[soImarriedAnerd]

Ok when did we start sending children to pre-school (what age do they start)? I remember 1/2 days of kindergarten were optional back in my day (I never went, but my brother did). Now we have school before kindergarten So being the way behind girl that I am----what do they teach in pre-school and what do they teach in kindergarten and why do we now need the pre-school also?
Do you HAVE to go to pre-school and Kindergarten now?

Fill me in moms and teachers!

I'm asking because when people ask us when we are coming off the road I always say "when school starts". Well in my brain that was 1st grade. Then I had someone tell me like 3 yrs old they start preschool ?! I can't imagine pre-school and kindergarten is all that hard---probably home school-able right? That's why I'm asking-I'm wondering if I could home school for those two years of school and then just start them in school for 1st grade. And if I did what I would need to be teaching them.

[SandKmommy]

I've been told that kids that don't go to preschool are way behind the kids in Kindergarten. Here as far as I know kindergarten is still half days though, and preschool is anywhere from 1-3days a week but its very spendy (about the cost of day care if not more). We were going to send Seamus to preschool till I got looking into the prices.

Here it seems typical to start at age 3. We will be waiting till 4 when he can get into Head Start for free.


My friends daughter is 3½ now and they can't afford preschool so they ordered a Hooked on Phonics Pre-K set and they teach her at home with that.

[*vi]

I started preschool when i was 3 and went for 2 years then did kindergarten. as far as i know, all kids around here go to preschool. well most at least.

[~* Helen *~]

Here in the UK we have playschool(pre-school) whih they can attend from 2 years and 9 months or if you wait until the term after there 3rd birthday you can get help with vouchers for 5 free 2 hour sessions a week.
Then at Ryans age now they go into a reception class at school and then next year in september he will go into year 1.

[KatiInCT]

Kindergarten is a full-day at my husbands elementary school. The town we live in offers both full-day and half-day kindergarten (I think full-day is given based on first priority to ESL and early registration but I may be mistaken).

[soImarriedAnerd]

so what is it that kids learn while in Pre-school and while in kindergarten these days?

[Oriyan]

I went to preschool too but my school district had public preschool so it cost my parents 0.

Judging by the work my parents saved -- preschool was more about learning shapes, colorss, self-awareness, how to share, motor skills and coordination, and nap time --- while kindergarden was more letters, numbers, basic math (1+1), introduction to reading (Dog, Cat, etc), more shapes & skills, etc.

[petalfuzz]

I went to pre-school, where my mom taught gym It was at our Lutheran church. We sat in a circle and sang songs, had play time, had gym, etc. I went to kindergarten for a half day (I went at 6 years old cause of my late birthday). We learned how to read and do simple math stuff. Can't remember much, obviously!

Except we took home these booklets called readers and I always showed them to my mom before she'd let me read them. The one with the brown cover she told me I couldn't read. The next day she took the booklet to school and talked to the teacher about it. Everyone had to turn in their brown books. I finally remembered to ask her about it last year (ha! 24 years later!). She said that there was something in the book that implied it was okay to get into a stranger's car. Goooo Mom!

[Lash]

I went to Montessori starting at age 3. Kindergarten starts around here at age 6 and is full day

[Mars]

I'm not sure how it works in the U/S but here preschool/nursery school is optional and then you have kindergaten which is part of our primary school from ages 4 - 11. This is mandatory. I don't think we home schooling has been adopted here as yet.

All my nieces and nephews have been to pre-school and this baby will too. I too find that children who do not go to preschool are a bit behind when they start kindergarten.

[**Jenn**]

Preschool around here starts at 3 yrs. Most public school programs are free to residents. I don't know what they'd teach a 3 year old though that I couldn't expose them to at home (I was an early intervention teacher). He's known his shapes, colors, numbers, letters, etc since he turned 2. Liam wouldn't be able to start until he's almost 4 anyway since his birthday falls at the end of the year.

Kindergarden is still half a day here. I think they do more basic math skills and reading. I don't know if I'll send them to preschool yet. They will probably enjoy the social interaction though.

