What age should a toddler start preschool?

[meloneyb21]

I'm new to this....

TIA

 

[ilovejack02]

I started DS at mothers day out at 2 one day a week and then went to two days a week after xmas that yr. I had him signed up for 3 days a week for the 3 yr old program, but they changed it to a 5 day a week deal and upped the price quite a bit. Im a sahm for a reason, and i wasnt ready for my 3 yr old to go 5 days a week,by the time they let me know it was too late to get him in anywhere else. I kept him home with me and then put him in prek 5 days a week. Most of my girl friends start with 3 yrs old for 3 days a week.

 

[mom2aredhead]

Most places around here have a part time program for 3 year olds - 3 days/week, but short days - about 3-4 hours/day.

We are also fortunate here to have a Pre-school program for 4 year olds developed by (and FUNDED BY) the Department of Ed which is held in some of the public schools as well as selected day care facilities. They have it either 1/2 days (3 hours) or full time (6 hours), and it's a set curriculum to get them ready for kindergarten. Best of all, it is NO COST to the families - it's kind of like an extension of the public school system.

 

[daisyduck123]

IMO, I think a toddler is ready to begin preschool when he is:

1) able to be separated from mom for a few hours w/o crying every time
2) potty trained (I don't think of a real preschool program as one that also does diapers...that seems more like daycare to me than preschool)
3) has an attention span of at least a few minutes & will follow the directions of an adult other than mom/dad

I am a 1st grade teacher, btw.

 

[northriver]

I am starting DD just after she turns 2, in an all day Montessori program. I am now at SAHM but will be going back to work when she starts preschool. I think these programs are uncommon, and I am very fortunate to have this option, of a program that offers all day preschool plus extended care before and after school while I am at work. It actually works out to be less money per month than the daycare center, the quality of care/education is so much higher there is really no comparison. DD will stay at the same school through Kindergarten and start 1st grade in public school.

I just enrolled DD 2 weeks ago. I understand the full day 3 yr old programs are already full. That is for classes starting in August. So for the best programs you really do need to think ahead.

 

[northriver]

And yes our school is definately an accredited Montessori program that does diapers!

I will try to potty train before she starts anyway, just because personally I like potty training in the summer when you can just let them go without pants. (Otherwise known as the lazy mom method?)

 

[mericletwins]

I'm new to this....

TIA

I say two years old. I am a former two year old teacher, a pre-k public school teacher, a kindergarten teacher and currently a middle school teacher. I definitely think two years old a couple half days a week would be good.

 

[amarberry]

And yes our school is definately an accredited Montessori program that does diapers!

The Montessori preschool (definitely not a daycare) that my DD will be starting at in the fall is also relaxed when it comes to the potty training issue. They don't see 3 as some magical number when your child needs to be potty trained. Of course, I HOPE, HOPE, HOPE that DD is trained by then!

 

[amarberry]

Where I live, most parents start their kids no later than the school year after they turn 3, so they have 2 full years of preschool before kindergarden. However, it seems like a lot of parents that I have run into start their kids at 2 or 2.5 for a couple of mornings a week. We just had registration for most of the preschools in our area in the last couple of weeks and it was pretty insane to get your kids in the school that you wanted to.

 

[Mono~rail]

I realize I'm in the minority, but I don't see preschool for toddlers as necessary. My twins will start kindergarten when they are 5. Until then, I read to them and teach them colors, shapes, numbers, alphabet, etc. We play with the set of triplets (close in age to my twins) who live across the street, and we go to friends' houses and they come to our's. . . so plenty of socialization happening.

My acquaintances are constantly trying to sell me on some preschool program or another and they look at me as if I have a third eye when I tell them that my girls aren't starting school of any kind until they are 5 and it is time for kindergarten.

 

[kinntj]

My DD started preschool when she was 3. She went 2 days a week for 2 1/2 hours. It's just easier when they are potty trained first. Now she's 4 and is in the 3 day program for 2 1/2 hours and she loves it. I figure that will ready her for our 5 days of K just for the 1/2 day.

My youngest will be 3 next month and she'll be going to preschool in the fall in the 2 day program. She's already potty trained, so no problems there. Then she'll start the 3 day program when she's 4.

I just think starting out at 3 is better, but have a friend that started her girl out at 2 and she's doing fine.

Every parent is different and nothing is right or wrong, but I personally feel that they are in school enough throughout their lives that I wanted to wait until 3 and I wanted them to enter a play environment preschool rather than an academic one.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

As someone who has taught and worked in both preschools and elementary school programs here are my thoughts:

Before 2 daycare/school doesn't really "benefit" the child, but if it's high quality it doesn't hurt either.

At 2 a lot of kids enjoy preschool (my son loved it at that age) but they certainly don't need it. Regardless of whether they go to school, most kids that age are pretty self centered, and tend to play alone or parallel to other children, whether they're in a group situation or not. However, preschool can be a nice way for kids to get a chance to play outside, to explore art materials, and for mom to get a break and meet other moms -- all good things, but they can also be accomplished other ways. The school I teach at starts at 3 and frankly by the end of the 2nd week you can't really tell who went to a 2 year old program and who didn't

At 3 kids are really ready to learn to be in a group, to make friends, to be more independent. Lots of kids this age really thrive in preschool. However, kids can do just fine without it if they're in an enriched home environment.

