Preschool - Norfolk,NE

My daughter had preschool, from 3-4 years old. Then when she was almost 5, she went to Kindergarten.

My son, started at about 4.5 years old.
They both LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
Prior to that, I home schooled them.
I enrolled them in Preschool, because it is beneficial to them. They attend Preschools that suited THEM and that THEY liked. As well as myself. I scouted Preschools, with them.
My son for example, does not go to the same preschool, that my daughter did.

Both my kids, have told me, pointedly, that they loved/love their Preschool. They learn many things there. Aside from what I taught them.
It also prepared them for Kindergarten. The bigger social/emotional things about it and being in groups with a 'Teacher.' It is not just 'academic' reasons. It is the whole child and what they get out of it.
It is also about being 'away' from Mommy. And growing in that respect as well and maturing.

My son only goes part-time. But he has told me he wishes he can go everyday. But we can't afford it.
My daughter started out part-time. Then per her telling us, she wanted to go everyday. So we did. At that time, we could afford everyday for her.

2 moms found this helpful

preshool should be fun.. play with kids.. sing some songs.. have a snack. learn to line up be more independent (wash their own hands zip their own coat)

If they learn all the colors numbers letters that is a bonus. if not they cover that in kindergarden anyway.

Preshool should be a totally postive experience so kids like school and are exciteda bout kindergarden.

2 moms found this helpful

I loved it, my daughter loved it. She didn't start until she was four and only went a three days per week and it wasn't super academic. Because of all the attention she was able to get at home she was bilingual, could read, loved science and math by then. What is amazing is that she graduated high school last week and I have pictures of her at graduation with her two friends from preschool...pretty cool after all these years!

2 moms found this helpful

I think it's very important. Kids need to know so much by the time they start kindergarten nowadays. Unless you can personally sit and work with your child to prepare them, I think they should go. They also need the social interaction and the structure. Kindergarten is not all playtime anymore. They are expected to stay in their desks, pay attention etc...I think to go from just being home with lots of free time to that would be a big leap.

2 moms found this helpful

My son loved it this year. He starts summer school on Monday!

He's an only child so the interaction with other kids was awesome and he also could get his speech therapy there.

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Yeay! I'm a longtime child care provider and preschool teacher. Each parent has their own opinion about preschool, and each family has their own set of resources they can offer their children.

I believe preschool offers children a chance to experience other adults as caring, compassionate and dependable. It gives them a chance to learn how to be in the group and to move through the day within the group, which really helps in kindergarten. Teachers work to provide support in skill-building, academics and social coaching. Preschool gives many children a chance to experience a safe independence. There was a great article recently on the positive effects of preschool on at-risk populations in Boston or Chicago, I can't remember which. Lower rates of arrest and incarceration, which is very important. I remember years ago that every dollar invested in Head-Start programs saves us seven dollars, in incarceration costs for these children as adults. Starting early offers models and possibilites which are simply beyond value and may not be available within their home or immediate community.

Some families will have the resources to provide great support at home for children who will be entering kindergarten. Some parents need the childcare or the break during the day. Is preschool *crucial* for every child? No. Is it a real benefit for many? Absolutely!

1 mom found this helpful

i wasn't going to send mine to preschool, but i did end up because i felt that it would be good for them to go. and it was. my son is super attached to me, and i felt that the time away from me would help him out when he started school. they teach things that parents don't really think to teach at home. a timed lunch, how to walk in lines, etc. i feel like it has helped them.

1 mom found this helpful

I think preschool is wonderful. I really appreciated how between my instruction (and with my younger son, early intervention) and preschool's help, both of my sons were school ready and did very well in school.

I have never regretted it. Also, my preschool ladies were all wonderful and I even go back and visit some of them when I'm in town.

D.

1 mom found this helpful

Preschool was great for my DD. She is very social, but also very stubborn, so it was (and still is) hard to get her to respond to my attempts at teaching her anything. It was frustrating for both of us. Preschool taught her a lot of things I couldn't teach her at home. She likes to be out of the house & doing something, so it was the perfect fit for us. She is now more than ready for Kindergarten.

If you are able to work with your child at home on preschool education, and you can expose them to enough situations where they would learn what they need to know to go into Kindergarten (being away from mom, sitting quietly, taking turns, raising hands, social interaction, sharing, how to get behind someone in a line, patience, communication, how to treat others, how to pay attention, etc.) then I see no issues with forgoing traditional preschool.

1 mom found this helpful

I am all for preschool learning. I believe preschoolers will learn anyplace that they are. It's a stage where they soak up learning like a sponge. But where they learn is not as important as who is doing the guiding. Mom can do a great job, daycare provider can do a great job, and a preschool can do a great job. Where each child should be depends on the child's personality. Some kids thrive on being busy every moment, being guided all the time, and making and developing friends. But other kids are more shy and thrive better in a smaller environment. If mom or dad or grandma is available and they are intelligent enough and caring enough to take the child out and about and around people or they will arrange some playdates and the child will have a few friends, then I believe home is ALWAYS better. WHY? Because this is the age when a child is most willing to learn from mom and dad and mom and dad are still the apple of the child's eye. Once the child gets indoctrinated in schools and become older and has more experiences in the world, they won't listen or want to please mom and dad nearly as much. If the parent does not HAVE to earn a living outside of the home, they should do what they can to take advantage of this time in their child's life.

