thanks for all the responses. I dont feel as bad sending my kids to pre school. I was wondering if I was missing out on something for my kids. Its kinda silly cause my MIL is a kindy/pre school teacher.

My kids have loved it.

hey chickie here is the rant from becca! ....... gave logamo the head start with homeschooling during what would have been kindy, it has helped alot! and to tell the truth if i had the stamina for homeschooling i would have continued it because from an acedemic standpoint it is miles above anything a school could provide simply for the individual treatment of students. most of the stuff they are learning in school at that age is stuff most parents would teach at home anyway. i never liked the idea of sending my kidlets away from me at such a young age but that is just me. logan enjoys school now during pre primary. he loves being around all his friends and has learned one very valuable lesson which i could have never taught him... how to deal with people he doesn't like. LOL! ::)

Hi! With both my kids I got them into family day care at around 2 one day a week, then put their name down for preschool.  At our local preschool they can't start until 3 and it is a question of waiting for a space.  Family day care has been good for us as it is still a caring family situation, but they learn to play with other kids and follow someone else's rules.

Preschool is even better - my son loves it!  Not only is he learning to share with others, join in activities, sit & listen, follow rules etc... but he is learning  while he is playing and he has learnt so much that I may not have done at home - small things such as cutting with scissors, writing his own name, even science experiments.

Because of his experience at preschool I have no qualms about starting him at school next year - I know he can be away from me, he can listen to his teachers and he can look after himself.  It has also been useful having the teacher's feedback on how he is going and any areas that need improvement.

I have a friend whose daughter hated preschool, so they pulled her out and never took her back.  She had a great time at home with mum and learnt a lot (she is very bright and mum spends a lot of time with her), but when she started school she was miserable - and for her first two terms cried every day. That is heartbreaking.  For me, it is good to have the intermediate steps so that by the time they start school being under someone else's care is not so distressing.

I put my 2.5 year old DD1 into Preschool for 2 days a week and I would recommend it! She loved the play, the singing and especially all the art & crafts! She also benefitted from all that socialisation, which she didnt get as much of at home, being an Only Child at that stage. It also got her more used to being separated from me, and oh boy did she put up a fight there! I think it benefitted her in the long run, and it certainly was nice to have 2 hours to myself twice a week! And I think it made the transition to school last year a lot easier on her - she knew the routines and she knew half the kids in her class already.

I think that both kindergarten and preschool are very important for children!

Not only are children learning academics, they are learning socilaization skills!!

Hey,

I myself am a teacher, Early Childhood trained, and I believe that Kindy/preprimary is an important step for kids. I see kids coming through in year 1 who have not attended formal schooling before, and on many occasions their speech, language and social skills can often be lagging compared to the other kids.

Kindy/pre is play based, so the child will learn in a fun and stimulating environment. The learn social skills like sharing and turn taking, and how to act around others. They learn the basics like colours, letters, numbers and counting, and they are assisted in their physical devlopment through physical education and movement activities. In addition, they become used to the formal school system and can better adjust to the classroom setting in year 1.

It is also beneficial for any support services, as the earlier any issues are detected, the sooner/better equipped the school is to offer referrals, advice, etc to try and investigate and provide support.

It is also more formal and educational than Day Care... and often cheaper too.

Hope this helps some...

In Tasmania we class kindergarten as pre school in the mainland terms , and its not compulsey to do so..

here is a article i did back in september on my thoughts..

http://www.minti.com/parenting-advice/7545/Attendance-for-your-child-and-pre-school-years/

xx cazza

You got me confused when you said Kindergarten but then i realise you mean Pre-school and it depends on what state you live in and what you want to call it. I live in NSW and we use the word kindergarten as the start of primary schooling that is compulsory. A child has to be enrolled in school at 6 years. But then in QLD they dont have Kindergarten and primary schooling starts in Grade/Year 1.

Anyway to answer your question which you are talking about Pre-school/Daycare/Playgroups which isnt compulsory. I think it is a good idea to enrol them in, even if it is 1 day a week. I believe it will help build up there confidence with other children and people that they are not familier with as well it gets them in a routine and introduce  them in what school will be like. Alot of preschools/long daycares etc... have programs which teaches children to be prepared for big schools but that normally applies to the older children that are 4-5 years. I think at the ages between 2-3 years is an ideal age to start the child in Pre-school if you are interested in putting them in.

I think kindergarden is a good thing. I think it gets them ready for school and they also learn alot there and learn to communicate with other kids.

I think you know as a parent if and wen your child is ready for kindergarden or even 3yo kinderG. But in Australia you also need to know if you put ur child in 3yo kinda they wont be granted for 4yo kinda you'll have to pay for it. Unless your daycare center has a program that they can do it.

I think its really up to the parent to access and determine what level they are at or for me it would be more for the social interaction.

Tee