When do plan to start LO in school?

[bebeetmoi]

Based on some stuff I've seen here the past few weeks and a conversation I had with another mom on Monday got me curious what your plan is (if you've even decided yet, that is).
I plan on DD starting in half-day preschool the fall after her second birthday, so she'd be 2.5. I only want her to go part time, or a few days a week. NYC parents are CRAZY when it comes to school and ensuring their children have an "edge", but I really want to try my best to stay away from all that. I've become a firm believer that the educational basics they learn at home and not overdoing it before she's ready. I plan to get this this book and utilize it as best as makes sense for us.
Book

[Deleted]

Is preschool necessary? I never went to preschool...

Anyway, I may do young 5's preschool, but before that probably nothing. So I picked 4-5

[christidee]

He will probably go to pre school part time at around 3

[teamhayes]

What is the normal age? What age do they even go to kindergarten?

K's new daycare is school during the fall/winter and fun during the spring/summer so I guess starting in September he will start school?

New baby I am going to hold back going to kindergarten though since his due date is June 27th - he will be the youngest so I will most likely red shirt him.

[dixeedeluxe]

Mar 13, 2013 7:48:44 GMT -5 @sprinkles said:

Is preschool necessary? I never went to preschool...

Anyway, I may do young 5's preschool, but before that probably nothing. So I picked 4-5

Just from hearing Obama speak about publically funded pre-school, there have been studies done that show there is an advantage to a pre-K education.

We'll do a preschool around 2.  I haven't done the math to figure out when that'd be.  We'll do a 2 year old program for Edie, but since she's a 9/21 birthday, she'll be 3 in the 2 year old program.

When they are that little, it's only 2 days a week for 2 hours, usually.  I know Gisa's Hazel is in one, I'm not sure how frequent it is. 

I'm also lucky that my ILs are our DCP's so they'll be able to cart them around.

[punkyjulster]

My guess would be 4-5.

[jfh]

We're part of a group starting a co-op bilingual preschool, which we're really excited about. If that pans out he'll start around 2.5. If it doesn't, we'll still try to find something - I like his daycare, but I don't think it will cut it once he gets older. They don't do a lot of structured activities.

DC is the same way in terms of competitiveness. DH and I went to visit a bilingual preschool as part of the planning for ours, and literally, the director of the school was talking about how getting into the preschool would help them get into the best elementary schools. What?? And they have to go to a playdate as essentially an interview to decide if they get in. I can't believe they're talking about getting into the "best" schools while still in preschool!

[dixeedeluxe]

Mar 13, 2013 7:53:17 GMT -5 teamhayes said:

What is the normal age? What age do they even go to kindergarten?

K's new daycare is school during the fall/winter and fun during the spring/summer so I guess starting in September he will start school?

New baby I am going to hold back going to kindergarten though since his due date is June 27th - he will be the youngest so I will most likely red shirt him.

What does this mean?

[Deleted]

In that case, I may have to do more research. So nvm. I really don't know.

[laurack]

I choose special schoolflake because she's already in "school" (daycare) it is a center where they go right up to kindergarten so if we choose we could just keep her there the whole time.

We may send her to this montessori school hubby went to for preschool, its close by and top quality, however it does cost extra money on top of which we'd be paying the regular daycare/after school fees. She'd probably go there at age 3 perhaps?

Damn kids are expensive. They suck you dry before they even know what money is... and then they keep going, forever. LOL!

[Deleted]

We plan on doing preschool when S is 2.5. It is a couple half days a week.

[Deleted]

Even though the studies about preschool show little benefit after about 2nd grade--I think interaction, social skills, and learning to be independent are important skills kids develop in preschool. It is more necessary now than ever because we generally live very isolated lives and little kids don't get the independence they once did.

Thad will go to a school/daycare in August and we will continue to look for play-centered education for him if we move.

That said-with the exception of swim lessons-we won't do organized activities until closer to 5.

[Deleted]

Preschool when he is 3, kindergarten at 5.

[jaime183]

Mar 13, 2013 7:54:59 GMT -5 dixeedeluxe said:

Mar 13, 2013 7:53:17 GMT -5 teamhayes said:

What is the normal age? What age do they even go to kindergarten?

K's new daycare is school during the fall/winter and fun during the spring/summer so I guess starting in September he will start school?

New baby I am going to hold back going to kindergarten though since his due date is June 27th - he will be the youngest so I will most likely red shirt him.

What does this mean?

Red shirt is a sports term but its popular in high income areas for kinder. Kids go when they are 5 but parents with summer babies worry they aren't ready and send them the next year so they are the oldest not the youngest in the grade
Read about this strategy too most research does not support it

[dixeedeluxe]

Mar 13, 2013 7:59:10 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

Even though the studies about preschool show little benefit after about 2nd grade--I think interaction, social skills, and learning to be independent are important skills kids develop in preschool. It is more necessary now than ever because we generally live very isolated lives and little kids don't get the independence they once did.

Thad will go to a school/daycare in August and we will continue to look for play-centered education for him if we move.

That said-with the exception of swim lessons-we won't do organized activities until closer to 5.

Yeah, I did hear this part.  I'd forgotten.  I didn't do any of my own research at all. 

And, yeah, since my kids aren't in daycare, I need to get them out and learning how to function without a parent (or grandparent) around. 

[teamhayes]

hold him back a year so he can be more emotionally ready/prepared for school. People do it a lot for younger kids so they are not the smallest or most imature and are ready for school. If he is independant and ready we will send him but if not we will hold him in preschool so he can develope more. It is also sometimes an advantage bc you get that year to grow so you tend to be ahead academically and are bigger so tend to have an advantage in sports. I wouldn't do it for those reasons I would do it so he didn't have to struggle for the next 18 years because he wasn't ready to sit in a classroom for 7 hours a day.