1 mom found this helpful

Yes!! My daughter loved it! I believe it gave her a jumpstart on interacting with children and teachers in a school environment.. Not to mention she really did learn a lot.. her handwriting is amazing for a five year old, she also reads well at a beginner level.. Preschool also gave her something to look forward to three days a week... I am overall very happy with our decision to send her to preschool. It really did benefit our household in a positive manner...

1 mom found this helpful

yes i like that kids learn to separate from mom, the learn to be in a structured group.

i do not believe in daycare for anything less than financial necessity. i think babies need 1 stable caregiver, but by three they do well with a half day preschool. just my opinion.

1 mom found this helpful

My daughter will be 4 in August - she did 3 year old preschool this past year and will be going back as a 4 year old in the fall. For me, it was a no brainer - I wanted to make sure she was as prepared for school and kindergarten as she could be, and she has absolutely loved it. Her teacher was fantastic and she made lots of new friends - she couldn't wait to get there when it was a preschool day! And it was good for me too because it gave me a break and I had a chance to go to the store or get errands done without having to tote her along. There's just no way that I could fulfill all her needs for social interaction and learning new things if I kept her at home - she needs to be busy all the time! And just for the record, her 3 year old preschool was just 2 days a week, at 2 1/2 hours per day - so 5 hours a week was not a great deal of time away from me. When she goes back for 4 year old preschool, it will be 4 mornings a week at 3 hours per day, so again, it's not as if she's not with me the majority of the time. We do lots of other fun things outside of preschool too that are good for her development as well, like swimming, riding bikes, visiting the library, and doing play dates at the playground with our friends.

1 mom found this helpful

I am for it. We had our son in preschool for two years. We just felt that it would somewhat help to prepare him for going to kindergarten.

The biggest benefit to pre-school is that kids get a little headstart on learning some of the unacademic things that kids need to be successful in kindergarten--sharing, socialization, standing/walking in line, sitting in a circle, using a bathroom with total independence, etc. I hear my kindergarten colleagues comment often on how they can tell at the start of the year who has attended preschool and who hasn't. It isn't just whether or not they know the academics of kindergarten readiness.

Yes - My kids loved it. Just yesterday a Dad said he can see the difference between the kids at public school who had preschool and those who didn't (the kids with the preschool were better behaved and father ahead). After two years + at home with me, my second son benefitting from additional stimulation, additional adults and peers. We're very pleased and I think it's great to have children taught by different people. It's takes a villiage, and all that!

Back when my oldest daughter was 3 I decided to only do one year of preschool (just thought since I was a SAHM I could handle teaching her the basics and save $$). So we did ECFE only at age 3-4 and then she did a year of PS before beginning Kindergarten. Mistake. My daughter was behind from the start academically and socially and it was evident from the beginning. A couple months in her PS teacher expressed that our daughter was having lots of trouble in certain areas and may not be ready for Kindergarten! We were so worried and of course were kicking ourselves w/ our decision to not send her to PS at age 3 (all of the other kids in her class went to PS the previous year.) Luckily, she caught up by the end of the year and is now thriving in school (she'll be in 3rd. grade in the fall.) Armed with this experience our 2nd. daughter did 2 yrs of PS and did wonderfully in all areas, and is very ready to enter K this fall. Our son is already signed up to begin PS in the fall. IMO: PS is necessary to teach kids how to be students, to line up in the halls, interact w/ other students, raise hands to answer questions, etc. Also for pre-reading, basic skills, writing their names, alphabet, etc. And of course they make so many great friends and learn to be good and kind friends to others. I love our preschool!:)

We are sending my daughter, she is 4.5, and has been on the waitlist for our local public preschool for 2 years! So I am going to be driving her to the next town over, and paying $100+ a month tuition for her to go. She can already read pretty well, and write some, and do some adding and subtracting, she really doesn't need the academic part, but I think she needs the independance and social part, and getting used to the routine of going to school, before jumping right into 5 day a week all day kindergarten.

I think it all depends on each parent and child....but this is right for my child. She has been at home with me her whole life,and I can teach her lots of things, but still she needs to broaden her experiences.

I went to 2 years of preschool ('80-'82), before entering kindergarten, and loved it, and loved school all the way through college, I was an excellent and well-rounded student. I hope the same for her!

I don't think it is necessary or a prerequiste for kindergarten. Everything they teach in preschool I can teach at home or in outings during every day life. I will probably send my children to preschool but probably not until age 4 and only half-day 2-3 times a week. I also don't believe in full day kindergarten. But I realize I am not within the norm.