How many days for pre-K

[niccig]

If we stay at are current preschool for pre-K, we have to decide how many days to send DS. He currently goes MWF 9-4. We increased him this year to the longer day as he wanted to be at school more to play. I talked to the pre-K teacher and in her opinion she would say 3-5 days a week. So we can keep our current schedule. But I do worry about the transition to 5 days a week K. If we do K at the local public school, it sounds pretty intense for 5/6 year olds. A friend has her daughter there and she volunteers. She says it's 1/2 day K with only a 10 min recess and there's a lot of sit down work. Her daughter did K at a preschool that only has a 5x 1/2 day pre-K and in her opinion it really helped to get her DD ready for school.

So, thoughts on pre-K days/times?

[JBaxter]

Nathan does 5 mornings 830-1130 this year. Next year will be full day kindergarten

[ladysoapmaker]

DS1&2 and DD1 have gone to the same pre-school program at our local school system. it's a 4 to 5 day a week session 1/2 days (every other Friday off so teachers can home visit the IEP kids) DS1 was in 1/2 day Kindergarten did fine. DS2 ended up in full day kindergarten due to change in curriculum. He handled it just fine. DD1 is actually in a newer pre-kindergarten class they just started them this year. She will be starting kindergarten next year and was really frustrated she couldn't start this year (Nov. birthday) but the new class with only 4 & 5 year olds seems to be doing her some good.

I wouldn't worry too much unless you don't think he will be able to handle kindergarten at all because he has a later birthday or a lower maturity level.

[mom2binsd]

My DD went from only 3 days of afternoon preschool to 5 full day K this year, no difficulty at all with the transition, even with having to get up at 7am every day (which she had never done in her life)- I think kids adjust a lot easier than we think they will!

[emily_gracesmama]

We're doing the five half days, 8:30ish to 12:30. Our school said their pre-k program is structured as a five day so she'd miss some stuff if she went less, honestly don't know how much of that I believe, but I do want her to get used to the five day schedule and she's going 3 now. Our kindergarten program will be five half days as well.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I liked the 5 day schedule. He did 4 full days and one half day. Some people used it as pre-k (it was a private school) but I used it as k. I loved it. That one half day was really nice so we could still go to classes, the museums...

Beth

[kedss]

this year is his second year of Pre-K, he did 3 days last year, from the age 3.5+ to 4.5, he is doing 5 days this year, from 9-1:30, because he stays for afterschool,'eats' lunch with his friends then plays. I'm hoping it will be enough for him to be good for Kindergarten this Fall, he will have to get up earlier, and his kindergarten will go til 3:30.

[maestramommy]

I would say it depends on what K is like. Our K is 5 1/2 days, but each day is only 2.75 hours long! So it's the same length as preschool/preK if you send them to the district program. Most of the private preKs run 3 hours, 4 days a week. For us it'll probably be decided according to what we think Dora can handle as well as logistics (again!).