Why no reading in private preschools?

[Anonymous]

I have a bone to pick. I know the research supports play-based learning in the early years, but I can't understand why none of the private DC preschools that my husband and I are considering for our son offer ANY reading programming at all (other than storytimes). I grew up in rural NC in the 80s, and remember learning letters around 3/4, words around 4, and starting to read around 5. I believe that a similar progression is currently taught in DC public schools. Why are the private preschools/kindergartens so averse to this?

We plan to switch our son to a DCPS (Mann) starting in first grade (i.e. after two or three years in private preschool), and it seems to me that the students from public kindergartens may have a leg up. My personal experience was that early readers had ENORMOUS confidence and enjoyed school, while late readers (and by this, I don't mean a specific age but rather being behind the median in their class) struggled and felt frustrated. Since a major predictor of academic success is a student's enjoyment of school, growth mindset, etc., I would suspect that the gap between early and late readers only widens over time and trickles into other subjects.

I suspect many of you will say that reading should be taught at home, but my husband and I both work until 6:30/7 and cannot depend on our Spanish nanny to teach reading fundamentals. Since this is the case, would we be better off in a DCPS kindergarten? Sorry that this rant is all over the place.

[Anonymous]

My DC went to a private preschool where they were very adamant about not teaching academics. My DC had no trouble in K, was an early reader, and is still advanced for her age.

We both work, and she attended this program full-time, so it's not like I was staying home with her and giving her reading lessons. We just read to her, had a lot of reading and writing material around, had toys with letters on them (pretty standard stuff). You'd be amazed what kids pick up. There no real need for a teacher to go over at circle time the "letter of the week."

[Anonymous]

What preschools are you taking about? My son went to a large chain daycare in Arlington that has a preschool curriculum and my son knew all of his letters and the sounds they made when he turned three. The kids that stayed there are turning 4 and can write their names and know a few sight words.

We switched to a church based full day program and many of the kids started the year not knowing letters, but now they know al the letters. Some of the kids that are 4.5 can write quite well.

[Anonymous]

We went to a preschool that had academics in their 4 year old class. They taught reading, math and handwriting. The issue is that parents insist play is best so the preschools cater to those parents. I don't get why you don't put your child at public for K if you are concerned.

As a parent, you need to read to your kids, teach them the basics and work with them.

[Anonymous]

I guess if you’ve got a Spanish nanny then the kids might not learn much English but at least they’d be learning Spanish? Being bilingual can also be an advantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC went to a private preschool where they were very adamant about not teaching academics. My DC had no trouble in K, was an early reader, and is still advanced for her age.

We both work, and she attended this program full-time, so it's not like I was staying home with her and giving her reading lessons. We just read to her, had a lot of reading and writing material around, had toys with letters on them (pretty standard stuff). You'd be amazed what kids pick up. There no real need for a teacher to go over at circle time the "letter of the week."

This is reassuring - we read to him morning and night (and always have), but unfortunately are only with him for 1-2 hours max per day on weekdays.

We're looking at preschools in NW DC west of Rock Creek Park (NCRC, Aidan, Little Folks). These schools all go through age 5, so we would plan to use these "preschools" as our "kindergarten." When asked about reading programming on my tours, the administrators stressed that the schools are purely play-based but that their children do tend to pick up reading skills. I guess it makes me insecure that perhaps these schools are leaving it to SAHPs (or parents with 9-5 jobs) to teach reading.

[Anonymous]

My younger DD leaned to read in her private pre-K. They had sight words in pre-K 3. By the end of pre-K 4, all but two kids were reading independently. Not just familiar books. My DD could read a newspaper article.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC went to a private preschool where they were very adamant about not teaching academics. My DC had no trouble in K, was an early reader, and is still advanced for her age.

We both work, and she attended this program full-time, so it's not like I was staying home with her and giving her reading lessons. We just read to her, had a lot of reading and writing material around, had toys with letters on them (pretty standard stuff). You'd be amazed what kids pick up. There no real need for a teacher to go over at circle time the "letter of the week."

