mathmarm Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 If you were able to pick any of the following as a pre-elementary school (meaning nursery, prek and k) experience for your 2-6 year old, which one would you pick? What would be your 2nd choice? Language Immersion Outdoor Forest Immersion (All "classes" are held outdoors, rain or shine) Montessori Nursery-K Traditional Play Based (no electives, does units/themes) Traditional Academic (offers electives on a rotation) Private nanny Each school has a really good set of teachers/staff that you like and you'd be happy with any of the instructors. The location of each is a good one and logistically feasible. Each school is affordable and you've visited each school and feel good about it. The decision is based on the learning experiences and opportunities the kid will have available to them. Each school will allow you to have the schedule that you want and of course if things go unforeseeably wrong you can always pull out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go_go_gadget Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 It would depend on what other options there were for the language and forest stuff. If you can do language immersion at home, send him to the forest school. If you can't do the language, send him to the language school and get a pass for your state parks. The academics of the early years are easy enough to pick up along the way, but the language and the forest school are unique opportunities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathmarm Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 We can not recreate either the Foreign Language or the Outdoor immersion. We can support both the FL or the Outdoor experience from home. In order for him to get the most from those experiences and exposure, he'd have to be in the school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I think I would prefer the forest school for a kid who learns academics readily. That said, my kids were in an academic preschool from 2-5 and that was a good fit for them. (Had there been a "forest school" option or a Spanish immersion option, I would have chosen one of those. [spanish because my kids' birth language was Spanish and it would be good if they kept it.]) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyroo Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 For me it would depend on whether your child would be able to maintain their second language fluency after preschool. My niece and nephew grew up in Germany from birth until they were 4 and 6. My niece attended three years at the neighborhood (obviously full immersion) preschool/kindergarten. My nephew attended one year. When they moved back to the states both kids were fairly fluent in German, but within a year they pretty much lost it all. I think they could have maintained their German, but only with a lot of effort. And while I would never say learning a language is a waste, I would be less inclined to put a child in an immersion preschool if there would be no feasible way for them to maintain that language afterwards. If I thought the language would be lost after preschool, then I would probably put them in the Montessori or forest school. Wendy 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 If you were able to pick any of the following as a pre-elementary school (meaning nursery, prek and k) experience for your 2-6 year old, which one would you pick? What would be your 2nd choice? Language Immersion Outdoor Forest Immersion (All "classes" are held outdoors, rain or shine) Montessori Nursery-K Traditional Play Based (no electives, does units/themes) Traditional Academic (offers electives on a rotation) Private nanny Each school has a really good set of teachers/staff that you like and you'd be happy with any of the instructors. The location of each is a good one and logistically feasible. Each school is affordable and you've visited each school and feel good about it. The decision is based on the learning experiences and opportunities the kid will have available to them. Each school will allow you to have the schedule that you want and of course if things go unforeseeably wrong you can always pull out. Totally depends on the kid! My older one would not have enjoyed Montessori much. We tried it out. She needed play-based. She's very social / creative and she does really well at academics but just wasn't ready. The little one would have loved Montessori and loves, loves, loves playing on their toys even now (as do I :) ). But I kept them together because of tuition discounts. Both my kids did after-school at a forest / outdoor nature school. I am so, so grateful for that opportunity. I have known kids whose parents hired a nanny after multiple pre-schools didn't work out and the child just wasn't a school kid enough to deal at 2-4, though some of those kids went on to primary just fine. It really depends so much on your children. That said... I don't believe in academic pre-school. Numbers, letters, and CVC words are just not that hard for most neurotypical kids once they hit 6. Even addition / subtraction up to 10. For kids who are not neurotypical, I don't know that forcing this on them earlier is helpful, either. It seems like they'd benefit more from being confident and in a loving environment where they are valued for what they can do. The only exception would be for a profoundly gifted child who was doing 2nd-grade + work from the age of three on and who was uncomfortable with other kids, but that doesn't seem to be the issue you're facing, and anyway, academic pre-school wouldn't work in that case either. You'd need a tutor/mentor. Immersion is worthwhile if you'll keep up the language and have the funds to seriously push it through. There will be years of forcing. "I know it's not fun, that's why it's home WORK. This is a life skill. You can play soon." It's not like you can immerse them and they will have an academic vocabulary by the age of 5 and just retain it. It is very hard work. Still, we loved it and I'm glad we did it. I still pay for lessons in the target language. Nannies are great but can leave. That was my problem! Even paying $15-$20/hr, I just couldn't pay enough for a responsible, intelligent, professional, experienced person over the age of 17 (when you can drive with others in the car). They switched often and I can't blame them. $15 is not a lot unless it's a side job. Right now another SAHM helps me out for bridging the gap. I know many who face the same problem. Play-based, Montessori, and forest IMO are all great options but depend on the child. See where your kid appears to turn on in the environment. We did play-based immersion for mornings, and outdoors/nature in the afternoons. It was fantastic. I was going to brag but I will just say that not being an "advanced" reading in K/1 has not hurt older DD or the little one at all, because they kind of hit the ground running. