Preschool (and grade school)

[jeepin4x4james]

Our triplet boys turn 3 tomorrow, and we’re considering preschool.
Who’s had their kiddos in preschool? Thoughts? Worth it? Where did they go? We’re in Bluffdale for reference.

And on the school note… public, academy, challenger, ….?

Honestly a lot of it would be just to have a little time at home with them not at home, and know that they’re safe.

 

[nnnnnate]

Our 7 year old did preschool when he was 4 at the local public school. We plan to put our 2 year old in public preschool next school year. We are in granite school district.

For our older son we wanted him there more for social interaction. He had learned everything he needed to from mom and grandma but hadn't done much with other kids. My younger is going to need more help with his learning now that grandma isn't around anymore, she was a teacher.

Granite does mostly half day preschool and you have to pay for it, unless you qualify for free tuition. It was by month so if you weren't liking how things were going you could bail or find something different without much trouble.

 

[Tonkaman]

I think kids kinda let you know when they are ready for more mental and social stimulation. If you can swing it and you think they would benefit, then do it.

As far as which school, I have a quick story. A good friend of mine put his daughter into challenger at the same time we put ours into a charter school. Fast forward to 5th grade and his daughter is YEARS ahead in education, but behind on social skills. It also cost them something like $1k a month 😳

 

[jeepin4x4james]

I need to start looking at costs, that could be a deciding factor with 3 of them going in.

I’d like to have them around more kids at a young age so they don’t become codependent… maybe too late, I dunno.

Obviously I want them to have every advantage and opportunity, but damn if it’s $1k/month each I don’t know about that!

 

[nnnnnate]

Preschool Locations – Jordan Child Development Center

jcdc.jordandistrict.org

Preschool Registration – Jordan Child Development Center

jcdc.jordandistrict.org

Looks like it's $100 a month. I'm pretty sure that's the same as in granite sd. Not every school offers preschool so check that first link and see which location is closest to you.

I'm pretty sure @Stephen 's best half works in an elementary school in bluffdale. She was at my son's school last year.

 

[nnnnnate]

I know there are lots of charter schools around and lots of people seem to really like them. My wife is a school psychologist in draper and my mother in law taught kindergarten and first grade her whole career. Because of that public school bias my kids will obviously be attending public school.

The closest school to our (current and last house) didn't have great testing scores. Different schools but they both were lower than others close by. Being public school you can apply for a waiver and if it's accepted (basically first come first serve) you can go to whatever school you want. Eli started at Armstrong Elementary which was a few miles away but was a STEM school and still granite district. He did preK and K there and tested into the advanced learner program and moved to a "magnet school" that ended up being a little closer to our house. He did 1st last year and is in 2nd this year at west Valley elementary which is also a STEM school.

Eli is 7. He's read all of the Harry Potter series on his own and got the liminy snicket books for Christmas. This kid won't stop reading, and it gets himself in trouble some times. He started really reading on his own a month after his grandma died in Jan of 2020.

I guess that's kind of me bragging but also he has been read to since he was real little. He's always liked books because they've always been around him. His brother Sam is 2 and when he will sit still long enough also gets read to. It's just something grandma did with Eli and my wife does with Sam, myself to a lesser extent. Grandma would play with Eli but also teach him his numbers or colors or letters or anything else when she was wrangling him and it was fun for him and she was always super proud of what he'd remember.

The point I'm trying to make is the where can be a lot less important than the when. If you guys can spend the time and teach and play and get them learning and can keep that up any school they go to will be good.

For example we were playing Uno over the holiday and my 2 year old was playing with me. He got to pick the cards we played but obviously I had to make sure he was playing the right colors or numbers. He isn't there yet but it was an opportunity to play and learn and he was doing pretty good.

 

[N-Smooth]

Both of our boys did preschool at Puddle Jumpers. It was a good little private operation and suited them well. My daughter (3) is doing preschool at our elementary school because of her medical condition that caused a speech delay. It was a super pain to get her accepted and I am still disgusted by how the school and district handled the whole thing. Buuuut I would say if you can get your kid in any classes at the public school, go for it.

Public vs charter vs private depends a lot on test scores and neighborhood kids. My 9 year old was accepted into an amazing charter school that would’ve taken him from 1st to 9th but we researched the public school and we were pleasantly surprised by test scores and opinions from neighbors/friends. We ultimately decided on that path. Neighborhood kids matter because if your child has friends in the neighborhood that will benefit them socially.

Also consider that kids vary so much, it’s insane. My 7 year old started reading (and spelling) at about age 4. The real kicker is we didn’t teach him, he just did it. He would go through kicks of spelling out sentences rather than saying the words. It was exhausting. I read with him and the 9 year old tonight and he really is a better reader. He corrects him occasionally and I swear there will be bloodshed over that one day… The point is, same parents/household and same teaching effort and a different result. Kids are weird!

 

[Pike2350]

Public vs charter vs private depends a lot on test scores and neighborhood kids. My 9 year old was accepted into an amazing charter school that would’ve taken him from 1st to 9th but we researched the public school and we were pleasantly surprised by test scores and opinions from neighbors/friends. We ultimately decided on that path. Neighborhood kids matter because if your child has friends in the neighborhood that will benefit them socially.

