Pre-School A Little Early? Yes or No?

Lots of preschools do mixed classes. So there can be a bit of overlapping but I think she will be fine.

Why the sudden change in heart? I'd want to know what made them decide to accept her. Was it low enrollment?

Anyway, lots of learning and socializing is never a bad thing. You child is smart so she will understand that her friends are older and moving up and that next year, she will get to make lots of new friends.

I would always do preschool starting at age 2. It was great!!! We have programs for 24 months and up.

All the fun stuff my kids did at preschool, I can't get over how amazing and enriching it was. They'd come home and tell me all about it, once they could talk. They LOVED it. Preschool is play. Staying at home is boring.

So they do 3 years of preschool and then grade K.
One of mine did 4 years of pre-K (3-year-old twice) due to a late birthday. Starting kindergarten at 5 was tough on my kids, so I prefer 6.

I don't see what the rush is.if she has to repeat the 3's class twice then she would be better waiting.

If she is advanced, I'd keep her home. She will be bored.Besides, there is no evidence that preschool has any advantage for anyone but the impoverished. Playgroup can give her all the social stuff she needs.

I too don't see what the rush is, but I don't believe in preschool or schooling until kids are older (6). Kids should be PLAYING. This is what all the research shows.

Edited to add: I just read your SWH and I'm not sure where it is coming from. I detected no "jealously" in any of the responses. I highly recommend that you actual do some research about the purpose of schooling. BTW, before you jump to the conclusion that I am jealous, my daughter started reading at 3. She is extremely advanced for her age, and because of this she will not be attending school. Schools don't care about education, they care about discipline.

You do realize preschool is more about social and emotional development, right? Not so much cognitive/academic.
If she enjoys playing, socializing and using her imagination then any and all preschool will be good for her, because she will have an outlet for all of that energy.
There is no "keeping up" with other kids in preschool, it's not like that. She either enjoys it or not.
I suggest you go to the library and check out some books on child development (not parenting or discipline...development.) You will learn a lot about what is considered "normal" at that age and it will help you make decisions going forward.

Why do you want to put her in now? Do you work and need her to be somewhere during the day? Does she need more interaction with peers her own age? Are you a stay at home mom who needs a break? If those are the reasons, then yes, start her now.

however, if you are starting her just because she is advanced and you think she should be in school because she's so bright, then no. I would wait until the fall. I don't think repeating the 3 year old room is that big of a deal, especially since she's only going to be in it for a few months, but it will be hard for her to watch all her friends move on when she doesn't. Even if you do though, she'll adjust quickly. My son had a couple of classmates who repeated their three year old room and they did great the second time around too.

So, give some serious thought as to why you're thinking about starting her now. As bright as she is, she needs to play and have fun, as that is how little kids learn best. School might not be right yet, but there's nothing wrong with starting her if that's what works best for you.

My 3 is in preschool, 3 days a week for 3 hours each day. He will repeat another year there because kinder won't start until age 5. My other son did two years as well as my daughter. It didn't affect them that their "friends" left each year. When they go to Kinder, it's a whole new class anyway. It's up to you. Preschool to me is a place of fun and personal, emotional growth and not about mental growth (although they do math and writing, I'm still there for the "other" stuff).

I would not do it. She will get bored.

ETA after SWH: Believe it or not, some of us have gifted kids,too. And we have raised them past three years. So while I believe you know all about child development, having studied it in a book, we might actually have some life experience that we have drawn upon to give you the benefit of advice given with some age behind it. You are not the first to assume we are jealous of your child. You would have to get in a long line. You see, a lot of mamas think their child is gifted. I don't doubt yours is gifted. But when you come down off your high horse, she will get the benefit of the tried and true.

When is her birthday? Some districts allow you to petition to enroll a child early into K.

It's hard to say if it would be better or worse for her to see her friends move on and she stays put. Is there a reason she'd repeat 3 yr old room 2x and not the 4 yr old room? There's a little girl in DD's class who started the year at 3, turned 4 in the first month or so, and will probably be back next year in the same class unless the district accepts her as an early enrollment K.

I would think about what I wanted her to get out of preschool and if the school meets that criteria. And if not, you may be going to a different school next year anyway. I wouldn't rush her into it if she's been sick and needs TLC. She needs to go when she's ready, not when there's a slot. My DD is learning a ton (yesterday they learned about whales and I walked into a recording of whale song) but it's play based. She doesn't need to sit at a desk at 4 and recite her times tables. Do you want your DD in preschool for the social interaction or just to experience something more than you have been able to offer at home? For me, it was a little of each and mostly about her being ready for a next step.

If you are simply looking for something for her to do, I'd look into a Meet Up or look around at local park and rec or library programs. My DD did a lot of that when she was a toddler and we still sometimes get out to Meet Ups. I would never have known about some of the little treasures and museums in our area if it weren't for the Meet Up.

I would wait & not have her go thru the repeat of the class. You are right about the friends moving on, & the issue of her staying behind.