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Library Momma Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Mine enjoyed a combination academic/play preschool. Letters and counting, some basic reading and math too, but also cooking, crafts, dress up and plenty of outdoor activities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathmarm Posted June 10, 2015 Author Share Posted June 10, 2015 Jr, is a bundle of high-spirited energy and in constant motion--we think that outdoor immersion for him is probably going to be the best fit for his young and energetic personality but the boy has to have very firm boundaries or he will run smack over anyone who is in his way. Hubby and I are worried that allowing him to learn that "school is where I run wild and have my way all the time, non stop" could do a lot of harm in the long run.I feel that a school that allows him to move and do is a really great fit for him and the outdoor school will definitely allow him to move and do things. But I also expect that he'll have a very positive experience at the outdoor school. He'll be allowed to be a little kid and his "boyness" rather than being exorcised, or shamed from him will be accepted, embraced and encouraged by allowing him to expend all that energy by playing outside, eating fruit and leaves from the vine, gardening, hiking, climbing hay bales, mud jumping and witnessing lots and lots of insects, birds and animals and going potty in the wild will be a lot of fun for him. He's very enthralled by nature and he loves animals. I love the sense of community that is encouraged among the kids at the school, but the Teachers while capable seem very "just do what you feel, kids!" about behavior. They encourage happiness and emphasize freedom for each child--while we agree that those things are important, there should be some boundaries and consequences to be had if you violate those boundaries. I love that there are no gadgets or tech in the environment. This school will excel at the moving but I'm not sure about the doing part. The Montessori school we are considering is "teacher guided" and will allow him to do but there isn't as much room to move the way that my boy seems to need to. But the discipline is good and even though Montessori is typically child led and the kids are given several periods of "choice work" of course the environment is ultimately controlled by the teachers. There are "Room Rules" that the kids learn and have to practice since they are in a community of learners. Montessori is familiar and I've seen the graduates of this program--they tend to develop the coveted ability to focus, self-confidence to try and struggle, and do well in school. Their playground is fantastic, their equipment/manipulatives/toys are really good and when he isn't ripping and running, Jr does love to use his hands and learn. I love that there are no gadgets or tech in the environment and that kids are allowed to learn at their own pace and many of the kids are advanced academically when they get into 1st grade at the PS, which is also a nice plus. The FL program was actually chosen over another FL school because of their strong emphasis on positive discipline and consistent techniques. Jr can be very head strong--he needs a group of "someones" to influence, mode, discipline and train him. This seems like the sort of village that I want helping to raise our child. The program uses a lot of Physical games, models and large diagrams/books. The kids get a lot of recess active play time and are well supervised. The teacher/student ratio is good enough that there are complete language models in each classroom (teachers + aides) and the curriculum is engaging. Unlike outdoor and Montessori the FL program uses some media/tech but in the grand-scheme of things its maybe 5-10% of the time and its used strictly as a tool to reinforce/enhance learning, not to stall, entertain or babysit. The environment is very engaging and I think that even if we don't continue with the language that being in a 2nd language environment can help Jr learn to listen and focus because he can't glean information passively. For what its worth Hubby and I are committed to raising a multilingual kid so introducing/maintaining the language outside of school--re all things that we are interested in making happen whether he does immersion preschool or not. *snip*Play-based, Montessori, and forest IMO are all great options but depend on the child. See where your kid appears to turn on in the environment. We did play-based immersion for mornings, and outdoors/nature in the afternoons. It was fantastic. I was going to brag but I will just say that not being an "advanced" reading in K/1 has not hurt older DD or the little one at all, because they kind of hit the ground running. Would it be crazy to put him in TWO preschools on a part time basis? Thats what Hubby and I were thinking about, but I can't find any information about doing this online? We are thinking of putting him in Outdoor this year and starting him in a second school in January and if it works, then we'd keep him in two schools until K. This is what Hubby says we should do--it sounds so simple, but...Either way, we need to make some decisions because of all the paperwork that needs to be done between now and back-to-school. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 The behavior your child exhibits at under 2yo isn't necessarily indicative of what he's going to be like at school age. Also, a benefit of more natural outdoor play school is that kids experience natural consequences all the time. This tends to help children mature emotionally and socially. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathmarm Posted June 10, 2015 Author Share Posted June 10, 2015 The behavior your child exhibits at under 2yo isn't necessarily indicative of what he's going to be like at school age. We are putting him in preschool at 2. Ideally he'll be in the same school for 4 years and even though I know that how we behave at 2-6 year old doesn't say much about our personalities as adult we hope that his preschool experience will help to influence his early years in elementary school. Also, a benefit of more natural outdoor play school is that kids experience natural consequences all the time. This tends to help children mature emotionally and socially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 We are putting him in preschool at 2. Ideally he'll be in the same school for 4 years and even though I know that how we behave at 2-6 year old doesn't say much about our personalities as adult we hope that his preschool experience will help to influence his early years in elementary school. I know, but I would not worry about his energy level, combined with a more free-movement preschool, leading to age-inappropriate behaviors as he grows with the program. The feedback he gets from natural consequences of