How many years of pre-school would you do?

[arivecchi]

My son was born in December and he will not be able to start kindergarten until he is 5 on June 1 of that year, so he will be pushed back. If I start pre-school next fall (2009), he will be in pre-s for three years. Should I just wait until fall of 2010 so he only does 2 years of pre-s. I live in Chicago and pre-schools are fairly expensive. The cheapest one I've found is about $3,500 for 2 mornings a week (more $$$ for more days).

[niccig]

My DS is the same as yours. He has 3 years of preschool - 2 are preschool and 1 is pre-K. Price wise is about the same as yours. We started with 3 mornings a week for the first year. This year we increased it to 3 longer days, and next year will be pre-K and we don't know how long he'll go. We put him in last year as he was ready for more activities, more time with other kids rather than what we were doing which was 1 hour classes at places twice a week. I could really see how he developed in that first year. He loves school and asked to go longer days this year so he can have more time to play with his friends.

If you only want to do 2 years, could you see if there's another program like a Mother's Day out program or something through the local YMCA or church. Our community college and the next suburb's adult school have a parenting program. You do one morning a week, the parent stays the whole time but it's a little like preschool - circle time, craft, out door play.

[LarsMal]

I guess it depends on both the financial situation and whether or not he is "ready" for school. The younger they are, the more it is just an opportunity for social interactions.

DS was born in August, and we are planning on keeping him back so that he will start elem right after he turns 6, instead of right after he turns 5. Even though ALL of my friends put their kids in preschool last year, we decided to hold off a year. He will have 2 years of preschool, then a year of pre-K, so three years total. For us, and for him, I think that is plenty.

DD, OTOH, has a Dec. b-day. I do plan on starting her in a 2-day 2 1/2 yo program next year (assuming we can find another affordable school in the area we are moving to). But...boys are different than girls. I think she will be fine with it. For DS it would've been too much, too early.

GL!

[JBaxter]

Nov bday for nathan so we did 2 days, then 3 days and now 5 days ( all 3hr days)

[fivi2]

My girls are Dec also. I plan on doing at most two years of preschool and the first year (when they are 3.5) will most likely only be 2 mornings a week. I may only do one year of preschool, depending on a variety of factors!

But - we have regular playgroups and outings with groups of kids and they are in dance class (without me). We also recently started a co-op where the mommies stay the whole time, but we do "school" type activities. If that goes well, if may continue with that for one more year and then only do one yeat of real preschool.

[egoldber]

Amy has an October birthday which is after our school cutoff (September 30). But I started her in a 2 day a week program this year because *I* need the break and it's cheaper than a baby sitter. So she will end up doing 4 years of preschool.

[Octobermommy]

We are doing 3 years of preschool b/c I wanted her to be able to be around more kids her age. She goes to a school that costs about 1100 a year for 2 half days so that is doable for us. We would not have had her in for that first year (when she turned 3) if it was considerably more expensive than that.

[WatchingThemGrow]

It's tough. For DD, I want her to go 2 years. For DS (Nov b'day) I'm probably going to have to send him for 3 to keep my sanity b/c of having a 3rd DC and his b'day. I

I'd rather spend the time doing museums and zoos and classes and playgroups and the like, so I'll keep doing that route as long as I can take it.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I decided to sign ds up for preschool starting shortly before he turns 3 (Dec. b-day). He will have 3 years of preschool/ pre-k. I actually decided to sign him up for 2 morning preschool starting when he is 21m old so he will now have 4 years. I decided to do this because of mostly selfish reasons- I need a bit of a break 2 mornings a week. We'll still have time for museums, zoo, classes together and all the good stuff but he will have 2 mornings where he is hanging out with other kids and I can go to the gym. :)

Beth

[WatchingThemGrow]

but he will have 2 mornings where he is hanging out with other kids and I can go to the gym. :)

Beth

That's maybe how I should look at it. Our gym HAS decent childcare, but it probably would be more beneficial for HIM to be at preschool. Hmm.. Oh, wait. I don't really GO to our gym during the day.

[kedss]

ds is a dec. child too, we started him at a co-operative preschool 3 days at 3.5, and he's doing 5 days this year, he turns 5 this dec. he will be a few months short of 6 when he start Kindergarten next fall.

