When to start preschool

aeh72 · June 2013

What age did your LOs start preschool? DS is only 15 months but I've been doing internet research on preschools in our area and it looks like most programs start in September each year, and some have programs that begin as early as age 2. So, DS could begin as early as 2.5 or he'd probably have to wait until 3.5. 2.5 seems early, but 3.5 seems a bit late. Or, maybe not? I'm new at this! :-)

st.augbride · June 2013

We just switched to a new daycare and purposely chose one that transitions into a very good preschool. Ds, who is 2.5yrs, had been at a home daycare, and while I wouldn't say he needed a preschool environment now, it is way better for him than where he was at. He is a smart kid and enjoys learning, and the resources are so much better than where he was at (I think he was bored). I honestly feel that 3.5 yrs would be a little too late (that's typical in our area too though) only because he was ready for more sooner. In a perfect world, he would start now but part-time. I think half days would be better. But for us, we need full daycare, so that's not an option. Still, he is doing really well so far and I'm glad he is getting used to the school environment now so it will be super natural to him as he gets older. His class (late 2s) is called "early preschool".

shannm · June 2013

It depends on what kind of childcare you are doing now. If you are using a center with a curriculum you may not need to change. If not, in your situation, I would start at 3.5. This will still allow for two years of preschool before kindy.

For us, DS was in a center starting as an infant. The center goes till kindergarten but we chose to move him at 4 to an elementary school with a preK program. DD will be in a daycare with a basic "curriculum" till 3.5 then move to the preK where her brother went. That is if we are still in the area.

hansa11 · June 2013

Like others said, if your child is in a daycare setting with a preschool program or curriculum, you don't need to change.

Since we have a nanny, we send our older one to preschool two mornings a week. He has a fall birthday, so he actually wouldn't have been able to start until this fall, but the place we send him happens to have a 2-year-old program, which means you had to turn 2 by March 1 to start in September. This was the only place I found that accepted kids who hadn't turned 3 by Sept. 1.

If we can get a spot for him in the school district's Pre-K program two years from now, we'll pull him from his current preschool since the Pre-K program is free and it'll guarentee him a spot in the school for kindergarten. We would be doing the same if he were in a daycare center.

LoCarb · June 2013

Early pre-school starts at 2 yo in Tx. Both my kids began at the age of two.

MammaBear81 · June 2013

For us we wanted the kids to do two years of preschool, so that meant they started two Septembers before Kindergarten. DS1 is a September baby, so he was almost 3 when he started, DD2 is a February baby so she will be 3 1/2 when she starts this fall.

rockychryslerb2010 · June 2013

E is 18 months and a Dec baby, and he will start a program next fall, when he is almost 3. I think only one year before kindergarten is necessary, but we're planning for #2 to arrive next late summer/fall, which means E can do preschool 2-3 days a week and he will be with our nanny the other days.

aeh72 · June 2013

Thanks everyone who responded so far! To clarify my original post - DS is in an in-home daycare and he can stay there until 3 but she does not really do a true pre-school curriculum so he will have to go somewhere else for that.

Homeschooling isn't an option since I work full-time, and I actually like the idea of him making the transition to a new school so he has gone through one school transition before he goes to kindergarten.

So it sounds like maybe I need to be looking at schools/centers that have a program he can start sometime after age 2 (pre- preschool) so he'll be ready to transition into a preschool class around 2.5 if he's ready. If he's not, at least he'll be there already and can transition in at 3.5. Knowing how curious he is already, I can see him getting bored at his current daycare (even though they are wonderful and he loves it there and I will ball my eyes out the day he has to leave them) if he stays there past age 3.

Thanks again!

Mjmksb04 · June 2013

If your LO is in full time daycare and they are doing any kind of enrichment activities, I would not start him until he was 3 or 4. Last year, we did a 3 year preschool program, and although my DS loved it, education-wise, it was a waste of time and his DCP did more challenging learning activities than he did at preschool. This year he will be doing a full day preschool program and I am happy with that.

mexicolombiana · June 2013

My 2 girls are with a nanny at our home. DD#1 is almost 3 (she turns 3 in July) and DD#2 is 17 months old.

We are sending our almost 3 year old to a 1/2 day preschool starting in September. At first I wanted to send her to full day but she still take a solid 2 or 3 hour nap in the afternoon and I don't want to take her nap away.

So Pre-k will be from 9-11:30. I might try for a full day next year when she's 4, otherwise I'll keep her in 1/2 day then put her right in full day kindergarten at 5.

I don't think pre-k is that important at age 3 but at age 4 I think the structure and classroom setting will help prepare them for K.

itsmevkb · June 2013

We are staring our kids at age 3. Our grade school has a K3 program and at that age it's only for 3 hours in the mornings 3 or 4 days a week. Since the child has to be three when school starts my oldest actually was almost 4 when he started (late September birthday) but next year, my other son will barely be 3 when he stars (late July birthday). I think a lot of the timing on when to start should be based on the individual child.

Manda-Kay · June 2013

DS's daycare starts preschool at 2. The private school we will potentially send DS to has preschool starting at 3. It will just depend on our financial situation - which place will better fit our budget.

Strunella · June 2013

DS will start preschool in the fall. He'll be 3 in December. He'll be going 3x a week for 4 hours a day. The rest of the time he'll be with the nanny. I would have been fine with 2 days a week too, but the school we chose didn't have a 2 day option.

SoMoNY · June 2013

We did Montessori starting at 18 months.

Then at 2.5 we moved him to a program that is run by retired teachers that is run like a school - meaning lessons and kids are placed like they would be for grades - by age by 12/1.

He just finished his first year and loved it.

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