When did preschools become a regular part of early childhood education? I started school in kindergarten! Are?

Answer 1

How Old Are You? no im just kidding. My Uncle went to preschool and he is 30.......he's the oldest I have to relate to after my parents because I know they didn't go.

Answer 2

I didn't send my daughter to preschool. She didn't start her formal education until kindergarten (last year), but I did teach her things at home. She was one of the top kids in her class. She still is. I did put my son in preschool this year. He wanted to go, so I let him. He's only there 3 hours a day 4 days a week. It gives him a chance to play with his friends while he learns. My daughter had more separation anxiety.
I think with so many parents having to work outside of the home, their kids need to be in daycare, so a lot of daycare facilities provide preschool. They're there anyway, they may as well learn something with that time. I'm fortunate enough to be able to stay home with my kids and work with them, but even then, some kids do better in a more structured setting and will learn more there, and lessons can be reinforced at home.

Answer 3

My first year of public school was 1st grade in Georgia in Aug. of 1970. At that time, Kindergarten was not part of the public school curriculum. I did attend Kindergarten (now called K-5) and nursery school (now called K-4) in my hometown, but it was private and optional, as all preschools were at that time. Sometime while I was in elementary school, the law changed to make Kindergarten mandatory (I finished elementary in June of 1975).

Now I teach in Texas and compulsory education begins with K-4. There is also a Head Start federally-funded public program available to 3-year-olds who are considered to be "at risk" (which usually means that the family lives below the poverty level).

Keep in mind that compulsory education laws vary from state to state, but I'm guessing that if you do your research you will find that states, on average, began requiring K-5 sometime in the early- to mid- 1970's. I don't know when K-4 began to be required, except that it was after I graduated high school in February of 1982 (yes, I graduated early).

BTW: I did not go to preschool because both parents worked or because I was "inconvenient" as other responders imply. In fact, the only time in my childhood my mom worked was when I was in elementary school. Mom worked 1/2 days as an aide at the same school so that she could be close to my brother and me yet still be home before we were dismissed and during school holidays.

I went to preschool because I had taught myself to read at the age of 3 (or so I'm told; I can't remember a time when I didn't know how to read--I can only remember back to being in nursery school at age 4, but I remember reading on my own then)and because there were no other children my age in my neighborhood. I was bored, lonely, and eager to be in a school setting like my older brothers. Preschool was a win-win situation--my precocious mind was being fed (my mom struggled through high school, my brothers were both special-ed students, and Mom had no idea what to do with a gifted child), and I got to socialize with other children. Sending me to preschool was an act of love, not selfishness.

Answer 4

I understand your frustration, I too do not feel it is in the best interests of the child to be sent away from home at such an early age. It is detrimental to the child's emotional stability. The first 6 years of a child's life is the most important. It is these years that determine how he will develop, self esteem, outlook on life, self confidence, and self image.

However, now a days people are so materialistic that they put there children 2nd on the totum pole, and the mother instead of staying home and nuturing the child goes out in the work place.

Yes it is very sad.

Answer 5

Your mom probably stayed at home. Preschools picked up as moms went to work. I'd rather have my kid in preschool than staring at the TV at Mrs. Beasley's house, sitting on her plastic covered furniture.

Answer 6

We let me say this ,I think they shouldn't go! I have two children one who went and one who didn't. I found as many parents do that we are taking the bonding time away from our kids and makeing them grow up to fast. They only get to be a kid once. Everyone of my friends started in Kin. and they are leading prof. so let the kids be kids