Preschool, Yes or No?

[ygolo]

"Necessary" is perhaps a strong word but I voted yes. I would like to send my future children to pre-school.

I think pre-school is a good place to socialize children. They have to interact with other children and also with adults that are not their parents. It is important for children to develop a degree of independence early.

Also, assuming they don't have a medical condition preventing development of an immune system. It is also a good place for kids to build up their immunity.

If a "good" pre-school can be found, it may even enhance cognitive development.

[sanveane]

Yes from me too - I was very shy, it helped a lot. I would have found it really difficult to go to school after spending those extra years at home.

At the other extreme I've seen it help my little niece to interact better with other children too. She's very tall for her age, extremely exuberant and affectionate. She had to learn how to play properly without injuring others, lol. She's in her first year of school now. No way would she have dealt with the routine of school without pre-school first. (Her development went ahead in leaps and bounds after a few months at pre-school too).

[mooky]

I say NO!

My Eldest son went to preschool. I had a Happy well behaved little boy, and a few short months later I had a child who I didn't know, and had I not know better I would have sworn had ADHD.

Mind you, I never went to preschool, and had no intention of sending my children. I gave in to pressure from the family to send him, and what I found was that, IMHO, preschool isn't socialisation, its a place where fed up mums drop of their brats for a few hours peace. Children at that age are not capable of meaningful socialisation without constant supervision and I’m afraid the preschools in my area just aren't up to watching the children, or fighting a losing battle with the parents to discipline the naughty ones.

It took me 6 months to get my son back to a boy I recognized, and even now he carries memories of having sand thrown in his eyes there, something I didn't find out about until after he'd left.

I’m sure a preschool could be a positive place, and I’m sure a lot are, but I really don't believe that they can do anything there that you cant do yrself, with out the risk of them not being correctly supervised, and like I was lied, to about what was happening when you where not there.

None of my other children have gone to preschool, and none will. My oldest daughter started full time school a few months back and she has settled in just fine, without going to preschool.

[PureWhispers]

I went to preschool and while it didn't help me in the social ineptitude department (it seems I was doomed to that from birth), it DID help me in the important aspect of learning to be away from one's parents. I'm an only child and my mom was able to stay home with me all the time back then, and I vividly remember from my first day of preschool the feeling of panic due to my mom suddenly not being there. It's the first instance of being "away from the nest" for toddlers, which, while necessary, can admittedly be accomplished in other ways than preschool.

My conclusion is a toss-up. I don't regret having been put into preschool myself, but I'm not sure now if I'd want to put any potential future children of my own into one.

[JocktheMotie]

Yes! Ironically, I was the most popular kid in the class. The teacher would have to set schedules as to which of my friends could sit next to me at lunch on a given day. Then after that, I have no idea what happened.From grade school on I just felt inherently separated from other kids. I had different interests, different abilities, and I distanced myself from them and indulged in my interests instead.

Also, I think the relation from pre-school to better academic success and positives associated with it is not that pre-school magically makes you a better student, but it show that your parents take a personal interest in your education and most likely follow it up throughout your schooling career, which does wonders. Currently, I hate how the mentality of so many parents is that their children's education is solely the responsibility of the teachers, and that they don't need to do anything.

[EcK]

All the kids were retards. I hated it.
Didn't want to draw my mom and dad and stuffs like that. So they told my parents i was probably a retard, I remember the scene, the teacher thought i wouldn't understand the euphemism or something.

Quite fun when you think they wanted to put me in a gifted class a few years later.

So, yes for ur everyday child. Not for those over 140iq (yes real iq not the american tests where I get 180 or the online tests)

and no i dont feel like discussing iq with you guys.
But if they have special classes for retards why not for the other side of the bell curve.

[Jasz]

yes, for developing social skills that cannot be learned in a home setting

[penelope]

I used to be a preschool teacher, and here are my thoughts:

Pros:
-The children learn to interact socially with other children who come from different upbringings (this is necessary... and can be good and bad, depending on how easily influenced you children are. Some of the bad kids would rub off on the good ones and problems were caused).
-The children learn how to act in a learning environment, learn how to respect their peers and teachers (well, they should anyway).
-While they may not be learning their numbers and colors and how to read (it just depends on the child and the teacher and environment), but they do learn plenty of necessary things that help them develop faster when they enter kindergarten.


Cons:
-It can be an expensive form of daycare.
-You child is likely going to get scrapes and punched, kicked, etc. It's not easily avoided. Some kids just act out.
-You can never be sure about the teacher and the classroom and the way the school is run. I worked at a Primrose school, and from what I hear in comparison to other schools, Primrose is actually really good. If I had children, I'd take them there.

If you end up dropping off your children in kindergarten without a preschool environment, it can be really shocking and is likely to cause them to act out.

When I'm a parent, I'll likely put my kids in preschool, but only maybe 2-3 times a week, purely for the socializing aspect and the pros I listed. I also wouldn't do this until they're 3-4 years old.

[Jen]

I finally voted yes because I did find a preschool for Ree that fits our needs and happens to be 2 minutes away from where we live. She had a rough first week (getting used to the structure) but is now doing great.

[01011010]

Yes.

I started school at age 3 in Japan. After we moved to the states, I was accepted to two gifted early college programs by the time I was 15. Early education never hurts.