My daughter is 3.5, and I plan on sending her to preschool in the fall. Her birthday is September, so she'll have 2 years before starting kindergarten.
I have a few options and I just really can't decide what to do--so I'm hoping you can help.
Option 1: Co-op school. My older son went there for a year and loved it. It's a great environment, so many things to do and almost entirely play-based. It's a fun environment with art, dress up, outside play, water tables and other projcts that just aren't feasible to do at home. She'd go MWF, and I would have to go 1 of those days to work. Hours are 9-11:30. It's $320 a month (which is pretty good for around here). It is a lot more work with monthly night meetings, helping with fundraisers and other things. But, it's fun and developmentally appropriate.
Option 2: An in-home school highly recommended by several families I know. The teacher is Montessori trained and has done it in home for 8 years. There are about 7 kids, and it's more subdued. They do actual "work" for about 20-30 minutes, and she makes sure the kids are ready for kindergarten. There's activities, circle time, snack, and play time, it's just a lot more subdued than the co-op. The teacher is fairly strict, doesn't let the kids get away with whatever. It's MTWF, 8:30-12:30 for $250! There's nothing else I have to do other than go on some field trips.(last week they went to the SF Symphony) The teacher is fine and nice, but not too communicative about what's going on or "friendly"
My daughter is very friendly, fun loving and loves people and doesn't like playing alone. She is also mischievous, mature, and does things her own way. She doesn't like to sit or listen unless she wants to. So, the co-op would be a fun place for her. But, I also want her to learn that she has to listen at appropriate times and be successful in school.
I run my own business, so having her gone for the longer amount of time would be AWESOME. Not to mention how much cheaper it is. But I also believe in children being allowed to be children and there have been many studies about the need for play in the early years. I'm positive she'll be ready for kindergarten either way.
What would you do?
Thanks so much mamas! Your responses pretty much were what I knew I needed to do, but needed to know I wasn't crazy for taking the more difficult/expensive option.
LittleEsmom: No problem. That's what we get for living in such an expensive place.
Gamma G: We don't have a public school pre-k option here. Otherwise that's what we would do. Thanks!
Jenny O: That is the EXACT argument I've been having with myself for weeks. Sigh.
Though, when I start thinking I'm sending her there I get a lot of anxiety about it. And when I talk to other people I get differing answers, which is why I finally asked the question here.
I'm just going to do it. Co-op this year and the other next year. It'll be great. She's more important than my work, and she'll love it.
I appreciate all of you taking time to answer and for your thoughts.
We had better experiences with play-based preschools (we did both, and did not care for the more academic preschools). I would go with the co-op.
This is from a former preschool teacher... please send her to the co-op. It is not appropriate to start preparing her for kindergarten next year. Next year should be an introduction into preschool, not k-prep. Sometimes it seems to me that we are too busy, as a society, preparing the children for a distant future, rather than providing them with age-appropriate learning and settings. I'm so glad you asked this question and have this option. All my best.
She's only 3.5. Co-op. She needs the play based setting.
MOST kids do at that age. Or at least should have it, whether they "need" it or not.
She doesn't need to be ready for kindergarten at the end of the year anyway, does she? Won't she have one more year of preschool?
Seems to me like you are setting her up for red/yellow/green lights and other "grading" structures and disciplinary systems that she is not suited to deal with if you go with the MTWF non- Co-op program.
It isn't that she needs to learn how to sit still right now, so much as she is too young to need that skill on a daily basis for school purposes right now. Maybe 45 minutes for a church service, but that is not the same as sitting and doing book work/work sheets daily and being graded on them as well.
If you daughter likes these things, I'd offer them at home as fun stuff. Not "school" on a daily basis. In a few short years, you'll be wishing you had this time back to let her be a kid and play to her heart's content.
She is a child and will remain a child for now, no matter what you do. :) Send her to the in-home one for $250, with awesome longer hours. Focus on your business when she's gone, and don't stress. You'll be making your life easier because she'll be much better prepared for kindergarten (less work for you down the road!). She WILL play there. It sounds like a neat environment.
