Preschool is it a good idea???

Question

my son just turned 3,is it a good idea to send him to preschool,are there any benifits to it,he is shy,so i am concerened that he well have a hard time,to me he already has to go to school for a min of 12 years,why add 2 years at his age.

Answer 1

Well I think it depends on how much you are working with him at home. It may be good if you have an extremely shy child to get him used to being around other children so when he does get to school it isn't such a huge shock. It is not neccessary, but helpful. I never sent my daughter only because I homeschool her and she is very outgoing and has no problems making friends. My friend's daughter is getting ready to enter Kindy and she never sent her to Preschool and never worked with her at home so now she is having to go to a PreKindy program before she can start officially. They tend to be a little behind when you don't work with them at home and or in Preschool.

Answer 2

You have gotten a lot of lengthy advice,

I'm going to make mine short and sweet.

At 3 it should really be based on what you think is best for your child.  It should be a positive experience for him and you.

At 4 it becomes a little more critical.  Most K teachers hope that the children come in with at least some preschool experience.

--- Now here's my 2 cents: ----

I disagree w/5 day fours being a necessity.  My son went to 3 day 4's and did beautifully.  He's reading a year above grade level as he finishes K.  

I have chosen 3 day 4's for my daughter.  My friend's children went to a 2 day 4's program and did beautifully.  

The advice I was given is that if you are an active involved parent they then time spent with you is just as good as preschool (if not better sometimes)

(PS I found that it wasn't the everyday, it's the all day that was hard to adjust to, so even 5 day 4's doesn't prepare them for that).

But I'm with you.  Time w/Mommy is best!

Answer 3

it is a wonderful idea. getting kids to school at an early age prepares them for when they need to go to school full time. if you do it now it will be easier later. besides this way he learns that school is fun. and for preschool they dont usually go all day long its just half of what would be normal. he makes new friends and learns that teachers are his friends. when he goes to school he will be ahead of the gang.

Answer 4

Preschool is definitely a hard step to take,but if you do your research and go slow it gets them so prepared for kindergarten.My daughter went twice a week at age three and we slowly worked up to a full time center by the time she was four and a half.Now that she is going to kinder soon she is used to a full day and can focus on learning and not being away from mom.my son did not go to preschool and had a very difficult time with kinder,i have seen the difference it makes and its worth it.Remember that a good pre school will let you hang out and participate when possible to help your son transition.Go slow and you'll get through it fine.Good luck

Answer 5

I have worked in the child care field so i am going by experience....

It is good for a shy 3 year old to go to pre school for like a couple hours two days a week...this will help him socialize and be exposed to other activities and kids.

At 4 and if the child will be attending Kindergarten the next year,  then you should do 5 days a week for a few hours...like a pre school....unless you cannot be home then day care is fine....but after the couple hours for learning it is no more beneficial that a child attending a morning or afternoon preschool.

I really think children going into kindergarten with out any type of pre school or day care is at a disadvantage because so many kids will be way above it.....but it is your personal choice....as this is just my personal opinion.

Good luck...

Answer 6

to be honest with you, i really dont think its good for  a 3 year old to go to pre school, i feel its too young, But on the other hand I trained my son at home the alphabet and how to read, But he never tal;ked till he was 5, Soo I sent him to a pre summer school to help him get ready for kindergarden, Emotionally it was hard, I couldnt let go, and he could not stand to be away from me for 2 hours, Well he got through, he graduated and he talks my ear off every day, lol, Pre- school helped him to talk to get into kindergarden, but that was it, But 3 years old, Noo, keep him home for another year or two, But the pre summer school before kinderagarden, was ok, it taught him to be prepared for kinderagarded, and What will happen there, Soo emotionally it was easy to get him to adjust

Answer 7

check out universalpreschool.com

it'll help!

Answer 8

I think a good preschool is great (which means shop around).  I have noticed several parents make some common mistakes when initially leaving their child at school:

1)  There is a balance between getting your child to feel comfortable in the environment and when you, as the parent, become the reason they are uncomfortable.  I know that sounds hard to hear and I would never push a parent out of my classroom at all.  But the child is obviously more comfortable with you.  So staying around TOO long can make it harder for the child to adjust to the room.  Before taking your son in, talk with the teacher to work out some type of way to get them adjusted and stick to that plan.  

2)  I have been lucky to work in several schools that have an observation room.  But not all schools have that.  If your son has trouble adjusting, if you want to check up on him, I usually recommend calling 5-10 minutes after you leave and talking to the teacher.  I have had countless times where the parent left, the child calms down quickly (they do know they're in a safe environment), but the parent appears in the window 3 minutes later to look in and the process starts over again.  If they think you are outside hiding, they will try to go out to find you.  This gets harder the next time because when you really do drop them off, they think you're outside waiting to look in the window.  

3)  Our job is to take care of your child, not to raise it.  You don't sound like this type of parent, but I wanted to include it in the list because many parents drop off their child early in the morning then pick them up later to take to the babysitters so they can go out with friends for the night.  Then they ask us why they are acting up all the time at home, but well behaved at school.  (Note:  This is not the only factor in that.  Usually, it is because they realize there is a different level of comfort at home and there is an appropriate place to be crazy and an appropriate place to have different behavior.  That is usually a good thing if they act differently at home than at school) I decided to add this to the list because it might click for someone else reading this.  

