preschool help

[beerlover]

I am hoping for some thoughts/opinions on my kid's preschool arrangements for this year.

He is newly 5 and will be going to K next year. He did not do any preschool last year. I had originally planned to do 2 years of preschool, but then with Covid and everything I just kept him in his daycare last year full time.

We do not have full time M-F preschool in this area. We have 3 options and it's usually a 2.5 hours/2-3 days a week kind of situation. I already have him signed up for Tuesdays/Thursdays at a preschool that has been around for probably 30 years. They have great recommendations, many of my friends' kids have gone there, I'm excited about it.

My H (a high school principal) has always been displeased with the fact that there's not more full time options in this area. He thinks DS needs more days in preschool to be ready for K.  I do not necessary agree with this and think he'll be fine. However, he is a bit of a wild child, but seems very bright, likes to do his own thing, struggles with sitting still to complete activities, so I don't think that more prep and opportunities for learning and structure for HIM in particular would be a bad thing.

My H's opinion didn't really matter up until this point though since only Tues/Thurs options were available. HOWEVER, I just got word that a new preschool is opening that will be run by our Intermediate Unit (we're in PA, not sure if these exist in other states). I spoke with a friend who works at the IU and she said the preschool will focus a lot on social emotional learning skills, behavior management, Handwriting without Tears, and basic academic skills. It's also like 2 blocks from my house. It's also a 2-3 day a week deal, morning or afternoon.

I'm toying around the idea of sending him 2 days to the one preschool and 2 to this new one. I've called for more information and an application, at least.

The downside of this is is a lot of running around for me. I WFH and am flexible enough to be able to do that, but 4 days a week of taking him to preschool then daycare then picking up is a lot of interruptions in my day. Plus I'm a school counselor and can sometimes run into crisis situations that could affect pickup (rarely, but it could happen). However, it's only for a year, and if it helps to prepare him more, it might be worth it. I will also say that his current daycare (an in-home) does not seem to do a lot to stimulate the kids. They mostly play and do some crafts (and take a ridiculously long nap/quiet time- like 3 hours) but they aren't really doing any formal learning. He is also losing some friends this year to K and there aren't that many kids his age for him to play with, so I worry that he'll be bored.

Curious what your thoughts are or what you would do in this situation, or if there things I haven't though of here. Kudos to you if you've read all this, lol.

[AdaraMarie]

Why isn't a bright 5 year old going to kindergarten this year? Red shirting shouldn't be allowed.
If you have the option of a center with full day care and a preschool program that would solve all your problems. I think two different programs with two curriculums and schedules would be more confusing than benificial.

[noodleoo]

Why don't you send him to a daycare with a preschool program? Do those not exist? My kids went/are going to a center that has preschool, preK and full K options and they provide full time care from 8 to 5. That seems like a much better option than 2 different programs with all the drop offs/pickups for a full time working parent.

Also curious why you didn't go straight to K? I don't think preschool is necessary before K. The point of K is to take kids with a wide range of experience and introduce them to school. Did he miss the cut off?

[kath16]

as others have said, look into daycares. many (most??) have preschool programs and offer full time care

i don't know what part of PA you're in, but these options are fairly plentiful in the philly area.

[beerlover]

AdaraMarie, the cutoff date is before his birthday. In PA individual school districts set the cutoff date.

noodleoo, those do not exist here. I'm in a rural area.

[beerlover]

kath16, I'm in the Florida/Pennsyltucky part of PA lol. I would definitely do that if it were an option! We do not have any daycare centers or chains here. It is all in-home stuff.

[gt7301b]

Honestly, he will be fine with whatever option you choose and there doesn't need to be such a focus on being ready for kindergarten.

I would not run around like crazy trying to get him those extra two days of preschool.  For me the point of daycare/preschool was a safe environment for my child while I worked.  I wouldn't take this on, once again it is the kind of thing that falls on the mom to figure out and rearrange her schedule to make happen.  For our family a consistent routine was more important at this age than the extra two days of enrichment.

