It's funny to me how the concerns change when one is looking back on things.
Here's what I want to know!
a) If you don't like whatever program you choose - how long to you have to keep paying for it?
b) If you have to join a program mid year - will any be availible?
c) How long a day is it?
d) How many days a week?
e) are any of the programs such that she will be able to interact with older children?
f) Does the Montessori Program seem to feature activities that would be at a good readiness level for your DD? Is your DD wildly asynchronous in the areas that the Montessori is teaching?
g) You say that the playbased preschool is 'just like what she's already done' - do you mean that she has interacted with others and done stuff like that without you or that you have dones stuff like that 'you and her?' If she's only done it with you before, perhaps it's a good 'babystep' for her to do what she knows without you? I don't know that answer, but I do know that it makes a big difference. Watching her with the Teachers will show a lot.
Personally when 'professionals' start talking about 'for the charts' I see flashing red lights and want to run in the other direction, because I am dealing with someone who is 'administering a system' instead of allowing themselves to connect with a living human. Was it the 'head teacher' who said that? It takes careful observation and imagination to 'know' a child, not following a manual. OTOH, if your daughter is perhaps on the young side, and is natually ready to fit their system, perhaps it would work well in spite of the ridgidity.
My kid was very very ansychronous, so that's why the flashing red lights.
It sounds like you are looking to start in September...is there any way she can sign up for a few sessions of each in advance? Can she start in September in two places and transition if needed?
One more thought. My son enjoyed every school environment he was ever in - for the first 6 weeks. When he likes something, he LOVES it, when he dislikes something, he CANT BEAR it. He's not a Drama Queen, and is quite stoic in his approach, but his feeling tend to be very strong. So watch her reactions, but if you have to committ for any length of time, throw in a heavy does of 'Mom Sense.'
Best Wishes,
grinity
Thank you for this reply:)
Well, I went for another visit at the playbased preschool and registered dd there. it is only $25 to register, so I can easily change my mind. I asked a lot more questions about the schedule and the particulars of it all and I do feel really comfortable sending her there. it looks like so much fun...but even as I type that I wonder if it is still too much of what we already do. Who knows.
You have some good questions Grinity...
a. I have to keep paying for teh programs for 2 months after I give notice. The program are about the same price and 2 months would cost around $300...not a huge problem.
b.Mid year is not a problem at either school, but it would be in the afternoon program, as the monrings fill up.
c. 2 hours (montessori), or 2.5 hours (playbased) per day.
d. 2 days a week
c.right now, most of the montessori room looks like it would be a nice challenge for dd. Even the language centre focuses on cursive and we have not touched that, so she may not even recognize many of the letters.
d. The playbased preschool is exactly what we already do, but you are right she is always with me. There are toys (free play), snack time, gym or outside time and circle time. Circle time consists of a coupel of songs and then learning about numbers, letters and colours (she will be bored but it is only 15 minutes or so).
The play based preschool starts a couple of months later than the montessori because she must be 3 to start in the playbased school...so she couldn't start in both in september.
When the teacher told me about the proper order for completeing the tasks etc, something inside me defintely didn't like that. I don't see how a 3 year old would enjoy being told, no you can't do that right now you have to do this taks first. I just don't think it would go over very well...but then again I have no idea what dd will be like in that setting. She is not able to have a trial run for a day or two, unfortunatley...they just don't allow it.
