When do i register my child for preschool?

Question

My son is 2 yrs old, he will be turning 3 at the end of december. I live in NY and i'm wondering if i'm supposed to register him for preschool next year or if i could do it already? also, how can i find a preschool for him, do you have to pay or is it something like public school?

Answer 1

The child must be 5 before Sept. to enter Kindegarten. So 4  yrs would be a reasonable guess.

Answer 2

yes you can enroll him in a school right NOW!  if you absolutly want to, but you don't have to!   you can go around NYC and look from there or ask around from your friends.  and you can choose to send him to public or privite but i prefere privite because they teach him about God and how he created the world and all of that stuff!  and public, you can't even say the word GOD!!  so i would send him to privite!!

Answer 3

They have programs called Head Start. This is for 4 year olds, though. It is free. They go to school just like anybody else, but their day ends around lunch or shortly after.

Answer 4

before september.

Answer 5

I have never heard of a preschool that is like public education; it's never free unless you enroll him/her in a program that is suited for your financial needs (like a Head Start program). It all depends on when you want to send him to a preschool. Preschool does not have to be just for 4 year olds getting ready to enter kindergarten. Many, many places have different rooms for different age ranges: usually a 18 month old room, some have even young, then a 2's room, then a 3's room, sometimes a mix of old 3's young 4's, then a "typical" 4's room which basically is a kindergarten readiness program that preps a child for kindergarten! If your child i going to be 3 end of december, why not start him/her in January if money, time etc permits? Also, many programs offer half day, where the child goes from morning to about lunch time- majority of the time this is when most of the preschool's curriculum takes place, lunch happens, nap time, then lots of art work after, outdoor play time etc. The best thing for you to do is to take your child and go to places of interest- if it's a well thought out school, they will let your child interact for a bit with the other children. This is when you can sneak out for 10 mins or so, ask questions, or even peak in on your child and see how he/she does without.

If you are just waiting for the typical year before kindergarten (4yrs old), just call up the places of interest and ask when is a good time to enroll so I don't have to be put on a waiting list. Good luck!!!