Search:     Advanced search
Browse by category:
You are here: Parenting Resources Home / Parenting / A Parent's Thoughts On Preschool


A Parent's Thoughts On Preschool
Print
Email to friend
Views: 793
A new school year is right around the corner.
Usually, I don’t pay much attention to the start of a new school year. I have friends and relatives who teach, and I listen as they describe their preparations for the coming session. Other than that, a school calendar isn’t part of my list of important things I need to remember.
Until this year. My oldest will be starting preschool in September. His preschool follows the same schedule as the local school district, so all of those important school dates will be added to my list.
My 4-year-old is ready to take on the world. He’s excited about going to school and can’t wait to meet new friends and learn new things.
Then there’s me. I can’t get over the fact that he’s old enough for a first day of school, let alone face all of the other firsts that go with that.
My husband and I debated on whether to send our son to preschool. Is it worth spending the money? Does he really need to go?
Recent studies and actions by federal and state governments support sending children to preschool. Studies have touted the benefits, and governments are providing funds to make it more accessible to families.
Follow-up results from a 20-year study of the Chicago Child-Parent Center Program, which provides comprehensive education and family support services to low-income children ages 3 to 9, show that children who go through its program have higher educational achievements and fewer felony arrests. Enrollees, who are now in their late 20s, also were more likely to graduate from high school, are less likely to describe themselves as depressed and are more likely to have health insurance. Forty-three percent of program participants also reported having full-time employment, compared to 36 percent of nonparticipants. The findings, which were released this week and will appear in this month’s issue of the Archive of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, affirm the long-term value of a public early-childhood enrichment program.
Chicago’s program has been around since 1967 and is more intense than the federally funded Head Start, which is the main federal assistance program for low-income children and families.
Chicago’s Child-Parent Centers provide education, health, job and family services throughout the school year for kids and their parents. Children are enrolled in the program when they are 3 or 4 and receive help through third grade. Parents are expected to participate in classrooms and on field trips. Teachers also have four-year college degrees with special training in early childhood education. Chicago’s program serves as a benchmark of excellence for other programs to strive toward.
Iowa’s lawmakers are paying attention. This year, they approved spending $15 million during the next fiscal year to fund high-quality preschool through school districts. Another $15 million would be added to the program over each of the next three years.
With so much public attention being devoted to early childhood education, my husband and I thought it would be in our son’s best interest to seriously consider the option. We agreed to send him if we could find a preschool that met our criteria. We wanted a school that was affordable, offered a low child-to-teacher ratio, teachers who had four-year degrees and a program that focused on social as well as academic skills. We found one that we think will fulfill our expectations, and then some.
I just hope it will meet our son’s high hopes. It won’t be long before we find out.
Parents, did you send your children to preschool or plan to send them? Why or why not?
 
Others in this Category
document Noggin: brings preschool subjects and familiar activities into the context of engaging stories and characters
document BabyZone: parenting content and tools.
document There Are No Bad Children - Tips On Discipline
document Your Child And Sleep: Helping Your Child To get Enough Sleep
document Children who Steal: Children steal for a variety of reasons. Probably as many as one in four children have deliberately stolen something at some time. So how do you stop it?
document Comprehensive programs throughout Connecticut that have been approved by the Birth to Three System to complete eligibility evaluations, and provide services and supports for families. Refer to the checklist attached to see the developmental stages for your child's first 3 years.
document ParentCenter: a Web resource for parents of children ages 2 to 8, is dedicated to helping you find the information and support you need toddler, or child.
document A Good Parent Resource
document Communicating With Your Child's Teacher
document Discipline That Works: The Ages and Stages Approach
document A CHILD BECOMES A BETTER READER Birth Through Pre-School
document The Difference Between Day Care and Preschool Parents...What Parents Should Know
document Violence and Television
document Who Needs Preschool? A Newsweek Article from 11/3/2007
document New Husky Eligibility Guidelines
document Getting Your Child Ready for Kindergarten
document Family Fun: Lollipop Mice for Valentine's Day
document Great Links for Information and Activities
document CDC Child Development Information
document Tips For Buying toys
document Where Does The Money Go?
document Seymour Child Care Resources
document Teddy Bear Day Care Has New Address!
document What Children Can't Do Yet
document You Child's First Report Card
document Play Is Important
document Play Date Rules for Dads
document Tips For Dads to Raise Resilient Kids
document Disciplining Other People's Kids
document Camping With Kids
document Preschool Gardening
document Music As A Teaching Tool
document Drawing as a Preliteracy Skill
document Preparing Your Child For Separation
document Getting Your Three Year Old To Sleep
document Reading Aloud to Your Child
document Father's Can Expand A Child's Interests
document Handling Sleepover Fears
document First Day Jitters
document Dads and Kids Watching The Stars
document Summer Science Fun in the Kitchen
document BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS
document ANSONIA SCHOOLS REGISTRATION PROCEDURES
document DADS AND MOMS DIFFER
document STARTING KINDERGARTEN TIPS
document Eating Fruits and Vegetables Important
document When Your Child Is Not In Preschool
document Teaching Kids About Child Predators
document Teaching Your Child Good Manners
document Getting Young Children to Listen
document Dealing With Children's Fears
document For Preschoolers Who Aren't in Preschool
document Holiday Stress
document DEALING WITH STRESS
document Holiday Stress and Children
document Playdate Rules for Dads
document Resources for Parents With Children with Special Needs
document Bonding With Kids...Tips for Dad
document Valentines Day...Tips To Show Your Child You Love Them
document What You Need To Know About Child Dental Health
document Building Your Child's Creativity
document Watch The Falling Spoon-why babies do this?
document Getting Ready For That First Day of School
document The Importance of Reading Aloud With Your Child
document Has Preschool Prepared Your Child for Kindergarten?
document Exploring the Outdoors and Exploring Rocks
document Cooking Toasty Apple Pies With Your Child
document SIGNS OF AUTISM
document How Much Activity Do Kids Need?
document Teaching Empathy
document Children Need Their Sleep
document Single Parenting
document Tips for 4th of July Safety
document Summer Playground Safety
document Easy, Healthy Dessert
document Pool Safety for Children
document How Do Kids Fare With Parents Who Work
document Parenting Styles and Helping Your Child in School
document Preparing Your Child for The First Day of Kindergarten
document Derby Public School Board of Education Goals
document Ansonia Launches Community Planning for Children
document Separation Anxiety in Children
document The Terrible Twos!
document Teaching Good Behavior
document Two and Three Year Olds Are Excellent Negotiators
document Birth Order
document Getting Your Child to Tidy Up!
document Halloween Costumes Dos and Don'ts
document Rewards and Consequences
document Child Study Finds Failures to Detect Flu
document Milestones at Age Three
document Child Development and Public Health
document Falls and How to Prevent Them
document Tips On Potty Training
document Teaching Kids Etiquette at the Table
document Milestones for 6-8 yr. Olds
document Links for Parenting and Child Information
document Parenting Sayings That Still Stand The Test of Time
document The Truth About Speech Delay
document Autism Symptoms
document Teaching Kids to be Honest
document Teaching Kids to be Caring
document Potty Training Tips
document Teaching Values
document Parents Affect How Children Feel About Themselves
document Bedwetting
document 5 Big Ways to Help Kids Love Books
document Keeping the Family Schedule on Track
document Survive the After-School Rush


RSS
Powered by KBPublisher (Knowledge base software)