This is reassuring - we read to him morning and night (and always have), but unfortunately are only with him for 1-2 hours max per day on weekdays.

We're looking at preschools in NW DC west of Rock Creek Park (NCRC, Aidan, Little Folks). These schools all go through age 5, so we would plan to use these "preschools" as our "kindergarten." When asked about reading programming on my tours, the administrators stressed that the schools are purely play-based but that their children do tend to pick up reading skills. I guess it makes me insecure that perhaps these schools are leaving it to SAHPs (or parents with 9-5 jobs) to teach reading.

Are these full-day preschools? We actually rejected one highly-recommended one in TP because it was too academic. I don't know any with full-day programs (as opposed to 9-12/1) that do zero letter/number/reading instruction. It just may look different than you are imagining. Those half-day programs do largely serve a parent group that cares less about academic instruction, though, and is looking for peer-interaction and socialization b/c the child is at home with an adult most of the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went to a preschool that had academics in their 4 year old class. They taught reading, math and handwriting. The issue is that parents insist play is best so the preschools cater to those parents. I don't get why you don't put your child at public for K if you are concerned.

As a parent, you need to read to your kids, teach them the basics and work with them.

What school was this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My younger DD leaned to read in her private pre-K. They had sight words in pre-K 3. By the end of pre-K 4, all but two kids were reading independently. Not just familiar books. My DD could read a newspaper article.

Great to hear. What school was it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC went to a private preschool where they were very adamant about not teaching academics. My DC had no trouble in K, was an early reader, and is still advanced for her age.

We both work, and she attended this program full-time, so it's not like I was staying home with her and giving her reading lessons. We just read to her, had a lot of reading and writing material around, had toys with letters on them (pretty standard stuff). You'd be amazed what kids pick up. There no real need for a teacher to go over at circle time the "letter of the week."

This is reassuring - we read to him morning and night (and always have), but unfortunately are only with him for 1-2 hours max per day on weekdays.

We're looking at preschools in NW DC west of Rock Creek Park (NCRC, Aidan, Little Folks). These schools all go through age 5, so we would plan to use these "preschools" as our "kindergarten." When asked about reading programming on my tours, the administrators stressed that the schools are purely play-based but that their children do tend to pick up reading skills. I guess it makes me insecure that perhaps these schools are leaving it to SAHPs (or parents with 9-5 jobs) to teach reading.

Are these full-day preschools? We actually rejected one highly-recommended one in TP because it was too academic. I don't know any with full-day programs (as opposed to 9-12/1) that do zero letter/number/reading instruction. It just may look different than you are imagining. Those half-day programs do largely serve a parent group that cares less about academic instruction, though, and is looking for peer-interaction and socialization b/c the child is at home with an adult most of the time.

These are all 9-12/1 preschools - it sounds like OP plans to have a nanny the remainder of the day. If the bolded is true, it would be quick a risk to leave your kid in this type of school until first grade. But that's what lots of DC upper class do - why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a bone to pick. I know the research supports play-based learning in the early years, but I can't understand why none of the private DC preschools that my husband and I are considering for our son offer ANY reading programming at all (other than storytimes). I grew up in rural NC in the 80s, and remember learning letters around 3/4, words around 4, and starting to read around 5. I believe that a similar progression is currently taught in DC public schools. Why are the private preschools/kindergartens so averse to this?

We plan to switch our son to a DCPS (Mann) starting in first grade (i.e. after two or three years in private preschool), and it seems to me that the students from public kindergartens may have a leg up. My personal experience was that early readers had ENORMOUS confidence and enjoyed school, while late readers (and by this, I don't mean a specific age but rather being behind the median in their class) struggled and felt frustrated. Since a major predictor of academic success is a student's enjoyment of school, growth mindset, etc., I would suspect that the gap between early and late readers only widens over time and trickles into other subjects.

