Seeking Help from Moms of Preschoolers

how far of a drive would you consider? My son went to 4 different schools last year and none of them were over 365 for up to 4 days from 9-2. Most in Sachse or Wylie for about 180 for two days. email me directly I can refer you to a few... ____@____.com

I teach at Suncreek Children's Development Center on McDermott. My son started attending there and we were so happy with it, that I began teaching there when there was an opening. My son was very happy there and learned so much. Call and talk to Tricia, Susan or Lisa at ###-###-####. It's a 2 day program for 18 months to 2 years. The 3 year olds and older go 3 days a week.

We love The Heights Child Development Center at Renner and Central! My son attended for 2.5 years and was fully reading prior to K. My daughter just started last month (age 3)and is already coming home pointing out letters she knows and spelling some words. Plus they have FUN and small class ratios! Good luck!

I too came from out of state but I also come from a family of teachers and when my son was old enough to go to pre-school I carefully shopped around. I took questions my own parents told me to ask and finally found the school that is darn near perfect. (KIDZWORLD) It is located inside Fellowship of Frisco church (non-denominational). The address is 4659 Coit Rd, Frisco, Texas just 1 block from the Plano, Texas line., phone # ###-###-####,on Coit just north of HWY 121. They have 2 days or 3 days a week. The good thing about Kidzworld is that the days are Tue, Wed, and Thurs. I like this because with other programs there are a lot of holidays on Mondays and Fridays that you are paying for but your child is not attending. Tuition is $260.00 or less. They have a very structured learning program and I have been VERY HAPPY with all their programs. My son was able to read me his letters by 3 yrs of age and he loves the music and Spanish classes he gets each week. The teachers are very loving and positive and he can't wait to go each day. He is now in their T-K program that gets them ready for Kindergarten. But I know that he is more than ready because I had him tested and he tested out at a 1st grade level. P.S. The school is VERY clean. I'm pretty picky about the cleanliness of the rooms, bathrooms and my child when I come to pick him up.

What every you do don't send your child to Faithbridge Church off of College in Frisco. It is horrible and the director and some of the teachers are not very warm only indifferent to parents. My son was bit by another child and they did nothing because that "other child came from a divorced family". Give me a break. Many kids come from broken families. Hope this helps.
Frisco Mom of 2 kids

My daughter just started preshcool this year she is 3. She is going to Little Saints at All Saints Church at Arapaho & Hillcrest. She just LOVES it!!! Its a great school - they do lots of activities and have lots of fun while learning too. They go either 2 or 3 days a week from 930am to 230pm. My daughter goes 2 days a week and it is totally affordable. We love it!!

Hello J.,

chek out St. Paul Christian School

http://www.stpaulplano.org/stp/page.php?sec=home&pag=...
good luck! ~C.~

Check out the listing here on mamasource under preschool and look for CUMC, Christ United Methodist Church Preschool/Child Development Program and Child's Day Out. It really is an excellent school. They even offer before and after school child care from 8am-9am (then class starts at 9am) and then again for after school from 2p-3p. My sister lives in Plano and drove both my nephews to this school. My son and daughter both love this school as well.
Good Luck!

J.,
I was a director for a preschool for a short time & I just want to assure you, playing is the best way for preschoolers to learn! When they "play" in sand, they feeling how grainy it is, they are seeing that it changes form when it gets wet and they are using their creativity to form shapes. If a preschool does not have this philosophy, I wouldn't pick it. Both of my children attended First Baptist Church in Richardson, one is currently in 1st grade & is doing great. It's very affordable!

I do not personally know of any preschools in Plano but any state licensed preschool will have lots of good information on this website...http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/.

Good luck to you!

I've sent all three of my boys to the program at Plano West Senior High School. It is awesome. The program is part of the early childhood development program at the high school. The teacher, Joyce Puglia, is amazing. She has 5 high school students who work with her. The high school students are responsbile for lesson plans, etc. Joyce runs the program so that the kids are completly ready for kindergarten. Her morning class is for 3-4 year olds, and the afternoon is for 4-5 year olds. Her email addy is ____@____.com cost is $225 a month. I've referred many people and they've always LOVED it. The only down side, with some people, is that it's only 2.5 hours a day Monday thru Thursday. It isn't a mother's day out program (no lunch, nap time, etc.), only learning.

Most of the MDO programs are GREAT and geared toward learning. www.aroundtownkids.com will be helpful for you. Click on Plano at the top....then click on the purple button that says Childcare. Green buttons will appear under that. This is a great list of preschools and MDO programs...all at your fingertips. You will love this website for everything! Welcome to Plano!

