Do you really believe that preschool is good for children or should you teach them at home first?

Question

Do you really believe that preschool is good for children or should you teach them at home first?

Answer 1

I homeschooled my children.  They are socially well adjusted, well mannered,  confident, leaders in their peer groups, successful in their endeavors.

So I say with the right environment and the right resources, staying at home maybe better.

Answer 2

I think preschool is good for socialization and following directions. These are skills that all children need.  I taught my children all their basic skills(counting, colors, number and letter recognition)at home.  Some children don't get these skills at home.  Preschool can be a good thing.

Answer 3

well it's good to teach the child first u know because i taught my sister first before school and when she went to the school she knew everything....................so teach your chiild at ome first

Answer 4

Preschool is good for children to learn social skills.

Answer 5

in todays world it feels like we ought to keep our little ones home as much as possiable i know but i do belive that a child should be taught at home and also be exposed to preschool for the social skills needed but a vast amount of the teaching needs to come from home because no child learns at the same pace as another child and the centers and schools teach at the pace of the students you can make a big differance in a childs life to work at home and at centers also sadly to say most parents tend to say hey my child is smart and knows this and that and think there child is ready for school and are so upset when they find out that child had missed some important things and since learning is a step by step process its hard to go back and teach it again and some children only memerize fooling parents into thinking they know it all   so its needs to be a combined effort

Answer 6

Preschool is very good for children.  They learn social skills and basic skills they need to know.  But I've seen cases where preschool isn't needed.  My brother didn't go to preschool and he's very intelligent.  But I think that preschool is very good for children.

Answer 7

I am a preschool teacher and yes it is very good for children to attend preschool.  It not only teaches them social skills, but it better prepares them for kindergarten and their future schooling.  Today schools are asking more than ever from their kindergarteners before they even enter the school on the first day.  A combination of teaching a child at home and at preschool will definitely help them greatly.

Answer 8

I believe children should be taught at home ans school.  It should be a 50/50 learning process for the preschooler.  At school the child you be taught what they need to succeed in the education life.  And at home the child should be taught what the school cant and is not responsible for teaching them.

Answer 9

pre school is a good way for your child to meet freinds and learn how to coler and learn the abcs. So i prefer goin to pre school but this is just my opinion you should give it some thought and if you want your child to be homeschooled and you feel that way you should do what yout heart tells you.

Answer 10

better to teach them then send them to skool

Answer 11

As a preschool teacher, I think before your send your child into school you should first teach them the basic things, preschool is good for children especially for their social skills, but make sure that they are ready for it and it not don't force them. Remember Home is the children's first school. (",)

Answer 12

yes because it has them interacting with others and if u teach them at home, they will b very introverted and wont be used to being around other children when they start school.

Answer 13

good question because I myself did both I tough at home and then sent them to preschool and they are doing very,very well in school .

Answer 14

yes it teaches them good social skills ,they need to interact with other kids.

Answer 15

I believe that children don't really know how to behave around other children unless they have been around other children i.e. at pre-school.  Sure, teach them at home as well, but they need the experience of being around a lot of other children before they enter the school room.  My child went to pre-school and a third of the children on her first day at school were from her pre-school so she had so much confidence going in!  Good luck.

Answer 16

Children need a mixture of both  Preschool is preparing children for school with socialisation skills

Answer 17

i agree with pearl. kids need to spend a lot of time around other children. its good for them. if you have the time and ability though you could still teach your child at home. as long as there was some social development in their life. like regular playdates or something like that.

Answer 18

I find it really interesting how many people say that preschool age children "need to learn social skills". First of all, what kind of social skills to children this young need to learn that they can't learn from their parents? Secondly, how is it that children learn social skills better from other children who are still learning social skills, than from their parents - who I assume already have social skills?

Very young children do indeed enjoy being around other young children. But, they also enjoy being around older children and adults, and pretty much anyone who will play with them. Kids who are around kids of all ages from birth, don't learn age prejudice.

There have also been studies showing that children in preschool are more prone to aggressive behavior (see sources). All this talk about how preschool (and school in general) is "good for teaching social skills" is a state of mind, not an actual fact. It stems from the idea that if you stick somone in a room with a lot of other people, over and over, they will learn how to get along with other people. When in fact, the absolute best determinant whether a person learns to 'get along with others' stems from whether they have consistant role models and are psychologically/emotionally adjusted.

If preschool and school teach social skills, then why is it that so many kids get into fights? And hurt each other? And grow up to be adults who can't get along with other people? The true ability to get along with others, and be compassionate and kind and loving, is determined by closeness of family and role models.

Preschool is not universally good or bad for kids. For some kids, they like it and it works for them. But for many others, it doesn't work. The problem isn't with preschool, it's with the idea that preschool fixes something, or changes something in the young child. But in reality, a parent's role is to *nurture* the natural being of a child's personality. And for some children, their parents aren't able to provide that at home, and so preschool is the only place they can have a positive role model and be allowed to be who they are. But for most children, their parents, older siblings and other older people provide far more opportunity to learn how to get along with others than what a preschool can provide.

