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This has been one very long winter, made longer by my energetic 4 year old being stuck at home all day every day. I am now convinced of at least this benefits of preschool: playtime with peers away from home. So, now that I am seriously considering looking for a preschool for the fall, how have you all gone about finding and selecting a preschool? What do you look for in a program and staff? What is a reasonable tuition? Will someone just do all of the work for me? And who wants to entertain my son until Spring?
3.01.2010
Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe
This has been one very long winter, made longer by my energetic 4 year old being stuck at home all day every day. I am now convinced of at least this benefits of preschool: playtime with peers away from home. So, now that I am seriously considering looking for a preschool for the fall, how have you all gone about finding and selecting a preschool? What do you look for in a program and staff? What is a reasonable tuition? Will someone just do all of the work for me? And who wants to entertain my son until Spring?
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8 comments:
I'm very pro-preschool! I think my kids have benefited a lot from it, both socially and getting used to the structure of school and learning.
In MN, I took Parker to St. Anthony Community Center (on Silver Lake). We weren't in that district but for preschool you don't have to be in the district (Stacey took Peter there too). I LOVED that preschool. The teachers were awesome and Parker really loved it!
Here in UT we have a few in-home preschools in the neighborhood so Mayli attends one of those. I've also been impressed with the one she's in, although I think you have to be more careful if you go that route... making sure the teacher is teaching what a more structured "school" or community center would teach.
The community center was between $100-$130 per month (depending on if you were in the younger or older class). And the in-home ones I've come across here are around $55-$80 per month!
Good luck! And if you don't mind the drive I would put him in St. Anthony and say hi to Miss Stephanie for us! :)
I have mixed emotions about preschool. I've read tons of church articles lately about how the best place for children is home with their mom. The other downfall is the cost. We never have been able to afford it.
However, in Florida preschool is state funded for 4 year olds so my daughter had the opportunity to go for free. I opted to try it out and see how it went. She LOVES it! They do so many fun things that I never would have thought of and overall it has been a big blessing. It's just hard that they get her best hours and when she comes home she is tired. The other reason I felt ok about it was because I was worried about her going from nothing to full-day kindergarten. I feel like this has been a great buffer for us.
When I went looking for preschools the best help was advice from other moms who have gone through it before. I also toured a couple of preschools to see what would fit with my expectations. I had heard really great things about a certain preschool but when I toured it I had the worst feeling so I knew it wasn't right for us. The reason I settled on the one my daughter goes to is because they went out of their way to create special experiences for the kids.
Good luck! And we'd love to entertain your son until spring :)
I can't afford that kind of tuition, so a bunch of mother's in my neighborhood, do it out of our own homes. There are 6 of us. We do it just once a week for 2 hours. It has been so great for my 3 yr. old and I plan on doing it next year.
My son has loved his preschool experience. At three he was asking to go to school so I signed him up for a 2 morning preschool at a local Lutheran church. I was new to our area so I relied on referrals. I had heard many great things about this preschool and loved it when we toured it. It is $109/month and is well worth every penny. My son the oldest in the family and is super timid so going to school has given him a real confidence boost and has been great for his social skills. It is a developmental preschool so they do crafts, physical activity, story time, and a small lesson. One thing I really like is that they teach them simple bible stories and to be kind and loving to others. Even though we are not Lutheran I am glad that they can talk about Christ at Christmas and also at Easter. I have enrolled him there next year for the 3 morning 4yr old class. I love his teachers and I love having a few hours to spend with my baby each week! Good luck finding the right situation for you.
Jill- We still have room at ECFE in Mounds View!! I can even talk to the office to get you a form to get signed up!! I really love ECFE, Early Childhood Famliy Education. One of the things that I like so much is the diversity! The price is good too, I think $90/month.
Jill, I'm RIGHT there with you on this one. It is SO hard to know what to do. We can't afford a REAL preschool, yet I need something for him so he can transition to full day kindergarten. It is especially hard when you don't know the area, and seriously everyone here is doing something different, so there isn't even a chance of a car pool. Most preschools for 4 year olds here are 4 days too! Ahhh, it is crazy and stressful. I have no idea what I'm going to do. There is a girl in my ward who might be teaching in the fall, so I might just opt for that. The only downfall is that I wanted him to be totally out of his element.... you know how shy WIll can be and I think he needs some time away from his normal life, people he doesn't know and teachers who aren't at church as well. Who knows.... I'm just praying I make the right decision. Good luck!! and great question!
We MISS YOU GUYS!!!!
When my kids turn 3 we do preschool twice a week just the two of us in our home. We go at our own pace and have a blast doing it. My second child is turning 3 this week and we are so excited to have preschool together in the fall. My oldest turned 4 this past June so I enrolled her in a preschool that a lady does in her basement. She came highly recommended and we love her. I pay $55 a month and Mikelle has grown so much both socially and academically (for 4 year old) from when she started. She loves it and being on the more shy side it has been great to get her to come out of her bubble a little bit. Plus learn the structure of how kindergarten will be.
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