To Preschool or Not to preschool...that Is the Question!

Updated on July 05, 2011
K.W. asks from Evansville, IN
12 answers

I have a 3 and 4 year old that really enjoy learning. I want them to be well rounded and prepared for kindergarden, but not sure if we can afford preschool. They are already in daycare full time...and you know how that can cost. I am not sure if I should try to squeeze out the extra cost or if there is something I can do for them to learn at home, etc. Any suggestions?

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.J.

answers from St. Louis on

I'd look into the cost of preschool near you. Our school district offers preschool that is alot cheaper than daycare. They have full time and part time classes.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.O.

answers from Chicago on

I think you should find a daycare that has a great preschool program or find a preschool with before/after school hours. Daycare at this age should absolutely include preschool (IMHO). Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

The 4 year old should be able to do Pre-K this Fall in the regular elementary school system in your area. You might find that they'll be full day and maybe just a half but still that should bring your child care cost down if she is there less than 4 hours per day. School kids in Oklahoma start at about $15 per day during the school year due to the kids not coming until nearly 3:30 and they go home usually by 5. That's only 1.5 hours per day so they can't charge for a full day.

I'd just let the 3 year old stay in child care. They usually have a good curriculum.

K.J.

answers from Chicago on

If your income is low enough you may qualify for the Preschool for All program offered by the state of Illinois, but I have no idea what the income limit is.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.R.

answers from Chicago on

I would say no, if they are in daycare now. I'm a SAHM and my daughter went to preschool for 2 years and I think what she got most out of it was social interaction with the other kids, which your is getting at daycare. I don't think the preschools are very heavy on academic curriculum, although they do touch on it.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.K.

answers from Chicago on

Maybe check into your local high school/s. My son is enrolled in a preschool program that is run by high school students as a part of their "Child Care II" course. Ours is a great little program, my son loved the teacher he was paired with (it is a one-to-one ratio between each preschool and high school student). And the cost was only $150 for the school year!
With that said learning what is necessary for K is easy to do at home, Mama P had some great suggestions, so I won't repeat. We mostly do preschool for socialization, but your kids get that at daycare anyway. I wouldn't fret if you can't find or afford a preschool and just do fun learning at home.

S.A.

answers from Chicago on

Are they in a home daycare setting or a daycare center? If it's a daycare center, most offer preschool programs during the day that are included in the childcare costs. Preschool is very important and almost essential for being prepared for kindergarten. They have to know so much by the time they start kindergarten. If you absolutely can't afford it, you will need to spend the equivalent time each week working with your kids on their alphabet, sight words, numbers 1-20, rhyming, opposites, name, address, phone number, zipping coats, tying shoes....You can go to an educational store and purchase materials.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.P.

answers from Peoria on

If you can't find an affordable daycare/preschool program, there are TONS of things you can do at home. It is actually a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your kids and help them learn! We do lots of songs, i.e.: ABC songs, number songs, days of the week, seasons of the year, etc. These you can do any time and any place. The car is our favorite place for learning! Little progress charts are great motivators too, i.e. when they can sing their alphabet or they learn/recognize a letter, give them a sticker. When I have more time, we play games that help to learn too, matching/memory games, bingo-type games, etc. There are tons of activity books available if you have time to sit down with them. I have occasionally let my son play on the computer on a wonderful website called starfall.com. It has great games at all levels. The most basic one has each letter of the alphabet and they click a letter to see songs, words and some games with that letter. Mine love it and it's FREE! Can't beat it!!! I also recommend spending about $50 and buying a bunch of the Leapfrog videos. My son's Kindergarten teacher recommended them and they are great, totally worth the investment. They have lots of great songs and fun storylines. They don't even feel like they're learning. I found them cheap at Sam's Club, less than $9 per DVD. Lastly, there is a great cartoon on daily called SuperWhy on PBS at 8am. It is a great one too...introduces letters, sounds and beginning spelling. Even if it is above their level, they will eventually start to learn the letters and their sounds.

Bottom line is that there are LOTS of things that you can do that don't have to cost you a ton of money or time. But I would definitely do something to get them exposure to the letters/numbers before Kindergarten because the schools these days expect kids to know them or at least be familiar with them when they get to Kindergarten.

GOOD LUCK!!! And remember, learning CAN be FUN for Mom and the kids!!!! :)

N.A.

answers from Chicago on

I am feeling the same way! My daughter is 3 and SHE keeps nagging me and wants to go to school, she see's her older brother and sister go and so she wants to go. I registered her in the park district and I know that they have different hours so I picked the a.m class for her. I would say that if you are choosing to put them in pre school then there shouldn't be a need to put them in day care. Ask about after school programs too! I know that the park district has alot and they also offer a discount if you register them for pre school....

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.G.

answers from Rockford on

I don' t think it is the end of the world as some people would like to guilt parents who choose not to send kids to preschool into feeling. A good high quality preschool is a wonderful thing but if it is going to cause financial stress, it is not worth it. Two of my three oldest kids did not go to preschool when they turned 3. One child was eligible for special ed preschool so she started at 3. The oldest was in daycare at the time so we didn't think it was necessary and the case with the other was financial. We just couldn't afford it. I went to the library and looked through the parent/teacher section and checked out some books. I read one called Homeschooling, The Early Years by Linda Dobson that I found informative. You may want to see if your library has it available or can get it for you.

M.L.

answers from Chicago on

Hi K. - I live in your area and yes - childcare is expensive to say the least!!!!! My children go to a Kindercare so they really do get the learning and preschool experience there. However, my son does go to a school district preschool due to some challenges he faces, but if that's not the case for my daughter I will likely not do a separate preschool for her.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.M.

answers from Chicago on

All of my daycares did provide preschool...check to see if there are any daycare that do provide preschool. Maybe your daycare has preschool?

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions