week, they don't close for the random school holidays or the summer.

Private preschools are much more likely to operate on the school schedule (ours is 9.5m and we share days off and holidays with the public school schedule. I'm a SAHM, and nearly ALL the other parents are either SAHP or have a grandparent available. Parties, shows, events are all held on early release days- and everyone and their mother shows up to watch the kids sing/parade/party. They don't do babies. They are a traditional Montessori, so 5 days a week- but, we (and all the other mothers of 3yos) did mornings only our first year.

And I know this is probably not a universal truth- but, the training and certifications our instructors go through are very intense- the daycares here... well, they don't. The majority are run by churches or are franchised chains.

FL pays for 4yos to attend roughly the equivalent of half-days on a school schedule- and participating in that program does mean much stricter requirements. But, for 2 and 3yos? No.

 

This. There is definitely a difference. Daycares are open all day, the preschools around here are only open til 1 usually, there is no after care. The people who work there are teachers, and they do have structured activities. And it runs on the school schedule. 

amykins1283

The center where I work is a Preschool/Daycare.  The kids have structured learning times (circle time, music time, art, reading, etc.) but also get lots of free play time first thing in the morning and in the afternoon.  They aren't shuffled between preschool and daycare but the learning and free play happen all together in the same room.  I teach the GA Pre-K (4 and 5 year old free state Pre-K program) class and that is definitely more structured than the rooms that are part of the regular daycare but it's not entirely different.  I just have to follow state guidelines as well as guidelines from my school so I have a little more to work around.

We do have preschools that are 3-4 hour programs but around here those are often affiliated with a church and there is one that is offered through the city parks and rec department that is good.  All of the daycares around here mostly follow the preschool/daycare format that my school does.

nikip6454

In my experience in daycares (I taught at two centers and supervised in another), preschool in part of the day for all preschool aged kids. All age groups 2+ had age appropriate lesson plans and curriculum scope to follow (what skills/concepts to hit on).  The teachers had planning time during the day and posted plans for the parents to see.  Obviously, skills weren't pushed and days weren't too structured but the kids did learn a lot even though it usually looked like playing!

laurakaz13

My daycare is very educational.  DD is only 15 months old, and they sit at tables together, work on art projects, have circle time, story time, etc. 

Of course they play most of the day, but they also have rules which they're teaching the kids to follow.  They're already teaching the kids lots of words, alphabet and numbers.  Does this help the kids advance more?  I don't know.  But I like it. 

When she gets older, they even focus more on learning.  I think kids should be allowed to be kids at this young age, so I love that they play a lot and interact with other kids all day.  However, I know DD will have an incredibly easy time in kindergarten b/c of her current experience. 

MrsMommyQ

amberdl28:

To me a preschool is a few hours a day a couple times a week and daycare is more hours for a working parent.

This is what people in my area think/go by.