Kindergarden in a 2-6 Preschool

I just had to go through this choice, it was so hard! Ultimately, we had to decide to send him to the elementary (charter) school. It came down to the fact that the best schools around here are really hard to get into. The K class has 60 open spots, minus the sibling preference kids. The first grade class only has as many open spots as kids move out of town or otherwise leave the school, then those spots are open to siblings first, then a lottery. With my older one in the school, my younger will have the benefit of the sibling preference, so it was really both kids' K-6 that we would be risking if we didn't transition for K. It was a hard choice, because we loved his preschool. If it weren't for the school choice issue, I would have loved to keep him at his previous school so he could have a full year in a strong leadership role in the classroom.

1st grade is going to be a big change no matter which school he attends. It's less play and more learning. If you are happy just keep him where he is. He'll make friends next year and fall into the routine quickly. Most little kids are pretty flexible.

If you love his current school, and he loves his current school, keep him there! Might make for an easier transition when the time comes, too - he can "graduate" with all of his preschool friends, rather than "leaving" them.

We have a fantastic, amazing (and expensive) Montessori school in my town. It includes a kindergarten program, and the few kids who attend do extremely well. But, it really depends on how the preschool program compares with the K program.

Here are a couple of questions you might want to ask:

How do the curricula and teaching methods differ between the two?

Is there any kind of charter or magnet school you're interested in for your son? If so, these schools usually only have a significant number of openings in kindergarten.

What are your son's learning style and personality like? Some super-active, kinesthetic little boys (girls too, of course, but this is a personality type that's more common in boys) do better with a preschool environment but a kindergarten curriculum.

How is he with major transitions? Kids who are transition-sensitive sometimes do better changing schools in kindergarten, since K teachers are especially sensitive to this.

Will all his friends be moving on to the public kindergarten?

Or, alternatively, will he have some close friends in the preschool kindergarten?

Is there any chance he'll have any special needs? If so, the public school might be better set up to accommodate them.

Is he on the young side for his year? This could be a reason to keep him in the preschool, since a few months' difference will be less significant in first grade.

Hope that helps,

Mira

If you're more comfortable leaving him there for kindy, just check with the public school where he'll be attending kindergarten and see whether his preschool's kindergarten readiness program is leaving kids prepared enough for public school. If he's at his preschool as all-day daycare, that may leave him better prepared/ready to transition to first grade than a half day public school kindy. Good luck

The transition was no problem in 1st and many felt they had a superior education. Pick the best school for your child.
Also, at our public K they were learning the alphabet until Christmas in 1st grade so our daughter was bored.

I think that they do miss something by starting K in private school and then switching. Curriculums, especially math in my district and reading to some extent, are meant to be continuous. So, 1st grade math builds on what the teacher ASSUMES the kids learned in K math. If the private school uses a different textbook/curriculum, then there may be areas where the child who transfers in has missed things, and other areas where they may sit through repeat of what they already learned.

For example, learning coins are part of the K curriculum in my son's school. In first grade, they assume kids know the coins and they jump straight into word problems using subtraction with coins in 1st grade. If a private school K didn't learn coin values, he's not going to understand why a nickel minus a penny equals 4 pennies, you are going to have to help your child catch up. This is a simple example, but you get my point I hope.

Similarly, the reading curriculum assumes that they know the sight words they learned in K, and they learn new site words in 1st. With a different reading curriculum, he might not have learned those same sight words in K and will have some holes to fill when he's reading the books.

Yes, most kids will be able to catch up, but if you know for sure that you'll be transferring your child for 1st grade and he'll need to make the transition to new friends eventually, why wait if you can avoid this?

I do know some families that choose private school because their district isn't good - but they choose it the whole way through elementary, not just for 1 year. And I know some who chose it just for K because their child had a fall birthday, the public school wouldn't let them start, but they thought their child was ready and the private school let him start K at age 4. So there are good reasons - but I don't see anything like that in your question.

find out the educational goals.. (probably common core standards)for both schools.. if they are mostly equivalent.. send him to the school he has been at...

if the public school is much more advanced.. you should probably switch him so he will not be behind.

Either way, it sounds like your son will be fine.

The only thing he will be missing out on, is starting school with his future classmates. The beginning of 1 st grade he will not already know classmates, but he will easily make friends.

Our daughter was in Kinder and first grade in the same school. Funny thing, she did not have even one classmate from her kinder class.. Long story.. But she was with the perfect teacher. The prior teachers meet with the next grade to match the students up to the best teachers for that child. .

If it really is less expensive, then leave him where he is.
But I would make sure you get ready for his first grade after school care, so that is all decided and you will not have to worry about it.

He will be fine either way. Go with your heart and brain and then no regrets!

The public schools near us are so good. The level of staff, everything is top notch.
Private schools, in my experience (while perfectly fine for preschool), don't tend to be as good for kindergarten. The preschool programs that do offer kindergarten really don't get the kids academically ready (and they pay the staff very little). If they are already at the public school, they are learning what they need to know for 1st grade. It's just way more cohesive. I'd go public school for sure.

I would look at it that a lot of kids are already making the new transition in kindergarden but 1st grade they will already know the ropes a little. If you keep your son where he is, he will be making the transition a year later. I know they are young and bounce back easily but the excitement of a new school and starting kindergarden is kinda taken away. If you really have no reason to go one way or another I think I would go ahead and transition. I've never heard of a preschool that has kindergarden but I am in a different part of the country. We had Preschool and PreK as part of our daycare but you move on from there.

My son is in First grade. There were a lot of new kids this year which surprised me. So if you keep your child at his current school chances are he will not be the only new child.

