Pre-School in SA

So DD1 will be 4 by the time Term 1 starts in 2012 - eeeek!! My premmie baby is growing up!!

I am unsure on what the story is with pre school in South Australia eg - must all kids go, is it in the kids best interest to go, or must they only 'really' attend pre-entry in the term prior to their school enrolment?

I am considering enrolling DD1 in the local pre school as I'm sure she'd benefit from it, but I'm interested in hearing about any other positive / negative pre school stories too. I'm in the north east of Adelaide - so any recommendations are also welcome ;)!

Hey Leesa

If you don't send them you have to explain yourself as to why I think. My XSIL basically forgot as it was many years between her last born being born and her current (now 5yr old) and he wasn't ready anyway with disabilities. He started attending kindy at 4.5yrs old.

Pre Entry is the term before they turn 4, and generally is one session a week. IMHO I think they do better going to kindy as it helps to also build up their social skills. Most kindys now run 5 half day sessions a week or you can opt (if the kindy allows) 2 full sessions an a half session.

Had it not been for kindy I wouldn't have been aware of Kameron's severe speech issues till he started school. They actually kept him back in kindy for 6mths as well to help develop his speech before sending him to school. Not sure how far North East you are, so can't recommend anything. The only one I could recommend in the North East is Ingle Farm Kindergarten as that is where I went 31yrs ago and it is still going strong.

can't help on the needing to attend pre-school but my CC does a kindy room (love my CC - it's sort of a blend between family day care and CC) Walkley Height Child Care Centre - Wright Rd Walkley Heights - it's behind the Foodland near the Walkley rd intersection. I think the actual address might by Homestead Rd Walkley Heights but I know it from the Foodland location more

(as an aside they actually are supportive of children with disabilities as the owners have 2 daughters who've disabilities and they couldn't find anywhere that would take their girls when they were little so they started their own CC)

there seem to be a few options.

either "straight" kindy - where a kindy ONLY offers kindy, four year olds are subsidised to attend four terms (before they start school) of kindy. morning sessions, afternoon sessions.

and then there are the childcare centres, who also run kindy programs. Same number of sessions, but you can have your child for example, in the morning kindy session, then childcare for the middle of the day (lunch), then back into the afternoon kindy session, then potentially, childcare for when the kindy session ends. So it's a mixed day for them. This option is more expensive than the "straight kindy" option.

the curriculum of kindy is very focused on getting children "school ready". Learning to write their own name, learning to take instructions, operate in groups, understand turn taking, being familiar with books and stories, the motorskills of using scissors, drawing and painting. There is less focus on imagination (e/g dressing up) than i would personally like.

I think dd would enjoy the additional stimulation; I think I will enroll her.

Thanks Kathryn, Liz and Gigi for your info. But on a sad note, my baby is growing up!