4)  With that said, teachers are a great resource for learning how to work with your child.  We know your child, but we do not know your child as well as you do.  We love your child, but we do not love them as much as you do.  But we do get to see how they interact in a different environment and the longer we are teachers, the more we hear about different ways parents have handled different situations.  Find a place you feel comfortable that you can raise problems with the teacher that you have been having at home.  We might have an idea or two that someone tried and it worked.  But we can't guarantee its success.

I rambled past what I wanted to really respond with.  I think #1 is critical to help your son feel used to the classroom.  It is important to talk to the teacher and see what strategy they have.  I have worked in schools where they suggested just dropping them off at the door and leaving and letting the teachers take care of the child and get them acclimated.  I have worked at other schools where they let you ease them in differently.  Before anyone criticizes, both worked fantastically and the one where they are dropped off actually worked the best.  But I think it's something you need to ask about while shopping for a preschool because that is an issue you need to feel comfortable with as well.

Matt

Answer 9

This is a very good question.  I am a huge advocate of preschool...if the preschool is structured and has a play-to-learn centered approach.  If your son is shy this would be the perfect environment for him to become more social and more well adapted.  I am a firm believer that if children enter the school environment with the basic buliding blocks...they will be much more successful in school.  These buliding blocks not only include numbers, letters, and colors, but also the ability to play with others, share, and adapt quickly to new and different situations and environments.  Preschool gives young children the opportunity to start learning how to learn!  When choosing a preschool please keep in mind that you want a well-lit, open, structured, organized, and colorful environment.  An ideal classroom will have places for different activities, broken into clear centers that allow children to move freely from activity to activity.  Children thrive on predictablity and structure, so ask possible preschools about their daily activities.  If your son enters kindergarten with confidence in his academic skills, social skills, and adaptive skills he will carry that confidence with him throughout his education.  If you are still undecided....look into preschools that only go half-days, or two or three days per week.

Answer 10

Preschool is really a decision on a family by family and child by child basis.  However, as a preschool teacher I can say that I have definitely seen the benefits that children gain from having social interactions with others in their peer group on a regular basis.  Children at this age learn through experiences and preschool offers (should offer- be sure to find a good one) those experiences in ways that they can't be offered from home, in my opinion.  The child also enjoys being able to share their experiences and things they have learned with their parents and kids get a HUGE kick out of parents visiting their preschool or attending a party or field trip- it is incredibly important at that age for them to feel that their learning and development is important and that you are excited along with them!

Children should have the opportunity to interact and explore the world around them in a safe and comfortable environment and preschool offers this to them- I have seen shy children become class clowns and outgoing, fun-loving preschoolers!  "Preschool" really shouldn't be considered "school", in my opinion- because children of this age really learn through play, hands-on discovery (like learning centers, projects, field trips, themed curriculum, etc.) and should NOT be too accademically driven or focused.

I LOVE preschoolers- they are my favorite age group to teach and it is actually wonderful that parents such as yourself are questioning it rather than just sticking their child in it.  In case you do decide to go with it, here is a link to an article about looking for quality preschools.

http://www.childrenscabinet.org/EEC_Qual...

Let me know if you would like further info about "what to look for" in a quality preschool- I also have a checklist of "things to look for and ask" when looking for the perfect place for YOUR child that I can e-mail you- Hope this helps!

Answer 11

Preschool is a good thing to help children start to learn social skills, and develop.

Preschool isn't like regular school, children have play time, activities that encourage their physical and mental development.

Ultimately it is your decision, visit some preschools, see what they are like, see if there is one you feel comfortable with, talk to the other parents of the children in the preschool.

Preschools are aimed at a helping a child develop.  Shop around, talk to other parents, and try to make an informed decision.

Answer 12

While there are many wonderful preschools, not one of them can offer a child time with their mom.  Maybe you could give yourself permission to do more with him.  Going out with your child will "socialize" him in the areas of being quiet in the planetarium, not smearing ice cream on tables at restaurants (or at least cleaning it off), visiting nursing homes, going to an arboreteum.  

Preschools are also an expensive, not worth it strain on the family budget.  Enjoy that boy.

Answer 13

Preschool is an awesome idea. It allows children to develop social skills and interact with others their own age. I worked at a preschool for a few years and I loved watching the 2 and 3 year olds discover new things everyday.

Preschool also prepares children for the reality of school. Most of the "classwork" in preschool involves simple art projects, but it really helps preschoolers become accustomed to a structured, daily routine.

Answer 14

Each child is different and only you know what is best for yours....  Preschool, for some kids, is a fun time, where they get to meet new people, form new friendship/teacher bonds, and, more importantly, start to spread their little wings away from Mommy.  Each preschool is different, too, and you need to find the right one for your child.  Some school are very regimented and some schools, like Montasori (?) are very open to discovery time.  Start him off slowly, with a few hours every other day.  You'll know if he's having fun and wants more.  My kids couldn't wait to get to school each day and when I picked them up they were filled with stories and bone tired!  Preschool is a wonderful chance to begin the enrichment/new experience process that is critical to a child's development.

good luck!