Did you send your child straight to kindergarten? Meaning no preschool or headstart?

Question

Just curious to see how many of you out there decided not to send your child to preschool and why? I am a stay at home Mom to a three year old. I have been considering having him go to Head Start when he is 4. Honestly, I am reluctant to because he is an extremely sociable, well adapted child- but I know it is important for them to learn how to behave around others. Please share your experiences with me. Thanks.

Answer 1

We put our oldest in a 3 day a week half day preschool class. He had MOST of the skills he needed to start kindergarten and knew most of the concepts that he needed to, but we thought it would be helpful for him to learn how to handle a classroom setting. He had been in day care (before I came into his life), but it wasn't really the same. I'm glad we did.. I really think it helped him.

Check with your local elementary school that you will be sending him to and they should be able to give you a list of the skills and concepts he will need to have before starting kindergarten. I was quite surprised at the list I was given, but we were well on our way.

My advice would be that it won't hurt anything to at least try it.

Answer 2

It's great that you son is sociable. Preschool isn't only for your son. It's also for you. This gives you a chance to bond with your child in a different way. It's an amazing experience. It also gives your son something to be proud of. He will feel so good inside when he goes to preschool and comes home with something that he made. Preschool taught my children so many things. I have had 2 that have gone to preschool. Not only do they teach the basics, but they also taught beginning math skills, and beginning reading. Above all, my children learned how to be away from mommy. I am also a stay at home mom. My children are sociable, but get them away from family and friends, and they can be completely different people. Preschool prepares children for kindergarten. Kindergarten can be overwhelming to a child who has never attended some sort of schooling beforehand. Preschool teaches children how to play together and build healthy relationships with their peers. I hope you will send your child to head start. It's a wonderful program. My older two daughters attended preschool for 2 years prior to kindergarten. My third daughter will do the same when she is old enough to attend. It provides an amazing experience for you child, plus you get a break for a few hours a week.

Answer 3

My son just turned 5, he will go to kindergarten in the fall. He had one year of preschool and it was wonderful for him. I am also a stay at home mom but have two other children, 3 & 1 so he didn't have my undivided attention. He never wanted to sit down and try to learn his letters or anything either. He went to preschool 2 days a week for only 2 hours at a time. He now knows all of his letters and numbers, can write his name and recognizes a lot of different words. The socialization was great, he loved it. My other son who is 3 will go to preschool in the fall, he'll have 2 years of preschool before kindergarten. He misses his brother when he's gone so I think it will be good for him, he's vey excited. I think it's good for kids to be with others their age and get used to a school type environment before they are thrown onto kindergarten. I don't know how they do it where you are, but our school system is all day every day kindergarten. That will take some getting used to, even after a years of preschool. Good luck with your little guy!

Answer 4

I have a 2YO and a 4YO. I started leaving my oldest at short MDO programs during my OB visits while pregnant with my second, and I started her in preschool at age 3. The second child also started preschool this year. I think it's necessary for their social and spiritual development, even though they get plenty of academic development at home. They are learning to be independent and respect authority other than mine. I've heard from many mothers that did not take their kids to some sort of program before starting kindergarten that their child had major adjustments to make to going to school that their classmates did not. I feel it is best for my kids. I was really worried when I first started looking at schools. In my area, they all seemed very pretentious and expensive, and I was worried about overstimulating them. Plus many of them run on the school day schedule (which seems long for this age) and absolutely require potty training with no exceptions by a certain age. And I wanted one that would take both my kids, and some only start at age 3. I must have investigated 30 schools before I found out about a church-run preschool LESS THAN A BLOCK away from me from a neighbor. It's only part-time two days a week, and I think it's stimulating enough without being unreasonable, and didn't have all the rules about potty training and such. And the bonus benefit is that you can do those errands and tending to other kids and such more effectively while your child is at preschool. And learn to become independent yourself! ;) Good luck. You will know what is best for your child.

Answer 5

I sent my child directly to kindergarten- however- the difference is not how they interact socially (which they can gain from using a babysitter - to ease separation anxiety and playgroups for social behavior) what children gain in preschool that gives them a leg up in kindergarten is colors, shapes, letters, sounds of letters. If you child is home- but watching TV or playing in their room or play room (which is true of many busy moms...including myself sometimes) then yes- send him to preschool. If you are patient and willing, go to Wal-mart and buy the preschool workbooks and tools and take 15-20 minutes a day to teach your child. Chances are they'll get more from the 1 on 1 activities- as well as a positive learning experience and time with you. Good luck. Whatever you choose, the fact that your asking shows that you care about your child's fundamental education and that is great!

Answer 6

I went straight to Kindergarten. It was fine for me, not as though I paniced. I was an extremely sociable child lol. The only thing offered in Alaska at the time was pre-school and well...I was already ahead of the learning curve without it so there was no reason for my parents to send me.

I wouldn't mind putting my child in a Head Start course. I think it's actually quite well if they parents work, even if the parents don't...sometimes they learn more in a setting like that.

Answer 7

My daughter had a blast in preschool. Being social with your caretakers is great, but that's different from having to play nicely with other 4 year olds, and taking instruction from a teacher is much different than from grandma or mom. So she learned a lot, and was more than ready for kindergarten.

I personally was not able to stay home and provide the kind of stimulus the preschool provided, so it was more of a requirement than a choice for us, but I found a really wonderful school and it was a great experience for us.

Answer 8

Is your child sociable with children or adults? Because it is two different things. Many parents believe that because their children are around adults that they are being socialized but that is not the case. Preschool helps children learn their basic skills and how to interact with other children in a school situation. Often children go to school and they are used to being the center of attention at home so going to school leads to many problems including bullying and shyness. Social problems at school takes away from valuable learning time. It has been proven over and over that preschool is beneficial to children. Would you rather have a well adjusted successful child - or one that is still living in the house at 40? Trust me I know, I am an educator.

Answer 9

As a former kindergarten teacher (still teaching just not kinder) , it was easy for me to pick out the children that had gone to pre-school. They knew basics, like sitting, standing in line, raising their hands, waiting their turn. They also knew how to solve issues with other kids their age, and had a "head start" on most of the curriculum.

I stayed home with mine until they were 2 1/2 & 3 1/2, but put them in preschool because I already knew they needed the exposure to other children in a school type setting. I would recommend it. Also, they'll get less illnesses when they start kinder (according to my Pedi's chart) because they'll be exposed this year.

Just one more thing....There are many children that get held back in K or first grade because they are not prepared socially. I'm not saying this is the case with yours, but did want to point it out. Good luck on your decision.

By the way, kinder today is not the kinder of yesterday. Children learn in kinder, now, the things we learned at the end of first grade.

Answer 10

Preschool was not an option for me. Head Start had strict income guideline and we made to much money. Basically, if you got anything more a month then a welfare payment, your child could not attend.There is not preschools in my area only daycare centers. The daycare centers did not offer anything educational, they just offered to feed and keep your child safe. I made sure that my son was well socialized with friends and family. I also took a lot of time myself to get him ready for kinder garden.