Preschool or Pre K?
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Preschool or Pre K?
| Mon, 02-05-2007 - 2:36pm |
Howdy! My daughter is 4 and is on track with everything developmentally except her language skills. Her speech sounds much more immature than the other kids her age but when I took her to a speech therapist when she was 3, I was told that she is within the "normal" range. She can't say the K sound and other sounds and kids her age will say "How come she can't say that word right?" or "How come she talks like a baby?" Since her birthday is after the school cutoff, she is currently in a preschool class for 3 year olds. Next school year (Aug '07), I can either keep her at the preschool she is at or try to get her into the Pre Kindergarten class at the local elementary school. The preschool is M-Th 9-1, Pre K is M-F 7:45-2:15 (a full school day). At the preschool, she would be old for her class; she will be turning 5 in Oct and most of the kids would be 4. At the Pre K, there would be more 5 year olds. I'm torn because I'm not sure if she could handle a full school day and I'm thinking about putting off the full school day until she starts Kindergarten (when she is 6). I'm afraid of sending her to Pre K and the other kids make fun of her for talking like a baby. I thought that by keeping her in preschool 1 more year, it might give her more time to catch up with her speech skills. Plus, she seems "young" for her age. But, if she is surrounded by other kids her age that speak well, maybe it will help her to catch up. Don't know what to do. Anyone have any advice?
Signatures On
| Mon, 02-05-2007 - 6:12pm |
Does the preschool she attends not offer a pre-K? I don't know where you live, but all the ones I've seen were together, and the pre-K were for the students who would be turning 5, but missed the cut off date to start Kindergarden. They were in the same building/area as the preschool though. Just because the school offers all day pre-K doesn't mean you have to put her in there does it?

| Mon, 02-05-2007 - 6:29pm |
In my son's school district, he needed speech therapy because he had toruble with some letters.He also needed social interaction because he quit trying to talk for awhile.So at 2,he had Headstart and ToddleTime through the county.Then when he was 3,he went to 4K in school(no pre-school).He got into 4K earlier because of the speech therapy. He stayed in 4K for 3 yrs.,then he was in 5K for 1 yr.(he missed the age cutoff date by 5 days that si why he was in 4K 3 yrs.) Sorry,got side tracked. 4K was half a day,5K was all day.There is no preschool and I preferred it this way. Much more one on one help at school with specialized therapists.He is nwo in 5th grade and is 11 so everythign is different now.LOL.
| Tue, 02-06-2007 - 12:46am |
Hi I can relate to you. My daughter who is now 9 has been in speech since she started 1st grade. Her teachers said she was fine that she would catch up eventually with her speech but I couldn't just leave it alone I had to ask severly times to have her evaluated and I pretty much demanded for her to be put in speech. I think maybe leave her in preschool one more year. Find out if there's a speech class avaliable for her. I took my daughter to speech at 3 at a local elemantary school in our district. She has a hard time with the letter r it sounds like w. We practice at home with poems, riddles and we ask her to say words with the letter while we're in the car. Try to make it fun. Little by little she is getting better! Remember every child is special and unique! We can't compare them to other children their age. I use to compare her to my friends kids and then one day I realize she is my daughter and when she's ready she will catch up at her own pace. Why rush her. Be concern if it gets worse otherwise I say let her be and just get her help if it's avaliable. My daughter didn't start to put sentences together until she was close to 4 yrs. Now I have a 5yr old son who began talking at 3 and I also have a 2 yr who talks more than they did at that age. Don't worry she'll be fine. Good luck.

