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Our 2 year old went to Montessori and learned so much this year. It's hard to put into words what she learned, but her conversations deepened, her sense of autonomy exploded and her self-assurance blossomed. I don't know how other preschools are, but ours is amazing.

@Mrs. Jacks: exactly this...my son's not in Montessori, but the change since he started attending is huge.

We went to a birthday party in January, and he was shy, we had to leave after an hour. Fast forward to another party at the end of March, we practically had to drag him out of the party. His self confidence had skyrocketed.

@Maysprout: It depends on what you think you can provide, you know?

Academically, and I use that term loosely, my son has learned things as well...it depends if you think it's important for them to know their colors, shapes, etc. Some parents don't worry about that until later (this was common where I used to live). I mean, they're two, I don't expect them to learn how to read, but sing the alphabet song, identify some letters, that kind of thing. It's not that I couldn't provide that at home, but in reality, with another child, you have limits on your time!

It depends on the preschool and the daycare. Much of a 2 year old's learning is through play (as it is throughout childhood.) If there's too much focus on lining up, sitting down, and doing art projects the way the teacher does because it's "preschool," then daycare might be just as good, depending on the environment of the daycare. I say go and look around at the environment. Look at the dress up areas (looking for diversity, enough materials for the kids), the art areas (do all those shown look the same), the outdoor area, etc..look and see if they are something you think is worthwhile. And look at if the kids look happy and engaged.

Just my two cents. My lo is younger and right now I'm a sahm but my grad degree focuses on early childhood...sorry for the novel, I tried to be as brief as I could.

@Maysprout: Ours has a curriculum, it's just self-directed. You can read about montessori to better understand the philosophy.

@Maysprout: I don't have a LO in preschool or daycare, so please take this with a large grain of salt. However, I think one of the biggest differences that can exist between daycare and preschool is the overall intent of the program. A daycare and a preschool could both be play-based, but while a daycare's primary focus is to provide childcare for parents who have to work, a preschool's primary focus is the enrichment of the child.

This not to say that there are not excellent daycares that function essentially as preschools (rather than simply babysitting). In fact, most daycare centers I have researched transition to more of a preschool model at about 2 years old. However, that is the distinction in my mind. It doesn't mean that preschool needs to be more academic in their curriculum to qualify as a preschool. I hope that makes sense!

@Mrs. Jacks: That's a great point! I didn't want to come across like daycare providers are somehow less qualified or lower quality than preschool, but only that the goals of a preschool (and the parents of the preschoolers) may be somewhat different from a daycare, and so that can affect the overall experience, even if the preschool is not super academic in focus.

I firmly believe that the best preschools serve more of a social learning and socialization function, rather than an academic (* http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Ed_Academic_Preschools/, et al.) because research is pretty clear that pushing for academic learning at earlier developmental stages serves no long-term benefits and can actually lead to burn-out and frustration for the kids. This is different from a responsive environment which is open to providing information, resources, and discussion related to a child's expressed interests. That type of "academic" learning is less problematic. A good preschool (or daycare) provides a nurturing environment where children can learn both more about themselves and about their peers. This function can also be served at home. I would have your expectation be more that she have a good time, has an opportunity to play with peers/other children, and is in a safe and nurturing environment. I hope she loves it there!