free movement will probably be more effective than external consequences for not following teacher guidance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I would go with the Forest Preschool and then revisit in a year. But it sounds like that would be the best fit for him at this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 I would discourage you from attributing a two year old's need for constant movement and firm boundaries to sex. At that age, kids are all over the place. I think that asking kids to take responsibility for their behavior, good, bad, and neutral, without using gender or sex as an excuse, is much healthier. I agree with SKL regarding natural consequences. Two schools is a lot. I was working and studying so my kids got 5-8 hours of care, but the after school program was strictly after school to run them ragged. :) it was time-structured but the play was almost totally free. So it was okay. But if it's two part time, provided one is not immersion (he'll miss too much) sounds fine. If I had to choose one school for the whole country, like gun to my head just choose, it would be outdoor nature school with indoor free Lego, fingerprint, and gymnastics for < 20f or lightning and such. I think it sounds like forest would be good for your son as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 How much time can you take off with a sick child? I assume you are both working. If I had money I would have a nanny and have her take him to whatever preschool you favor 3 mornings a week. If he is sick he can stay home with her. Juggling work and sick kids is something I wouldn't do without financial necessity. As for the type of preschool - we don't really have academic preschools where I am, or forest schools, or immersian schools. There is a Montessori but I didn't see my energetic, bright boys coping with the petty limitations and structure. I would go with the free play or forest and get a nanny fluent in another language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 How much time can you take off with a sick child? I assume you are both working. If I had money I would have a nanny and have her take him to whatever preschool you favor 3 mornings a week. If he is sick he can stay home with her. Juggling work and sick kids is something I wouldn't do without financial necessity. As for the type of preschool - we don't really have academic preschools where I am, or forest schools, or immersian schools. There is a Montessori but I didn't see my energetic, bright boys coping with the petty limitations and structure. I would go with the free play or forest and get a nanny fluent in another language. If they are working they'll need a nanny regardless, right? Pre-school is just a few hours a day. I though this was just to discuss educational options, not daycare options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Daycare and Preschool can be the same thing depending on what is available. My kids went to a daycare/preschool that was available from 6:30am - 6:30pm. There were structured activities and play times scheduled throughout the day. They liked the kids to be there by 9am as that was when they started the "curriculum" stuff. KG at that facility ended around 3pm and then the KG kids would join the aftercare program (they had kids up to age 12 bused in from local schools). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 forgot to quote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 If they are working they'll need a nanny regardless, right? Pre-school is just a few hours a day. I though this was just to discuss educational options, not daycare options. Sorry daycare and preschool are the same thing here. Some kids go only a few hours but they are open 8 to 5ish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 My kids had a nanny from age 1 to 2.5. She was a Latina artist and was supposed to teach them Spanish and art as well as do the basic child care stuff. For whatever reason she wouldn't do Spanish immersion and my kids were confused in both languages, so I put them in group preschool/daycare earlier than I originally planned. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the preschool/daycare met our needs. (It was an academic preschool that taught a lot more than the ABCs.) My nanny cost 2x what the full-time daycare cost. I don't know that it is a realistic option for many people to use a nanny *and* group daycare on a regular basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 If you were able to pick any of the following as a pre-elementary school (meaning nursery, prek and k) experience for your 2-6 year old, which one would you pick? What would be your 2nd choice? For my oldest, I'd have to go with 'other'. He was special needs (still sorta is, but he's been mainstreamed for the past 3 years), so he was in a mixed special-ed, regular-ed preschool. I can't even really list a 2nd choice, since he just really needed a special-ed teacher. For my youngest, I'd pick forest school, unless the foreign language immersion was Dutch, in which case I suppose I'd probably pick foreign language immersion, since it's impossible to find Dutch speakers anywhere near where we live. Of course, if there was a preschool offering Dutch immersion, I'd imagine there'd be plenty of Dutch speakers to find in the area, in which case I'd opt for the forest school. My youngest is my very tame, docile kid, but I think that plenty of outdoor play and experience in nature is good at that age. In real life though, he went 1-2 days a week to the preschool group in daycare until a few months ago, pretty much just to give me a sanity break. My main criterion in picking it out was that it was half a block from us, which made it easy to walk to him to daycare, even in winter with a foot of snow on the ground. Not having to clear the snow off the car and wait forever to defog the windows to take him to daycare was priceless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted July 5, 2015 Share Posted July 5, 2015 This is been my experience. My kids went to a play based, English language preschool. Mine enjoyed play based, the kind where they bring in a real music teacher, do arts and crafts, put on Productions, set snack table, and the puzzles and games are appropriate for everyone. FL added to that would be fun. Or math circle or lego robotics. Academic here is boring flashcard and worksheet; Montessori here is not challenging for profoundly gifted kids. Nanny is a whole different experience, friends that used nannies sent the kids to half day daycare for the social. Forest/nature is part of play based here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 If cost is not a concern, I would do a nanny for one more year. The difference from age 2 to 3 can be amazing. Then choosing a preschool in a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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