The Princeton Review for 3-year-olds? It may sound a bit crazy but many parents are signing their tots up for prep programs to help their offspring gain admission into the top public and private elementary schools of their choice. That's right, elementary. Often the trendsetting city, New York has a handful of tutoring companies
">like Bright Kids NYC that will coach children in learning visual analogy, reasoning and other "gifted" talents. If their child scores well, their chances of getting into a public school "gifted" program are increased. Prices range between $90 - $145 a session, which may seem outrageous but when compared to a $20K kindergarten tuition at a private school, it's a bargain.
Quick to follow in New York's footsteps, many other cities are starting to see these types of businesses taking off. Many argue it creates an unfair playing field as some parents can't afford to partake in such programs. Others believe it's ludicrous to put that kind of pressure on such a young child. What's your take on such programs?
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We're getting to a point where preschool/kinder prep is becoming almost mandatory to keep up, and it makes me incredibly sad. They're KIDS. Let them be kids.
I also don't think that it's a "bargain," even in comparison to private school tuition. It's ridiculous.
1I a successful, well rounded adult and I managed to get through college and law school without kindergarden prep. Give me a freaking break. Push kids too hard at too young an age (at any age) and watch them rebel. they are CHILDREN. they have their entire lives for prep courses and work.
2Regular preschool is kindergarten prep, and that should be plenty. If your kid is actually "gifted", he or she should be able to get into the program without any extra training.
3I watched Nursery University and it was ridicolous..made laugh so much..there stimulation and there is pushing it.
4I have been a Kindergarten teacher for over 25 years. The amount of curriculum that I am required to teach these small children has changed in leaps and bounds over the years. The one thing that hasn't changed is the age of the children. 25 years ago, we had snack, sang songs, put on plays, went out to recess. Now we sing a little, have a quick snack but mostly do curriculum that used to be saved for first grade. We are asking so much of these young brains that are still in the developmental stages of learning. Children will learn when they are ready to and not before. I ask that all parents read and talk to their children in the 5 years leading up to Kindergarten. The standardized testing comes soon enough (for us here in Virginia, fall of Kindergarten is when testing starts) and then there is no end to it. Let your child be a child and when he/she is developmentally ready, he/she will learn and will amaze you, but not before. I do not believe that any Kindergarten can prepare you for an Ivy League School.
5@Chouette4u -- you are so right, if your child is gifted, they don't need prep. I also wonder how well these kids perform in the long run.
6Of course
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