[debenken]

Good morning -

I would love anyone's insight into pre-school. I know I am a little ahead of the game as our son is only 19 months, but I really don't know much about it! When do children start, is it a daycare of sorts, etc. I am a stay at home mom, but I want to make sure my kids are ready (especially from a social standpoint) when they enter school.

Thanks in advance - I appreciate any insight!
Debbie

[doggymom77]

Hi!

I am a preschool teacher and I can tell you a little bit about how early childhood ed works...

There are lots of different types of programs that you can sign your child up for. You could start him in a toddler program any day now, if you'd like! Otherwise, preschool programs usually accept children from ages 3-5.

You mentioned that you are a stay at home mom... so are you looking for a program that would be part time (2 or 3 days a week) or full time (5 days a week)? Another thing to consider is the length of time you would like him to be at the center each day. Are you looking for something like a 2 1/2 hour program or a full day program? If you're looking for something short, you may want to consider ECFE (Early childhood family education) programming. There is usually a parent component as well, so if you're open to that, ECFE might be the way to go for you. Otherwise, if you are looking for short programs, those are harder to find these days (most programs are catering to the population that needs full day care). These half-day or couple hour programs are often called "Nursery schools" (sounds outdated, I know). There's an amazing nursery school at the University of Minnesota called the Shirley G. Moore Nursery School. The staff is amazing and the program is very progressive... but there's quite a long wait, as far as I understand. Their preschool (and toddler) programs last 2 1/2 hours each day, I think.

I hope this helps at all... if you have any further questions, let me know and I'll do my best to answer! Good luck =)