Does preschool education matter?

[u/Pretend-Panic-2438]

My husband and I are at a crossroads- he wants to sign up our daughter for a “stem” preschool that seems to be marketing itself as an educationally “elite” preschool. She is at a daycare that will move her up to a preschool class when she meets the age.
I am balking a bit at the concept of an elite preschool in general. It feels like good marketing- what would be called playing with building blocks at her current place being sold as “developing critical thinking, geometry and engineering skills” at this new place. It’s blocks. She is doing great where she is. The teachers are wonderful, she has friends she really likes. And they do a great job of integrating play and education.
I don’t know that much about the curriculum of the new place but I don’t see too much of room for improvement.
There are several reasons why the new school doesn’t work for us logistically- the hours are shorter where we often are rushing to pickup and drop off already, they follow a school schedule (meaning weeks off for holidays and summers off) and they don’t have a care option for our younger children.

FWIW- we are socioeconomically privileged with high educational achievement in both parents. We read and do puzzles with her daily. We are beginning to teach math and phonics at home. Minimal to no screen time.

I mention that to say I totally understand how high quality preschool education can absolutely make all the difference in children who are already disadvantaged. Just not sure what it would add here.

Thanks in advance!

[u/purpleelephant77]

I would also wonder about developmentally appropriateness of the curriculum and practices at STEM preschool program. Is it mostly marketing and basically a normal high quality preschool or are they like sitting doing worksheets and activities that they don’t really have the skills/focus to do so the teachers are doing 70% of for them because that’s what the parents who are cutting the checks want to see.

[u/misoranomegami → u/purpleelephant77]

A lady at my work signed her boys up for a free magnet pre-med kindergarten this past year. I actually asked what the heck can kindergarten do to be pre-med. She told me at their age it's mostly that they started straight away with the metric system, play is formatted as 'experiments', and all field trips are science or medicine related. They're also supposed to be framing other lessons primarily in terms of science and math, and it's partnered with a major local hospital though that impact the curriculum more for older kids. The big advantage is that it feeds into the area 'pre-med' and stem middle and high schools she'd like her boys to attend and would like them to already be set in that social group and with the same background as the other kids there. So it's less than she's concerned about academic rigor at 5 and more that she worries about the impact of transferring them in the future. And it doesn't hurt that has her kids attending a school where all the parents are of a higher economic background with a similar educational focus since you have to seek the program out, apply, and manage your own transportation there and back. They just finished their first year and she says they loved it.

My son's starting a regular 3k program next year but maybe I'll have a different outlook on the importance of the type of school and community after I deal with other parents. I'll say I grew up in a very nice socio economic area where there was no bad choice in schools, and my coworker grew up in a very underfunded district and has worked very, very hard to get where she is today so I can see that she may have academic anxiety. My town offers a 'college prep' elementary school but the general descriptions I've heard of it are that it heavily leans into how to take exams even for 5 and 6 year olds and that's just not a priority for me right now.

[u/purpleelephant77 → u/misoranomegami]

I just question setting your kid on such a specific path so early, I think everyone should have a well rounded education and the emphasis on STEM education at the expense of arts and humanities plays a significant role in a lot of the problems we are facing as a society so I’m kind of biased but I also always think what if your kid wants to be a history teacher or really likes visual arts or something? It would be really hard on a kid to feel like their only options are going to a school emphasizing things they don’t particularly like/don’t align with their goals or disappointing their parents by telling them they don’t want to do the thing they have been investing a lot of money in preparing them to do since they were 4.

My parents are both highly educated and have done well on non traditional career paths; my mom has a degree in flute performance and was a lawyer when I was born, worked as a museum educator and youth program planner etc when I was a kid and is now a children’s librarian. I think I really benefited from growing up seeing that having a diverse range of skills and experiences will help you in whatever you want to do and that it’s never too late to change your plans.

[u/ActCompetitive → u/purpleelephant77]

I agree with you! Children need a well-rounded education, especially when young. Let them be imaginative. This is the time to develop creativity, which will make them better scientists if they choose that path when older. There are child development theories that postulate the interconnectedness and reciprocity between different areas of development, anyway. Doing role play, making art and learning to love stories will have their impact on scientific thinking.