"Pre" Kindergarten

[Celluloidgal]

Yesterday my youngest DS went for a "Meet & Greet" at his new school. He'll be attending Kindergarten in the fall.

Am I the only one who DIDN'T put their child in pre-school this year?!

The teacher had the kids all sit in a circle on the floor and told them to say their name. The first kid says "My name is ____ and I attend ____ Montessori preschool. I am very smart." And it continues down the line..."My name is ____ and I attend _____." My son said his name. Paused...looked around. The teacher (she is nice, my DD had her) said, "Don't you have brothers and a sister that go here?" Trying to give him a chance to say something beyond his name.

I couldn't believe we were the ONLY ones. Nothing against pre-school programs. I just was shocked to see out of a class of 22 students, we were the only ones that didn't attend one. Is this commonplace everywhere? My kids attend a public Montessori school. Is this just a "Montessori" thing?

 

[bananiem]

I think so many kids are in childcare and child care centers have preschool/pre-k programs built into their curriculum. Just by chance we live in an area of highly educated professionals. They expect a lot from their kids and there is a BIG push to get early childhood education for ALL children from ALL backgrounds.

 

[LynnTH]

I have a DD4 in Pre-School this year. I think years ago (when we were growing up) it was not very common to go to Pre-School, I know I didn't go. But, nowadays I think it is pretty commonplace for most kids to attend 1 or 2 years of pre-school. What learned in Kindergarten is what they now learn in pre-school. And even if they are getting that learning at home it is a way to get them used to a structured environment with teachers and other kids.

 

[PaulaSue]

Out of all the people (moms clubs, etc...) I know around here the only ones who didn't go to a preschool are the homeschoolers.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

True that a lot of kids are in daycare and part of that is a preschool program. My kids did go to a true preschool (part time) that only ran the preschool program. Most of the kids that we know around here did go to preschool or daycare, but I don't think that it's necessary to have a good elem school experience, as long as it's a stimulating home environment. At the Montessori schools that I know of, most of the kids did attend a Montessori preschool and most do not start in kindergarten.

 

[katerkat]

From what I've heard, the amount kids are required to know by kindegarten is way more than it used to be, making pre-K almost a necessity. Personally, I plan on sending my son when he's old enough, for the socialization aspect. We get Pre-K free on base, though.

 

[cats mom]

Yep, I think it's becoming the norm for almost all kids to attend some form of pre-school before K.

I was selfish with my last and kept her home with me.
No way I was sending my baby off any sooner than I needed to.
I've seen how quickly they grow up.

Her K class started out with 18 kids and only 2 had not attended a formal pre-school program.

She was just fine in K by the way.

 

[laura001]

I am not sure if you mean Nursery School or PreKindergarten. Here in Canada we have JK or Junior Kindergarten which is not mandatory but because it is free most people put their kids in. Before that you can enroll in Nursery School (you must pay though), I put my youngest in Nursery School because she wanted to go to school so badly just like everyone else. I think it was good for her, not so much academically but socially.

 

[cepmom]

I met one mother this year at my DD6's kindergarten that did not send her DD to preschool ~ kindergarten is her first school experience. It's very uncommon around here to not send your children to a preschool of some kind.
I don't really understand why one wouldn't send their children to preschool...it's a great learning/socialization experience. I sent my younger two girls to preschool 2 half days a week at age 3 and 3 or 4 half days a week at age 4.

 

[RadioNate]

All the parents I know have sent their kids to some sort of formal program (daycare, preschool, prek, nursery school) before entering kindergarten.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

i know of only one mother who didn't have her kids in pre-k.
that was because she worked full-time and the sitter had no way of getting them to school(didn't drive).

however, 5 years later it they are the same as everyone else.

i put my kids in pre-school more for socialization then anything else.

i doubt it will matter that your son wasn't in preschool.

