A parent participation preschool is a program that is usually for younger children (under 3) that children and parents/caregivers attend together.

Discipline and Co-op Preschools

I am curious how effective others feel discipline and behaviorial issues are handled at co-op preschools. Do you find that parents are able to effectively handle behavioral problems? Are your actual teachers simply too outnumbered by students (and parents) to adequately deal with issues when they arise? I am concerned that there are problems at our school, particularly around 1 or 2 students (not my kid), that are not being fully addressed. Is this issue inherently a problem with co-ops? Or, is it something unique to our experience? Also, any suggestions on how to proceed with the situation would be great! Uncertain Parent

If you are still concerned you should talk to the teachers and ask them directly about your concerns. Find out what their plan is. If they don't have one, ask them to make one and watch to see it in action. I hope it works out for you. Happy Co-op Parent

Coop preschool that I can bring younger sibling to

I am looking for a coop preschool for my child. He will be four in the fall. I also need and want to bring his brother with me (he will be 20 months or so in the fall). The place can have an on-site nursery or a teacher informally allows little one to participlte. We are looking for a place which is well structured, hopefully has many nature, music, dance and/or foreign language emphasized programs. Also, meeting parents who are progressive, intelligent, multi culture, and enviromental is a huge plus. If the location is in Contra Costa County and has a great outdoor area, that's a double, triple plus. We are currently in a coop program, but it is too free-flow style where parents provide whatever activities they want to do with kids, which are primary craft making (straight from Michaels, not creative art) and not that healthy food making (colored pancakes, cup cakes made with store bought pre-mix kind, etc). I am looking for something different. If you have a recommendation for a great preschool, please let me know. -Anon

Preschool for 2 1/2 year old, parent participating

Hi there, I would LOVE to get some advice on finding and joining a preschool for my 2 1/2 year old boy (he'll be 3 in November). I'm really looking for something part-time, 2-3 days a week, that happily accommodates parent/grand-parent involvement. I don't feel like we're quite ready to fully drop off our child -- I understand kids adjust to this, but, the idea of some involvement (i.e. co-ops) is very appealing to us at this moment. We live in Berkeley, so that locale is preferable, but, of course, open to Albany or Oakland. Thanks for reading and sending any advice. Much appreciated! Stacey

The physical space is incredible: gardens, sand, trees, trails to explore, and tons of things to play with, put together, and figure out. The teachers are first rate: insightful, respectful of the children and their personalities and needs, wildly creative, and masterful in their teaching abilities. The community is just awesome: it just pulls together when it needs to to help each other out. My son loves being there and being a part of it all.

You did mention that you want 2-3 days a week and I think I had the same idea/concern when I was where you are. I have found that the 5 days/week gives the kids the regularity and routine to build relationships, find stability and make more connections (both developmental and interpersonal). I haven't found it to be too much or overwhelming.

I hope that this is helpful and that you find a preschool that is a fit for you and your child... Happy CCCer

Co-op preschool for toddler age 2.9?

Does anyone know of a ''co-op'' preschool that will accept kids who are 2-years, 9-months (rather than 3) on September 1? It seems they all require him to be 3. I'd really like to join a co-op preschool, but don't necessarily want to wait until Sept. 2011, and then put him in kindergarten the year after. I realize I could keep him out of public school one more year, but this is complicated financially, although I am also trying to do what will meet his needs.

(I moved to my neighborhood for the grammar school so am looking forward to sending him there. He's precocious verbally and socially so I had not been planning to take the option of holding him back a year, as many parents with kids on the age border choose to do.)

We are looking at non-co-op options, but if anyone knows of a parent-participation school that would accept younger first-years? Thanks! Julie

Co-op preschool for 4-5 year olds

I am looking for a preschool in Sept for my son. He will be 4 at the end of Dec. So he will be 3 and 4 this year and 4 and 5 next year. We are looking for two years of preschool. (He won't make the cutoff next year because his B-day is the 22nd of Dec.) Ideally I would like something for 2 or three days the 1st year and I am comfortable with the idea of 9:30 to 1:30 OR 9:30 to 3:30 or thereabouts. I would love to hear from anyone who anyone who has good things to say about Co ops that are working well for them in North Berkeley, Albany or East Oakland. I either want him close to where his DCP can pick him up one day a week or close to were I work. A lot of the opening I have been exploring seem to be for 2-3 year olds. And that is problematic as he will be 3 turning 4 when he goes. Please Share!!I look forward to hearing from you! Shelly

Is a co-op preschool right for shy boy?

I am very interesting in the local co-op preschools for my son next year. I feel they would be a great fit for me with the parent involvement and community, but I am not sure if it would be the best fit for my son (which is really what is important). My son will be barely 3 at the start of the school year and is extremely shy in new situations. He is very outgoing at home and with family, but outside the house or his comfort zone its a totally different story.

