Considering skipping preschool altogether

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would try to send her. Preschool nowadays is what kindergarten used to be, and kindergarten nowadays is what first grade used to be.

A good preschool program would be a better introduction to school for her than kindergarten.

I disagree. I spent almost $15k/yr on part time preschool at a private k-12. She socialized. The next year I spent about $2,500 on a part time church preschool program. She socialized. When quarantine hit I bought some homeschooling material and the 4 weeks to read program. Now both my 4.5 and 2.5 yo are reading, writing and doing some math.The older one could easily test right in to first grade and the younger into K, but that was all me. I put in minimal effort and I'm very confident they are both way ahead of the curve. Have you looked up the requirements for early entry into K? They set the bar low, in my opinion.

What are you using to teach math?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would try to send her. Preschool nowadays is what kindergarten used to be, and kindergarten nowadays is what first grade used to be.

A good preschool program would be a better introduction to school for her than kindergarten.

I disagree. I spent almost $15k/yr on part time preschool at a private k-12. She socialized. The next year I spent about $2,500 on a part time church preschool program. She socialized. When quarantine hit I bought some homeschooling material and the 4 weeks to read program. Now both my 4.5 and 2.5 yo are reading, writing and doing some math.The older one could easily test right in to first grade and the younger into K, but that was all me. I put in minimal effort and I'm very confident they are both way ahead of the curve. Have you looked up the requirements for early entry into K? They set the bar low, in my opinion.

I taught my kids to read at 4. Preschool taught them to play with others in a small and large group, how to work together, how to resolve differences, etc. Kindergarten doesn't teach this anymore.

Many local preschools will be 5 day this fall. I would try to send a 4 year old, if we could afford it.

[Anonymous]

Having a nanny doesn’t mean she won’t interact with other kids for a whole year; it just means she won’t interact unless it is truly safe. If the case rate in your area drops, nanny can bring her to drop-off classes. Otherwise, you can ask the nanny to see if there’s a family that it might be safe to do some play dates with. You might also consider going back to a nanny share if you can find a family who has a similar philosophy on risk-aversion.

[Anonymous]

We're debating this same issue, except our DD went to preschool (Prek-3) last year at the same school. Classes are small (12 kids or smaller), dedicated bathrooms, most classrooms have dedicated entrances, and the Covid transmission rate in the neighborhood is pretty low (like 60 confirmed Covid cases). Of course the risk compared to home is exponentially larger, but the overall risk still seems ... small? We have grandparents in the area and a nanny, so DD has been basically getting tons of attention from various adults since March. It's been wonderful for her in many ways, but we also think the structure (having to be ready by a certain time every morning, having to follow directions at school, etc) and peer socialization is important and hard to replicate at home. If she did go to school, though, we fear we may need to keep our distance from grandparents, which would also be a significant loss for DD.

[Anonymous]

Lots and lots of kids are skipping preschool this year. Kindergarten next year will be a bucket of fun for the teachers.

[Anonymous]

She will be fine. Many families cannot afford preschool and are fine.

[Anonymous]

This winter will be the worst winter that the US has ever seen, so much so DH who is in healthcare is contemplating sending me and our two kids back to my home country. Keep your kid home, she’ll survive till kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

Honestly most kindergarten teachers can tell who was with a SAHM/nanny and who was in preschool, but the first grade teachers can’t. The obsession with socializing our kids with same-age peers is odd. The skills she really needs to be successful she can practice with any human and many animals: empathy, communication, respect.

[Anonymous]

Skip it. She hasn’t been to preschool before and her first experience will be her being socially distanced from her classmates, wearing and mask and not being able to hug her teachers. Get her bob books and the Preschool Math at Home book by Kate Snow if you are worried about her being behind.