How many years do kids go to preschool?

My kids were born in Feb. So next fall they'll be 2.5 and eligible to begin most preschool programs. But my understanding is that they can't begin K until 5. Which would mean 3 yrs of preschool. Is that typical? Is that too many yrs of preschool? Or do we "hold" them back and start preschool later?

 

Here kids go to preschool once they are actually 3, and then can have up to two years of preschool until they go to Kindergarden

 

It depends. Lots of programs offer "preschool" at any age. The cutoff in CA for Kindergarten, is that kids must be 5 by Dec. 2. If you sent your kids to preschool next year, then yes they would go for three years.

Traditionally preschool is for two years. The first year is for two days a week. The second year is for three days a week. The following year, they would start kindergarten. Traditional preschools may then also require that your child be 3 by the same Dec. 2 cutoff. Yours would not make that cutoff, but there are lots of preschools/daycares out there that will take kids earlier than that. (And FYI, kindergarten is not manditory in CA.)

I guess you just have to look at what you want out of a preschool program. And I think that developmentally, they are going to get something different out of school at 2.5 than they will at 3.5. My kids have a March b-day, and we are not starting preschool next year. We will still wait one more you. I want them to be potty trained (one down, one to go), more independent, more verbal, and just simply older.

We hope to attend a coop preschool through our city, if we get in on lottery (for two spots, I am not holding my breath). To attend that program, my kids must be 3 by Dec. 2.

 

I don't think there's a guideline about "too many" years of preschool -- it just depends when you want to send them and how much you want to pay for. I suppose some preschools may have a rule about not accepting a child who will be too young for K in 2 years, because they have a limited number of slots and only want kids to stay 2 years... but that would be up to the school. (Also, some may have rules about being PT'd.) But if you want to send them now and have them go for 3 years, and the school will let you do that, there's no reason not to.

 

Obviously in england it is very different. Here your child can go to nursery school from 6 months on to 4 or 5 years (my boys started at age 2). Then they start school. For some reason girl schools take them at age 4 and pure boys schools at age 5.
I still don't know where to send my children to school (would be in a year and a bit anyway, because they have an october birthday and our cutoff is in july).
Their two older brothers go to the american school which I really like (it is terribly expensive but it is co-ed, it has a lot of freedom, no uniforms, recess...), but you have to want to keep them in the american system all the way through to their SATs. However my boys are probably going to go to uni (if they go) in Britain and therefore need A-levels. So I don't think the american school is right for us.
Finding the right school in London is very very difficult and I hate that private schools are the only ones we are going to apply to, because the state schools are terrible!!

Ok I realize this had nothing to do with your question, but however, my boys will have been in preschool for 3 years by the time they move on to school.
Millie

 

We are going for 2 years. They started at age 3 & had to be potty trained. This was 3 days a week. In august they will go 5 days, but only for 3 hours a day. They will start K when they are 5.

 

We're starting preschool in Sept and they will have just turned two. I never thought about it, but that will make 3 years of preschool. However, the preschool isn't really "school", I guess it's more like advanced daycare. It's only two hours a day, twice a week. I really need the break, and feel they could use some more exposure to other children and being without me for a little bit.

 

My girls miss the cut off date since they were born in Nov and I think our cut off is in Oct. They went to preschool last year for 3yr olds (it's just what they call it even though many of the kids were only a month or two younger than my girls) and they went for 2days a wk 3 hrs a day. Now this year they are in the 4yr old class (even though they will be 5 in Nov) and will go 4 days a week but still 3hrs a day (I could have done full days if I wanted to pay more). Then they will go into K. So they will have two years of preschool. I chose to send them for 2yrs because I thought they needed to be around other children their age more and needed to have someone else to listen too. My preschool is in a church and the kids have to be potty trained to go there. For me I wanted them to go for two years but that was me, I really think it's up to you and what you want to do with your children. It really helped them socialize more and they really enjoyed it so I'm glad I sent them. I'm sure they would have been fine with only going one year but I thought it would be good for them since I just had my son too and thought this could be something special that they could look forward to. They loved school and looked forward to it most days.

 

Most preschools around here have a 3 year old program and a 4 year old program. Mine are the same age as yours and I will not be sending them until they are 3.5 (that fall) that would make 2 years of preschool and they will begin K when they are 5.5.

Some schools around here do have 2 year old class, but there aren't many of them.

My oldest DD went to 2 years of preschool.

 

K&K did two years of preschool and will be entering Kindergarten at 5 years 11 months, they started preschool at 3 years 11 months.

 

Thx for the info and advice. We are in Calif so cutoff is Dec1 and we have February girls.

follow up:

DH has a daycare/preschool at his work campus. They have daycare for under 2. 24-36 months is like a pre-preschool. then 3 up is like regular preschool.

I think we are going to put them in as soon as possible (year long waiting list). They'll turn 2 in Feb, but probably won't be openings until summer or fall. Probably 3 mornings a week. Basically, I just really need them out of the house! I guess it'll be okay for them. The non-stop chaos is wearing on me and my chronic illnesses. I think I'll probably be more than ready (a year from now) to put them in. Hopefully it's not "bad" for them to have 3 yrs of preschool (especially since the first 6 months or so we'll be the pre-preschool until they turn 3 in Feb 09.)

It's supposed to be a good program. We'll tour it in a couple wks. Atleast we get a discount since it's affiliated with his work. Paying for 3 yrs of daycare/preschool is gonna be $$$$$$$$$. (the downside to sunny Calif is the cost of everything!)