play-based/educational-based preschool

[dotcommama]

Ok - I'm looking for a pre-school for my four year old ds. I have found two in the area that look promising that I'm going to visit later this week. They both sound interesting, but are very different.

The first pre-school is play-based. The don't try to teach anything other than socialization. It sounds like mostly directed play, crafts, etc. . .

The second pre-school is more educational based - though certainly there will be play and music. Their goal is to get your child ready for Kindergarden. Get them to learn to sit calmly and listen to a story, learn their numbers and letters (which actually my ds mostly knows anyway). They go on field trips to the post office, police station, fire department, etc.

I'm torn between the two ideas. On one hand I think he's little yet and maybe all he should be doing is playing. On the other hand, he is an extremely active child and I often wonder if he's going to have a hard time in school b/c he doesn't sit still for long periods of time and such. Do you think he should learn these skills now or that they will just develop when he gets older and I shouldn't push him yet?

I do intend to send him to public kindergarden when he's of age. We specifically moved to the town we live in b/c they have a wonderful school system.

(Gee have I rambled long enough?) Anyway, I just was looking for other moms input on which type of evnironment worked best for pre-school age children.

thanks!
LMK

[peggy]

Did he visit with you? Where could you really picture him thriving?
I've picked pre-schools five times now. Each one of my children went to a different one, based mostly on their own personalities and what I believed to be their needs at the time. For one it was more academic based, for another more a social thing, etc.
Try to picture him in each of the ones you liked. Is there one that seems more "him"?
Good luck!

peggy

[dotcommama]

Thanks Peggy - I haven't visited yet. We're going to see one tomorrow and one on Wednesday. DS will definately be going with me b/c I want to see how comfortable he feels in each. I'm hoping that I'll be able to decide better between the two once I've set foot in each of them.

Wish me luck.

LMK

[peggy]

Sorry!! I read it wrong. You may be able to tell best just by watching him. Are you going to be able to be there when class is in session? I know they don't always allow that, but it'd be perfect!
Any way, I wish you luck!!

peggy

[AmyJ]

I firmly believe in play-based preschool. Preschoolers LEARN by playing! Just playing with blocks can work on science (gravity), math (mass, fractions, counting), and reading (order).

I don't believe in kindergarten prep. I think it should be saved for kindergarten. When you're 10, do you work on preparing to be 20? No, you learn as you go.

That's my personal opinion. Your values may be different. With either choice you make, I wish you the best!

[Natashka]

I agree with AmyJ wholeheartedly, yet my dd started a somewhat more academic preschool. Our choices were limited by the trasnportation issue -- we have one car and dh often leaves very early for an all-day job leaving us w/o a car. We cannot afford another car.
So I had to give up a wonderful and cheap AP preschool, an hour drive; a still inexpensive AND (a big deal for me) NAYEC-accredited preschool, still 15-20 minutes away by car, for a preschool based at our local school, which is a walking distance.

It's a state preschool and in CA they now have laws regarding curriculum and what not, it seems that the teachers lament that state of affairs but cannot do anything about it.

So far I have been going with her at all times. They are expected to sit still for a story, but one boy eg does not do it and the teachers do not aggressively enforce it on him, so to speak. The teacher expects them to obey too much, IMO - that is, it's like kindergarten prepping from day one -- whereas they told me that only in March would they start KG-prepping. It's prolly OK with us because my dd does not have a problem sitting for a story; we are getting exposure to Spanish which I think is great.

Still all of it for me is like -- OK, not too bad, and there are benefits too.

But if I had my druthers :) -- play-based would I go.

And yes, it's OK to know your numbers but it's block play which really fosters young mathematicians. In this school, there are blocks but only very limited BLOCKS of time to play with them.