What are the benefits of a preschool vs a regular day care?

Question

If given a choice between pre school and day care, where would you send your 18 months kid to?

Answer 1

In preschool, there is more of a routine. The children are given a better opportunity to learn. Does better for setting up kids for big kid school.

Daycare to me is more like a children's social event. They go to play.

Answer 2

If you need to work, day care may be an option, however most offer poor quality care for this age group no matter what they tell you different. Preschool is for 3-5 yr olds, one that runs just as a preschool are better since they have to compete w/ other preschools for business. If you are stay-at-home, try a mommy&me program to get out. his program will take you AND your child so much farther in life than preschool or day care.

Answer 3

Most can go to pre-school at age 3.  It depends on the facility and what their curicullum is.  At her age, I would opt for day care where she can free play.  By age 3 she will be more adept at dealing with a more structured environment.  Make sure that the day care is educational as well, not just let them run amock all day.  In pre-school they often require teachers to have some formal college education.  In day care, you don't need any child development training or formal education.  It is up to the center to decide it.  Stay at home moms are an option too since they have experience and more practicallity and leeway and are willing to be more flexible and understanding when your little one has the sniffles instead of not accepting your child when she has a cold like some centers do.  I would interview both the day care and the pre-school (at least 3 of each) to find out which best suits your needs and your child's personality and learning and comfort level.

Answer 4

I work at a "daycare", but our programs are not so much like baby sitting. The kids actually learn things, and all the lesson plans have specific objectives like developing fine motor skills, number and letter recognition, etc. We even have curriculum for younger age kids, but its different than preschool. Its geared for (your child's class) 12-18, and 18-24 months toddlers. They do a lot of sensory play, and art. They start introducing the idea of circle, but it isn't as much an expectation that they sit there because their attention span is only a minute per year of age. Children at our center can start as early as six weeks. I personally can't see my self putting my child (some day) in daycare at six weeks old, but you do what you have to do.  So to answer your question,  guess neither. I think you need to look for something more specifically geared for your child's age.

Answer 5

there really should not be much of a difference except that  some pre-school are strictly run or follow a structured setting, where the adult are the only teachers.  If people are trained and educated on how to run a daycare program it should involve the emergent curriculum.   Young children learn through their interest and experiences within a play setting.  Their is nothing wrong with children playing because through play they develop social skills, language(cognitive learning), and physical development,  for example if a child is playing tag with another child, they develop a friendship and they learn to develop rules in their games, which needs language and strengthens their speech.  I work at a daycare and I am  an  Early Childhood Educator, Not a Babysitter.  I could go on and on, on examples that a daycare is not a babysitter and that play should be accepted as an essential part of learning in a child's life, Do you remember your childhood? Think back, did you learn more through experience or sitting behind a desk and listening to an adult?

Answer 6

Pre-schools are Soo much better than being in a free range type setting all day with so many other kids. Pre-schools have structure and close supervision, and learning and fun. Day care in a persons home can be so much the opposite! A reputable day care could be very good too, of course, but usually there are a lot more kids, and a lot less teachers. Probably you will need to go with both if you are working full time, but my child's preschool experience was a very good one.

Answer 7

Depending on the 'regular' day care you look at, there is no discernable difference.  A lot of day care centers are using preschool curriculum with the children.  The only day cares that don't teach preschool curriculum to the children are in home day cares.  You would probably save money sending your child to a day care center.  Schools specifically designated as a 'preschool' are generally more expensive just because of the name alone.

Answer 8

pre schools are better regulated. they have strict guidelines that they have to meet, or they will be shut down.  i know day cares are supposed to have guidelines also, but i also know that they can clean up pretty well on the days of inspection.  (i worked in one)

pre school also develops skills whereas day care just lets them play all day, or even watch tv.  my daughter is in pre-k and she's already writing her entire alphabet, and is starting to recognize words.  

the pre school experience also helps her learn to socialize with others in a well structured environment.  the day care i worked in had no structure.   (i only stayed for two weeks...they were closed by the state about six months later)

Answer 9

Pre-schools are more educationally geared where as a daycare is more like a babysitter. My daughter was in a SureStart (pre-school) program and was reading and writing by the age of 4. She went into kindergarten knowing how to count to 113.

Answer 10

Where I work kids that are 2 1/2 to 4 years can be in preschool. The word preschool has many different definitions so you need to visit a few programs that you are interested in and see how they fit your goals for your child. This is an age for play and learning social skills. So those are things that you'd want to see evidence of in the environment.

Answer 11

Pre schools are just that, prep for school. They are structured to prepare a child for school in a kindergarden type atmosphere. You really should check these places out as they can very costly charging not only for the uniforms but all the instructional material in some places must be purchased at that school. Day care are not mandated to teach a child anything although if our lucky you will find some that do teach education but do question the teachers individually and not just one, question several to get an over all opinion. One of my best friends worked there and she was upset by the lies the director was feeding the parents about the care giver to child ratio, the quality and quantity of food the children were given at lunch (dixie cup size drinks and one per child?). She witnessed neglect and although they children were supposed to have constructive play time they were read a book and left to their own design,when she brought it up  to the owner who was the overseer she was promptly dismissed. I told her to tell the parents what was going on since the kids were too small to know better. Ask if you can have surprise drop ins and see what they say when your check out the day care. If they say NO, they have something to hide. One of my neighbors ran a daycare and a couple of her kids made it to my yard where my children were playing and asked if they could stay for lunch. After several of these visits I asked the kids what they were given for lunch and they said cookies. Of course I gave them what ever I gave my kids then sent they back or until they got caught. It was sad. I should add that some of the Pre schools do go a bit over board trying to create genius's and if you'd like your two or three year old to have the ability to know every county in the world and be smarter than you, where is the fun  in growing up and having childs play when all they do is study?