[nicolewi]

I'm different from a ton of people on here, but I LIKE part-time preschool. I would have loved not having full-day kindergarten. I feel like kids need more creative play time/more free time, and less structured time. So I would be fine sticking with the preschool you have. That's just me. I get what you are saying about your particular kid, but I don't think it's worth the extra hassle (for me it wouldn't be) to take him to two different schools.

We did part-time preschool. Two mornings/week for 3K, 3 mornings for 4K. I LOVED our preschool and it worked for us. Our days were consecutive, which I prefer to skipping a day in between.

[dontlook]

I wouldn’t sign him up for 2 programs. I would pick the one that best fit his needs and not worry about that he isn’t getting a full 5 day a week schedule. It doesn’t sound like his peers will have access to a 5 day a week program either so they will all be on the same page going into K.

[dcn]

I don’t think he needs 2 programs. I think that would be confusing and hard for him to have 3 sets of peers, teachers, procedure, routines etc. plus it’s a pain for you. Choose one, have him go to daycare the other days. I agree he will likely be fine for kindergarten.

[redpenmama]

A 5-year-old born in August here could not enroll in kindergarten unless they were granted early admission, so we'd be in the same boat.

It sounds like the two preschools would complicate your life, so I would not do it. I found that the 3-day preschool provided more consistency and routine than the 2-day ones, so we opt for the 3-day a week as soon as our preschool offers it (at age 3).

We have always done part-time preschool (MWF 9-12), and my older two kids entered kindergarten prepared. I realize that's child specific, but it sounds like your son is bright and will be just fine.

[pandora89]

I wouldn’t sign him up for 2 programs, that would probably end up being confusing for him and too much work for yourself. I’d try do a 3 day program for the consistency.

Here kids that are 4 or turning 4 that year start full time {Junior} kindergarten so it’s crazy to me that a 5 year old is still too young there!

[af1212]

I am a former K teacher and current SAHM. The only thing a child needs to do to be ready for K is to be the proper age as determined by the cutoff. The rest of “kindergarten readiness” is just crap that companies and parenting magazines have latched onto. Add in social media and braggy people and it creates anxiety where there should be none.

Play with him, read him books, talk to him, and when it comes time to go to K let him pick out his backpack and jacket and practice doing the zippers so he can feel comfortable managing them on his own.

Pick the program that fits best for your family’s schedule but putting him in 2 concurrent programs seems hectic and not beneficial.

[macmars45]

If my DS missed the cutoff for kinder this fall I'd absolutely enjoy that he got a year of actual prek with other kids as a small stepping stone instead of being thrust from 18 months of isolation to regular kinder as delta is raging. That's what mine is doing and it's keeping me up at night with worry and fear.

Anyways, one program is enough beerlover. Your DS will be fine.

[moonpie]

I think that two curriculums and two sets of school rules could be really confusing.

If you are worried from an academic standpoint, I would just supplement preschool at home. Read to him, go on a scavenger hunt, do an activity to reinforce the letter of the day, etc. Our preschool posts their curriculum for the week on the door, so parents can help reinforce those things at home.

If you are worried from a social aspect I would look for some type of activity that he could learn to follow rules and have peer interaction. Swim lessons, soccer, music classes, etc.

Dd started K last year and kids came with very different learning backgrounds, especially with covid happening. There was one kid that came in reading chapter books, other kids were working on the alphabet. The teacher made it work.

[waverly]

Is your Intermediate Unit part of your school district? If so, can you get bussing?

DS did preschool through daycare. There wasn't preschool through the school district yet. Later, they opened one up for kids with special needs, and then expanded it to include other students as well for a fee.

I had that option for DD, but she was doing pre-school through the aftercare program, so I decided not to have her in 2 preschools for consistency sake. Since she was onsite at the school, I asked if they could bus her and they said no bussing for preschool.

Later on, they added bussing for preschool, but the parent has to go on the bus to buckle and unbuckle for that age group.

Personally I could not swing that many drop offs and pick ups with my work day. If it is sooo important to your DH then he should help, although I understand he doesn't have flexibility as a HS principal, just in general the person that cares the most should have some ownership.

[noodleoo]

Aug 25, 2021 8:32:37 GMT -5 beerlover said:

AdaraMarie , the cutoff date is before his birthday. In PA individual school districts set the cutoff date.

noodleoo , those do not exist here. I'm in a rural area.