I sure can understand why you are concerned about preschools! The cost of most is exorbitant. But two things I would advise:
1) Play IS children's learning. Take a look at this website to see what your little one is learning while he plays. www.geocities.com/debzangels/whatIamleaningwhenIplay.pdf -
2) You can give your little one the same learning experiences (minus the social interaction) at home. Or maybe you and a friend can work together an hour or so several days a week to do some of the activities suggested here.

By the way, I work at a private nursery school and teach two-year-olds, and I spend many hours writing lesson plans so that all the play translates into useful learning. Don't underestiimate your child's ability to learn through play!

My daughter goes to GEM Express, it's in Allen. They have a great curriculum and are very reasonably priced. My daughter goes 3 days a week 9am-2pm for $230 a month. I don't know if they have any openings.

http://www.grace-efc.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=...

The director is Diana Abbott ###-###-####

Try looking at http://coramdeoacademy.org/ I know their Carrollton campus is just minutes from the Tollway. It's on Hebron/Park. I know they started a 3-4 preschool there. I used to teach 5th grade there and will go back in a heartbeat, but now I'm a SAHM of two. I know they're cheaper then some private schools, but I don't know the exact figure. I'd pick them if I could afford a preschool for my son. I know they'd teach letters, numbers, shapes, songs, etc.

All my kids went to Prestonwood Baptist (CLC). I loved it! It was Tues Thurs and I think $250 a month maybe? Last year I decided not to teach and therefor could not afford 2 kids there. So, I looked into Plano Wests preschool. It was great too. And very inexpensive. I am going to put my baby there next year.
Good Luck, L.

Hi there....I so understand your dilemma. My daughter, prior to just starting Kindergarten, went to Collin Creek Community Church...Mother's Day out when she was young and preschool (2 days a week)...you can go as many days as you like and you get to pick the ones you want...up to all five days. She loved it there and so did I. She started when she was 2 all the way to preschool. The teachers are loving and they definitely have fun, but they learn as well. She went into preschool knowing much more than usual...and the preschool year was absolutely wonderful...much emphasis on learning and fun...got her totally ready for Kindergarten aptitude wise and socially...she is definitely ahead of the game in Kindergarten now. I would highly recommend them and would do it again...if she were not my last...she is our surprise baby at 40!! They are located at Spring Creek and Coit they also have a daycare but this is the MDO part of it....the hours are 9-2 as many days of the week as you desire....perfect 10 in my book...I paid 210.00/mo for 2 days a week....Emily hated to leave she loved it so much...good luck to you...but you will definitely not be disappointed.

I would highly recommend Preston Meadow Kids Day Out. They are located on Coit just south of Legacy in Plano. Our daughter attended from Fall of 2002 through Spring of 2006. Our son has attended since Fall of 2006. We love the teachers and staff. You can choose 2, 3, 4, or 5 days a week. It is currently $369 for 3 days per week. You can choose the days of the week that work best for you as well. The school begins introducing letters to the children in the 3 year old class and focus more on letters once they are 4. Classes are divided into young 3, middle 3, and old 3, etc. by birthdate which means that the children are very similar in skill set as their ages are very close. There is play time, learning time, Spanish class, and music class. The school has an outdoor playground as well as an indoor play village for rainy days. Enrollment begins at 1 and walking and goes through kindergarten.

Here is a link to their web site: http://www.pmlc.org/welcome.aspx

Here is a link to photos of the indoor play ground: http://www.pmlc.org/indoor_playroom.aspx

Here is a link to the curriculum: http://www.pmlc.org/curriculum.aspx

Plano ISD also has a preschool program. There are 3 schools in Plano dedicated to preschoolers. My daughter just turned 5 and started in the Barron Preschool in August. She loves it there. It is only a half day program (hers is from 8 am - 10:45 am) and cost $280 / month. They also have an afternoon class. Her class has 14 kids with 1 teacher and 2 assistants. You can check out the Plano ISD website (http://www.pisd.edu/schools/early.childhood/) for information about their age limits.

If you are on a bus route, you don't have to sit in the car pool lane (I've seen it and it looks like nightmare). The buses only have preschoolers on them and in addition to the driver, there is an assistant to keep track of the kids. We enjoy walking to the bus, it is a kind of quiet time for us.

I hope this was helpful.

Jayalashmi-

The mother's day out program at our chuch is exemplary. Not only does he learn his letters, numbers, music, etc., he is loved and nurtured. You don't have to be a member of the church (only 30% of the school are), and they treat your child as part of a family. We've tried other schools during the summer and none compare. He just talks about all he has learned and is excited every school day. They have a curriculum every week that tells the parents what they will be learning that week. You can choose a Tues/Thurs schedule or a Tues/Thurs/Fri schedule. The times are from 9-2pm. We take our son 3 days a week cause he loves it so much and it gives Grandma a break during the day. It costs $295 per month for the 3 day program. The school is called Meadows Christian Learning Center in Plano, off of Los Rios, just across from Plano East High School. It's part of Meadows Babtist Church. Hope this helps--they are highly recommended by every parent there and the KIDS too!

My boys go to Son City Preschool at Grace Community Church in Plano and we LOVE it!! The curriculum is bible based, and they learn so much. My boys (3 and 4) both go M-TH from 9-2, and its 335 a month per kid.

I would recommend Cross Bend Christian Church. They have a mother's day out program/preschool that the children do actually have academics. It is my understanding that by the time they leave the academy (4-5 yrs old) that they are actually reading and are ready for kindergarten. It is only 9 am-2 pm; however, the tuition is very affordable. Visit their site at crossbend.org for more information. My son loves it there and the teachers are there for the children. It is a great environment for the children & teachers.
V.

Look at the early childhood schools the Plano ISD runs. Once he is three years old he can attend. If you a language other than English is spoken in your home, he can go for free the year before he starts preschool.
You would have to pay tuition until then, but the program is so very good.
Look for Barron Early Childhood School (east)
Beaty Early Childhood School (west)
Pearson Early Childhood School (central)

My church has a preschool program. Not sure how much it costs. Here is the phone # and link. Good luck! -A.

###-###-#### ext. 33

http://www.celebrationcovenant.com/celebrationpreschool.asp

I would recommend Teddy Bear Junction with the Reform Church on Independence in Plano. Both of my daughters, now 6 and 10, went there and were very prepared for Kinder. We even tried another school and went back.

If you find yourself in need of transportation to/from the pre-school you choose for your son, please keep Kid Shuttle A.S.A.P. in mind. We are a door-to-door prearranged shuttle service for children in Plano.

http://KidShuttleASAP.com

My daughter goes to Bright Beginnings in Plano across from Plano Senior High and loves it. I was is the same situation trying to look for a nearby school that is affordable. They do not advertise and I am more than happy with their teachers and curriculum.

My daughter goes 3 days a week from 9:30 - 2:00 for $280.00 a month.

The director Linda is amazing. When I had asked this question no one gave me prices and that's what I needed to aid me in my search to find a school.
Please check out their website and it does have their fees listed.
Good Luck.

www.dccplano.com/pre-school.html
Linda Gulick - Director ###-###-####

My son goes to Joyful Beginnings preschool in Allen (at the First Presbyterian church). It is 2 days a week from 9AM-1PM for 2 and 3 year-olds and 3 days a week from 9AM-1PM for 4 year-olds. The price is $120 month for 2s and 3s and $180 month for 4s. I know at 2 the focus is on social skills. Not sure for 3s and 4s. My 2 year old LOVES it there.

I totally recommend April Creek Private Preschool in Allen near Alma and Hedgecoxe. They are an accredited preschool, and very good. They are an International school,and they currently have openings right now, as my daughter is attending there and this is her second year. They are NOT a Mother's day out. They are there approx. 2:40 min and do not do lunch or Nap. They do give a snack. They are just focused on the education. Try it, it will be worth it.

Hello there,

I do not have a preschool in mind. I just want to let you see another side. Kids at this age only need play. I was just like you until I moved to Denmark. In scandinavia, the children are encouraged to not do any kind of organized learning until 7. this is where they start 1st grade. The emphasis is put on play and learning social skills. And studies have shown that they are doing very well and even better than the US when it comes to education. so think more before you try to get a 3 year old into a learning institution. He will be doing this the rest of his life. what he needs now is play and socialization.

goodluck
A.

Sorry, I don't have any recommendations about a preschool. But just wanted to share my views about learning skills at this age. I'm a Montessori trained teacher & I believe that a child has maximum grasping ability when he/she is young. And the best way to get them to learn is to let them handle the materials. Children learn if they can "see" what they are learning instead of somethin abstract. Like if they see that there are 2 beads & then learn the number '2' instead of teaching them "this is number 2." You should visit a Montessori school in your area to see the difference yourself. It's not cheap but then it's a life long knowledge & there's no price tag on that.
Hope that helps!
Good luck!
P