Saturday, September 15, 2007
Choosing a Type of Preschool
After talking with so many people whose children started preschool last week, I was wondering how to choose a type of preschool. I imagine that cost and location are huge things to consider, but I was curious about the different ways that preschools are run. For example, do you think co-ops are better than teacher-run programs? What exactly are parents expected to do at the area co-op preschools? I had one friend who cleaned bathrooms regularly, while another friend just served snacks. In general, how flexible are the schools about the hours you help out? Do kids have a harder time starting kindergarten without you if they are used to you being at school with them? If someone could give me the pros and cons of traditional preschools vs. co-ops, that would be great. Thanks, Moms!
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This is a great question for me, as I decided to research different preschools before choosing one for my 4 year old this year. With that being said, I want to point out that preschool is *not* mandatory for children to do before starting kindergarten. There is always the homeschooling option, which I am sure some other members can comment about, as well as deciding on whether to start them at age 2, 3 or 4 years old.
I decided to start my oldest son with a traditional preschool at age 4 - one year before he starts kindergarten. I felt that with all the social interaction he was getting from our MOMS Club and the daycare that he was in when I was working PT, that he was not lacking in any way, shape or form, when it came to social, emotional or cognitive development.
I did interview with 3 different schools before 'we' made our choice. (I say 'we', because I made sure that my son had a say in the matter, since he was the one going to be going there for the year.) We went to a co-op that was HIGHLY recommended by MANY moms in our Club. It is a great program, and I can see why it was so highly recommended. The environment was very welcoming. The teacher was wonderful with the children, and just after a few minutes of getting there, Drew was right at home. When we left, it was as if he was there all year - despite the fact it was the end of the school year! The one stipulation with a co-op is that you have to be willing to dedicate your time and energy to the school- such as helping out a few times a month at the school, during class time, cleaning the school on weekends a few times a year, contributing snacks, and participating on the school 'board.' And in the end, with the decision to go back to work PT, I couldn't devote the time that was necessary.
We also went to a Catholic school that offers a preschool program. It seemed like a great program, as well. It was very established and structured, and with my son's budding creativity, we both decided that it was a little "too" structured for him. We had great recommendations for this school, but it just wasn't for us.
We finally went to another private preschool. This program has been around for years. The director is actually a graduate from the preschool, who is working on her PhD in education and has designed a preschool that incorporates a lot of play along with structure. This program was perfect for my son. Not to mention it is less than 5 minutes from my home, has an afternoon program that correlates with my younger son's naptime, and incorporates special activities such as Spanish, dance, yoga, and music weekly, which was a big bonus in my 'book.'
After a week and a half of preschool, we are still happy with our choice. It was the best fit for us. The one piece of advice, is that whatever you choose... make sure it a good match for both you and your child. It's never to early to start looking around, and asking for recommendations. Having a positive learning environment for your child is the most important factor of all.
Simon is going to a coop in Nassau, that he (and Jay and I) are very happy with. He is in a 2 day afternoon program for 3&4 year olds, but we have just been informed that an opening has come up in a 4 year old, 3 day a week class. So many educational decisions to make so soon! A couple of people had recommended the Nassau program to me and when we went to visit I was pleased with how calmly the teacher led the class. Simon had fun with the toys, so we were good to go. We also were limited in our options because I had waited too long to look into programs. I thought starting in the spring would be fine, but I ended up with only afternoon programs to choose from. This is working out ok, but I still think I would have preferred mornings. So that would be my first recommedation to people, start looking early! The other factor for us is money. As Laura mentioned, in the coop we are expected to give our time. Jay and I did some painting one evening over the summer to help with maintenance. We will get our maintenance fee ($40) back if we do this. I'm not sure how often we will have to help with the cleaning. We are also expected to give our time, which works out to be one day every other month. The day we go in, we bring a snack, vacuum, do the garbage and help out in the classroom during that day. The one thing I hadn't realized was how much fundraising was involved. (anyone interested in Yankee candles? :-) I'm not sure how often we will have to try to sell things, but I guess that is what grandparents are for! Again, like Laura, I wasn't too concerned about Simon entering kindergarten from the academic and social standpoint. He gets so much of that interaction through the MCOT. My big worry was him having to go to a whole day of kindergarten without having some extended time away from home prior to that. He really loves going to school and is happy with the idea of going 3 days instead of 2 so those are all good things. I didn't look at any traditional schools as cost was an issue for us, but the teacher at Simon's school is excellent. I did not ask about her educational background, but you could tell from the way the classroom ran that she had lots of experience. I'm out of typing time. Hope this is helpful, thanks for setting it up Adrienne!P
There are different types of preschool out there, coops and traditional schools, playschools and more academic programs and everyone has to find what is good for them and their child. That being said, I would like to point out some of my observations: extravert kids will find social interactions anywhere from the playground to playgroups to story time and the introvert child will play alone at preschool, whether they start at 2 years old or at 4 years old. I believe it is the same way for academic skills. You academically-inclined kid will learn from their parents or teach themselves if no one is teaching and the less “intellectual” kids will just start hating school earlier when forced to learn letters and fill out worksheets in preschool.
