The difference that 2 years of pre-school makes.....

[marysol_21]

This article is from today's SunTimes. I am told that other than private schools, there is no preschool offered in Berwyn. Even then, kindergarten is only for a few hours a day. I find it difficult to believe that pre-school is not seen as an important step in properly preparing children for elemenatry school. I find it even more surprising about the kindergarten hours...how much of the time is actually spent on instruction?

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-main17.html

Mary

[T-Stan RPCV]

We were fortunate enough to be able to get our daughter into UIC's Children Center for 2 years of pre-school.  Great program and tuition was based on the University determining what you can afford (although they thought we could afford more than we thought we could afford).  Worth every penny.  That is one reason I'm so disheartened by District 100's less than 4 hours of Kindergarten per day.  There has to be some time for play and that leaves little time for learning.

[Bear]

To offer my take on the pre-school issue, this coming from a single father
who was afforded the best education that money could buy by my parents,
and my continuation of the same to my daughter since she was 7 years old...
Any pre-school interaction and instruction only forms interactive social skills with children of that
age group, keep in mind learning is supposed to be a "fun" activity in that age
group, not a posturing for future high level educational endeavours...

They are children, let them be such...

It is called pre-school, not Benet Academy

[T-Stan RPCV]

Bear - if you read the posted article it describes pre-school as providing social skills to adjust to school not academic skills.  The pre-school my daughter was in provided absolutely no "education".  No ABCs. No 1,2,3s.  Simply how to play with other kids, have fun and listen to and respect the teachers.

[Robert Pauly]

Conceptually, I'm with Bear - let them be children - with 16 years of education on their horizons, what's the rush in cramming the three R's down their throats?  Why teach your child to read at 4, when school curriculums don't start them until 5 or 6?

This being said, my 4 year-old brought home her first "homework" yesterday - of which she was very proud - which consisted of printing her name 5 or 6 times.

[mom]

The park districts have pre - school programs. I know the one at Berwyn Park District is very good. There are seperate sessions for 2 - 5 year olds, meeting from 2 - 4 days each week, depending on age.

[Paul Fuentes]

Wow!!!