Is It Required to Go to Preschool by Age 3? Do U Have to Go Pre to Go to K???

You have a lot of good resposes, just thought I would throw in my experience. It is said that kids do beneift from it which I beleive can be true but I have an older son who went to preschool and doesn't do as well in school as his younger sister who is at the top of her class.

Right now money is an issue for a lot of people so I found ways to help with the pre-school experience with out the extra expense. Most libraries have a toddler reading time which they put on at no cost. Plus there are a lot of different classes for kids at Public Rec groups which can help kids socialize. Also at home there is so much we can do that they do at pre-school. Music time, craft time, a lot on the web were we can get ideas.

Hope this helpped a little.

L.

Hi,

I'm currently a middle school teacher, but I use to teach elementary school. You do not have to put your child in preschool. Actually, you do not have to put your child in kindergarten in California. According to the CA Dept. of Ed., "Parents and guardians are currently not required to enroll children in kindergarten (Education Code [EC] Section 48200) (Outside Source)." Many parents don't know that. But as a teacher and a parent, I don't suggest you wait until 1st grade to enroll your child. :) The required age for kindergarten is age 5 by Dec. 2nd of that school year. Here's the link to the CDE:
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/gs/em/kinderinfo.asp

So is preschool "required?"...no. But it can be quite beneficial. Check out the link below to see what standards will be taught in kindergarten. If your child can be expose or even learn some skills prior to starting, she will have a head start.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp

There are some preschools that will take non-potty trained 2 year olds. The cost tends to be higher though.

Hope this helps :)

None of mine started preschool until about 4 or so. Both my elementary kids did a year of preschool and then Kindy the following year, and both of them get As and Bs pretty consistently.

However preschool was beneficial for them, but not in terms of academics. My oldest has vision issues and preschool was a great learning ground to decided on what needs she had to have to be successful. My second one was ADHD -inattentive type and preschool helped to lay the groundwork to get him accurately diagnosed. My third one is currently in preschool and will do another year of preschool again because he a mid oct baby and we've decided that he just isn't emotionally ready yet for kindergarden.

hope that helps, best wishes.

I am a preschool teacher for head start and we start with 3-4 year olds only, and they dont have to be potty trained. Other schools start as early as 2 and offer potty training-I have been checking for my son to start next year at age 2. Its not required for them to go but I think its a great idea for socialization as well as improving their speech and overall learning experiences. Have you looked into other schools that will offer training? Look online for schools in Tustin (I just went under google for schools in my area) Some will have parents rate them.
S.

I have a son who is 3 1/2 and we just haven't had the money to put him in preschool at this time. It isn't actually required yet. However it is helpful. You can teach her many things from home. I also have a 7 year old who is in First grade. A lot of things he brings home from school we've been trying to show our 3 year old. Flash cards are really helpful for their growth. My 3 year old knows his alphabet and how to count to 12. So far so good.. He also knows his shapes and his colors. Just teach them what you can. If you are able to put him in preschool maybe start out for a couple hours a few times a week and see how she adjusts. I would suggest you look into what kind of curriculum they will be learning. It is also good for their social skills. Hope you find one that works out for you. Take care and God Bless!

D.- Laguna Niguel

No it is not required. I didnt want to send my daughter last fall after she turned 3 but she will be 4 on sunday ao the plan is to go this fall. I am so nervous!!! My mom and I did this wonderful mom and me preschool in La Habra but I have not been able to find anything like it. Since you are a stay at home mom you can probably do what my aunt did. She didn't want to send her daughter to preschool yet so she did "Miss Mommy Preschool." everytime they went out it was a "field trip" and she found a way to teach her daughter just a thing or to about where they went. Then they did crafts and stuff too. Even though I work part time I still try to have the same attitude whenever we go to run errands. Its fun. Preschool is mostly for the social anyway. Bonus if they know what their abcs look like, their sounds, or even how to write letters. Good luck!

No it is not a requirement!!
it is not even a requirement for your child to go to school, i know of a few home schools that you do with your child and they are public and free!

if you are involved with your child at home and do a few lessons every so often with them then there really is no need for preschool, especially if they have friends their age that they interact with on a regular basis.

Oh my goodness, I don't know who told you that, but there is no requirement before grade school. Technically, kindergarten is not even a required grade, but I can't imagine anyone starting their children in a traditional school setting in 1st rather than K.
That being said, I do think that preschool is a good idea...it prepares the children for the general expectations of school (rules like sharing, taking turns, sitting and listening, etc).
As to when to start, it depends on your child. 3 years old is fine, but waiting until 4 is ok, too.
Good luck.

Smitha,
Pre-school and kindergarten are not legal grades. Coming from an educator, if your child is immature or delayed, I strongly recommend that they attend at least Kindergarten. From a parent perspective, the forementioned still stands. IF your child has no social problems and you are helping/guiding him at home; then it is not necessary. I taught kinder, pre-school or no pre-school did not make a difference, parenting was always the key. you also need to check out the pre-school, you'll be surprised the naughty habits they pick up. You be the judge, along with your spouse, and no one else.
best of luck this is only the beginning of tough choices to come,
ceci

Hi.

Preschool is a good idea for socialization and learning the basics of sitting still and following directions to get ready for kindergarten.

My son was three and a half when I put him in a T/Th class from 9-11:30. I had planned to wait until he was four but I was pregnant with his sister and didn't want him to associate being sent to school with the new baby being born. He did fine.

I would wait until your daughter is fully potty trained, and for her to want to go to school. My daugther was four when she went and she bugged and bugged me to go.

I think that most kids benefit from the preschool experience. It is said that preschool helps success in kindergarten. I have helped in kindergarten when each of my kids attended and you can definitely tell those who have had preschool and those who haven't. However, there are those exceptions to the rule as well, who do just fine without the preschool.

With your daughter not yet three I think you have plenty of time to figure this out. Do not feel rushed, take your time and you'll make the right decisions for you and your little girl.

Good Luck

C.

Absolutely not required, and whether or not it's even an advantage depends entirely on you and your situation. I was a SAHM when my kids were little and neither of them went to preschool. But I did a lot of informal teaching at home, and both of them were starting to read by the time they started Kindergarten. We also had a network of friends with kids the same age that they spent a lot of time with, so they got lots of social practice. I also took the time to do various activities and mommy and me classes with them on occasion. It was easier for me though since my kids were almost 5 years apart. But the results were good, they have excelled in school both academically and socially.

If you have the time and opportunity to do this for them, I think it is the best education of all. However if you are not able to, then a preschool might be helpful, even if just for one year before Kindergarten.

I don't know of any schools that require preschool first. I think the legal age for starting school is Kindergarten at 5 or maybe even 6 and even so there are home-schooling programs allowed. There are two kinds of preschool, one is for a few hours for the child's benefit to have social and basic skills for starting school, and the other is all-day day care because the mother is going to work, not necessarily beneficial to the child.

just to confirm - preschool is NOT required, and in fact - kindergarten is also NOT required. if you have a brilliant child who doesn't need it, that is awesome. but preschool and kindergarten ARE both good ways to teach your child the social skills necessary to succeed in the structured school setting. if $ is an issue, many people do kindergarten twice - it's free. best wishes.

No, preschool, pre-k, not even Kindergarten is required. You have to enroll your children in school by age 7.

I agree with the advice you were already given but wanted to add if money is an issue look for a parent participation preschool. We go to one in Laguna Niguel. It's awesome & a lot less money because the moms are teacher aides. At our school you work 2 days a month is all & school is only $130 a month for the 3 day class.