Soooo, how about a few activities? If you're not needing daycare, this might be an alternative for you. Check with your local YMCA, public library, & even your school district. & since she's just recovering from major surgery, I'd keep her close to her previous schedule for a while.... a little bit more peace of mind!

Put it in persepective... pre-school is pre-school. Time to learn to socialize, learn structure and rules, learn foundation skills etc. Theres is so much for her to learn in many areas of life whether or not she is gifted. I am a Pediatric Occupational Therapist and have worked with children of all ages and needs. It is amazing to me an some of the pre-school teachers I have worked with, how some parents claim that their child needs to be challenged more, ask why their child isn't learning more academics, "why don't my kids get homework" etc. No offense, but it these same parent's whose kids can't dress themselves, snap their own pants, put their shoes on, cooperate/share with other kids, or climb playground equipment. My point is, send her to pre-school... let her have fun, meet other children and soak up everything their is to learn about life (academics and otherwise). Though I don't doubt she is bright, she could very well be an early bloomer and plateau over the coming years. My 7 year old daughter was an early walker/talker, very mature and social early on. Was even writing early... but she is in first grade now, and although she does well and is well rounded, with many friends, she is not "gifted" compared to the many other smart children out their. I always put it in perspective... there was always something that some other kid did better and that she could work on. In pre-school, kids tend to find ways to occupy themselves and learn to their level just by being given new experiences. And don't overlook all the other skills a child needs to focus on- even if they are gifted! (where I live, you can start pre-school at 2.9, but have to be 5 to start kindergarten, so fall babies often have 3 years of pre-school- my daughter had 3 years of pre-school and although she was bright- she always enjoyed it and was never bored.)

she will not notice taht she does the room twice.. in day care centers.. kids move to new rooms at various times..(all fo the 3 year olds do not turn 4 and move on the same day. they move them when they are ready or in small groups)

she will be the youngest in her class this year.. but next fall she will be one of the oldest. kids at 2 and 3 make friends with whomever is around. not a life long relationship.

she will have fun in preschool. play with other kids. have a snack. learn to line up listen and follow directions.

it is not a big deal if she goes now or not till next fall. many many kids are in full time day care from 6 weeks old.

depends on what you're enrolling her for. it won't do any major damage to repeat, but unless you're working and need her to be somewhere, why bother? at 2 and 3 they *shouldn't* be 'working' anyway, but our baby einstein society has put undue pressure on tinies to decline foreign verbs correctly far too soon. it's a pity that a 2 year old has to be gauged by keeping up or being ahead of other tiny children.
speaking of einstein, he didn't speak until he was 9. can you imagine what the modern preschool system would have done with him?
khairete
S.

She'll be with kids tht are 3? Kids her own age. So I'd let her go. It certainly won't hurt her. I get that the kids will all be a tiny bit older but not really that much. I do think if you have any reservations then put her in the 3 year old program in the fall then the pre-K program the next fall then she'll be ready to start kindergarten when she's 5.

We are in the same instance, except I work so my daughter is in a day care/preschool anyway. The school actually approached me about putting her into the preschool program shortly after she turned 2 which is with the 3 and 4 year olds because she was so far advanced.

We decided to go ahead and do it and she has been in preschool since August and will not be 3 until April. She is far ahead of the other kids in the program, the only exception being her writing skills, just because she has not quite developed that fine motor skill yet.

She has blossomed and now our worry is that she will be so far ahead of the kids when she starts school she will get bored. I am not sure what we are going to do at that point, because if she is not kept active she tends to get herself into trouble.

Personally, if it was me, I would keep her home until fall. She will be in school,for a long time. You mentioned she just had surgery so I do not see the rush.

My daughter was much like yours at that age - February birthday and all. She started at two and a half, in the fall before her third birthday, but her preschool actually had a class for kids this age so it wasn't like your situation where they're making an exception.

If she is ready to go, you know it. I think she will be happy. I would not worry too much about the idea of "she'll think she gets a second chance to do the same class" because she still will be just too young to think that way; and remember, to her (and I hope to you too) it is not a "class" in the sense of academic achievement-- preschool is for socialization and learning to get along in a group, especially between about two and four years old. She also will bounce back just fine from her friends going to another class, especially if you make the effort to have some play dates outside preschool when she starts the second year with a new group of kids.

The one thing I'd want to check into: Is this preschool...twice a week for three hours? Five days a week for five hours? "Preschools" can have vastly different schedules. I hope you're talking about something more like two to three days a week at the most, for just the morning or just the afternoon. At her age she does still need down time, even if she has given up napping, and she needs alone time when she is not in a group of other kids -- going from being at home full-time to being in a classroom of kids five days a week all day long at age three would be far too much, too fast.

Our preschool, and many others, gradually worked kids up in time. They went only one day a week for three hours the first two weeks, then two days a week for three hours, then three days, and that was the maximum for that first year. It was a good system. By the year before kindergarten my daughter went four mornings a week but not all day, every day.

