Preschool Insights and Experiences

[wkt]

daming question:
-when should i start enrolling my daughter for play-school? pre-school?
-ilang years ba yung 'usual' na pre-school before she needs to transfer into big school?  one year lang ba yun or 2 years?
-then pag sinabi bang big school, ano ang start nun, kinder/prep or grade 1 na?

sorry, mejo nalilito na din kasi ako.  dami na kasing terminology ngayon like junior casa then may kinder then may naririnig pa akong senior prep etc.  nung time ko kasi (80s), nursery -> kinder 1 -> kinder 2 -> grade 1 na. ... so, if grade 1 is 6 years old, nursery should be 3 years old? ganun ba yun?

general plan ko kasi, i-enroll ang daughter ko sa:
1. playschool muna - target is kalinga sa up diliman
2. pre-school - hopefully sa UP-CSC or baka sa bloomfields na lang which is near our place
3. big school - sana sa UPIS or grace christian school

my daughter is just about to turn 2 y.o. this coming december.  please advise... tia!

[swtgrl_bee]

^sis how much yung playschool sa Kalinga? thanks a lot

[princessmia08]

Open na Miriam College CSC for next year's enrollees.

So far, my daughter's enrolled here and she's having a blast. The values they are teaching her are excellent (she now prays on her own before she goes to bed and when you ask her to lead the prayer before meals, she'll gladly do it). Her confidence level became amazingly higher. Her social skills are getting better,

I love their activities and artworks too.

For my next kid, I'll enroll him/ her here too. Kasi pag boy naman, they usually top the entrance exam at Ateneo, then sa Ateneo na siya mag grade school

[marose17]

I'm excited to observe my elder child in class this coming Wednesday.  Then, two weeks from now, my husband and I will observe my younger child's class.

Share ko lang.  I am really happy about the changes in my sons ever since they started preschool.  They're more independent, sociable and most of all, they are really interested in learning.  They love books, simple art activities such as coloring, pasting, finger-painting, stamping, etc.  They rarely watch tv, which I like.  One of the reasons why I insisted on sending them to preschool is because I did not want them to develop a tv habit.

What's really good about their school is that we get reports every 15 days so that we are updated about what they do in school - from the materials they are learning to manipulate to the books read to them to the songs they sing in school. There are even anecdotes about them which I love reading.  I can also easily email the directress if I have any question or discuss matters that concern us with the teacher/s anytime.  I do not even need to wait for a parent-teacher conference to discuss things because I can easily approach the teacher and set a meeting or chat with her when I bring my kids to school.

I love and believe in the Montessori method so much, seeing how my kids have blossomed in their Montessori preschool, that I am seriously considering a Montessori grade school nearby over Ateneo.  Oh well, time will tell if my children are more suited to a Montessori vs. a traditional school.   As of now, I am researching and mulling over the options. 

[lilsaintsm0m]

Anyone knows how much ang preschool sa maria montessori in qc?

[mizhelle]

Journey to finding a good Preschool:First Stop: Cambridge Int'l School

[ichelie]

@marose, you have an older boy pala.  Thought you just have the twins.  Im happy to hear your boys are enjoying preschool and it seems that you are enjoying where they are.

My boy too is in a preschool in our place.  I put him in a known pre-school in Cainta - Colegio Sto. Domingo (Fe De Guzman Learning Center).  I like the student teacher ratio, 2:16.  They have 2 meetings per quarter with the parents to update the progress of the child.  Communications are sent early.  The activities are fun, interactive and multi-intelligence.  The programs and celebrations are integrated (not the traditional programs). And of course, my son loves the teachers and the activities.  Rates are relatively reasonable, conisdering included na lahat ng materials.  Im thinking of putting him there until grade school.  Ill see how the 2 preschool years would be for him.

Here's to share a post in shoosing the best school for our children: http://handymommy.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/the-best-school-for-our-children/

Just insights too, I heard from some learning experts that playschool or toddler class is not so developmentally appropriate for really young children - 1-3 years old.  Why?  These children should be learning skills at home, through their parents.  They are supposed to be establishing their routines set at home.  Why schools these classes?  Because many parents ask for it.  There's a truth to it too.  That we are the first teachers of our children - routines, basic skills and life skills whould be learned from us.  I think that when the children enter school, they should be emotionally and mentally ready.

At about nursery, 3-4 - classes sho uld be play and learning.
At kinder, 4-5 - classes should be learning with play.
Prep, 5-6 - classes are much serious, in prepration for grade schools.

These are all my insights and observations, as a parent and educator too.

[ellyn0803]

sis, how much sa Colegio Sto. Domingo (Fe De Guzman Learning Center)? tnx

[ichelie]

^ for Kinder 1 (3-4 years old), fees for 1 year totalled to about P37,000.  We paid semi-annual.  Inclusive of books.  The extras that I bought was uniform. from where are you sis?