 

[TnKrBeLlA012]

My three year old goes to preschool. She loves it. She learns structure,sharing, and socializing. I think preschool is great. Next year she will go into the four year old program. The teacher told us it will be more intense and they will get a report card. This all geared to get them ready for kindergarden. I personally want my daughter ready.

 

[luvmy2sams]

DD7 attended Pre-K at her current school simply because she'd been ready to start school since she was 3 years old. I only sent her for 1/2 day, and she didn't learn anything new there. The educational value was great for those not exposed to as much at-home learning, but for DD the whole point was for her to go and have some fun with her friends for a few hours.

Fast forward to DS2. Unless he has the same "must go to school ASAP" bent as DD, he won't be going to school until it's time for Kindergarten, and then he'll only attend 1/2 days. If he does want to go at age 4, then I'll send him to a mother's day out program. We're not going the expensive private school route until we have to this time around.

We're definitely in the minority here. There was only one other child attending 1/2 days for PreK and Kindergarten in her class, and the bulk of other moms look at me like I've got two heads when the conversation comes to starting #2 in a school program. Different strokes for different folks...

 

[mickeyboat]

Almost every child in my girls' K classes attended Pre-K. Our school district runs a pre-K program, and unless the child was attending some other pre-school program before that, they attended the school's Pre-K. My kids had been in a home day care situation before that, and I really wanted them to get the social, schedule and discipline aspects of school down pat before they went to K.

Denae

 

[ChrisnSteph]

Don't feel bad. When my dd started kindergarten, it seemed like she was the only one who didn't attend pre-school. Not by choice, we just couldn't afford it at the time. It didn't hurt her though - by the end of the year, she was at or above the same level as most of the other kids in her class, and reading at the first grade level too! That was several years ago though. I'll be sending my ds3 to preschool later this year. The educational standards for schools (even kindergarten) are so high that I feel I have to send him for him to at least be at the same level as the other kids.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

by the year 2010 they will be going straight from the uterus off to beginner's algebra.

 

[dizagain]

My DD's went to 3 and 4-year-old pre-K. Started at 3 mornings a week at 3 and then went to 5 mornings a week at 4. This seemed to be the norm in our area. They both enjoyed it and seemed to get alot out of it socially more than anything else. I have taught pre-K/K i a church setting for many years and they just keep adding more and more to the curriculum. The K requirements have become more academically challenging and I personally don't think this is always for the best. I think it all evens out in the end. Your child will be fine!

 

[tar heel]

All three of my children went to a half-day preschool, and I can only think of one friend who didn't send her child to at least a half-day/two days a week one. Where we live, there are very high-quality, low-cost preschools associated with churches. My two younger children went to the one I consider the best -- it does not have an academic curriculum, rather the children learn through play, music, crafts, etc. It was a great experience for the boys who were very ready for kindergarten.

One my children started K in private school -- everyone there definitely went to preschool. Each of the others had kids in their classes who did not go.

 

[pixiemomma]

I think it is the norm around here also but my now 1st grader didn't go to pre-k. He could do everything all the other kindergarteners could do at the start at the school year. He played sports and with his brother and cousins for socialization. He is well above grade level and enjoys school.

When you visit your daughter's classroom I doubt you will see a difference between her and her classmates.

 

[Castlebound]

Both of my kids went to preschool. I went to preschool for two years when I was little also. My SIL is not sending her kids to preschool and I think she will be in for a rude awakening when her oldest goes to kindergarten. I love my niece and nephew a ton but they have some major sharing issues. My SIL also thinks that all my niece will need to know to get into kindergarten is her alphabet and her numbers to 20. I have tried to hint at what they expect for kids to know BEFORE the get to kindergarten, but she wants them to "just be kids". My kids loved preK and had a great time "just being kids" while learning how to play with others, follow rules, ABC's both verbal and visual, numbers up to and beyond 100, write their names, know their address and phone number, and many other things. Prek may not be for everyone and that is fine. Just as long as they learn what their school district expects for kids to know before kindergarten, and they prepare their children to meet those standards.