Today I am excited to be contributing my first contributor post for Clarks Condensed! I have been friends with Katie Clark for a while and am happy to be an on-going once-a-month contributor to her blog, writing about parenting and thrifty living. Today I’m sharing a little more about my early childhood education philosophy. I don’t believe having your kid attend a traditional preschool is necessary for a child’s future success. At least not when you do some of the following preschool alternatives.
Preschools can be expensive. Very expensive if it is a private preschool or offers a full-day option. I have found most of my friends are paying anywhere between $70-$300 a month on preschool, for one child, three days a week. When you are on a tight budget or have twins (like I do), then even a $70/month (x2) payment can be hard to justify, especially when everything a child learns at preschool can be learned at home or while exploring. That’s why I want to let you know that you don’t have to pay for preschool. There are so many wonderful preschool alternatives out there than paying for a two or three day a week preschool for your child! You can easily do simple things with your child and still have them completely ready for kindergarten without shelling out more than $1000 a year.
Is Preschool Needed?
I don’t believe that our traditional preschool setting is needed for most children. Preschool is only truly beneficial to those who are considered at-risk, those who are sociology-economically disadvantaged. It’s a push to prove anything otherwise. I, myself, did not go to preschool, and I came from a low-income family (I was the youngest of nine children). And yet I managed to graduate in the top 5% of my graduating class of ~600 students. I also received several scholarships and graduated from college with a 3.6 GPA.
So, going to preschool or not going to preschool is not a huge deciding factor for future academic success for most kids. It just isn’t, despite what politicians, magazine articles, educators, and society at large want to tell you. However, it is also not harmful and many children love attending preschool and do get practice sitting and listening to an adult that is not related to them. It can indeed be beneficial, especially for those needing early intervention, but, again, it is not necessary.
But, I do believe in early childhood education – that is educating young children. And I think most of that educating can come from a great home environment, parents/caretakers who care, and from being proactive in getting out and about in your community.
What is needed during the Preschool Years?
The preschool years are a great time to explore the world, learn some life skills, and have a lot of fun. It’s about recognizing patterns, reading great books, engaging in imaginative play and creativity. Preschool years are about figuring out connections, cause and effect, and mastering those fine-motor skills and some large gross motor skills too. What is needed during the preschool years is understanding of others’ emotions of personal responsibility, of developing a curiosity and a love of learning! The preschool years are supposed to be pressure-free and fun!
So may I suggest, if you can, to skip the traditional preschool and do it yourself! You are your child’s first teacher and likely their best. They love you and look up to so much! So teach them some of what you know! For the preschool years you don’t need to be a qualified or certified teacher. You already know all your colors, shapes, numbers, words, seasons, holidays, days of the week, letters, and how to write with a pencil. You can teach your child quite a lot! And the following preschool alternatives will help: [. . .]
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What do you do with your preschooler to encourage them to learn in fun and exciting, alternative ways?
Marilyn Clark says
Katelyn, these are such great ideas! We did a pre-school co-op when my daughter was little..not free but a LOT cheaper than traditional pre-school!
Kim Brooks says
while I agree that parents are a child’s first teacher and a child can definitely get schooled academically at home and be academically prepared for the challenges of kindergarten, one thing that traditional preschool and co- ops offer that is a critical component in a preschoolers early childhood growth and development is their social growth. The opportunity to be apart from their parents even for a short time weekly on a regular basis provides them with a multitude of opportunities for language, social and emotional development with other adults as well as their peers, they are also provided ample opportunity to gain critical thinking and problem solving skills academically and socially. Preschool is not just simply a fun place to drop off your kids so they can play and do a few crafts, but it’s an opportunity for them to grow in all areas apart from their main caregivers. A place where they can have opportunities that fosters growth and development of the whole child in all areas of development.
I applaud you for what sounds like a wonderful upbringing you are providing your preschool children.
Not all parents have the time and patience to create that experience for their young child, And while preschool is not suited for every child and family, it is a wonderful stepping stone for many children that can not be simulated in its entirety at home.
I am a preschooler but also a mom and I did a lot with my own preschooler when she was little, but the opportunity for her to develop skills apart from me and learn to be able to reach out to her teachers and form social relationships outside of her family unit was a valuable part of her development. Especially when once in k-12 where there are often 25 + students per class. And children must learn how to have their voice heard, ask for help, form friendships, and problem solve social situations. While preschool is not for every child and family it can definitely be a key place to develop life skills at a young age.
Keep up the great work with you children, enjoy every moment, they grow so fast, and good luck on your journey.
Sincerely, Kim brooks.
Katelyn Fagan says
Thanks for your comment Kim! I do think many children can learn a lot from a traditional preschool, especially in the way you’ve described. It really is a “pre” school in that it gets them ready for (often) all day kindergarten, where they have to listen to someone else ALL day long, someone who isn’t their parent (who may have more patience with certain antics). And learning things like raising hands, ask for help, etc. are all valuable for school settings. I would argue that these types of “school practices” are what a lot of preschool is designed to help the kids understand. And that can be a very good thing. I guess, as I plan to homeschool, it doesn’t seem these things as important for our family.
