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My DD4 went last year to a very small co-op preschool. It cost 1/3 the cost of my son's preschool and I actually like it a better! It is play/social based but it is very individualized for each child. They are always modifying projects, information based on the needs of individual children. I do have to say, many GT kids have gone through this program. They typically have 2-3 kids a year that are reading (out of 20). Being really involved at the school helps as well.

What is a co-op preschool? I am not familiar with this. Living in the Bible Belt, my town is flooded with church-based preschools galore. With the little research I have done, some sound pretty religious while most do not seem to stress religion. I'm interested to know what a co-op preschool has to offer.

co-op preschool is a preschool where the parents take turns as a teacher aid. Let's say you need to come to preschool once every 2 weeks a spent your time there helping the teacher.

I personally am not a big fan of this. It introduces lots of inconsistency and if your child likes a structure this may not be for her. Every parent aid does things differently, they may discipline children very differently or may not bother to discipline at all. They may favor their own kids or their friends. The good thing is when you are there as an aid you really get to know how your kid is doing, who her friends are, and what's going on in the classroom.

When DS5 was in his last year of preschool, his class aid left and parents subbed there for about a month before a new aid was hired. I really hated the inconsistency of it, and DS5 was acting out a lot at home at during that period.

Thanks for the advice. My DD really thrives on routine and structure so I don't think that would be a very good fit for her. We'll stick to a more traditional preschool!

Isn't it amazing when you hear a totally unexpected thing come out of their mouths at this age? My son turned 3 last Thursday. He opened and read all his birthday cards out loud without assistance. In the past week, he's picked up the phrase "independent play" and used it properly. As in, "Mommy, I'm going to get 10 minutes of independent play before we put on my jammies." He's also mastered compromise, both the word and the concept. We employ this one deciding how many bedtime stories he gets before lights out. Fun stuff. Now if I could only get him to grasp potty training!

I wanted to tell you that DS has been in a full day "pre-school" now for a while and I was worried that he'd be bored silly and act out. What has ended up happening is a whole lot of play and he's become the resident "go to" guy for stories. His teachers report that during free time, he'll often be found reading books to the other kids. Or looking at the calendar with them. Helping.

He loves his school and although it's not a trend I want to have continued when he hits "real" school, being a helper to his teachers and relating to his classmates in this way is just fine for now.

What I like in the school is the structure, the social interaction (he may be able to read a book about sharing to another kid, but that doesn't mean he likes to actually share) and all the really fun play activities they do.

I'll get serious about school expectations when he turns 5 (I'm pretty much convinced we're going to have to come up with some creative planning for him from the get-go), but for now, I'm just really happy he's going to a place he loves. He'll get the nourishment his brain needs at home and with outside resources.

By the way, today was Water Day at his school. He may be one smart cookie, but who doesn't love running through an Elmo sprinkler with a bunch of friends? Heck, that sounds good to me and I'm 37!

Especially on these summer days when it's 187 degrees in the shade!

Nice post! Thanks for sharing that.

I expect that co-op preschools, like all kinds of preschools, are quite variable. A lot depends of the group of parents and the head teacher. I had a friend whose kids thrived in a co-op. They had a great hired teacher (certified in early childhood ed etc) who really led the show and the parents just helped out on the side, but always following the teacher's rules. After about 3 years, the teacher left; they had a hard time finding a good replacement, and the co-op went down hill to the point where my friend pulled her child out. Again, it is important to look at the specific programs, not just the type of program.

In general, a co-op preschool sounds a bit on the unstable side although I'm sure there are programs out there that are great. I've been searching for preschools quite extensively these past couple of days and have not found one co-op program. I don't really feel the urge try and find one either. I think my DD needs something a little different. She can be manipulative (one of her favorite things is to act like she doesn't understand what you're saying, even though she does), and I think she needs to have a very structured setting with more reliable staffing.

This thread has provided me with some good information about what to look for in a preschool. Thanks everyone for the info. Keep it coming; I'm always up for more.

Our co-op has 2 early childhood teachers that are paid to be there full time and do all the curriculum. There are only 20 kids in the program (in 2 classrooms - they shuffle the kids 3X during the year. The shuffle is very intentional in terms of kid's temperaments and needs). You get to know the families and the kids really well. Co-ops are very family/teacher dependent in terms of quality. I would guess the majority of kids in this school are MG+ based on the population it is serving. It is a really great set up for us. I can't think of a better fit for my DD. Our volunteer requirements are actually quite minimal at our co-op. The day to day routine is actually more structured and stable than my son's high buck preschool.

So at the end of the day, I personally think all schooling comes down to the teacher who is going to be with your child most of the time. Is it a teacher who pigeon holes the kids or does the teacher honor each child as an individual with strengths and weaknesses?