Daycare center vs. preschool - 2,5 year old entering the American System

[CFer]

Hi everyone, we're moving from Europe to the DMV area in the Summer and are looking for childcare solutions for our 2 year old (will be 2,5 in the Summer). I'm not sure whether I should go with a daycare center or with a preschool (independent of waiting lists). Can anyone please explain what makes more sense to a 2,5 yo entering the US American system? Does it make sense to look for a daycare center at this age, or is it better to aim at a preschool? Does it make any difference? I've never lived in the U.S., we are coming from a different system, hence the question. Child has been in full-time daycare center from early age, very sociable. Thank you for any input!

[Anonymous]

Really depends on your child and your needs. A day care is more likely to be full-time (e.g., 7 am to 6 pm) and year-round (i.e., no summer vacation), and is therefore really convenient to families where the parents work full-time. A preschool is more likely to have teachers who have advanced training in early childhood education and a more robust pedagogy and curriculum. Many day cares have what they call a "preschool curriculum," but after having experienced both - a highly regarded preschool and a preschool curriculum at a highly regarded day care center - I have to say that it's just not the same.

Where will you be living? School for Friends, near Dupont Circle, is a fantastic preschool, although it's pretty competitive for 2 year-olds. If you'll be in DC, note that many public schools accept 3-year-olds, and your child will be eligible to enroll in the fall of 2017.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Daycare is full time and preschool is part time, that is really the difference. Some people like to make up a difference--so watch for that.

We're in daycare and our school uses the same curriculum as my friend's daughter at her preschool, and the daily schedule is virtually the same, but we have extra play time in the morning at drop off, a nap after lunch, and extra play time after nap. I really value our school because there is an emphasis on social/emotional development in addition to "academics." Our teachers are highly experienced.

Daycares--the kind that are run at centers, I am not talking ones at home though those potentially can be good too--are much more formalized than most people understand who are not in daycare. It is preschool with extra time on each end. It is not kids running wild all day like I have heard some people say to me ignorantly--at least ours is nothing like that. That is our experience. People like to pooh pooh daycare on this forum, but I truly think their views are at times are ill-informed or based on some daycare experience of 30 years ago.

So consider your childcare needs, and I think the variables you want to consider are teacher experience and training, size of the class, and teaching philosophy--do you want play-based or Montessori etc. ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really depends on your child and your needs. A day care is more likely to be full-time (e.g., 7 am to 6 pm) and year-round (i.e., no summer vacation), and is therefore really convenient to families where the parents work full-time. A preschool is more likely to have teachers who have advanced training in early childhood education and a more robust pedagogy and curriculum. Many day cares have what they call a "preschool curriculum," but after having experienced both - a highly regarded preschool and a preschool curriculum at a highly regarded day care center - I have to say that it's just not the same.

Where will you be living? School for Friends, near Dupont Circle, is a fantastic preschool, although it's pretty competitive for 2 year-olds. If you'll be in DC, note that many public schools accept 3-year-olds, and your child will be eligible to enroll in the fall of 2017.

Good luck!

I would argue School for Friends is a daycare. It is semantics.

OP: figure out your needs and then look for a program that you like. Forget about terminology.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Daycare is full time and preschool is part time, that is really the difference. Some people like to make up a difference--so watch for that.

We're in daycare and our school uses the same curriculum as my friend's daughter at her preschool, and the daily schedule is virtually the same, but we have extra play time in the morning at drop off, a nap after lunch, and extra play time after nap. I really value our school because there is an emphasis on social/emotional development in addition to "academics." Our teachers are highly experienced.

Daycares--the kind that are run at centers, I am not talking ones at home though those potentially can be good too--are much more formalized than most people understand who are not in daycare. It is preschool with extra time on each end. It is not kids running wild all day like I have heard some people say to me ignorantly--at least ours is nothing like that. That is our experience. People like to pooh pooh daycare on this forum, but I truly think their views are at times are ill-informed or based on some daycare experience of 30 years ago.

So consider your childcare needs, and I think the variables you want to consider are teacher experience and training, size of the class, and teaching philosophy--do you want play-based or Montessori etc. ?

Our preschool is full-time.

[Anonymous]

Do you need full-time childcare or are you looking for a few hours a week of enrichment? If the former, go with daycare. If the latter, go with a preschool.

The curriculum is the same, to the extent that there is a curriculum for that age. Part-time preschools tend to have more of a philosophical brand, so if you feel strongly that you want a Montessori program or a Reggio-inspired program, you're more likely to find that with a part-time program, but there are exceptions with full-time places.

[Anonymous]

Most daycare centers have a curriculum starting at age 2. I don't know if there is much of a difference between the two.

[Anonymous]

....and the "preschool is only HALF DAY" nazis come out. Don't worry, there's no hourly limit as to what is preschool and what is not.

There's honestly not much of a difference, except that most full day preschools claim to adhere to some sort of method or curriculum. Ours is "inspired by reggio emilia" and therefore play based. My friend sends her kid to a preschool that actively "teaches" kids to read and write and sends 3 year olds home with "homework" <-- usually a worksheet on the letter they are learning that week. There's also Waldorf, Montessori, High Scope, NAEYC accredited (those are supposed to be the best but are rare and some daycare centers have accreditation).

A daycare center's "preschool room" is probably similar, you'll have to ask each daycare what the kids do and learn in the preschool rooms. As I said above, there are some area daycares that have accredited preschool programs.