[mecawa]

My DD is a Dec. b-day and she is doing a year of preschool (2 days a week), year of prekindergarten (4 days a week), and then kindergarten (5 full days). Our cutoff here is Aug. 31st., so she started preschool when she was 3 1/2 almost 4 and will start K at 5 1/2 almost 6.

[saschalicks]

DS2 is the same and he started preschool this fall instead of day care. We are in for the 3 year plan. LOL!

[wolverine2]

Mine is an Oct. b-day and we're doing 3 years. 3 mornings a week last year, 5 mornings a week this year, and probably a full-day pre-K program next year (because that's basically the option around here). I'm so glad I sent him because he didn't have a ton of interaction with other kids, so the social piece was incredible for him, and he grew so much. If yours is already around a lot of kids in groups, it would be different.

[maestramommy]

Agree with LarsMal that it depends on your situation and your DS's readiness. Dora's bday is Oct.1, the cutoff date here is Sept. 30. So she will start K one day before she turns 6 LOL! We are enrolling her in a district preschool that is very inexpensive. She will be joining a young 3's class starting Jan. She will stay in this class and continue with K at the same school, so she will get 2.5 years of preschool. We could've waited til next fall if we wanted, but she really seems ready and needing something more than what she's getting from me.

Arwyn's bday is May 25, and we are mulling over the possibility of sending her to a church preschool that has a 2's class, next fall. If she goes, she'll have 3 years of preschool. There are many factors hinging on whether she goes, one of them being whether she will be ready. I've already checked out this school, and the 2's class is play, craft, snack, music, and more play. Only 2 days a week. And the class is very small, only 6 kids.

[arivecchi]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. My son does do different classes three days a week already, so maybe we will do that for one more year. It just seems like a lot to pay for a full-time nanny (we have #2 on the way, so we still need her full time as I work full time) and pre-school for 3 whole years. If we had a cheaper option, I might go on the 3 year plan too!

[C99]

Wow, where are you looking? DS1 and DD attended a co-operative starting at age 2 that was more like mother's day out than preschool and it was $80/month. I know of several similarly-priced programs for regular preschool on the Northside.

You can try to get into the public schools' Preschool for All program -- it is free. DD is in it now and she will be in it for 2 years until she starts K. The whole concept is that everyone does well when kids whose parents can afford private tuition send their kids in with kids who probably would not be exposed to school until kindergarten.

Also, the cut off date in Illinois is September 1st, not June 1. He'll be one of the older kids in his class, certainly, but I don't think that's really a bad thing. DS1's two good K friends have late September and early October birthdays, respectively. Even at this age, I can see the maturity difference between them and my January-birthdate DS1.

[arivecchi]

I looked at the pre-schools near us in Lincoln Park. I have not found any public school programs in my area.

[Ceepa]

I'd keep him out for another year and do enriching activities yourself. Then start him on a limited schedule for the first year, a more expanded one the second year, then Kindergarten.

[kijip]

We did 2 years of PT preschool (ages 3 and 4). He started K at barely 5. Had he been born in a month that would have meant being closer to 6 when K started, I would have done 3 years. I felt my son needed preschool time at age 3.

[C99]

I looked at the pre-schools near us in Lincoln Park. I have not found any public school programs in my area.

You must not have looked. I just found these on CPS' Web site:

Louis J. Agassiz Elementary, 2851 North Seminary Avenue, Preschool;Kindergarten;1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8

Louisa May Alcott Elementary, 2625 N. Orchard, Preschool;Kindergarten;1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8

Hans Christian Elementary, 1148 N. Honore,
Preschool;Kindergarten;1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8

Augustus H. Burley Elementary, 1630 W. Barry,
Preschool;Kindergarten;1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8

Jonathan Burr Elem, 1621 W. Wabansia

Drummond Magnet Montessori


Here's the list: http://www.csc.cps.k12.il.us/servlet/SchoolDirectory?VIEW=AREA&SELECT=6


The CPS book is going to be out soon, you can find it at your local PS or the library, and also at NPN's elementary and preschool fairs. It will tell you all the schools that have state pre-K. I believe pretty much all of them do at this point, as the preschool-for-all program is one of Blagoyevich's big initiatives.