I do totally get where you're coming from. My daughter also was advanced at that age and a great talker and very eager to go to "school." Just remember as she goes through preschool that she's still very young and needs the down time, and the one-on-one play dates, that preschool doesn't provide. But I would send her -- unless it's a very long schedule.

And yes, as someone else posted, I'd nicely ask the school what changed their minds about admitting her; I assume it's because a slot opened up but it would be nice to know.

My kids started a Mom's Day Out program at very early ages. My son was 18 months and my daughter at 12 months. They only went once a week. I did it for socialization and some me-time. It was a play school situation, but my son loved the 2 year old room. They had independent play, read books, art, snack, etc. At 3 years old, my son started school because he is also very bright and needed that structure. He attended twice a week for a couple hours in the morning. My daughter started at 2 years old and attended once per week. They cooked, had music, art and play time. My son was introduced to basic concepts like numbers and the alphabet as well as life skills like learning names of classmates and family members or good hand washing.
My son is now 5 and attends 3 times per week. He will go to Kindergarten in the Fall. My daughter is in the class my son had last year. I too, was worried that she would be bored because she would be doing a lot of the same things her brother did, which she learned from him, but our school has 3 years worth of themes, activities and cooking recipes and rotates them each year, so even though your daughter may have to repeat the 3 year class twice, she may not do exactly the same thing if your school rotates through different themes too. My kids love school and have done very well. They are very social and not at all anxious about being away from me or my husband. I think when they begin kindergarten, they will transition quite well. I think your daughter will too.
HTH,
A.

To be honest, at 3, I don't think your daughter will realize her friends moved up without her. She will make new friends with the new class and then move on the pre-K with them. My son did not really develop a close bond with any of his preschool friends until he was about 4 years old. I wouldn't worry too much.
Also, it's never too early to start preschool in my opinion. Both of my sons started in a preschool at 1. They have a toddler room that actualy does a curriculum. My 1 year old knows all of his letters and the sounds they all make. I think it's very beneficial to young minds to learn things early. Their little brains are like sponges now. It sounds like your daughter will do great in preschool. I say send her as soon as she is healed and ready to go. Congrats on having such a smart girl!!

Why do people feel the need to throw around silly nonsense like "Einstein didn't speak till 9". He was 3...possibly 4. Anyway! If the school feels they are able to challenge her and stimulate her emotionally as well as intellectually then go ahead and put her in. My son is the oldest in his preschool class and also the brightest. Since it is a small class, they are able to cater the assignments because he is working on kindergarten and some first grade level academic work. Social/emotionally he is on the preschool level though. My son loves school. At this age, if school is not fun, then something is wrong. As for being in the same class twice, even if she is brilliant, she wont really be bothered by it, although she may notice it of course.

Question though: Why was she evaluated by a team of neurologists?

She'll be fine. My middle kid (also with Feb birthday) started preschool the month he turned 3. I did it because he was lonely (oldest kid had just started all day K), he's very social and I knew he could handle it, and we were expecting his little brother later that month so I wanted him to have a place he could go have fun without the baby. He loved it, made friends with all ages (3 - 5), and never minded that he was there for 2.5 years. For me, preschool was never about learning letters and numbers, it was to learn how to get along with other kids. Your daughter won't be bored - they spend such a small amount of time sitting at a table doing work. I saw someone say playgroups are better, but that's pretty much what it is anyway.

Bottom line, it's preschool. If she doesn't like it, take her out of it and move on.

I don't think there's any harm in sending her now, and then sending her again for the 3 year old class in the fall. The socialization/interaction will be great for her! Do keep in mind though, that 3 year old preschool isn't really about academics, so it doesn't matter if she's "ahead" of the other kids. They aren't going to be doing serious academics. I would not worry that she'd miss her friends. While you go through your school years, your friends don't all move from class to class with you, and if she goes in the spring, and has summer vacation off, that's a long time for a 3 year old, it'll be a new routine all over again. I wouldn't weigh that in my decision.

My son was a super smart (and still is!) little one and he started preschool at age 3. He loved it. My daughter started a little before she turned 3 and she loves it. She is 3 now...she goes MWF mornings. I think your daughter will enjoy it immensely and will be fine emotionally. My daughter is in a class that is mixed ages and she is the youngest one. But she just loves the other kids even if they are 5 while she is only 3. She has a LOT of fun and never wants to leave when I come to pick her up! They have morning circle time and talk about the weather, the day of the week, etc. They sing songs. They have activities and crafts and science. They do a field trip now and then. They have lots of playground time. They have a theme each month and learn about a subject. They read books and build things. They eat their snack family style and practice serving their own food and pouring their own drink. My daughter's favorite time is when she gets to do show and tell. Your daughter will love it!

Hold off. It is pretty simple, she is going to get bored repeating 3yr old stuff, that is a recipe for trouble/trouble making.