I suspect many of you will say that reading should be taught at home, but my husband and I both work until 6:30/7 and cannot depend on our Spanish nanny to teach reading fundamentals. Since this is the case, would we be better off in a DCPS kindergarten? Sorry that this rant is all over the place.

Why are you thinking that you could send your child to 2 or 3 years of preschool and then have DS got into 1st grade? You want him to skip Kindergarten?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DC went to a private preschool where they were very adamant about not teaching academics. My DC had no trouble in K, was an early reader, and is still advanced for her age.

We both work, and she attended this program full-time, so it's not like I was staying home with her and giving her reading lessons. We just read to her, had a lot of reading and writing material around, had toys with letters on them (pretty standard stuff). You'd be amazed what kids pick up. There no real need for a teacher to go over at circle time the "letter of the week."

This is reassuring - we read to him morning and night (and always have), but unfortunately are only with him for 1-2 hours max per day on weekdays.

We're looking at preschools in NW DC west of Rock Creek Park (NCRC, Aidan, Little Folks). These schools all go through age 5, so we would plan to use these "preschools" as our "kindergarten." When asked about reading programming on my tours, the administrators stressed that the schools are purely play-based but that their children do tend to pick up reading skills. I guess it makes me insecure that perhaps these schools are leaving it to SAHPs (or parents with 9-5 jobs) to teach reading.

Are these full-day preschools? We actually rejected one highly-recommended one in TP because it was too academic. I don't know any with full-day programs (as opposed to 9-12/1) that do zero letter/number/reading instruction. It just may look different than you are imagining. Those half-day programs do largely serve a parent group that cares less about academic instruction, though, and is looking for peer-interaction and socialization b/c the child is at home with an adult most of the time.

These are all 9-12/1 preschools - it sounds like OP plans to have a nanny the remainder of the day. If the bolded is true, it would be quick a risk to leave your kid in this type of school until first grade. But that's what lots of DC upper class do - why?

Because your nanny is also reading to your child (or you are), and going to the library, other classes, etc.. I had a full time nanny. My kids went to 3-day-a-week, 4-hour preschool until kindergarten. My now-3rd grader has been reading since he was 4, and my now 1st-grader is right on target for reading. Their kindergarten sister also went to school knowing the basics and reading a little.

Kids who are at home with UMC families are not just watching tv while the nanny/mom vacuums and cooks dinner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a bone to pick. I know the research supports play-based learning in the early years, but I can't understand why none of the private DC preschools that my husband and I are considering for our son offer ANY reading programming at all (other than storytimes). I grew up in rural NC in the 80s, and remember learning letters around 3/4, words around 4, and starting to read around 5. I believe that a similar progression is currently taught in DC public schools. Why are the private preschools/kindergartens so averse to this?

We plan to switch our son to a DCPS (Mann) starting in first grade (i.e. after two or three years in private preschool), and it seems to me that the students from public kindergartens may have a leg up. My personal experience was that early readers had ENORMOUS confidence and enjoyed school, while late readers (and by this, I don't mean a specific age but rather being behind the median in their class) struggled and felt frustrated. Since a major predictor of academic success is a student's enjoyment of school, growth mindset, etc., I would suspect that the gap between early and late readers only widens over time and trickles into other subjects.

I suspect many of you will say that reading should be taught at home, but my husband and I both work until 6:30/7 and cannot depend on our Spanish nanny to teach reading fundamentals. Since this is the case, would we be better off in a DCPS kindergarten? Sorry that this rant is all over the place.

Why are you thinking that you could send your child to 2 or 3 years of preschool and then have DS got into 1st grade? You want him to skip Kindergarten?

I guess I don't know where the line is drawn between preschool and kindergarten when many of these DC "preschools" (NCRC, St. John's) appear to last until the children are 5.5/6. I assumed the kids applied to first grade upon leaving them.

[Anonymous]

We are at a center-based program with a play-based curriculum, but they definitely do pre-reading skills too. When we applied, they showed us data about how the kids perform when they leave, and most of them are above grade level, so I assume they’re doing something right.