[~*Bethy*~]

anyone with a BTDT toddler have their kids in headstart? I just CAN NOT pay for preschool, let alone private school (I know close my legs right LOL!!) So instead of keeping them at home this next year, Im putting them in headstart for part day's. Im just hoping its not all hispanic based, my kids are confused with english as it is Am I doing the right thing?

[~*sierra*~]

i'm not sure what headstart is! but i bet if its just being social with other kids it will be great for them

[~*Bethy*~]

its a preschool thats free for low income (which we technically are but arnt at the same time...its just a place to live that we moved to a few years back and never left LOL!!!) Here is mainly Hispanics (we have alot of farm work, etc) and Im just afraid my kids will get left behind...which I know wont be the case I just want them to get equal treatment....which is hard when I have to speak in spanish to order at mcdonalds....

[midnight_starr]

Try it out and if you don't like it you can always pull them out!! The headstart program here isn't that great.. My nephew was in it but was pulled out because they didn't find that he was even learning anything!

[~*Bethy*~]

Im so afraid of that...but I have some friends who swear by it, but their kids are also bilingual so well see!!

[ShannonMVT]

I guess you can try it and see and pull them out if you don't like it like Aimee said. Could you go look at the classrooms before they start?
I would think they should be focusing on getting any Spanish speaking kids to become better English speakers. And not just speaking Spanish to all the kids.

Here, at least, I know, 10% of the kids MUST be above the income bracket and full English speakers-- not sure if that's National or not. I think it will still be beneficial because the government has strict guidelines on what must be taught! If not, like PPs said, you can pull them out!

[SandKmommy]

Seamus is on the waiting list for ours. The cut the 3yr old program a couple years back and only take 4-5yr olds (unless the don't have enough then they'll go with 3yr olds) and the recommend it here especially if you can't afford preschool (300-600/mo for preschool for 1 child I think not!). Ours is pretty good theres 3 of them in our county(possibly 4, I think theres one at the College also). We'll see, as of right now I was told he wont be getting in till October so he will be 4yrs 3mo old then. But he's also going to an evaluation on Friday to see how his delays are and if he has any that qualify him for the public school as they have a preschool for children with delays/learning issues.

[A*LOT*OF*HOPE]

This is just my opinion, and what we hope to do for our kids, it won't work for everybody though..........We are putting our children in a bi lingual school!!! The way I see it is that spanish speaking people are always going to be around, lots of them will never learn english. Theres a chance one of your kids will have a friend in school whos parents only speak spanish. There are many jobs I couldn't get because I can not speak spanish. I want my kids to have every advantage and if speaking spanish will help that than I am all for it!!

So I guess what I am saying is that I think headstart is a good idea and if they learn some spanish while there than bonus!!! I would get concerned though if it seemed like they only learned spanish.

[JediRach]

I think its good for kids to be around kids who speak a different language. Their brains can retain more at that age.

[Mars]

[SandKmommy]

I didn't answer the question fully cause there isn't a large Spanish speaking population up here I dont think ours teaches it (not sure though). But my first year of school (and preschool before) was in California and half our day was done in English the other in Spanish, and I was learning it just fine (granted I was 5 so a little older) but learning another language is easier to do at a younger age then older, our brains can retain it better and our tongues can form the words easier. By, age 10 I think, our tongues will be too used to speaking English if we've never learned anything else that it becomes harder to properly talk in other languages, one of the reasons (from what I've been told) that Europe teaches 2nd (and 3rd) languages so young and how most of them know more then one as adults.

[szczepanski]

Originally Posted by Morgs

This is just my opinion, and what we hope to do for our kids, it won't work for everybody though..........We are putting our children in a bi lingual school!!! The way I see it is that spanish speaking people are always going to be around, lots of them will never learn english. Theres a chance one of your kids will have a friend in school whos parents only speak spanish. There are many jobs I couldn't get because I can not speak spanish. I want my kids to have every advantage and if speaking spanish will help that than I am all for it!!

So I guess what I am saying is that I think headstart is a good idea and if they learn some spanish while there than bonus!!! I would get concerned though if it seemed like they only learned spanish.

I second this!!! In the South (where I am from), you can make almost TWICE as much if you are bilingual in Spanish. A friend of mine is a nurse and while in nursing school took Spanish, can speak it fluently and makes almost twice what the other nurses make because she can understand what 3/4 of the ER patients are saying. I don't think knowing a 2nd language, especially one as widespread as Spanish, is a disadvantage at all!

[freesiangel]

I think it's a good idea even if they don't teach all that much to your kids - at least they'll get some good social interaction with other children. If you find they aren't being taught to your liking, you can always fill in the gaps at home. If my kids go to preschool they'll have to go to headstart, we'd never pay $300-600 a month.

[Chelnae6]

Living in an area where headstart is popular I'd say to try it out. I dont think head start programs teach spanish under their curriculum as a standard class that all must take. Not to my knowledge anyway. I had a niece and a nephew that both attended headstart when they were younger.

Its great to learn a second language and everything esp for the future but those courses are being taught all throughout grade school as options for your child.

I agree with Lauren, social interaction is most important b/c honestly, kids learn A LOT of what they know from being around other kids.