part-time preschool for September birthday: what did you do?

[Anonymous]

DD is turning 2 mid-September, and I would really like to start her in a part-time preschool program (2 days a week, 2 hours a day, that sort of thing). I am stymied by the combination of the age deadline (2 by September 1st) and the school-year format of preschools. I would be open to starting her in January if there were a program that allowed that, so if you can recommend any in the College Park area I'd love to hear it.

Of course, if I wait until the next year DD can start in a 2s program, but then (of course) she'll be 3 in two weeks. She could start in a mixed 2s/3s class if they exist, which may be what I fall back on. I SAH and plan to continue, so it wouldn't be the end of the world, but I do think she'd really benefit from a few hours a week in a structured setting without me.

So, what did others of you in this situation do? Down the line, of course, DD will be in the window to be eligible for "early" entry to kindergarten (if appropriate) but figuring out the pre-K timeline and options is giving me a headache!

[Anonymous]

I don't know how other preschools do things (and I am speaking of preschools, not daycare centers), but the one I work at will not move a 2 year old to a 3 year old class during the school year just because they had a birthday. The child must be the age of the class by the cutoff date (for example, they must be 3 by September 1 in order to be in the 3-year-old class for the school year, or 4 by September 1 in order to be in a pre-K class). This method keeps them in line with the kindergarten age cutoff.

[Anonymous]

I waited until dd was almost 3 and then put her in a combined 2/3s class. She will have had three years of school before K, which is plenty -- there was no reason for her to go to even part-time school the year she turned 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know how other preschools do things (and I am speaking of preschools, not daycare centers), but the one I work at will not move a 2 year old to a 3 year old class during the school year just because they had a birthday. The child must be the age of the class by the cutoff date (for example, they must be 3 by September 1 in order to be in the 3-year-old class for the school year, or 4 by September 1 in order to be in a pre-K class). This method keeps them in line with the kindergarten age cutoff.

Do they ever accept new kids halfway through the year? I have seen a couple of postings about spots coming open at local preschools, but I don't want to rely on that happening as a general rule if it's rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I waited until dd was almost 3 and then put her in a combined 2/3s class. She will have had three years of school before K, which is plenty -- there was no reason for her to go to even part-time school the year she turned 2.

So, you had her start K when she was about to turn 6? (No judgment, just curious about whether people take advantage of the option to "test into" -- for lack of a better phrase -- K at 4 if you have a birthday between September 1st and October 15th in most places.) I am also trying to avoid too many years of school before K.

[Anonymous]

There are a few preschools who have a young 2's class. We found one and that's what we choose to do. We started on time. They took kids up through I believe December. I didn't want to wait a year and put my 3 year old in a 2 year old class as there is a huge difference between a newly turned 2 and 3 year old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know how other preschools do things (and I am speaking of preschools, not daycare centers), but the one I work at will not move a 2 year old to a 3 year old class during the school year just because they had a birthday. The child must be the age of the class by the cutoff date (for example, they must be 3 by September 1 in order to be in the 3-year-old class for the school year, or 4 by September 1 in order to be in a pre-K class). This method keeps them in line with the kindergarten age cutoff.

Do they ever accept new kids halfway through the year? I have seen a couple of postings about spots coming open at local preschools, but I don't want to rely on that happening as a general rule if it's rare.

PP here. Absolutely, new students are accepted whenever an opening becomes available. Usually, however, we don't take anyone new after the beginning of March, because at that point there are only a few months of school left and the child wouldn't have much time to get accustomed to things before school ends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I waited until dd was almost 3 and then put her in a combined 2/3s class. She will have had three years of school before K, which is plenty -- there was no reason for her to go to even part-time school the year she turned 2.

So, you had her start K when she was about to turn 6? (No judgment, just curious about whether people take advantage of the option to "test into" -- for lack of a better phrase -- K at 4 if you have a birthday between September 1st and October 15th in most places.) I am also trying to avoid too many years of school before K.

Yes, she'll start K about a month before she turns 6. There are 4 other kids in her class with similar birthdays.

To answer your other question, though, I know Temple Sinai has a special class that starts in January for kids who turned 2 the previous fall (and so weren't eligible to start in September).