TK really that important?

What is TK?

We don’t have TK here (maybe the equivalent of our reception/ foundation 1?) so don’t know the ins and outs but different strokes for different folks! Great that works for your family/ children but other families/ children are different. For some kids it can help them get ready and feel more prepared, more confident or less anxious about ‘big school’. Also what you class as ‘essentials’ may be different to what other parents think or what aligns with the school curriculum. Some children may need extra help with their learning and not all parents are equipped with the expertise to provide that. Also some parents have to go to work so it’s not about being ‘in a rush’ but need to use childcare.

@Sorrel @Ella TK is the step between preschool and kindergarten. Of course all families are different. Essentials are the standard: colors, shapes, numbers, abcs, letter sounds, identification of animals, etc. Expanding vocab, learning first concepts about reading and math. Learn about turn taking, listening, sharing, etc. We have worked on all of these and he's doing great. Lastly, we work full time running a business from home but still don't feel the need to send him. He'll be in school many years so just not sure he needs to go so soon. I didn't go to preschool and went straight to kindergarten and did just fine. 🤷‍♀️

My 10 yr old did not attend and it didn’t make a difference for him. My 3 yr old will likely attend next year though he does have the option to continue preschool. He knows the basics and will likely start kindergarten meeting the standard like his brother, But he loves school and being around other people so I want to continue to give him all of the experiences to build upon that. Often kids are sent to kindergarten with little to no social emotional development which is really important for them to really learn. But I also believe if you are interacting with your child and giving them opportunities to grow and thrive and interact with others outside your family. Then they will be alright. It all evens out eventually.

How old are they for TK? I think this sounds like our reception/F1 where there is still lots of play but also writing, phonics etc. I guess you’re in a different position to a lot of families with both you and your partner being able to work from home and having your own business so can give yourself the flexibility you need. A lot of people work out of the home 9-5, kids are usually in pre-school 9-3 then get home, play, dinner, bath & bed for maybe 7. I don’t see how these parents could fit 6hours worth of learning into the time they have free with their child. Curious what does your daily schedule look like? Again, great that it’s working for you and your child is doing well. But your circumstances aren’t the norm for many families.

@Erica thanks, that is understandable. My kid has a sibling and I also set up playdates with different families all the time so there are lots of opportunities for social development.

@Sorrel it starts at 4 years. I agree we are definitely blessed. We tag team the kids and work throughout the whole day and evening as needed. We will go outside, to the park, run errands, go to a fun kid activity, etc.

As a teacher (taught all grades from PreK-3rd) I would say beyond the academic stuff you’re already doing, for kindergarten readiness I would focus on things like being able to put on your own coat and zipper it. Being able to open your own lunch containers. Use scissors and glue. Using the bathroom completely independently. Things like that are what really help with readiness even more so than academic things. You definitely don’t need to put your child in school before kindergarten if it doesn’t work for you!

We have always skipped stuff and went straight to kindergarten

@GMF thank you so much for all the tips. Definitely taking these to heart. When you taught kindergarten could you tell which kids didn't go to TK/PreK? Or was it a mixed bag? Will you put your kids in TK/PreK?

@Skyraven nice. Did you notice any issues that might of been helped with not skipping TK/Prek?

So yes, teachers can definitely tell when a child has not been in any type of school setting before because there are certain things they just won’t be exposed to until school! But that in and of itself isn’t a reason you need to put your child in school before then. My almost 3 year old has been in daycare since he was about 8 months. He can go there until he starts kindergarten. In theory I could bring him to the school where I teach for PreK, but my second is due in March and will be in daycare at the time my son would go to PreK anyway. The district where I teach is different than where I live.

I never noticed any issues. I'm on my 3rd round of having a kid in kindergarten and there acting like most of the other kids. We are also doing online kindergarten for the first time.

@GMF thanks for the informative, it was very helpful. 💓

@Skyraven that's good, thanks for the info! 💗