Oh, I see!  In that case I would do one preschool program and I'd pick whichever is most convenient for you.  I think part time preschool will be more than enough preparation for Kindergarten.  And since full time preschool doesn't exist in your area, it is not like other kids will be "ahead" (not that I think they would be anyway).  

If you need more care for your work hours, can you put him in the in-home daycare for the days he's not in the part time preschool?  I'm sure he's developing social skills there through play and interaction with other kids anyway, even if they are younger.  My 6 year old loves playing with younger kids because she gets to be "in charge" (learning leadership skills LOL!).

I don't really think there is a need to "prepare"  or "be ready" for kindergarten.  My daughter finished K last year and she grew by leaps and bounds.  There was a wide mix of backgrounds of the kids coming into the year.  Kindergarten teachers are used to it.

[sent]

If those are your only 2 options, I'd send him to the newer option for the 3 days a week program and that's it.

Is there an option to do private K somewhere and then do public K next year? Two kids in DD's K class did that. It would allow for full time care for both of you as working parents. DD's day in K had a lot of structure but also a lot of creative and play time too. I am sending my kids to private K anyways because K is half day in my district and that feels crazy to me in this day and age for many reasons.

[beerlover]

pandora89, around here I have never seen a kid go to K at 4. Age 5 is always what they need to be at the cutoff date. I feel like this should be a standardized thing everywhere!

af1212, thank you for your advice as a teacher. I feel like every other elementary teacher I talk to says the same thing (basically that it will all work out), so I don't know why my H is hell bent on "preparation" lol. He was a super academic kid so maybes he projecting a little here.

macmars45, I'm sorry you have to deal with that anxiety with your DS and I hope that everything goes well for him this year <3

waverly, it's not part of the school district. They oversee/consult with all the school districts in the county. I do not believe there is transportation available but I'll make sure.

noodleoo, he does already go to daycare FT! So he'll be there on days hes not in preschool, and also in the afternoons on T/Th when preschool ends.

sent, I've only ever heard of private Kindergarten through this place. Definitely does not exist in my area.

[jewel]

In general, I don’t think kids need to do much to be “ready” for kindergarten. If your kid already goes to daycare and is practicing group play, listening to instructions, life skills (like being independent with using the bathroom, putting on a jacket, opening up lunch food, etc) then they should be ready for success in kinder.

If you want to do preschool, I’d pick whichever is most convenient and just do that one. They should end up more than ready between daycare, 1 preschool class, and probably being one of the oldest in their kindergarten class.

[lemoncupcake]

Is his daycare a mixed-age in home situation? Or is he in a group of kids his own age doing stuff?

Our kids are in a daycare, but in a class with kids their age doing preschool, play-based stuff.

[beerlover]

lemoncupcake, yes exactly. But theres only like 7 non school aged kids right now of a variety of ages. There is one other kid his age though. The 3 other kids he liked to play with were slightly older and all went to K this year.

[af1212]

Adding to the “mixed-age” discussion, there is tons of into out there that shows that being in a mixed-age setting is beneficial to both the oldest kids and the youngest kids. I intentionally sought out a preschool for my child that had mixed-age groupings.

[noodleoo]

Aug 25, 2021 11:08:21 GMT -5 beerlover said:

pandora89 , around here I have never seen a kid go to K at 4. Age 5 is always what they need to be at the cutoff date. I feel like this should be a standardized thing everywhere!

af1212 , thank you for your advice as a teacher. I feel like every other elementary teacher I talk to says the same thing (basically that it will all work out), so I don't know why my H is hell bent on "preparation" lol. He was a super academic kid so maybes he projecting a little here.

macmars45 , I'm sorry you have to deal with that anxiety with your DS and I hope that everything goes well for him this year <3

waverly , it's not part of the school district. They oversee/consult with all the school districts in the county. I do not believe there is transportation available but I'll make sure.

noodleoo , he does already go to daycare FT! So he'll be there on days hes not in preschool, and also in the afternoons on T/Th when preschool ends.

sent , I've only ever heard of private Kindergarten through this place. Definitely does not exist in my area.

