Starting Preschool at 3 or 4? - Lake Stevens,WA

I really think the only benefit of the 3 year old program is social. If he plays well with others and has enough friends to help him learn to play with others, then its really not nessesary.

I sent my oldest at 4.

We're now 6 months in and I regret it. She's not *really* learning anything new and comes home with a snotty attitude. My younger 2 will NOT be going!

IMO there are several variables that should be considered.
Does the child have the opportunity to play with other children (not siblings) his age to develop social skills?
Does the parent/other adult work with the child to develop academically (letters, numbers, shapes, etc)?
At what age will the child be entering K?

Both my daughters started pre-school the year before they started K. My oldest was 4, my youngest was 3. This gave them a full year of pre-school before starting K. I used a different program for each child, both programs were 5 days a week for 2 1/2 hours each day.

Preschool is not and should not be playdates. A good preschool will have a structured learning program. Yes, it does include play and social interaction.

We did pre-K 3 & 4 for my oldest and my middle son will start pre-K 3 in the fall. I am a SAHM with a Master's in Education, and I do not view it as a "play date" at all. Preschool is not for kids with social issues. Instead, there are many opportunities to improve social skills that most likely cannot be learned at home (taking turns, presenting in front of a group--like show and tell, lining up, doing jobs--like line leader). There are a lot of "school" type things that they learn in preschool that will make for a smoother transition into kindergarten. Obviously, plenty of kids do just fine without preschool, but I feel there is a lot to be learned. If it's a money thing, then you have to take that into consideration.

My son will be 3 in a few weeks. He can recognize and name all upper and lower case letters, knows the sounds all letters make, can spell his name, can count 1-20 and 20-1, knows shapes, colors, and more. And, I still feel he will benefit greatly from preschool.

My only advice is to make sure it is a legitimate preschool. My son's preschool is part of a pre-K through 8 school that is very academic. There are other "preschools" in town that advertise as preschool/daycare. I did not even consider these schools.

I think the main focus on preschool is learning to share, waiting your turn, being quiet and sitting still when necessary, and following rules. It primarily isn't about learning shapes and colors etc. I do know that it is important that they practice these skills before kindergarten. My 5 year olds kindergarten teacher could tell my son didn't attend preschool and he spent alot of time in the first few weeks in the office or being disciplined because he had trouble navigating his way through kindergarten with all the excitement and new rules. The principal and teacher were very kind and were well aware that it was just an adjustment phase.
However, my 3 year old will be starting preschool a few days a week ( a few days a week) which will increase to 5 days a week when he turns 4. We have full day kindergarten here and I don't want him to be thrown into 5 full days a week in kindergarten like my older son was. So for us we will use the 2 years for a slow transition.
That said, I think it depends on your child and their temperament. My kids are very outgoing and social so that wasn't a big deal but my older one needed the practice with structure and being around kids without mom constantly over his shoulder. My 3 year old gets some interaction with other kids a few times a week in a parent/child preschool type setting we attend now but I feel he will benefit from going a few days a week now. He would love it. Plus it will be a nice break for me to do the shopping, run errands, clean house, etc.

I think 4 is fine. I started my daughter at 3 only because I wanted her to be around other kiddos and I wanted to meet more parents. We go to a co-op. We went again this year and will next also(she has a fall birthday), but that is because she loves it and I love the extra time for me. And although we do a lot of learning at home, she learns so much at preschool.
However, with that being said, if our income was tight, I wouldn't have enrolled her so early and I think 1 year of preschool is completely fine.

My daughter, started at 3, almost 4. She turned 4 years old, 2 months after starting Preschool.

My son, just started last month. He is 4.5 years old.

I went by my kids and their 'readiness.' And our budget. Alas.

My kids "Preschool" is not "daycare.' It is a school atmosphere incorporating age appropriate play AND learning. It is balanced.
And yes, Preschool is ALSO for socialization... and learning to cooperate in a group and listening to instruction, sitting at a table, etc.

My son, up until last month, I was home schooling him. I still do... being my son goes to Preschool twice a week for half-days.
He LOVES his Preschool.
I was fortunate to find one that HE loved, and was not expensive, and is a great place and they had openings. BUT, I enrolled my son, because at his age juncture and per him, "he" was ready.

MANY kids go to Preschool, and MANY do not.
My Pediatrician's Nurse, her kids did not. They did fine with transitioning to Kindergarten.
Some kids transition fine, some do not. Each kid being different.

There is no right or wrong. But what you feel your child needs or will benefit by.