I would lean towards keeping him in the same school. I am guessing several classmates will stay and several will go to public or different private.

Another thing to ask you current preschool/kinder is if the kids repeat kindergarten at the public school or do most move on to first grade. I know of a few preschool who have a real kindergarten that is really used by the parents as transitional kindergarten (kids with Fall birthdays).

I would choose a private because of teacher to student ratio. I am happy with my public school, but that is one reason to go with a private school. The more eyes on 5 year olds the better.

My daughter did not switch from private to public but did switch schools from Kindergarten to 1st grade. I was worried it would be hard as the students had already spent time together in Kindergarten. She did have some social problems at first but eventually with the help of her teacher and some play dates was able to make the transition. Academically, she was one of the top of her classes so that didn't seem to effect her in that area.

And now that my youngest has been through this schools Kindergarten vs my older daughters Kindergarten I did notice huge differences. But either way they both adapted. I do believe my oldest daughters Kindergarten was better but I solely blame that on the teacher differences. My oldest had a much better teacher for Kindergarten.

there's not one right answer. your reasoning for keeping your child in an environment he loves, and which fits your schedule and budget, is great.
yes, the transition to 1st grade will be a challenge. just as changing schools to go to K would be a challenge if you do it this year. it won't be any harder or easier next year. just different.
transitions and challenges are not bad things.
in your situation i'd keep him in the same place, because i think kindergarten is important (for different reasons than most modern parents) and it sounds as if it has all the right stuff going for it.
but it'll be fine if you start him in PS now too.
khairete
S.

My biggest concern would be the curriculum being taught in the current school for kindy vs the new school. I would want to know if its similar or very different. My son just started kindy after being in the same preschool since he was 6 mths old. He had some bffs he had to leave and he's doing well in school after two weeks but at home he's been acting out. I do believe its been hard on him with learning to make new friends and getting use to more structure he's always been the active , I'll do my own thing type of kid and now he has to do what the teacher says. Not that he didn't have to listen In preschool he did. But he's behaving well in class. So for me I'd want to be sure academically kindy preps him for 1st so he doesn't fall behind. Our school uses Spaulding for phonograms and at kindy age they are such sponges and pick up things so quickly. That would be more important than the transition and adjusting now or later, as either way he will have adjustments. Me personally would put him in kindy now at the new school for mostly academic reasons and also because that is going to be his school going forward. the Teachers are also very attune to helping the kids adjust in kindy. Kindy is a big year and why wait ? He will make friends some take time but its all a learning curve and academically he will be more than ready for 1st grade at the same school

as far as why do parents send to private, some have no choice as the public schools are not good, some can afford it and want to give their children a better education, or for certain religious upbringing with religious private schools., teacher to student ratio is also a very important issue.. private is more of a choice that you have vs. public you really have no choice.

I don't think there is any difference per say at this level. Really, they are going to be working on the alphabet, colors, numbers, starting to read, stuff that kids learn in kindergarten is so simple. There is no need for kids to do more. They'll be bored in 1st grade if they do.

If he's happy leave him there. If he wants to start at the new school then send him there. Go visit and see how it looks. What do you think of the teachers? The principle, other staff? If it feels good then do it.

If he goes to school full day and only comes in after school your cost should drastically drop.

In Oklahoma for a kid after school they only get paid by the state $11 per day and that includes after school snacks and transporting them from school. After school care isn't much more than 3-4 hours at most so it's not full time, it's part time care.

I wonder how old your child will be when starting kinder. Will he be an early 5 or a late 5? I think that has a lot to do with it. If you think that he is a bit immature, I would consider keeping him there. If you think that he isn't, I'd consider sending him to the public school so that he gets used to the routine there in order to prepare him for first grade.

I see it says you already made a decision, but just in case you change your mind...
Personally, if my kid was super happy, why would I risk putting him somewhere where he might NOT be happy? You have no idea what teacher he will get, and in my opinion, most public schools in Los Angeles are awful. I don't know what district you are in, but we have absolutely given up on LAUSD and are now homeschooling all our kids. If you can afford private school, keep him there!
Not to mention, I totally disagree with the mom that said social circles will be formed in kindergarten. Unless there is only one kindergarten class, that is baloney. There are a ton of kids moving in and out of schools the first couple years of K and 1st grade. There isn't a lot of consistency with what kids are together in what classroom and even in the same schools. People switch in an out of private schools, magnet schools, other public schools in the same district etc. for the first couple years.
Like I said, if it was me, and my kid was in a great place where he was happy, I wouldn't consider changing anything.
And in regards to curriculum, nothing is so drastically different between private and public school that they would forever be behind at the age of 5 or 6. They are learning very basic stuff. If there is something he misses, a simple explanation at home will probably make up for it.
It's more what you do at home, than what they do at school at this age that leads to success anyway.

My son has bounced around a lot, school was the actual public school since he was 3.5. He was diagnosed with ADHD and Sensory-not at school but a Psychologist. School helped him work on self regulating issues. .. Now my son is in public school but that is only half day. so he goes to YMCA for after school care. The cost for that vs the nanny like situaions we had last year which all ending in bad ways except one... is half the price. So far this year he is having a great time. He loves Kindergarten & the YMCA for after school. Things are Rocking! (with the year we had last year ... I will take it)

My sons freind H. went to daycare from 6 weeks old until school started last week.. He is having a rough transition. He is acting out. But he was in the same place, he had no coping skills for changes. And soon he is going to be a big brother.

So it depends on how you present it to your child and how well they take changes. he could be fine, or he could have a tough transition change peroid.