Anne-Sophie is in first grade now and she did one year at a coop playschool 2 mornings a week. I wanted her to be used to being away from home for some time and also to give her a chance to do the fun things of childhood I did not have the energy to set up at home (painting at an easel, play with a rice table, water table, etc). She liked school very much but she is a very creative child and she would have been equally happy going through a year of crafts, baking, story time, playgroup and playing mommy and baby bird at home (except I got very bored of that game!). She went into a VERY academic public school kindergarten and she had no trouble at all adjusting.
Myriam is in her second year at the playschool 2 mornings a week. We sent her in at 3.5 years old because Anne-Sophie started school full-time and she was loosing her playmate. She is also a routine person and already knew the school and the teacher from being the “helper” with me in Anne-Sophie’s class. She likes it very much too but would be equally happy at home if I spend enough time planning great activities. In other words, I sometimes feel that playschool is not for the well-being of my kids so much as my own!!
Our playschool is a coop and I am the teacher’s helper twice a month and I love it. This includes assisting the teacher throughout the morning, bringing snack and cleaning the preschool when the kids have left . I always brought the younger kids with me. I get to know the teacher, the other kids, and the other parents. Plus I REALLY know what they are doing and what is going on. We found elementary school to be a big black box, little to get out of the teacher and “I don’t remember” was the favorite answer of Anne-Sophie to the question “what did you do today?
That’s probably more than you ever wanted to know about me, so be careful next time when you ask my opinion! I feel that we sometimes make our children grow up too fast, me included. Our kids, once they enter kindergarten, have very little freedom and leisure time left, and we should remember that when we consider which type of preschool is good for them. (And the bets are open as to whether Eloise is going to preschool next year!!!)
I think it all depends on different factors, like your child's needs and yours as well as your own family financial means.
Honestly I would've waited until next year to enroll Isabelle in a preschool because I wasn't ready to send her away but there are some other reasons that helped my husband and me to decide this was the best moment to do so.
First of all we wanted to send her to preschool before her baby brother is born so she could not feel like we were pushing her away. Second we thought it could help once the baby is here to have some hours at home just with the baby while Isabelle is learning and having fun at preschool. Third, we had to find a preschool close at home because winter-driving-new baby is not a good combination for me.
Fourth, money-wise speaking, we had to find a place convenient for us and where Isabelle could develop all her aptitudes and talents without ending broken at the end of the school year.
With all that in mind we decided to visit the closest preschool available which happens to be a co-op and then we went there with Isabelle to see her reactions. I didn't like much the idea to work there to be honest and that was my only "no-no" to this place. However I found out how flexible this type of program is.
Since Isabelle is not potty trained yet that was a big concern and one of the requirements to sign her up anywhere else. Here we found out that we could, not just enroll her, but that I could stay with her until she's ready to go potty by herself. But most important of all, she loved the idea of going to school. So we ended up signing her up on the spot and she's attending school 3 times a week.
I found out later that to work there is not as bad as I thought but all the opposite. I get to spend more time with Isabelle and give more attention to her whereas at home I always get caught up in chores and don't have the time to sit down with her and do some fun crafts or just play.
We're really happy with our decision. This place meets with all our needs and Isabelle's and it's really nice to see her all excited in the morning to go to school.
I also have the chance to see her under a different light and discover with her new things. I do like to spend some time with other kids too.
I realize even more now how important is for a child to feel safe and happy in a place away from home.
Everyone has done such a great job describing the pros and cons of different types of preschools! As many have pointed out, I don't think there is one perfect solution for every child. My son, who is now 4, really seems to thrive in a more structured environment and does well in his full-day Catholic preschool. The full days can be exhausting, but overall he's had a great experience. For better or for worse, most schools today seem to be very structured and I didn't want him to be in shock when he got to Kindergarten and had tons of homework. I don't think choosing the wrong preschool will adversely affect any child's chances of getting into Harvard someday, but I do think it's important to choose a learning environment that allows your child to thrive and develop a love of learning.
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