There was a really interesting segment on 60 minutes on it recently, you should try to find it. Apparently it is huge in canada where everyone wants a hockey star and actually most people (per the segment) interviewed held their kids back of they fell within 3 months of September cutoff.

[Deleted]

Are you guys considering daycare as preschool, or sending them to an actual PRESCHOOL? I guess I'm confused. Having worked in daycares, I know a lot of people considered it preschool, so thats what I think of when I hear preschool. But are there actual preschools and not daycares? Or are they the same and I'm getting totally confused?

ETA: Or do they have preschool in actual schools? Like your local public elementary schools?

[dixeedeluxe]

Mar 13, 2013 8:01:24 GMT -5 jaime183 said:

Mar 13, 2013 7:54:59 GMT -5 dixeedeluxe said:

What does this mean?

Red shirt is a sports term but its popular in high income areas for kinder. Kids go when they are 5 but parents with summer babies worry they aren't ready and send them the next year so they are the oldest not the youngest in the grade
Read about this strategy too most research does not support it

Ah.  So, since my kid is an early fall kid (September), they they need the red shirts to protect against my kid.  LOL! 

I'm actually really nervous about Edie being so old.  I mean, kids in her class will be a potential year younger than her (more if kids in her same situation test in earlier). 

[lauranicole91]

Haven't really put much thought into it yet. I know I want to do some sort of preschool though. Although where I live it's hard to find non religious establishments so we will research when the time comes.

[Deleted]

dixeedeluxe I hope you didn't take what I said the wrong way. I mean, Thad is home with a nanny now, I think it is an ideal experience to have grandparents care for kids. I just think 50 years ago, 4 year olds all went outside and played with each other by themselves and now we all stay in our houses and schedule play dates.

[teamhayes]

In my town a lot of the daycares turn into preschool programs at a certain age. There is a curriculum and all that along with it.

[teamhayes]

I am a November baby and was red shirted so I was one of the oldest. I was not ready for school. i still wore diapers into 4/5 yrs old. It was the best thing my parents ever did for me. I was the top of my class yet still felt challenged

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2013 8:05:54 GMT -5 teamhayes said:

In my town a lot of the daycares turn into preschool programs at a certain age. There is a curriculum and all that along with it.

Yeah, thats what I'm familiar with. So I didn't know if everyone was saying preschool = daycare, or if it was different/a different facility

[dixeedeluxe]

Mar 13, 2013 8:03:54 GMT -5 @sprinkles said:

Are you guys considering daycare as preschool, or sending them to an actual PRESCHOOL? I guess I'm confused. Having worked in daycares, I know a lot of people considered it preschool, so thats what I think of when I hear preschool. But are there actual preschools and not daycares? Or are they the same and I'm getting totally confused?

ETA: Or do they have preschool in actual schools? Like your local public elementary schools?

I think Georgia is the only state that has public preschool.  Unless you qualify for a program like Head Start. 

I think most daycare centers have preschool programs after the infant stage.  But someone with more knowledge should jump in if I'm wrong!

[laurack]

Mar 13, 2013 8:03:54 GMT -5 @sprinkles said:

Are you guys considering daycare as preschool, or sending them to an actual PRESCHOOL? I guess I'm confused. Having worked in daycares, I know a lot of people considered it preschool, so thats what I think of when I hear preschool. But are there actual preschools and not daycares? Or are they the same and I'm getting totally confused?

Depends on the daycare I guess? My daycare center goes through to kindergarten- they have infant, toddler, preschool, pre-k and k. So you could technically keep them in the same place the whole time if you wanted then move them right to school.

I assume this isn't the cheapest option though. It ain't cheap. But I'm not sure how much other options cost as we haven't looked into it yet.

[dixeedeluxe]

Mar 13, 2013 8:05:43 GMT -5 @thadsrad said:

dixeedeluxe I hope you didn't take what I said the wrong way. I mean, Thad is home with a nanny now, I think it is an ideal experience to have grandparents care for kids. I just think 50 years ago, 4 year olds all went outside and played with each other by themselves and now we all stay in our houses and schedule play dates.

Oh no, not at all!  I totally agree with you!

[bebeetmoi]

Mar 13, 2013 8:07:48 GMT -5 @sprinkles said:

Mar 13, 2013 8:05:54 GMT -5 teamhayes said:

In my town a lot of the daycares turn into preschool programs at a certain age. There is a curriculum and all that along with it.

Yeah, thats what I'm familiar with. So I didn't know if everyone was saying preschool = daycare, or if it was different/a different facility

Since I SAH, it will be a different facility. I don't require daycare, just the preschool. In my area there are many different preschool options, and we'll select the one that offers what we believe to be the best fit. 

ETA- But yes, many daycares transition into preschool for the children beginning at a certain age. The daycare my SS went to began is transition for the kids between 2-3.

[Deleted]

There are tons of preschools that do 3-5 hour programs. Mostly through churches but that doesn't mean they are religious.

[rjamz]

Gah, I'm not aure. H and I were just talking about this. We'll probably send him at 2.5

Sent from my SPH-D710 using proboards

[Deleted]

Okaaay, I see now. I guess it really depends on my area and if I have other preschool options. We were actually considering sending Camden soon for a day or two just so he can get that interaction. I didn't realize you guys were talking daycares I guess.

And laurack, your daycare is more expensive because you have an infant/toddler (whatever room she's in). By the time she's in pre-k, your rate should drop drastically. I know a lot of people that started bringing their kid right around 4 for preschool and they didn't pay near as much as parents with younger kids, because its all about ratios, different care, and paying teachers, etc. But it still might be more expensive than another place that does preschool, idk.