Did your boys go to preschool? If not did they do okay in K?

Rachael - posted on 08/06/2010

you can get little "at home-school books" to go over the basics with your child, but i would ask the school you are going to enroll him in because that is a common question and my school actually had it all written down and there werent too many things that my daughter didnt already know.
believe it or not on the list was being able to tell the difference between a boy and a girl, i think everyone knows this instintively. (and i am not talking anatomy)

Heather - posted on 08/05/2010

The only reason my older son went to preschool was so he could have scissors, paint, and playdough time without me going nuts about his baby brother trying to play too!! :) He just went for a year of pre-K. He enjoyed it though, and we sent the younger one two full years at the same place.
That said, there is so much you can do at home with him... no need to go to pre-K if you can provide structured playtime and lots of reading and exploring. Most SAHMs excel at this, so I say don't worry about it. There's enough in the world to worry about instead. ;)

Linda - posted on 08/04/2010

I homeschooled my kids...but our church had a preschool so I sent our first two there for 2 mornings a week. However, my oldest son already knew the alphabet and numbers when he went. (He was my first---I had so much more time for him). I was hoping he would gain social skills (he was very shy)---but he just hung around the teacher!!! My second son did not have all his letters down (but that time I was busy with 3 kids), but he did not have a problem being shy. So I sent him, and he didn't learn much more than what I taught him. So......I didn't send my last two kids. I figured it didn't help my oldest socially, and it didn't help my 2nd one academically. Frankly, I was so busy homeschooling by the time number 3 turned 4 that I didn't want to take the time to drive there and drop him off and then pick him up again in a couple hours. I figured that was almost an hour that I could just spend at home going over some preschool workbooks that you can pick up anywhere. That actually worked out fine. Also, the other bonus was I didn't have to deal with behavioral issues that arose from so much time with other kids at that age.

So...to make a long story short....preschool is definitely NOT necessary. Go through some workbooks with him and have fun with it...or play some games together with letters and numbers!

Jamie - posted on 08/04/2010

I never went to pre-k, and I was an all "a" student. I graduated from college in 2008. You are just concerned and that's healthy! Just make sure that you teach him what he should know at home!

Cheryl - posted on 08/04/2010

There have been studies showing kids who participate in Head Start/Early On preschool programs show some benefits in K- but mostly in the lack of seperation issues and familiarity with the "routine" of school, not necassarily reading or numbers. And that "edge" is gone by 1st grade.

We homeschool, too.

Heather - posted on 08/04/2010

My boys both went to preschool, and I don't think it gave them any kind of advantage. It just gave me less time to work with them at home... Here are some great website with ideas for what you can do with them at home, there is also a Circle of Moms group called SAHM's are Teachers (that is not just for stay home moms) that is full of ideas and activities to help our children learn!

http://www.abcjesuslovesme.com/

http://www.starfall.com/ --This is the actually website that the public school uses... seriously

http://www.carlscorner.us.com/

Marie - posted on 08/04/2010

My son did not go to Pre-K. He did extremely well in Kindergarten and has always done well in school. He is now in 9th grade and he's at the top of his class.
I made it a point every day to create "learning moments" for him from early on. Anything from counting how long it takes for the stoplight to turn from red to green, to sorting socks by color while I'm folding laundry. Give yourself credit as a mother. What they are doing is preschool is not rocket science. Mostly what they are learning is social skills that are just as easily and quickly learned in Kindergarten. Altough there is clearly nothing wrong with Pre-K and I'm not knocking it at all, my feeling is that it is not a must in the academic journey. Just my 2 cents. :)

Jill - posted on 08/03/2010

the principal at my childrens school said they see no difference in children that do or don't go to preschool..... everything they learn in preschool you can teach them at home... i did.... alphabet... numbers ... small words... playdates teach socialization.... my daughter did not go to preschool and you would not know the difference.. she was well adjusted , smart and at the top of her class.... my son will attend kindergarten this fall and he can't wait.. i taught him to spell, the alphabet, counting.... i tell everyone ... "he went to preschool ...MY preschool..."

Ursula - posted on 08/03/2010

I agree with you Victoria there is indeed that we as parents can do at home to prepare our kids. on the otherhand Preschool helps kids to interact with other kids especially when they are introverts. Preschool is nt just about the educational side bt also to prepare them emotionally. each child is different. bt if your child hav no problem to interact, you hav no need for concern Everythng of the best. =D

Victoria - posted on 07/31/2010

In Canada JK is free. But my kids did 2 mornings a week at nursery school even when they were in JK & SK for afternoons.

Outside of that I taught them at home, I bought those workbooks from the scholars choice store & we would do a few pages every day, we did flash cards (some I bought, others I made & I always printed out kids activity sheets from the internet.

Now my kids all attend a Christian school, so my youngest who just finished JK is in school all day already so I don't do as much stuff with her at home, other than the reading & flash cards and homework they send home for her.

Rachel - posted on 07/31/2010

How about looking into what children learn in preK and then start teaching it at home? Then you don't have to be worried that he'll be behind or anything.

MaryEllen - posted on 07/31/2010

Our kids not only didn't go to preschool, they didn't go to elementary school either! They are home schooled.

Our son did go to 8th-11th grades at the local public school, but then finished off at home! Our daughter has never been to school and I don't intend to send her off until college!

Stephanie Jo - posted on 07/31/2010

Dont worry, neither of my girls went to preschool and they did just fine in k. My oldest is going into 5th and youngest into 1st. It was amazing how they enjoy and learned. It will be okay.