Im looking to enroll my daughter in preschool but what is Co-op preschool? What would be the best type school?

Question

We are Christian and we've dabbled in the Christian preschool but the price for preschool is 1500. I am a stay at home mom and our funds right now for preschool cant do that. Were saving to send them both to Christian based schools from 1st to 12th grades but for the younger schooling i cant see wasting that money. Any input would be appreciated

Answer 1

co-op schools requires parents to help in the classroom - you would have your assigned days and assigned projects.  I teach a private preschool and charge $95 a month - I must not be charging near enough!  lol

Answer 2

Well, you've definately got answers for what is co-op preschool :-)

There are SO many types of preschool available.  There are state and federally funded programs (Head Start for example) where you need to "qualify" for the progam and they are free.  State funded programs usually have to have 50% qualifying financially but the other 50% does not.    There are preschool programs that a directly connected to school districts.  There are private preschool programs.  There are daycare preschool programs, there are in-home preschool programs or you can home-school your preschool child.  :-)  I don't recommend home-schooling your preschool child unless you have other ways on incorporating socialization.  Preschool's main goal to to help with the socialization part.  When children transition into Kindergarten it is noticable by the teachers who has and has not been in a preschool program by their behavior, their ability to follow routine, their ability to problem solve, their attention span, they know the "calendar routine" and how small/large groups work, etc.   So unless you can provide that, sending her to a preschool is your best bet.

We sent our son to a Lutheran Preschool even though we are not of that religion. It's definately Christian based but did not focus on their specific beliefs.  But why I'm mentioning that was because they did not charge any more than any other program in the area.  So check it out.  You can probably find a christian based preschool program outside of the Christian School you are planning on sending them to in grade school.  

Since you are a stay-at-home mom and do not need the convenience of daycare I suggest finding a private preschool.  These usually (but not always) have better teacher:child ratio.  1:6 is wonderful!  I find that programs with 18 children and 3 staff is almost "perfect".  These programs usually have a specific curriculum they use.  I've seen many daycares who offer "preschool" but it's obvious that they do not have a written curriculum and their lead teacher does not have a teaching certificate.  I'm not saying that it's necessary to have a preschool that uses a specific purchased curriculum like Creative Curriculum but at least one in writing and where their assessment coincides.

Ask around your neighborhood.  Who has a child in preschool that they LOVE! Both parent and child loving it.  I've seen some people who have given an area here on Yahoo and asked if there are any good preschools around...you might get some suggestions that way.  Call the places...find out their policies, curriculum, pricing...compare.  Go and observe!  Good luck!

Answer 3

There appear to be quite a few types of preschools out there.  I've linked a blurb on co-op preschools from a Babycenter article.  View the article to find information regarding other types of preschools.

Some parents who feel like they can't find the perfect fit for their child opt to join a parent-run cooperative preschool or start one of their own. In these schools, parents take turns volunteering as teachers and caregivers. All of the members meet and agree on what activities the children will pursue. It takes a lot of time and energy, but running a co-op nursery school can be very rewarding. For more information, go to the cooperative schools Web site: http://www.coopschools.com.

Answer 4

A co-op, short for cooperative, is an organization that is owned or managed by the members of the group. The first co-op preschool in the United States was founded in 1916 at the University of Chicago. The founding mothers' goal was to pool their resources to create a child care program that would allow them to participate in the war effort.

A co-op preschool is usually a non-profit organization. A professional teacher, director, and/or staff is often employed, but parents are relied upon to run the school.

"Parents are the teachers, the parents are the janitors, the parents are the fundraisers, the parents are the maintenance workers, the parents do almost everything," explains Sandra Westlie, director of the Peter Pan Parent Co-op in El Cerrito for 21years.

Parents participate during the preschool day, at regularly scheduled night meetings, on work-party days, and occasionally during off-hours for special projects.  All this participation keeps down the cost of running a school ­ a key benefit to many parents.

Co-op preschools range in complexity.  They can be as simple as a group of friends meeting on a regular basis and providing activities for their children, or as structured as a professionally run preschool. A number of co-op preschools are offered through local adult education programs, and parents can earn school credit by participating.

Educating Parents

Most co-op preschools have a compnent of educating parents on early childhood development ­ a key difference from standard preschools. The parent education is usually provided by the school's director, who is often a trained educator with an early childhood development background. Directors use the night meetings to discuss topics such as developmental stages and maturity, effective discipline, nutrition, enrichment, encouraging independence, and constructive socialization. Parents then use this knowledge to interact with the children at the school during their workdays.  Schools often bring in guest speakers to provide more depth on these and other topics.

Many parents feel that this education is one of the best benefits of being in a co-op.