[marose17]

@ichelie, my "older" boy is the firstborn of the twins.

[andreil_19]

@sis Mizhelle, my daughter is enrolled at Virgin Mary Immaculate (VMIS) last November nagkaroon sila ng open house and this coming SY doon ulit sya for Kinder.

They are traditional but they are not strict , the principal and teachers are approachable.Concern ko lang yung sa academics,some of the lessons kasi pang elementary na but my daughter managed to do well naman sa mga lesson nila.

[jojielyn]

im happy sa improvement ng daughter ko. 1st sem kaze i enrolled her sa OLL the one beside the stc pero wala akong nakikitang improvement sa kanya tsaka laging walang pasok meron ngang month na 1week lang yung pinasok tapos the 3weeks eh sem break daw. magbabayad ka ng buo tapos 1week lang ipapasok ng anak mo. kaya nilipat ko siya ng cambridge banawe, she started nov. and before xmas she know na how to write her name. Di kaze ako matyaga magturo kaya when she entered school shapes at iilang letters lang ang alam niya. Now she speaks english and medyo lumalawak ang vocabulary na ginagamit niya. nakakatuwa kaze kahit medyo pricey eh sulit naman

[mizhelle]

@sis Mizhelle, my daughter is enrolled at Virgin Mary Immaculate (VMIS) last November nagkaroon sila ng open house and this coming SY doon ulit sya for Kinder.

They are traditional but they are not strict , the principal and teachers are approachable.Concern ko lang yung sa academics,some of the lessons kasi pang elementary na but my daughter managed to do well naman sa mga lesson nila.

thanks sis.. di you have their contact infos? pa share naman kahit on PM.. i couldnt find any online e.. saka may trial classes din kaya sila? ive heard its around 50k jan no? and btw, so you're within my area din.. what else have you tried na? my tot is currently tryin our A+.. I will be sharing my feedback on it soon

here's my feedback on A-Plus Chinese Language Center and Preschool

[andreil_19]

^ yeah sis more than P50K+ for school fees.am not sure if may trial class sila but you can visit the school. For progressive school TU lang ang nasubukan namin when my tot was 2 yrs old pa lang. As much as i wanted to enroll her in progressive school budget affected kami I'll pm you the contact #.

[BAISANAN]

any feedback sa  feu-fern inside mapayapa vill.?

[iamhoney]

Have you guys heard of The Seed Montessori School? They sent me an email pertaining to my inquiry about their tuition fees. Here's their reply:

Casa: 41k; Grade school: 47k; HS: 52K... Please give some feedback re: this school.

Also how about NEST School of Tina Zamora?

Sis where is Seed Montessori? How's this school? How about Nest? Any feedback?

[mizhelle]

^^ thanks sis.. we'll call them soon!

[tle-pretty]

My daughter tried it in Kinder Explorers Playschool they are in between QC and San Juan (along M. Paterno). It's a school near Xavier and ICA. It's a progressive school and they are very good. They have an FB account with pictures of facilities posted there. Very nice!

[iamhoney]

Sis any feedback at Bridge Learning Center along quirino highway, novaliches. Tuition fee, curriculum, student-teacher ratio, etc.. Pls help. Thanks. How about any other progressive preschool along quirino novaliches. Thanks.

[pinkcoyote]

I would just want to share that mu husband and I are so happy and greatly satisfied with our daughter's improvements since we enrolled her in Kidschool Child Development Center. It was her first time/first year in school.. It was early last year when I started scouting for a preschool wothin our area (new manila, tomas morato, e.rodriguez, timog, scout area), actually there were many options sa area namin, some pa nga are also recommended by other gt moms, kidschool on the other hand, wala ako masyadon nakuhang feedback online kasi they dont do much marketing. Mostly referrals lang din ng parents ng students nila,that's how i actually discovered the school, it was referred to me by our neighbor since her panganay dun nagprep (nasa LSGH ngayon), and her bunso naman currently enrolled sa kidschool. Before my daughter started school, hindi ko talaga sya naturuan, she didnt even know pa how to hold properly a pencil, puro doodles lang nagagawa nya..she knows the alphabet though pero d ko naman sya naturuan nung phonetic sounds ng letters, (im a working mom kasi maiksi pasensya ko magturo sa bata)..then mga month of september last year she started reading na, then soon after she writes na. Now she enjoys doing both, she reads book, and she writes me short notes and put it on top of my dresser hehe cute. And she has also become more polite and articulate, shy kasi sya dati and snob. Ngayon natutuwa sa kanya mga tao even mga visitors na forst time nya lang mameet dinadaldal nya na, and she's magalang. =)