Oh wow, that's a lot already then!  I definitely would not add another preschool to the mix.  That's a lot of transitions for a 5 year old.  Not to mention the pain in the ass for you to drive him back and forth 4 days a week!  Tell your H to relax, he will be fine.  

[plutosmoon]

My DD actually did 2 prek classes at the same time, if I could go back I would do things differently. DD missed the cut off, she did public half day prek3 and a full day prek4 for her second year, they initially approved her to go to k even though she missed the cutoff. Then they changed their mind and discontinued the full day prek4 program. Since her IEP mandated a full day program they put her in the morning and afternoon session of prek4, with time in the K class in the middle of the day. It was a challenging year, she needed the peer interaction, but in retrospect I should have pushed to have them send her somewhere that has a true full day, or just stuck with the half day. Either option would have been better than the dual class approach.

I'm a huge fan of full time prek, but this sounds like more trouble than it's worth. I think I'd aim for the program that fits your schedule best, even if it's not as many hours as you'd like.

[VillainV]

Ditto that “ready for kindergarten” isn’t really a thing. If he’s been doing some level of daycare/preschool, he’ll be ahead of more than half the class who has never done anything but stay home.

I’d do whatever preschool program you like the most, and daycare for wraparound care if needed. And call it good. Two preschool programs plus daycare is probably overkill.

[kath16]

ok, even though this is a special snowflake situation, the private school where my kids go DOES have a "kindergarten readiness" standard that is tested for before you start. so, i do agree that is WAY over emphasized generally, but saying it's "not a thing" isn't exactly true either.

sorry that was bothering me. please carry on!

[VillainV]

Aug 25, 2021 13:10:15 GMT -5 kath16 said:

ok, even though this is a special snowflake situation, the private school where my kids go DOES have a "kindergarten readiness" standard that is tested for before you start. so, i do agree that is WAY over emphasized generally, but saying it's "not a thing" isn't exactly true either.

sorry that was bothering me. please carry on!

It’s “not a thing” in public schools, which is what OP was talking about. Sorry if this rubbed you the wrong way, but with the free public education that all of our kids are entitled to, the only requirement for kindergarten is being old enough.

There are many kids who don’t have access to preschool or pre-K programs. Even in Florida (where I live) where there is free Pre-K, it’s half-day four days a week, so a working parent either needs to find (and pay a lot for) wraparound care , or it requires a parent or other adult who works and can drive the kid to and from. There are many families in my district that can’t access free Pre-K because of their circumstance. Being able to do ANY pre-kindergarten academic or social skills learning is a huge privilege in many parts of the country.

[af1212]

Aug 25, 2021 13:10:15 GMT -5 kath16 said:

ok, even though this is a special snowflake situation, the private school where my kids go DOES have a "kindergarten readiness" standard that is tested for before you start. so, i do agree that is WAY over emphasized generally, but saying it's "not a thing" isn't exactly true either.

sorry that was bothering me. please carry on!

There are lots of requirements that private schools have - some require religious declaration, some require IQ testing, blah blah blah.

None of that applies to public schools which by law all children are entitled to attend.

[kath16]

Aug 25, 2021 13:23:56 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Aug 25, 2021 13:10:15 GMT -5 kath16 said:

ok, even though this is a special snowflake situation, the private school where my kids go DOES have a "kindergarten readiness" standard that is tested for before you start. so, i do agree that is WAY over emphasized generally, but saying it's "not a thing" isn't exactly true either.

sorry that was bothering me. please carry on!

It’s “not a thing” in public schools, which is what OP was talking about. Sorry if this rubbed you the wrong way, but with the free public education that all of our kids are entitled to, the only requirement for kindergarten is being old enough.

There are many kids who don’t have access to preschool or pre-K programs. Even in Florida (where I live) where there is free Pre-K, it’s half-day four days a week, so a working parent either needs to find (and pay a lot for) wraparound care , or it requires a parent or other adult who works and can drive the kid to and from. There are many families in my district that can’t access free Pre-K because of their circumstance. Being able to do ANY pre-kindergarten academic or social skills learning is a huge privilege in many parts of the country.

totally agree. 

i was honestly surprised that it's so hard to even find a FT preschool program in my own state.