What is the difference between preschool and daycare? I was just looking up ages and saw they were separated.
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Preschools have a "curriculum". At the least it's more of a schedule, with emphasis on developing skills and learning. Daycare is more about play. Though, larger daycare centers seem to do both. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong
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At our school the preschool (starting at age 2) has a specific curriculum that they follow with more specific goals, for example learning the colors. We get a detailed list of what they will be learning each month. The nursery does have monthly themes for activities but it is mostly play based.
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@Weagle: our daycare has a curriculum. LO has a very structured day it's just more age appropriate.
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@littlek: Does he go to a larger center? My BFF's son goes to this amazing daycare that has a pretty structured day (music time, art, play, etc). He definitely gets more structured activity than LO does - in a good way! I have not the patience to do some of the things that they do
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@Weagle: yes, he does. It's an amazing curriculum. We choose the center based on curriculum.
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I thought day care was more "I work all day and someone needs to take care of my kid" and preschool was more for kids who stayed home with their parent. I thought it was sort of like pre-kindergarten. A place to learn about a classroom structure and some skills like colours and numbers and stuff.
Our day care does a ton of learning stuff with almost all ages of kids, but as they get older, they have more structured reading, writing and math times and activities.
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Preschool starts at 3 at our center and it has a curriculum. There is also a young preschool that starts at 2.5 that is half daycare/preschool.
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@Weagle: gotcha. Thank you
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Preschool is also a lot shorter, like 4 -5 hours max, where daycare runs earlier and later.
My son learned songs, colors, numbers, shapes and letters in daycare. He even learned some Spanish.
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@looch: That is true of all of the preschools we're looking at right now. Which is fine, because I'm a SAHM. I think I would feel weird sending her all day when it's not becessary. Overall, I have low expectations of preschool academia, but this child needs to be around people to be happy. And I think she will actually love the classroom aspect of it.
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@JennyD: Agreed. Daycares can & usually do have curriculum when it becomes age appropriate. I think the biggest difference is that daycares operate on a schedule that works for working parents, and preschools operate more on a traditional school schedule. Not only do most preschools end at 2 or 3pm, but they are often closed over the holidays & the summer.
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Depends on your daycare. Ours is very structured with curriculum from the start. Once the kids get to a certain age it is automatically "preschool." But regardless they are learning stuff that is age appropriate throughout.
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I called around and most preschools here are on school schedule. Not open in the summer, snow days, etc. Not a good working mom option
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I don't think there are educational differences. I think the differences are in scheduling and logistics. Daycare starts younger and goes through the summer/breaks etc because parents need care. They generally move to a preschool curriculum as is age appropriate.
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@JennyD: that's what I thought, too.
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My kids attend the Malvern School and good grief don't call it a daycare center in front of the director
Its from 6 weeks to 8 yrs (before and after school for older kids)
Starting at 12 months you are on a schedule/curriculum. The teachers actually submit lesson plans on a weekly basis for what the kids will be doing/learning. There is foreign language, civility lessons, arts, special guests, computer time, etc.
School is open year round but the summer program is a little less "learning" and more fun with weekly field trips and swimming starting at age 4.
I love it and its totally worth the $$$!
I have friends whose children go to daycare and its basically someone watching your child and keeping them safe - arts and crafts are included but no learning per say - not saying ALL daycares are like this but the ones I am familiar with are.
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My day care is curriculum based. Even in the infant room. They have a lesson plan every day.
I agree with @JennyD: I think of day care as an all day thing. Preschool is more of a couple hours in the morning type thing.
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@Mamaof2: Mine is the same way......it is the Goddard School, not day care! I still call it day care.
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My daughter goes to Goddard and my understanding is that there is overlap between the preschool and daycare programs, with the curriculum being the same for everyone, but those enrolled in preschool having shorter hours, abbreviated schedules (sometimes just 2-3 days a week), and the option not to attend during summer. At age two, the daycare kids are in preschool though (5 days per week). Right now I tell her she is going to school, but to other parents I refer to Goddard as daycare....I think when she's a little older, I will universally refer to it as school/preschool.
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here daycare is for kids 3 months and up. starting from 2 they have preschool programs that are more structured. there definitely is a difference here between daycare and preschool.
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My son's school is divided by nursery and preschool. Nursery is 18 months to 3ish. Preschool is about 3.5 to 5 or 6, depending on when the kid starts school. It's a Montessori school, so the nursery is still somewhat scheduled. I understand that the preschool follows a curriculum.
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