How necessary is preschool?

[Anonymous]

My DD is 4.5 and I used to think it was unnecessary. She was home with a nanny. But now seeing the way she has blossomed it seems completely essential. I honestly feel like she would've been so behind without it. Even something as simple as learning responsibility. She has to carry a backpack back and forth to school each day.

[Anonymous]

I know several kids who did not go to preschool - and they had ROUGH transitions to K. In 2016, in the DC area, I would not send my child to K without at least one year of preschool. It makes your child an outlier, especially if they are somewhat spirited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It really depends on what kind of preschool you have access to vs. your child's home environment.

Surprised no one has already said this.

Isn't this obvious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It really depends on what kind of preschool you have access to vs. your child's home environment.

Surprised no one has already said this.

Isn't this obvious?

Not relevant at all. A home environment is not a classroom populated by, say, 15 other students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow, I did not expect so many different opinions!

The school we are looking at is 7k, 5 day a week Spanish Immersion program. It is the closest preschool to our house, which really makes our lives easier. DD already gets another language at home, but I am really interested in her learning Spanish. I'm just not sure if expensive preschool is worth it when she is already pretty far ahead.

Did this school tell you she'd "learn Spanish"?

It's immersion... so I thought that was a given?

You'd be paying 7k so a kid can count to 10 in another language?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

It really depends on what kind of preschool you have access to vs. your child's home environment.

Surprised no one has already said this.

Isn't this obvious?

Not relevant at all. A home environment is not a classroom populated by, say, 15 other students.

If it is not relevant than preschool is not necessary in my opinion. My DD got into a top tier private and I was a SAHM up until K.
No social issues or fatigue or anything else. My younger DD will attend 4K and I consider it a luxury that I take for my well being and ultimately my children's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Wow, I did not expect so many different opinions!

The school we are looking at is 7k, 5 day a week Spanish Immersion program. It is the closest preschool to our house, which really makes our lives easier. DD already gets another language at home, but I am really interested in her learning Spanish. I'm just not sure if expensive preschool is worth it when she is already pretty far ahead.

Did this school tell you she'd "learn Spanish"?

It's immersion... so I thought that was a given?

You'd be paying 7k so a kid can count to 10 in another language?

My child also attends an immersion program. They soak up a different culture and learn through that language.
It is much more than counting to 10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know several kids who did not go to preschool - and they had ROUGH transitions to K. In 2016, in the DC area, I would not send my child to K without at least one year of preschool. It makes your child an outlier, especially if they are somewhat spirited.

Couldn't agree more. I'm the previous poster who mentioned my DD learning responsibility. After I posted, I thought I should've mentioned about learning classroom norms. If your child doesn't get this in preschool, they will be a huge PITA to the teacher who has to go back and teach them basic things like standing in line, raising your hand, sitting in a circle etc. Academically you may be able to teach them things at home, but these days kids are expected to come to kindergarten ready to learn with all that basic social norm stuff taken care of.