I almost, since I am home schooling my son, did not send him to Preschool. But somewhere in my gut, I thought it would benefit him... AND to then help him 'transition' to Kindergarten. Which will be coming up before I know it. So I went with my gut instinct. Fortunately, I found a place we could afford and which my son liked. I took him to MANY different schools and venues and did TONS of research on Preschools.

ALSO, there are in many States, state funded Preschools. So you might look into that. It often costs less.

all the best,
Susan

I think a lot depends on your child's temperament and your situation. My oldest was much more reserved and introverted, we eased into preschool. I was a student and she went to the cdc at the college I was at so we "went to school together" which was nice. It was more for me than for her, though - I think she could have started at 4 and been fine. I do think it helps them transition to kindergarten, especially if you have full-time kindergarten.

My second and third children are much more outgoing, social and active. I can not give them the experiences they crave at home without spending a lot of extra money and getting very little of my own work done.

My second went to pre-school at 2 and she was ready! I was relived to find one that would take her so young. She still reminisces about "the best days of her life" at pre-school. She's 9 now!

My third is a two year old now who wont start until she's three... but I am counting down the days and saving my pennies. It is seriously challenging for me to keep her occupied - she needs a lot of sensory, hands on, outdoor time and hates playing by herself. One-on-one playdates are very different from groups.

I don't think a child who doesn't go to preschool will be any more challenged by the curriculum at kindergarten, but I definitely noticed the structure and group interactions were obviously a lot more challenging for the non-preschool kids.

Maybe start at 4 and do a more affordable part-time schedule? Whatever works for you...

sounds like you have decided against it and someone/thing is making you doubt yourself. it does sound like your mind is made up. especially if it's not full time, allowing you to work full time and make up the income. i think you might be right. 4 is fine. although, to be fair, it is way better than a playdate. there are tons of benefits. but i think sending him at 4 would be just fine. have fun!

Preschool is a terrific enrichment opportunity if you have a good match with parent, child, and program. It is not a requirement for healthy development, school success, or anything else.

Make sure your children have lots of opportunities for learning social skills in all sizes of groups. Isolation is not good. But preschool is not the only way to learn social skills. Connect with other parents of young children and play. Look for homeschooling families if you are having trouble finding 3-4 year olds who are not in preschool.

i started my daughter at 4. she also knew all colors/shapes/abcs/numbers, etc. preschool at 4 should teach them their basic sight words going into kindergarten, how to walk in a line, centers (which they also should learn at 3 in preschool). i started my son at 3, he didn't know as much as his sister, they taught him the letters he didn't know, the numbers, the letter sounds they had show and tell, etc. he only went half days on mon-wed-fri. the only reason i had him go at 3 is because it's a popular school and i wanted to make sure he would get in for the vpk (free voluntary pre-k) when he was 4 as it was hard to get my daughter in. if you can, and if you want, keep him home until he's 4. they just reiterate what they learn at 3 and then expound on it. but i would definitely suggest he go when 4 because i've talked to many teachers and they can say they can tell when a child doesn't go.

Amen to everything Kristen M said, and there are things they learn in a group environment that they can't learn at home. We did co-op so I could be directly involved in my kids' learning processes and for the parent education. Ask Kody too if you want more info on her preschool! We started at 3 with A, and wish we had earlier because she loved it so much! Therefore we started with O this year, at 2 years old. Co-op is also way cheaper than most preschools, and since there are parents working in the classroom, you get to see what goes on, and your kid learns from other parents and kids, it's like having 8 teachers sometimes :)

Four. If there are no social issues, wait. I started my girl early for social exposure (period). Hold on to the pennies because preschool is really about how to negociate social situations.

I wished I had waited until age 4 to put her in any program. Mops was ok and sunday school nursery, but we did it for socialization and there are some mean, violent kids out there. Plus, it adds stress, increases illness, and costs big bucks.
Don't forget to use scissors and glue too.

A daycare and a preschool are 2 different things. I had her in the top two preschools. the first one wanted to work with the violent kids and help them to the detriment of the others. The teacher was stressed and my child knew it. If your child cries after 2 weeks, I would hang around outside the door and make sure the environment is working for your child.

We decided to wait until age 4. My daughter will start pre-k in the fall, and she will actually be 4.5 when she starts. She has no social issues, does extremely well on play dates, etc. We firmly believe that waiting is the best thing if possible. If you can keep your son home with you, then you'll never regret the extra time you had with him.

Another question is if you want to do preschool at all. :)

If you are able, the best environment for your child is home with you. I think this is true for the 4 year old also. (and all the way up until they are adults.) :)