This times 1000!

My 13 yr old has been in private catholic school since pre-k, due to her mother wanting it even though neither of us are catholic (I think some sort of "bragging rights" for her or something) . While I like her education she is getting and feel that it has benefitted her, especially being in a split household/neighborhood scenario, it just hasn't helped as much with the social stuff as much as I had hoped.

Separated parents/neighborhoods may be more to blame...but not having kids around in your neighborhood that you are friends with is a huge problem I think. Granted, going to some form of Sunday service should help that (neither me and my wife, nor my daughter's mother do) but if that is the only exposure to neighborhood kids I saw growing up how they can be ostracized with the neighborhood "group"

I wish my daughter were in public school...to me the expense isn't quite justifying the benefits and her mother and I live close enough to each other that either neighborhood has kids in the same middle school.

Just a thought. I do think pre-k is worth it...not just for the kids but also for the parents getting a little free time as you mentioned.

 

[Stephen]

Preschool Locations – Jordan Child Development Center

jcdc.jordandistrict.org

Preschool Registration – Jordan Child Development Center

jcdc.jordandistrict.org

Looks like it's $100 a month. I'm pretty sure that's the same as in granite sd. Not every school offers preschool so check that first link and see which location is closest to you.

I'm pretty sure @Stephen 's best half works in an elementary school in bluffdale. She was at my son's school last year.

Yeah, my wife is an assistant principal at Bluffdale Elementary. They have Preschool there, but its special-ed.

 

[jeepin4x4james]

Thanks for the replies!
Now I need to talk it all over with the wife and make some decisions.

Unfortunately our neighborhood doesn’t have a lot of younger kids currently… people are always moving though so we’ll see what time brings. One of our previous neighbors had young kids and they actually ended up moving to be in a ‘younger’ neighborhood.

 

[Tonkaman]

Neighborhood kids matter because if your child has friends in the neighborhood that will benefit them socially.

Our biggest problem to date is that our daughter doesn’t have any friends in the neighborhood. Part of the issue is that she goes to a charter school instead of the public school, even though they are both walking distance.

Our neighborhood just doesn’t have kids that do things outside. I see kids walking to/from school but none of them are ever outside. This makes it impossible for my daughter to make local friends.

If I were to start over, I’d go with public school just for the exposure to friends in a walkable distance.

 

[jeepin4x4james]

Yeah, my wife is an assistant principal at Bluffdale Elementary. They have Preschool there, but its special-ed.

I just called them and they said they take all kids 3-5 for pre-k. Guess we’ll see what happens when registration opens the end of February.

 

[Stephen]

I just called them and they said they take all kids 3-5 for pre-k. Guess we’ll see what happens when registration opens the end of February.

I'll have to ask her again, but I remember her saying that their pre-school was special-ed and required an IEP.

 

[jeepin4x4james]

Our biggest problem to date is that our daughter doesn’t have any friends in the neighborhood. Part of the issue is that she goes to a charter school instead of the public school, even though they are both walking distance.

Our neighborhood just doesn’t have kids that do things outside. I see kids walking to/from school but none of them are ever outside. This makes it impossible for my daughter to make local friends.

If I were to start over, I’d go with public school just for the exposure to friends in a walkable distance.

Luckily our boys love being outside, more than we can handle!
We finished our backyard with the thought of it being the place where all the kids wanna hangout… we’re on an acre with plenty of grass, basketball/pickleball court, trampoline, swingset, playhill for sledding/rolling/etc.
Hopefully they make friends in school that want to come over and it won’t matter if they’re in our neighborhood or not.

 

[jeepin4x4james]

I'll have to ask her again, but I remember her saying that their pre-school was special-ed and required an IEP.

It would be super convenient if they could go there, we’re less than 2 miles from Bluffdale Elementary.

 

[ID Bronco]

Some of our kids went to preschool, and after 5 of them now growing up, I say let kids be kids playing, with parents, neighborhood kids, ect while they are young. I get needing some time with triplets, but if it's for schooling I don't think they need that at a super young age. Our kids could read when they entered kindergarten from reading with Mom. Heaven knows they didn't get that from me.

 

[N-Smooth]

Most of early preschool is just that, playing with other kids. They learn a little but it’s mainly socialization.

 

[Spork]

Half my kids did preschool, don't think it made any difference.

 

[jeepin4x4james]

I think we’re going to try and get in one of the less expensive options… main goals of socializing, preventing codependency, and most importantly mama’s sanity. If they learn anything that’ll just be an added bonus.

Any multiple parents? We’ve thought about separating them (different teachers) when they get in to grade school… we just want to make sure they are all independent and know that they can survive and thrive without each other.

 

[mbryson]

I think we’re going to try and get in one of the less expensive options… main goals of socializing, preventing codependency, and most importantly mama’s sanity. If they learn anything that’ll just be an added bonus.

Any multiple parents? We’ve thought about separating them (different teachers) when they get in to grade school… we just want to make sure they are all independent and know that they can survive and thrive without each other.

I like your thoughts but don't have anything to add as I haven't had twins/triplets (at least that I'm aware of)