Pre School by Shawna Williams

Day care versus preschool is a fairly common debate in many households. I urge parents to use both day care and preschool as they were intended: daycare is to care for the child while their parent or guardian is unavailable and preschool is something that should be grouped with education rather than childcare.

Preschool is the preparation of a child for kindergarten.

They learn to cut with scissors and write their names along with color, number, and shape recognition. Some day cares may cover similar curriculum, but their priority is caring for the child while parents are at work, school, or are simply unavailable. Day care teaches children to dress themselves, to eat with a spoon, and to make friends with kindness and empathy.

Daycare is there to guide children and help them establish who they are as little people. The professionals of child care take the place of the parents in many instances: when the children skin their knees, or need to be reminded how they would like to be treated. These people are a big part of shaping the child into a responsible person. Preschool has very little to do with this portion of child-rearing. Preschool has guidelines that focus on the educating of the children.

The children who attend day care spend more time with their care givers than their parents through the week, therefore the education side of the childcare often takes a back seat to caring for the child. There is simply too much for the children to cover while in their care. The children only attend preschool do so for two or two and a half hours a few times a week. The professionals who work with these children have a strict schedule to adhere to, while day care schedules are quite often organized in such away to allow for child-like exploration or self-exploration at times.

Day cares and preschools have the same guidelines for many areas, but the bottom line is: day care is not a substitute for preschool. Children need to be exposed to a school-like environment before kindergarten to allow for an easier transition into school. Preschool is essentially pre-kindergarten.