private preschool compared to DCPS PK3-PK4?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have personal experience with both private preschool and DCPS PK3 or PK4? In your experience, what have the main differences been? Names of the preschool or school would be helpful, but I understand that some parents prefer not to say.

[Anonymous]

I've done both. I prefer my PK4 at a JKLM. They seem to be learning more math and they get chances to show how responsible they can be, like walking the attendance sheet to the office, that they don't do in our preschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've done both. I prefer my PK4 at a JKLM. They seem to be learning more math and they get chances to show how responsible they can be, like walking the attendance sheet to the office, that they don't do in our preschool.

And we stayed with private preschool in CCDC instead of accepting a spot at Murch because we wanted our 4 year old to have another year of primarily play with no academics. A major difference between most private *preschools* (not daycares with some curriculum ) and dcps is that the preschools don't have m-f, all day long attendance, 9-3ish. For example, DS went 9:30 to 1 four days a week in preK

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've done both. I prefer my PK4 at a JKLM. They seem to be learning more math and they get chances to show how responsible they can be, like walking the attendance sheet to the office, that they don't do in our preschool.

And we stayed with private preschool in CCDC instead of accepting a spot at Murch because we wanted our 4 year old to have another year of primarily play with no academics. A major difference between most private *preschools* (not daycares with some curriculum ) and dcps is that the preschools don't have m-f, all day long attendance, 9-3ish. For example, DS went 9:30 to 1 four days a week in preK

Do you plan to send him to Murch next year? I thought PK was unnecessary and that they were pushing kids too far, UNTIL i saw how much is expected of them in K. My child would have been way behind had he not had some academics at Murch last year. I will grant you I still think it's BS to push our kids so hard in P-K and K but it's the way it is now.

[Anonymous]

My son did a PK year at St. Columba's since he did not get a spot at Janney. They definitely worked there to be sure that the kids were prepared to enter K - writing and early reading and math skills were practiced and developed. I would certainly check that whatever Private PK program you are in does this - because there is a lot expected of them when they enter K - and I think a 100% play based program would leave them feeling a bit overwhelmed at the start of K.

[Anonymous]

coming from a 'fancy' private preschool, we were definitely not as academically prepared for K as some of his classmates that did either pre-k at Janney or even Montessori (all of our Montessori friends kids were reading, math, etc BEFORE K). That said, my son thrived at the private preschool for 3 years. They got him and he got comfortable in a school-like environment. He was happy as all get out and we really came away from it understanding his learning style. I don't know if the pre-k at Janney would've given him enough outdoor time, etc. because we never made it off of the waitlist but he would've been more prepared for the academic component.

[Anonymous]

We were in Huckleberry Cheesecake's preschool program for almost a year before starting public school. They use the Creative Curriculum, which is play-based. DD is now in DCPS for PK4 in a school that also uses the Creative Curriculum.

If anything, I think that she is getting more out of her DCPS because it IS a "real school" with resources that are different than a private daycare/preschool can provide. The school has full time specials teachers, so she's getting art, music, gym, library or Spanish every day. In her private program, they did some of those things, but did not have the resources that an actual school would have.

The main difference is that she's the youngest instead of the oldest. This has its positives - she learns well from older children and interacts with them sometimes during aftercare. I was worried at first that she'd get lost in the shuffle, but that hasn't proven to be the case.

That said, I think it really depends on the school. What program you're coming from, what program you're coming to. We are fortunate to basically be using the same curriculum in a different environment, which was helpful.

[Anonymous]

Coming from a Montessori school to a JKLM pre-K, the class is way behind what my son was learning. Surprised how play-based it is. My son complains of being bored and I wish we would have stayed at private Montessori until K

[Anonymous]

My son was in private for the 3 year old year and now is in public preK-4.

It's a completely different environment for him; the preK 4 is full day, 5 days per week, with aftercare. The private preschool was a half day for three days per week. I viewed the private as "practice school" for him before he was eligible for DCPS. I don't have any experience with 3 yo preschool in DCPS.

I think for us the main differences have more to do with the maturation of our child than the public/private split. I was very happy with the preschool; I continue to be happy with the DCPS. Also, DCPS is free.

[Anonymous]

I had two children at two different private PS3 programs (both play-based); one child went on to private PK4 and one child to public PK4. Compared to the three private programs we've experienced, the public program has more teacher-directed activities, less outdoor time, more explicit academics, and less communication with parents.

Happily, the child in the public program likes the explicit academics, but it is quite different from the private programs.

[Anonymous]

This question is too vague. Totally depends on both the private daycare and the public PK. Neither are uniform categories of quality. Very few people have enough kids or experience to give any assessment that doesn't grossly suffer from insufficient sample size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a Montessori school to a JKLM pre-K, the class is way behind what my son was learning. Surprised how play-based it is. My son complains of being bored and I wish we would have stayed at private Montessori until K

+1. Same experience here. My son is really bored at his JKLM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a Montessori school to a JKLM pre-K, the class is way behind what my son was learning. Surprised how play-based it is. My son complains of being bored and I wish we would have stayed at private Montessori until K

+1. Same experience here. My son is really bored at his JKLM.

If your son is bored at JKLM PK4, why do you think that would dramatically change at K. Give the slot to someone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coming from a Montessori school to a JKLM pre-K, the class is way behind what my son was learning. Surprised how play-based it is. My son complains of being bored and I wish we would have stayed at private Montessori until K

+1. Same experience here. My son is really bored at his JKLM.

If your son is bored at JKLM PK4, why do you think that would dramatically change at K. Give the slot to someone else.

No problem. Just post your address and I'll send the bill for private school to your house.

[Anonymous]

^^PP, will you consider moving to a different public school district? or are you planning on private later?