[HopeWishWait]

My mom is a preschool teacher, has been for like...ever. The way she teaches it in my opinion is probably a lot more advanced than what other teachers do...it's not just playtime. They learn science and math and music and art. Things that they actually remember, repeat, and use in Kindergarten and first grade. And they seem to really enjoy it, the hands on part, the interacting with other kids. And the parents just adore my mom and the way she teaches. If this is too vague I can have her explain more to me and then explain it to you, since I definitely don't know all the details

[soImarriedAnerd]

Well you can all tell how good I was in school can't you I called my mom and I didn't do pre-school but we did have kindergarten 4 days a week for 3-4 hrs a day.

Lauren (lash) I know I am probably driving you crazy with questions about the Montessori stuff But If you could PM me (or do a nice education post here) some good books to read on how to use that at home, with what age you can do what with, a site for toys that embraces that type of learning etc. I know I have every link you have ever posted in here bookmarked and the more I read about the more i realize thats kind of what my parents did and I loved as a kid.
Is there a sub-forum or something for this somewhere on JM?

[*kyle*]

The preschools that me and my siblings went to were focused a lot on social skills - sharing, following instructions, concentration, taking turns; also on motor skills - tying shoes, buttoning, zipping, coloring, and physical activity. I believe also counting, alphabet and sounds, colors, and shapes. Kindergarten is where I think I learned basic phonics and reading skills as well as basic math. I'm sure you could teach these things at home/hotel BUT the socialization is a big part of it too.

[Emma&Jack's Momma]

I never went to preschool because my parents couldn't afford it for me and my sister. We had 1/2 day kindergarten in the afternoon. I plan to put Emma into a preschool next summer when she turns 3, for the interaction she will get by being with kids her own age! It's 3 days a week for 2 1/2 hours so I think it's the perfect amount of time. She'll do that for 2 years before starting kindergarten when she's 5!

[KatiInCT]

My niece has been doing Montessori school since preschool (she is now in 1st grade) and she has been reading chapter books (ex. Little House on the Prairie) since before kindergarten. It just boggles my mind. I do not think this is normal of a kindergartner.

[Lash]

^ I was the same though. I was writing cursive at age 3 (you cursive and never print) and we were reading Lion Witch and Wardrobe series when I was 4-- I remember reading light years ahead of my peers in school and I skipped 2 grades as a result of montessori (I dont think it was my intelligence, but seriously montessori training vs public school teaching)

[..Christine..]

As a teacher myself- I know that in the state of CA it is not mandatory for a child to go to Kindergarten. It is, however, extremely beneficial for kids to go to pre-school and Kindegarten! It really prepares them for school- learning the letters, alphabet, procedures etc! I know that all the Kindg. teachers can tell right off who has been to preschool and who hasn't. I, personally, think it is very important!

I think Montessori is just an awesome concept and idea and I'd love to do it for my FC.

In our district, preschool is offered universally at 4, and all children in NY have to be in kindergarten by 5. My niece and nephew went to a private preschool where they learned their name, shapes, colors, about the seasons, weather, numbers and socialization skills. Kindergarten in my district is a full-day thing-- like 8:45 am-3:15 pm {it was half day when I was in kdg. in 89}. I went to early interevention and then preschool from age 2-4, and began Kindergarten at 4, because I made the "cutoff"; my birthday is 11/27 and you had to be 5 by December 1.

ETA: My nephew was able to read with the 1st grade class thanks to the reading his preschool teacher exposed him to. My niece, who recieves special education, has not had to repeat a grade because she got a lot of extra attention in pre-school {they had the same teacher}.

[ShannonMVT]

When I was in kindergarden, it was half day and we learned our alphabet, the sounds each letter made and how to count to 20. We didn't learn to read until 1st grade. Preschool was really not needed.

Now here is what my friend who has young kids was telling me. Preschool is the new kindergarden. The kids need to know their alphabet and numbers BEFORE kindergarden because in kinder they actually start learning how to read already. It's also full day.

In 1st grade, my friends daughter was having to write sentences using her spelling words for homework. Now I'm sure they were simple words, but still. I don't think I was anywhere near writing and spelling full sentences at the very beginning of 1st grade when I was a kid.