Thankfully, my kids go to Sunday school every Sunday for two hours, with another adult, that they have to listen to, as well as are watched by others occasionally, and I take them to childare at places like the gym.
Natali McKee says
I agree that a lot of children can be taught at home, and the life skills they will learn from their parents are of more worth. On the flip side, some children do need preschool. My oldest child was painfully shy at that age and the co-op preschool helped challenge and push her past that. My kids knew their academics, but they needed a little help socially. My next child was Autistic and he had several Autistic tendencies that were worked through in his Special Ed Preschool. I was not trained like they were, and we made great strides by putting him in early so he would be caught up by the time official school had started. We wanted to close that gap and preschool absolutely helped. My 3rd child had separation anxiety and preschool was a stepping stone to Kindergarten.
I’ve since become a preschool teacher and there are aspects of preschool that help each child, but I’ve had one particular child with some type of sensory issues that really needed it. It has taken her 1 1/2 years to get her to the point where she no longer gets overwhelmed physically. She still has a long way to go. Her parents and I are worried about Kindergarten, but it would have been an absolute train wreck with school if she had skipped preschool. Anyway, I know you aren’t saying preschool is not of value.
There really is so much more to preschool than just the academics and sitting and listening to a teacher. Where I live, the kids do full day kindergarten, but only every other day. I intentionally have them go to Kindergarten on my off days so they can go to my preschool their kindergarten year. I feel that it gives them a complete education experience. Public school feels so much like listening to a teacher and work sheets. At preschool they get free play, field trips, in house visits from professionals like Veterinarians, and Dental Hygienists. They get science and see how things grow and change and they learn about the earth and the world around them, they get so many themes, like the Human Body, Transportation, Dinosaurs, Fire Safety, Insects (viewed live), ect. They get to paint and get messy and and construct with recycled material. They get to learn how to work together and problem solve as a group.
You can provide most of those opportunities, but sometimes parents get stuck and don’t have the desire to provide extra exploration. In a few years I will be done as a preschool teacher. My kids have a kidney disease and I will need to homeschool them as they will not be able to maintain attendance when they get too sick.
A great alternative to parents is to offer a trade for a local preschool teacher. I offer free preschool for a trade in services. I have 2 people that teach my kids the piano and one that teaches my daughter violin. I would be up for other trades as well. Find something you can offer and trade services. Then it is the best of both worlds, the kids get these amazing opportunities, and it is free! Co op preschool can be a great option as well, but preschool isn’t just about sitting and listening to a person talk who isn’t a family member learning basics.
Katelyn Fagan says
Thanks so much for your comment! There are definitely benefits of a preschool and alternatives.
Toni @ Debt Free Divas says
This is helpful for family’s with both parents and one who can stay home or a very capable caregiver. Personally, I feel you and I also find other less costly ways for my 3 year old to interact with other little ones: invite cousins over, park district basketball (it’s cheap and super cute), and Sunday school. Only I am with him there so we’re still dealing with separation anxiety a bit. My concern with pushing school to soon is his need to be very active right now and we have more control over that at home. There is a charter school option for me starting at age 4. So we’ll investigate that for next year. Until then, you’re right – we can handle the basics. 🙂
Tanya says
It is understandable to say that because someone didn’t have preschool and they did well academically over time, that most kids don’t need preschool. I do have to disagree with this statement. Education in 2015 is NOT the educational experience many of us adults had. Times have changed. To say we should do something “the way it’s always been done” also means that doctors should not learn more efficient and effective techniques, that safety advances and research are not needed, etc… There is a clear difference in academic readiness skills for students who attend preschool and those who don’t. There is also a very big difference for kids who attend full day versus half day kindergarten as well as a clear difference between charter versus public school programs. Complete your research before making a decision and research doesn’t mean just talking to your friends and acquaintances, as they have an opinion versus data. If someone is serious about teaching preschool skills at home or home schooling in any way, they should consider consulting their school district and state standards (yes, there are standards for preschool). http://www.naeyc.org/
Katelyn Fagan says
The problem with the “times changing” is that children have not changed. You simply cannot rush their development to meet “today’s standards” or to push them along faster than they can physically, emotionally, or cognitively develop. Kids are still kids and they still need ample time to develop and grow on their own, without the stringent academic pressures of rigid (and long) school days. That is a fact, and that is why it has often been done this way for centuries. Because it’s child development 101. I have researched this and it is one of the main reasons I am choosing to homeschool and to make it much more relaxed. I still believe most children do NOT need a, what is now considered, traditional preschool experience in order to succeed. There is NOT data out there to support that it makes a difference long-term in their academics. Yes, it helps them get used to school, but that’s about it. School and learning are two different things.