Articles: Learning: On Your Mark, Get Set, Preschool
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| On Your Mark, Get Set, Preschool! |
Some children go to preschool for three years before kindergarten, while others may only attend preschool for one year, and many do not go to preschool at all. Most preschools accept children beginning at either 2 or 3 years old and have programs for children through age 5. (Many daycare providers also include preschool style programming.) It is a serious financial as well as emotional decision whether or not to send your child to preschool. Consider the following:
There are two overriding benefits of preschool: socialization and kindergarten readiness. Studies clearly show that children who attend preschool generally perform better later in school. However, some children who do not attend preschool may perform equally well or better, of course. There are ways other than preschool to achieve these goals. (More on that later.) Your child may be ready for preschool if she willingly moves away from you, can spend periods of time independent of you, plays or works on projects independently at least some of the time, enjoys interacting with other children, and does not regularly nap during the hours that she would be at preschool.
Preschools range greatly in their teaching philosophy, from academic to free play. Go to open houses or schedule your own visit during hours when children are in the classrooms. Observe how the teachers and students interact, and query the director about the school’s teaching philosophies, teacher qualification requirements, and class ratios. Find out which national or state accreditations they currently hold. Make sure that the facilities are sanitary and safe. Ask questions about discipline, toileting, food, and whether your child’s special needs can be met. Check out indoor and outdoor play areas.
Many preschools operate as a regular school. That is to say, parents drop their children off and, a few hours later, pick them up. Other than writing the tuition check and maybe occasionally volunteering, parents do not have any obligations. Cooperative type preschools, on the other hand, require regular participation from parents both in the classroom and in the operation of the school itself. Cooperatives are parent run schools, which allow greater impact on and influence over your child’s preschool experience. Parent participation preschools are between these two extremes. They have parents serve as classroom helpers on a rotating basis, but do not necessarily require parents to commit a certain number of additional hours toward a specific operational committee.
Working parents can successfully be a part of a cooperative or parent participationg school; it takes careful planning and some flexibility. Preschool tuition ranges in cost from about $50 to $1,000 per month, depending on where you live and how many days and hours your child attends preschool each week. Some preschools are free to those who qualify financially or, for church programs, may be free or heavily discounted for parishioners.
Free or low cost alternatives to preschool include community playgroups, play date exchanges, public library programs, and children’s classes at your local recreation or nature center. All of these and similar activities can provide your child with ample opportunity to build socialization skills. Coupled with daily reading aloud to your child, these free or low cost alternatives can also help lay the foundation needed for your child to be kindergarten ready.
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