Berkeley Parents Network: Daycare vs. Preschool

Berkeley Parents Network

Daycare vs. Preschool

Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > Childcare > Daycare vs. Preschool

Keep 2-year-old in daycare or swith to preschool?
What's the difference between Daycare and Preschool? for BPN purposes

June 2006

My son turns 2 this summer, and I've been receiving the Schools newsletter since he was born. I'm starting to think I need some really basic information about what this preschool business is all about. The more I read the more confused I get!

When I was a kid, preschool was what you did in preparation for kindergarten - to practice learning and being away from Mom. Most kids then (where I lived anyway) had been at home with Mom for the 1st 4 years. Now that that's become much less common, I'm confused about the distinctions between daycares and preschools, and could use some really basic advice and/or suggestions about where to find more information.

My son is currently in a family daycare setting 3 days/week. The kids there range from just over 1 to ~3.5 yrs. My questions are: Does this count as ''preschool''? What is the difference between preschool and daycare when the daycare setting does ''educational'' things like letters, numbers, and music? Is it typical/expected/recommended for kids to switch to a real preschool at some point (and if so, when)? Or can you just keep your child in a daycare setting like the one we have now? Are preschools typically full-time or part-time? Finally, what kinds of costs are we looking at? Any and all clarification would be very welcome - thank you! Clueless about preschool

I think a daycare like the one you describe is probably really good until age 4 (or one year prior to kindergarten.) I've read & heard over and over again that children who attend organized pre-school programs do much better in elementary school than those who never did. So, yes, my advice would be to switch to a formal pre- school program at least one year before your child enters kindergarten. They'll be far more prepared for what school really is. Not sure what you pay for daycare, but there are absolutely full time preschools out there - they usually have school-type activites in the mornings (ie: circle time, sharing, art, music, lessons, etc) and then more after-care type activities in the afternoons (rest time, outdoor play, free play, etc.) The price range is pretty phenomenal. I'd start by researching schools near home via phone, asking for info to be mailed to you and then following up with visits -Pro-preschool Mama

My son was lucky to have his grandmother 20 mins. away, so she babysat a couple times a week when I was at work, and he then started preschool at 4 years old. He will have completed his first preschool year this month. After doing some research (including this site), I think that as long as your day care situation is working for you, I wouldn't worry about a structured preschool until he is 4, the year before he starts kindergarten. I think that it's important for kids to be in a school-like atmosphere, e.g., around a bigger group of kids who would be his age, a more structured environment, and a teacher (or two), that is more like being in a school rather than someone's home. My son is in a play-based preschool, so there isn't this huge focus on academics, but there's circle time and little lesson plans about things like bugs and animals, learning to get in line to go outside; similar things they will do in kindergarten. And waiting until he's 4 is plenty of time. Keep him in the daycare for now if you're both happy with that situation. I hope this answers your question about the difference between preschool and day-care. juedepo

One difference is age. ''Day care'' around here generally refers to care for infants and toddlers. Most day care places take kids up until they are 3 yrs old (or 3.5 or so). Most preschools won't star kids until they are 2 years and 9 months. So there is some overlap time. Preschools usually keep kids until they move on to kindergarten (and in some cases, on to first grade). Preschool still serves to get kids ready for kindergarten. I recommend that you find a preschool to visit and you may see the difference (although not all are in session in the summer time) Anon.

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