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Preschool vs Home Daycare

LeighKLeighK
in Pre-School and Daycare

My DD is 3.5 years old and is doing great at a home daycare, where she's been since she was 14 months old.  I'm torn between having her stay there till she starts kindergarten in the fall of 2014 or starting her at a full-time preschool for the year before K.

The daycare where she's at now - the provider does crafts with them, reads, plays outside everyday, etc.  There are only two other kids there so she gets a lot of attention.

There are a lot of good preschool options where we are.  The cost will be about the same.  I guess I am just wondering if she needs the experience of being in a larger group before kindergarten (which will be all-day).

I'm hoping to get some opinions from people who have done either/or.

Thanks!

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Re: Preschool vs Home Daycare

  • JoannaJesJoannaJes member
    Pre-K is usually a good idea, I think. Playing outside and doing crafts are not going to prepare her for the rigors of kindergarten. Have you read any checklists about what skills are usually needed by the time kindergarten starts? Do you feel like your in-home provider is covering these skills?
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  • melisa7901melisa7901
    Kindergarten expectations are getting higher and higher. I would check to see if your in home daycare is covering some of the initial skills expected for entering kindergarten. Just as an example, our kindergarten is looking for students to be able to count at least to 20, write their name, recognize and form letters, make simple patterns and shapes, and know a few basic sight words.
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  • memali26memali26 member
    I'm a SAHM/former teacher, and I am 100% confident that my girls will be ready to go to kindergarten without preschool, but we still plan to send them for a year before kdg. Preschool is a half day, kdg will likely be full day, and I want them to have that year of half day as a transition period. Getting used to being in a classroom setting, more experience taking instruction/listening to someone other than me, etc., are all valuable things they'll get at preschool that I think will help them when they start kdg.
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  • jnksmomjnksmom member

    imagememali26:
    I'm a SAHM/former teacher, and I am 100% confident that my girls will be ready to go to kindergarten without preschool, but we still plan to send them for a year before kdg. Preschool is a half day, kdg will likely be full day, and I want them to have that year of half day as a transition period. Getting used to being in a classroom setting, more experience taking instruction/listening to someone other than me, etc., are all valuable things they'll get at preschool that I think will help them when they start kdg.

    I agree with this and I also think it depends on the child. I think preschool was extremely beneficial for DS. We only did one year before Kindergarten but I think it really helped him transition to K. I think DD would have done fine without any preschool but she is going this year and she loves it. I think it will be beneficial to her as well but I think she would have done better without it than DS would have.

    I say that to say, you know your DC best and need to make a decision based on what you feel is best for her. 

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  • VTbride05VTbride05 member

    Do both.

    I have a small in home daycare and do a TON with my kids... crafts, puzzles, early learning. I actually do more academic work than our local preschool. That being said my son goes to our town's PreK two mornings a week. There are benefits for him to be there beyond academics. I actually have always had kids here that are here part time and at preK part time. It's a really good balance. 

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  • Littlejen22Littlejen22 member
    All the above are great points.  I will also add that our Kindergarten is in a big school, surburban and actually the smallest in our town but huge compared to my house.  Our preschool has 3 (used to be 4) classrooms and multiple teachers in the building and an occassional substitute and is a good transition before being thrown into a big school with many kids and adults and classrooms.
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  • KathrynMDKathrynMD member

    I think the one on one attention of the inhome is good, but I'd probably put in the pre-k so they can start to get a feel for being part of a bigger group and how to interact w/ the teacher and peers when they have to be more responsible for themselves. 

    I doubt academically it'll make much difference (assuming our DCP is doing basic pre-reading skills, etc.) but being in a classroom and starting to get a feel for that in a smaller environment will be helpful.

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