Is sending a child to preschool really beneficial?

[Valerie1979]

my son goes to a daycare with a pre-school for his age group (he is 2 1/2) and he is exceeding all expectations
the preschool environment is so beneficial for him.  We do reinforce what he has learned during the day and he is proud to show us what he knows and recognizes.  he counts in spanish and english.  He knows his alphabet (not only can he say them but he can recognize the letters and tell us the sounds they make)

I think everything needs to be put into perspective -- depends on the child and the school you choose.
Nothing is every just up to the school though --- as the parents we still need to be responsible for what our children are learning.

[gesus]

Better to be around kids their own ages so they can be a kid

[mrisha]

I think sending your child to preschool is very beneficial.  It  teaches them how to interact and socialize with other children and people.  I sent my daughter to preschool and she loved it. My daughter would always tell me about her day- what she did, her new friends name, her coloring she did.  It taught her independence and how to get along with others.

[bschumacher]

Unless you are willing to teach your child to read and write the alphabet, the numbers up to 100,  her name, and some basic sight words before entering kindergarten, preschool is essential. Preschool will also help your child learn to interact well with other children and teachers. Nowadays, it is especially important to give your child every advantage possible.

[mangomiata]

There isn't anything wrong with helping your child integrate into a school environment.  The greatest benefit in learning comes from YOU...by being interactive with reading, playing and interacting in his or her life.  Children with attentive parents do far better than other students without that involvement because of the level of self-esteem that they develop from the relationships regardless of Preschool registration. 

[mommagoes]

i think the benefit of preschool really depends on the individual child. for my son, preschool was great because it gave him time to spend with kids his age, which wasn't available at home because where we lived at that time we didn't have any kids his age in our neighborhood. so preschool gave him that experience, it prepared him for the routine of waking up ang getting ready for school and for being away from home for a few hours each day. most importantly, it helped him learn to read, write and follow directions so that he was better prepared for kindergarten. on the other hand, i know that there are some kids that might not benefit from preschool, especially if they are advacned and already know how to read and write. in this case, the child might be bored by whats going on and may act out, thereby negating the benefit of preschool.

[Haiku7]

If anything, preschool prepares the child to learn how to interact and socialize with other children, which I think is very beneficial.

[surveydad]

I am a big fan of sending your kids to preschool. My wife an I sent our daughter 3 year old daughter to preschool and she loves it.

And now a days its not just about learning the basics to prepare them for kindergarden, my daughter on top of learning her letters and numbers is also learning spanish and sign language. She can spell and write her own name and our phone number.

its just great to see the confidence she has when she is telling us about her day.

I have a 2 year old daughter also and we are sending her to preschool next year

[drama247]

I think it might help kids learn to be more social with other children and help them get use to the school life also.

[Sweetpea94]

It may not benefit them academically but they learn social skills and how to interact with another adult other than you or your spouse disciplining them and showing them how to do things that you would normally have them do like pick up after themselves.  It's a good way to break them away from you if they are an only child or never been away from you for more than an hour or two.  They will also learn simple basics like a few ABC's and 123.  They will also learn colors and shapes.  It will give them a head start into being independent.   

[dkanofsky]

If you really want to send your child to preschool, go for it.  But please make sure you do your homework.  That includes visiting several different preschools, asking  a lot of questions, and spending  some time at each school to see how they operate.  Once you choose the preschool for your child, make an unannounced visit (your entitled, this is your child we're talking about ) and observe for awhile again before he/she starts.  I'd do that again once your child is in the preschool.  You're being proactive that way.

 
Preschools are a great setting to teach a child how to socialize with each other and interact with adults plus they should have lots of fun.