I think that preschool at 4 is a really good idea. Our kindergartens (at least near me) have gotten so academic that there really isn't time to learn to separate from mom, to be independent, to share, to make friends, to be in a group. I think that most kids who went straight from home to Kindergarten would be overwhelmed. Unless there were special concerns or money was particularly tight I would pretty strongly suggest that parents do at least one year of preschool before K.

At 3 I think kids start to benefit

 

[EthansMom]

Around here (CT), about half of the kids go to preschool at 3 or 3.5 and about half of the kids wait until they are 4 to go to preschool. A typical 3 year-old preschool program is 2 days a week for 3-4 hours each day and a typical 4 year-old program is 4-5 days per week for 3-4 hours each day.

Most every kid in DS's Kindergarten class attended preschool.

Preschools here mostly give the kids some socialization with their peers, a chance to learn to follow directions from teachers, and some slight exposure to academics (colors, shapes, coloring, etc.). Also, most preschools around here won't take children who aren't potty trained.

DS started preschool at 3.5 (halfway through the year for the 3 year-old program) and DD will be 3.5 when she starts preschool next fall.

 

[mytwotinks]

I don't really see a need to rush into preschool. I was talked into starting my youngest when she turned 3 because of her speech delay. I honestly can say that it was the worst parenting mistake I have made in my 9 and a half years of being a mom! A therapist visit once a week to give me some guidance on how to help her would have been so much more beneficial for us. I ended up pulling her out.

I have my dd (turned 5 Jan 16th will be in Kind. next year) in a preschool program that a woman I know does out of her house. Her max is 6 kids. For us it is the best of both worlds. Being the youngest in our family has created a child that really needed to learn how to be part of a group and not the queen bee all of the time! Our school started a program this year and there were 18 3-4 year olds in that class. Now I know that I wouldn't want to be locked up with 18 toddlers and I can't imagine any kid would either!!!!

I get kind of irritated when mom's brag about how much their preschool is like Kind. It's supposed to be preschool. They'll go to Kind when they are old enough. I say all a kid needs before starting school is enough socialization and structure to teach them how to be in school. A kid who is going to sunday school once a week could probably go without preschool all together.

 

[Stephres]

Both my kids started a twice a week preschool program when they were two. It was really for me as much as for them. It gave me six hours a week to do errands and get stuff done around the house and they both really enjoyed it. I think it depends on the child, but it really worked out well for us.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Most people here start kids at 3. I missed my ds terribly but I knew he was ready. He loves school. He is now in a 4 year old program that is run by the district. I love the program and so does he. Kindergarten is not like is was years ago. Kids have to learn alot more to even be considered ready by the district. The program my son is in is designed to get them K- ready. He has learned so much this year that I am constantly amazed. Now of course I know I have taught him alot and still do (including a second language) but I agree with the poster who said that Kindergarten has many more demands that kids don't have alot of time to adjust to being away from Mom, learning to follow the group etc. We have alot of kids that we socialize with but school socializing is different. IMHO.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I am the director of a Christian preschool. Most of the children in our area that are not in day care attend a part-time church based preschool. A few of the private schools have a four year old program.
Our preschool has a 2 day week for 2's, 3 day week for 3's and four days a week for fours. That is pretty typical for our area expect some 4's go five days. Most are 3-4 hours a morning.

Now IMHO- two year old programs ar for moms. Nothing wrong with that at all. gives mom a few hours and a lot of children like it though some are simply not ready to seperate. Three year old classes are nice, and really good if grandparent or sitter are keeping the child when he is not is school but for SAHM, it is totaly a choice if you are ready to let your child go yet. I did not. Now I firmly belive that ALL kids going to a group setting kindergarten , Need that 4 year old class of preschool. Not so much to learn those preschool skills,they can be leaned at home, but to learn how to function in a classroom setting.Learn how to stay in line , obey someone besides mom, sit in a group story time and just adjust to life outside home. kindergarten is so tough these days that a child with outsome experence is at an unfair advantage. JMHO

Ms Sandra

 

[TheDizMom]

My DS did ECFE with me at 2, ECFE Pals at 3 for 2 days(one day with me the other without) and preschool 3 days a week at 4 and 5. He is a late year birthday so he was almost 6 when he started kindergarten.

My DD did ECFE with me at 11/2, preschool 2 days a week at 21/2 and four days a week at 3 and 4. We used a different preschool for her because we moved and it doubled as my daycare when I had to go back to work part time.

 

[sha_lyn]

I realize I'm in the minority, but I don't see preschool for toddlers as necessary. My twins will start kindergarten when they are 5. Until then, I read to them and teach them colors, shapes, numbers, alphabet, etc. We play with the set of triplets (close in age to my twins) who live across the street, and we go to friends' houses and they come to our's. . . so plenty of socialization happening.

My acquaintances are constantly trying to sell me on some preschool program or another and they look at me as if I have a third eye when I tell them that my girls aren't starting school of any kind until they are 5 and it is time for kindergarten.

ITA, although I don't disagree with 4yr preK, especially knowing what they require in the PS K these days, K is full day etc.

 

[PaulaSue]

Depends on the the child but mine did at 3 (my middle DD did at 2 3/4, because of her b-date). 2 had 2 years of PS and one had 3 years of PS

They (2 who graduated) are doing great in elem school and I really think it helped transition away from me and playing well with their peers.