2 Day or 4 Day Preschool for a 4 Year Old?

I agree with Lovemy2kids. I think the 4 day program will get him used to a regular school week. I would put him in the 4 day program.

I had my kid enrolled on 2 different classes when he was in pre-school, just so he could attend days instead of 3 when he was 3 yrs. I personally thing that the 4 day will get him more used to a regular school week for when he gets to kindergarten and you still would have all afternoon and 3 day weekend with him.
Good luck!!!

Personally I would only do two days and only until 1:45. Those are long days for a pre-schooler. Of course kindergarten is only 1/2 day here, so no need to get kids used to such long hours. Anyway, I would be making most of the time you have left at home with him.

ETA: I guess it depends on what you do if he stays home. If you plan on hanging around the house, then sure, school might be more fun, but if you are the type to do fun outings and playgroups everyday, let him enjoy that with you.

Please try to do what's best for your son and not what's best for you (your other kids won't care, they aren't even old enough to play with him.) If he loves it let him go, more often and shorter days if possible, Children want to be around other children not sitting at home with their mothers and babies/toddlers. I'm sure you spend plenty of time with him in the afternoons, evenings and weekends, reading, making dinner, playing outside, watching TV, all that family stuff. Let him play with friends during the day, IT'S FUN.

every kid is different.
for me, more time at home doing fun things and having amazing adventures with his mom would trump being 'prepared' for kindergarten and learning how to 'socialize' every single time.
breaks my heart how many little preschool people are being institutionalized for 'preparation' when there are options. how i would have loved to keep my kids out of preschool for a few days per week.
all that precious, precious time i can never get back for them.
khairete
S.

I would go with the 4 days a week option at regular hours. He will get used to longer days when he is in kindergarten but in the mean time he will have something fun to do 4 days a week and you will have your afternoons with him. Also, kindergarten is so different than preschool. Preschool was nothing but fun for my daughter although their was an academic portion to it. Kindergarten was a lot of sitting still and work.

I would do the shorter days for sure.

It's too bad they don't offer 3 days. Could he be put on a wait list for that? That was ideal for us too.

Four days is a lot if you don't need to have him there 4 days. But if he loves it, 4 part days might work really well for him. That still gives you three days of family time and afternoons.

Good luck :)

I would do 2 days. I'm a big believer in the idea to keep your children children as long as possible. School is great. He learns, he has fun, he meets other kids...there's tons of benefits. But, why send him more than he has to go. There's tons of benefits of being home and bonding with mom and siblings and having time to play and explore. Assuming that he is developmentally appropriate in academics and social skills, I think 2 days is just fine. In just one year he will be in K and there's no turning back. You may not have a half day option for K, most schools are doing away with it, and so he will be away from you, his siblings, your house, his toys, etc. for 8 hours every day, for 9 months a year, for the next 13 years.

I personally believe that if you have the option to have him with you, that's the best choice for him. He's going to school 2 days/week, I think extending at least one of those days is great for both of you, and you should absorb all those moments before he starts "big" school.

If you do the 2 day normal hours he is still getting 9 hrs a week. 3:45 would be such a long day and he is not used to that. He has the rest of his childhood to be in school. I would spend this time with him.

Added: is this for the remainder of this year, or next Sept? If it is next year I would go 4 day, shorter hours.

He should go as many hours as possible. Every other kid in that area is going as many hours as they can and he should be in Pre-K this year anyway. They go to school the same days and hours as the other elementary school kids.

If you can't get him enrolled in the local elementary school Pre-K class then put him in as many hours of pre-school as you can. I'd rather have the Pre-K class though. They are overseen by the school district and have a curriculum they follow to get the kids ready for kindergarten.

Not extended day and 4 days a week. Why? 2 days a week is not routine enough. The extended hours aren't addition learning hours but daycare you don't need.

Four days. My DD really benefited from the full week and enjoyed the occasional extended days. If you want time with him, consider half days, but 4 days a week.

I'd also go 4 days, regular/shortest hours. It's the best prep for the regular schedule of kindergarten. That's what he needs to be "prepared" for kindergarten. He does not need academics for kindergarten! You'll still have 1 days plus afternoons to spend time with the family - but he needs the structure far more than he needs to be with a 2 year old and a newborn. Are you sure this isn't, in part, due to your wish to keep him little just a bit longer?? I can understand that, but I don't think it's best for him. That's what vacations and summers are for. Jumping from 2 days now to 5 days next year will be a huge shock otherwise!

if it were my child, i would have her doing the 2day extended. and i am basing that off of her personality. she couldn't handle 4 half days. she would be a mess. (she will be 4 soon.)
since its your child you should rerally go with your gut and base it on how your child is. if he loves the routine of it then 4 short days would be better. if he just loves being there then 2 long days so you can spend time with him.
if i were faced with this question when my son were 4 i would of done the 4 short days. because he is different than his sister and wouldn't do well with the 2 long days. (he is nearly done with full day kindergarten and loves it)

Four days will be the best prep for K. It will be easier to have a consistent schedule. I wouldn't do the extended hours.

Find out what happens from 1:45 - 3:45. Will he be forced to nap? Do you want him to nap? A lot of schools have afternoon naps so decide whether you want him to, and whether you want to pay for him to nap at school.

If it was me, I would choose two days a week. I think four days, especially since it doesn't end until at least 1:45 will prevent you from doing other fun things with him before he starts daily kindergarten. I loved being able to do other activities with my kids - playgroups at the park, meeting up with friends, dance/gymnastics, etc. If we only had one free weekday each week, a lot less of that would happen.

Kinder is only half day where I live, so my daughter still finishes at 11:30 every day. I think 9:15 - 3:45 is a really long day for a four year old. I get it for kids with working moms, but since it sounds like you stay home, I'd go for a shorter option.

We had our son in pre k five days a week from 8:30- 3:30. He had been in daycare before that. Kids are adaptable and can adjust to whatever schedule you choose. See what works best for your family.

Given your options I would opt for extended days. That way you might get something done while he is in school