Is PreK4 a repeat of PreK3?

[Anonymous]

My DD goes back to school this week. She will be in 5 full days of 4yo PreK. Last year she did 4 full days of 3yo PreK. They had a HUGE uptick in enrollments this year with first time preschoolers in the 4s class. I'm wondering- how much of the "material" is repeated? If your kiddo started PreK at 4, did they already know their numbers, letters, phonetics, how to write their letters etc? Or will they be doing all of that again this year?

My DD has behavioral issues (expecting an ADHD diagnoses when she is old enough) that is extremely exasperated when she's not being challenged or bored. Trying to prepare myself here if it's going to be a lot of repeat stuff from PreK3.

No judgement at all to parents who started in 3 vs 4 or even right into K. Just curious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD goes back to school this week. She will be in 5 full days of 4yo PreK. Last year she did 4 full days of 3yo PreK. They had a HUGE uptick in enrollments this year with first time preschoolers in the 4s class. I'm wondering- how much of the "material" is repeated? If your kiddo started PreK at 4, did they already know their numbers, letters, phonetics, how to write their letters etc? Or will they be doing all of that again this year?

My DD has behavioral issues (expecting an ADHD diagnoses when she is old enough) that is extremely exasperated when she's not being challenged or bored. Trying to prepare myself here if it's going to be a lot of repeat stuff from PreK3.

No judgement at all to parents who started in 3 vs 4 or even right into K. Just curious!

I'm curious too! Bump

[Anonymous]

“Education” at this age is basic letters and numbers, writing their names, learning the social rules of classrooms like sharing, standing in line, etc. There is educational material, but not in a “repeating the curriculum” way.

They will repeat a lot of stuff, because kids have to practice. That’s what they work on at this age. Even if your daughter learned 100% of “the material” last year, she will still benefit from working on these things.

Yes, they will likely read many of the same books and sing the same songs and do similar craft projects, but frankly, your kid won’t care. How many times have you read the same book to her or repeated an activity?

FWIW, my daughter (who also has ADHD and is now 12) has complained about “repeating material” since about 2nd grade (mostly math). My message to her consistently has been that if she already knows something, she can show her proficiency with practice. She says, “I’m bored!” and my point is generally that a lot of stuff in life is both boring and important. She needs to learn to manage both of those things.

[Anonymous]

It’s all daycare. They just call it PreK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s all daycare. They just call it PreK.

+1

I have worked both daycare and pre-K and this is true.

The material is repeated because that is how kids learn. They learn through repetition and practice. Even if she learned her numbers last year there are kids who are new to school this year and will need to learn those same letters and numbers.

[Anonymous]

It's very similar "academically" but content in science and social studies should be different (the body, how plants grow, community helpers), and the level of challenge should be differentiated among the students. So, one child might still be working on writing and recognizing the letter R, but another child might start working on consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words that start or end with R and thinking of words that start with R.

Also, you say your child has some behavioral issues, so it's probably a good thing to be in class with kids who are just having their first experience in a classroom and will need practice sitting on a rug, taking turns with toys, not talking when teacher is talking, what to do when frustrated, transitions, etc.

The other BIG difference is your child is a year more socially and emotionally developed. Working on staying engaged when "bored" is a skill they'll need to learn for K and up. Making and keeping friends is a skill, learning not to interrupt is a skill, being a "leader" or "mentor" to peers who need help with particular things is a skill. There might even be some of the same toys in the new classroom, but your child will now think of new ways to play, e.g. more elaborate dramatic play, more complex blocks structures, putting coloring and writing together. And in PK, play is way more important and developmentally appropriate than explicit academic instruction.

[Anonymous]

Ask the school

[Anonymous]

Depends on the school. A lot of it is repetition, but with more things added in for PreK4. DD's school added in more classroom jobs, more independence for that class.

[Anonymous]

Your kid is in full time childcare. People need, wants and use childcare at different ages and stages. I wouldn’t worry about curriculum, just that you are content and satisfied with the provider and your child’s well being. This used to all be called daycare.