Hi! My name is Jackie and I blog at Pocketful of Posies where I share my preschool lesson plans as well as all sorts of activities for young children. I would like to thank the Queen (Who I have probably known since she was a preschooler.) for allowing me to share my thoughts about preschool with you today.
My oldest two children did not attend preschool before starting public school. While I was able to teach them the academic skills they needed, I knew they needed opportunities to socially interact with other children their ages. Here are a few ways I was able to accomplish this frugally.
- Enroll Your Child in a Class: One thing I did for my daughter was to enroll her in dancing lessons the year before she started Kindergarten. The once a week class gave her the experience of having a teacher, and she was able to interact with other children her age. While this wasn’t free, it did cost us less than what preschool would have.
- Library Story Time: Our local library offers a story time once a week during which the librarian reads a couple of stories to the children and provides a craft for the children to complete. Not only does story time promote a love of reading, but my children also learned how to listen to other adults and interact with other children. Plus, the cost was free.
- Sunday School and Church: Attending church each week has always been a great way for my children to learn about our faith and to have social interaction with other children their ages.
Many public schools offer a developmental preschool program. These programs are usually available to qualifying children once they turn three, and transportation and meals are often provided. While most children attending have developmental delays, the programs often accept other children. If this is of interest to you you can contact your local school corporation for more details.
If your child is going to attend daycare, it might be worth finding a daycare that also provides a preschool program. Many daycare providers will teach preschool to the children who are of preschool age. This will more than likely be included in the cost of daycare.
There are many churches who provide preschool programs. While their prices are similar to private preschools and preschools at daycares, they are an option. Some parents I know have either substitute taught or work as teachers or assistants at the church preschools their children attended. They were able to save money on their tuition this way.
This is what I consider my preschool to be. I charge one flat rate per month and provide all of the materials for my students. Montessori preschool programs would also fall under this category.
Of course, we’d LOVE for you to come back anytime Lady Jackie! Thanks for these tips and we look forward to MANY more.
If you are interested in guest posting on the Back to School Bonanza, please e-mail me! I’m particularly looking for posts sharing tips to saving with a student in Middle School, Shoe shopping tips, and sports/extra curricular savings!
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