Now, as for the whole "teaching them" thing. I find that, unless a parent has the absolute inability (or is unwilling) to teach their child the basics (like colors, letters, numbers, language, etc.) then yes, preschool is a good place for little ones to get the exposure they need to be able to express their natural desire to learn. But the vast majority of children in preschool are not learning any more than they would at home, and in fact, they are learning not only their colors, but that their self worth and whether they are "smart" or "good" depends on whether they know their colors better, faster and sooner than the other kids in their class.

Kids at preschool learn very early to compare themselves to others. And that can be helpful in school, but in the long term, has a negative effect on the psyche.

Overall, preschool is a good solution in SOME cases, but instead of becoming a tool to help when a home situation isn't working out, it has become an expectation. As an expectation, it is rare for people to think *critically* about what preschool does and doesn't do.

Preschool, ultimately, is for parents, not kids. If preschool didn't exist, who would lose out? Parents. Because parents would 1) have less time for themselves. 2) Be responsible for providing a rich learning environment 3) Have to be a parent full-time and not be much else. Kids, they would be just fine without preschool. They were before preschool existed, and they would be today. But parents, it would be very hard for them to give up preschool. That's why it's so popular. Although, this reality is hidden behind the "it's good for kids" argument, which really has no real weight, except that's what everyone wants to believe.

Answer 19

Pre school is just so the kids can have fun, play, communicate, sing, hear stories, and learn just a little.

I didn't went to pre school, so I don't know how to make friends. I don't have a friend in school and I am in 6th grade. It's good to send kids in pre school

Answer 20

I have 4 children....3 have attended pre school.  It gives them a great headstart for school, social activities and skills and helps them to find out that they don't need momma or dad to do everything for them.  It gives them a lot of self esteem.  They have stories to tell, new jokes, new art work, new interaction.  It is the best thing for kids!

Answer 21

yes, because when you send them out to preschool they get to interact with other kids their age and make new friends. that doesn't mean you shouldn't still teach them at home. just stay interacted in your child's life.

do what you think is write

Answer 22

well, i never went to preschool because my mom babysat a lot of kids and we did a lot of educational activities. i have always been one of the top in my class. i also have amazing social skills and heve been very happy. i dont think i would have done well in preschool because of the stress. i am easily stressed. i disagree with everyone who answered before me.

Answer 23

I think it truly depends on the child and the parent.  I have an only child, I think she gains good social skills by going to day-care, or preschool.  She also learns to listen to other authority figures, and class room skills.  Her care provider offers her new experiences I don't think I would had tried.  (two years old isn't too young to learn her left from her right? who'd a thought!)

I love my daughter, but I feel that I am a better parent when I get just one day to myself.  Even if it is only to really mop the floors and grocery shop.    

No matter whether your child is in preschool, or high school, you should be teaching your child at home, taking an active role in his/her education and subsidizing their learning.  

If you have the patience, finances and the confidence to teach your child at home, great.  I think kids with siblings probably learn more social skills at home than only children.  If you are like me,  and feel like the class room experience can be beneficial, that is great too.  

Good luck

Answer 24

As a former preschool teacher, I think most kids can do just fine at home with a caring, involved parent who takes time to play & talk with his/her child.  Often preschool puts more stress on a child than he/she is ready to cope with at such a young age.  

Young children don't need to be "socialized" in large groups of same aged peers.  The best socialization is a small group of (3-three year olds or 4-four year olds) with an adult supervising.  A group of 12-3 yr olds with one or two adults doesn't always teach the proper kind of socialization.  They are taught how to function in an institutional setting, which does help for elementary school, but let's be clear that is NOT the same as social skills.  Most 3 yr olds could care less about friendships with other children as their parents and siblings are the most important people in their world.  This is both normal and healthy and shouldn't be seen as evidence that they need "socialization".  It's the kids who don't have that strong bonding to family members that you need to worry about!

Now if we are talking about a parent who doesn't really care, doesn't want to be involved, ignores or neglects the child, and generally takes no interest in the mental stimulation and social development of the child then of course a caring, supportive, enriching preschool environment is better.  

But it's ridiculous to imply preschoolers can't be taught social skills outside of an institution.  That's what playgrounds and parks are for.  ;-)

Answer 25

I believe preschool is good for children.  I had my own children over 20 years ago in preschool and now we are raising our grandchildren for a while and starting Monday our 3 year old will attend his first day.  It will help build his social skills, as well as prepare him for his future.  His self esteem will start to build as well he will start to define his own character.  I will continue to teach him at home about colors, counting and so on, and teaching him to use the computer becasue it isn't only up to the teachers to help teach but the parent as well.  I don't regret putting my children in and I won't regret the brighter future my grandchildren will have.  As well for a mom it is amazing what you can do in a few short hours a day just to relax or do whatever so you can be refreshed for when the youngester comes home.