Preschool (Similar to "Preschool: Moms of One Child" Post)

For various reasons, DD did not start preschool til she was 4. She might've started at 3.5 last winter, but they didn't have a slot. DD's old daycare rolled the kids into preschool by the time they were 4, even if they did "care" before and after school time as well. If he's happy where he is, I would continue with the daycare for another year and then look for a preschool when he's 4, since being in a care environment is what he is already used to. Look for one where they also have a daycare or extended day so that he doesn't have to move back and forth. I was nervous about DD going every day (she does half days, they only do full days 2x month) and she loves it. She cries when they have a holiday or she is too sick to go. So while I don't think preschool is mandatory, I think it would be a good transition for him (find one that is play based) from daycare to school.

My great niece is in daycare only and IMO the difference between a good daycare and a preschool is that a preschool is actually teaching specific lessons, has a schedule, and is gearing toward K vs just keeping them entertained and taken care of. The goals are different.

All the evidence shows that kids under 6 should be playing, that play is more educational than learning based stuff. The only kids who benefit from learning based preschools are low income children that lack books in their homes, that have parents that don't speak English, and that have parents that don't talk to them very much.

On top of this, research has shown that any gains the other groups show are gone by 7, and that middle class kids who attend preschool are more aggressive.

All of this can be found in standardized childhood, a great book that covers all the research from a pro-preschool perspective.

So, in short, as long as your daycare provider talks to the kids a lot, and there is a good ratio for lots of one on one dialogical discussions, then I'd pick daycare.

In fact, research also shows that kids learn language best by just following Mom around while she does her daily tasks. It's the sheer volume of words thrown at them that makes the biggest difference.

Your kiddo will learn stuff in daycare. No need for preschool at all.

At my dd's daycare/preschool, the motto is "play to learn." It seems to have worked. She is doing just fine in K.

This is what "I" would do with a child this age.

I would keep him in childcare, please google "what do children learn while they play" then you'll see that your child care center is doing exactly what he needs right now.

Then I would start him in the public school system for pre-K if your center will transport him back and forth. If they will not you may want to re-access what you want for this little guy.

If the center does a more formal pre-school program in the 4 year old room it could easily be enough to prepare him for kindergarten.

I would rather do the formal pre-K program because it gets him in the school system and he starts making friends with kids he'll be in class with until he hits middle school or Jr. high or maybe even up through high school.

It is also right there at the school he'll be attending and you will start making networking connections.

So, if your center will not transport him to school and back to the center you have to decide what it is you want. Do you want your little guy to go to this center another year? Or do you want him to start with the school system. The school will have a before and aftercare program.

If the center will transport him to and from school you can have the best of both worlds. You will have his "home" where he's been happy and loved going. He will also have a new place to go part of the day. This is often a great way to do transition with less stress.

I didn't put my kids into preschool until the year before they went to Kindergarten. There just isn't a reason.
Play, imagination, coloring, getting along with others...those are the important things. And if your child is in a great daycare setting then I say leave him there until he is 4, or the year before "real" school starts.
Both of my boys have tested for "highly capable" classes in our area (The smarty pants classes), so I don't think them not going to preschool for 2 or 3 years adversely affected them.
L.

The one here that runs an excellent preschool (2 or 3 hours) also has daycare before and after, so you CAN do full-day. Some kids come for a bit, others stay all day. It's only for ages 3 and up though. 2.5 can only stay 2 hours twice a week. If you like the daycare for him, and he likes it, I'd stay with that.

We start preschool at age 24 months, and we do a lot of it. Maybe 5 hours 4 days a week. It's a really good experience for the kids and way, way cheaper than daycare. We are not doing 6am to 6pm, see. But if you need the daycare then of course you need to stick with that.

I have noticed that the 2 or 3 hour preschools not connected to chain daycares tend to be higher quality and have less turnover. But every place is different.

My 4 yr old goes to preschool at the park. 4 days a week for 4 hours a day. I mainly have her in it for socialization. She has no idea how to act like a 4 yr old. I also have 3 13 yr olds (9 yr age gap) and she is so busy trying to be just like them. This is great but a curese at the same time. The first year she was in the class for 3-4 yr olds, they mainly played with some learning of letters, shapes, numbers, etc. This year, more emphasis on letters, numbers, shapes and such, behavior (respect and things like that) and how it affects others, discovering things around them. And lots of play. Play is actually the best teacher for this age. My older kids went to a preschool at age 4 and then into kinder. Some of the kids back then and some they currently go to school with went to regular daycare where they did learn some stuff but not like some preschools that emphasize total learning. Also there are some that of course stayed home with sitter or mom. There are really no differences between them other than personality. Of course there are other differences like not studying or not liking to or knowing how but those are not related to preschool. If you would prefer to keep him in the daycare where is is not, he will be fine. I truly believe a lot of the success for kids has to do with parental involvement later when they really get busy learning.

If I were in your situation, what would make the difference for me would be what the particular preschool I was looking at would have to offer. Your daycare situation does sound fine, and for what it's worth, when I ran a preschool, it was play-based first and foremost with an emergent curriculum which was planned around the children's interests and inquiry, my primary focus was helping children with their social skills and learning how to be in the group environment. The preschool I sent my son to was more planned in the curriculum, but also heavily play-based with a focus on socialization.

If your son has same-age peers at the daycare he already goes to, and if you feel that the teachers are providing good support in that area, as well as expanding their curriculum to the child's developing skills and desires (having the time and space to help kids who *want* to write with those skills, etc.), then you are likely fine right where you are.

I do like Gamma G's suggestion of moving him to the preK program at his future elementary school as an option.

Children learn so much through play, so again, if you feel he's thriving where he is, I don't see a need to change situations. If you feel he's bored or outgrowing what is available as you get closer to four, do look around at other options.