My concern is will he find comfort in a co-op environment with the large number and variation of parents as teachers for the day? If there are any co-op or non co-op families that have considered this same dilema I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks! kmc

The kids who seemed to do well there were the older/larger kids with outgoing personalities, who didn't need special attention. My child was small for his age, & less verbal than the other 3-year-olds, & was incessantly picked on on the playground. His budding sense of confidence was being pummeled daily, & was heartbreaking to watch. We then had to scramble for new childcare. not an optimal situation.

I'd be most concerned about large co-ops - he had previously done fine in a small toddler co-op. Been near there

1. The main point of Preschool is to start developing social skills that will be needed in elementary school and later life. But a shy child in preschool is unlikely to suddenly become un-shy in kindergarten, regardless of the preschool. So in some ways, for a shy child, you mainly want them to be comfortable and not too unhappy during the preschool years.

2. Co-ops are usually play-based. Is that best for a shy child? I don't know! In some ways, my shy kids were much more comfortable in the highly structured environment of K and 1st grade than in the anything-goes setting of preschool, where they might be left to wander alone if they aren't able to self-initiate play with other kids. So maybe they would have liked a Montessori preschool better. On the other hand, I was shy, and I didn't go to preschool at all. I was basically loose in the neighborhood with all the other kids, just like in a play-based preschool. But I was totally traumatized by the strange structure of kindergarten! So who knows?

3. One attraction for me with the co-ops was that I would be at the school one day a week. I thought this would be more comforting for my shy child. I am not sure if this is really true, though. In 7 years of co-oping I often saw children who behaved completely differently (i.e., worse) on the days their parents were there.

4. Co-ops usually have a higher adult-to-child ratio than other preschools because of the participating parents, something like 1 to 4 or 1 to 5. This means that the kids are hardly ever out of sight of an adult, so it is possible for a shy child to receive more attention at a co-op. In my experience, my shy son really hit it off with a couple of other parents, so he had very rich interactions with a variety of adults, which was great. There was a little girl who cried a lot, who would usually be scooped up by one of the parents on duty and held and comforted for most of the morning. That would be difficult at school where fewer adults were present. OTOH some co-op parents are more into it than others. There's always the co-op parent who only has eyes for her own child at school. Not every adult is able to empathize with other peoples' kids. Many parents do not have experience interacting with shy kids. And of course most participating parents don't have any background or training in early childhood education.

5. Always remember: it's hard to go wrong with a preschool in the Bay Area. We are blessed with so many good ones. You aren't going to mess up your child by picking a school that turns out to be slightly less desirable than another one.

6. The preschool years whiz by. Make your best guess and don't worry TOO much - you've still got 12 more years of school to worry about!
Former co-op mom

Is the number of adults a problem at a co-op?

Many of my friends and I have visited CCC, as well as other co-ops, and we really love the schools. However, we were curious how 3-year-olds respond to the 20 or so different adults participating each week. Does it take a child longer to seem at ease, given this turn-over? I assume that after a few months they get to know all the parents and feel comfortable, but is it difficult beforehand? Would a semi-shy child feel completely overwhelmed? Thanks for any insight. Mother of a shy 2-year-old

Despite my worries, it has been an extremely positive experience for him. He has become much more confident and comfortable with new adults as well as with new kids and situations and I attribute at least some of this growth to getting to know new adults in a safe situation and being able to think of them as a friend's parent. The comfort, though, has definitely extended to his life outside of PS. All that said, it did take him a while to get used to this situation and, despite absolutely loving PS, he stuck quite close to the head teacher for the first year. (Thankfully, she really understood his approach to new situations and was extremely patient and loving towards him.)

He still will often choose to do an activity that is led by a parent he knows well, rather than one that seems quite up his alley, but is led by a parent he doesn't know as well. But, having the chance to get to know new parents at his own pace has been a very important experience for him and now (at age 5) he really likes to tell people about how he ''used to be really shy with people he didn't know.'' Good luck with your own decision. APS parent

Is there more gossip at a co-op?

I have been looking for a co-op preschool for my son to begin attending in September. I've just begun my research. So far they all seem to have similar philosophies, work loads, hours, and fees. I have not visited any schools yet. Recently I heard through a friend that another friend is hearing a lot of gossip at her co-op. Most of it concerns one mother. Now I'm starting to wonder whether this is a problem at all co-op preschools because the parents know each other so well. Could other co-op preschools parents share their experiences with gossip? Is this a common problem? Could anyone recommend schools where it is not a problem? anonymous

There are always people who need to gossip regardless of the school. It's not so hard to avoid it, though. Gossipy people know the ones who like it and the ones who don't, and if you don't seem like a gossip lover to them, they probably won't gossip to you!

Co-ops with a longer day

I have my daughter in a co-op preschool 2 mornings per week, but wondered if any of these schools in the East Bay offer a program with some full days or close to that (basically more than the 2- 3 mornings per week that most do). Anon