My child did a play one and he finally said "All we do is play! I am bored."
So really, the Montessori one sounds like a winner.
If you don't think the teacher is friendly imagine what a child would think! I would go with the co-op or continue to look for something else that fits your needs better.
M
There are a lot of great early childhood ed philosophies out there; I really think it depends on the individual child as to what would be a good fit. From your description, I would think that the your daughter's first experience of preschool should be one which suits her temperament. The co-op you first described sounds like it might be a better fit for her personality. Montessori can be interpreted loosely or rigorously, and it sounds like the provider you described is not warm or welcoming. For me, that would signal that she may be more rigid in how she runs her group and personally, I would avoid that.A kid with a lot of personality needs someone she can connect with.
That said, perhaps a more structured program the following year would be helpful. Some co-op teachers are really able to help the older kids with the skills they need, so talk with the teacher about what she can offer the Pre-Ks. You might find the teacher is able to do a little individual work with small groups to prep them or that she recommends another program for kids who need more practice with the skills you describe.
The co-op school sounds way better for her. But if the hours are inadequate for you, I would just keep looking. I am sure you can find something play based with longer hours.
We are at a co-op and love it. My son went for two years and my daughter is finishing up the first of her two years (she's about a month younger than yours). I really like the environment and how close we get with the other families. At other preschools, you don't see the parents as much so you don't have a chance to really get to know them. Being play based is awesome.
All that said, yours is a lot more expensive, shorter hours, and more working days than ours, so I do see the appeal of the other school. We pay $215 per month for MWF 9-12 and only work once every two.
If I was in your shoes, I think I would still do the co-op. The other school just doesn't found fun. Your daughter will have plenty of time in school to follow rules and not play. :)
I'm with Mymission... More fun co-op this year, more structured Montessori next year. It would provide a good transition. :)
The Montessori sounds too cheap... It's recommended? That's $250 a month? That's unusually cheap unless you're not in Sunnyvale as that's an expensive area. Typically coops are much cheaper than private. So makes me wonder. But if it's highly recommended, I'd go with that. There is play time and she can play at home etc. If it was an all day rigorous program it would seem too unfun but the cost savings in the case seems worth it since you're trying to work too. I will say that from what I've seen, kids balance out quickly and which preschool they went to quickly becomes irrelevant. So if they were equal hours and money I'd say the one you think she'd be happiest at. But less money for more hours is hard to pass up if it is in fact highly recommended. Still seems so odd its LESS expensive...
This year with the co-op, next with the other option. If that is an option.
I would think about doing the play one this year and the other one next year if you're adamant she can't go to the public school pre-K program in a year.
I will tell you right off, the public school pre-K program is totally different academically from any home or play based program. It's real school with play time, nap time, outdoor play, sit down work, circle time, and more and more.
I did one in Head Start and one in Pre-K at the public school and the one that went through Pre-K at the school was reading by the time she was out of kindergarten. The other one didn't learn hardly anything that prepared him for kindergarten.
Please consider the local school as an option in a year. If you do that then I'd do the home based pre-school so she'd be ready to sit at a table and do work plus more ready to sit down during circle time and the whole theme of a real pre-school setting.
I'd probably go with option #1, you know it's a good program and already have experienced how it works. It sounds like you like the price and hours of the second option, but know that it's probably not the fun environment you want for a 3 year old. She's got years to sit in a structured environment, let her have some fun in school while she can! And thanks for putting prices in perspective for me, I just enrolled my son in a MWF 9-11:30 private preschool, tuition is $110 a month!
I would totally take option two. It seems like a better fit for your family overall, considering your needs as well as hers. Don't forget that you are talking about a few hours a week here, total, so don't worry that she won't get enough play if you don't do the co-op.
the co-op sounds way better to me. the in-home thing doesn't sound very montessori at all.
khairete
S. (montessori fan)
