The difference between preschool and day care are subtle, and many parents are confused. The main difference is in the age of the children in attendance – normal crèche day care will be for children up to about three years old, including infants and toddlers, and preschool will be for children aged around three to around five years. However, it is worth noting that some daycares also have preschools, so it is not really necessary to move your child to a different preschool unless you want to.
There is very little difference in the cost of day care and preschool, and most use the same syllabus or curriculum for teaching. Both should have qualified teachers, and both should be licensed, so whether you choose to leave your child in the day care he or she loves, or find a preschool is entirely up to you. Under the ECCE scheme in the Republic, providers must provide an appropriate pre-school educational programme which adheres to the principles of Síolta, the framework for early years education.
At preschool age, the emphasis should be on learning through play – not on a rigid academic system. So whether your child goes starts with a crèche or preschool, look for one where creativity and imagination are encouraged.
In fact, according to experts, it is not so much the day care or preschool that impacts on your child as it is his or her teacher. Therefore, if your child has a caring, interested, and qualified teacher, wherever he or she is, then you should be fine.
Take some time to find the right preschool, or day care, and you will find that it benefits your child’s development.
There is very little difference in the cost of day care and preschool, and most use the same syllabus or curriculum for teaching. Both should have qualified teachers, and both should be licensed, so whether you choose to leave your child in the day care he or she loves, or find a preschool is entirely up to you. Under the ECCE scheme in the Republic, providers must provide an appropriate pre-school educational programme which adheres to the principles of Síolta, the framework for early years education.
At preschool age, the emphasis should be on learning through play – not on a rigid academic system. So whether your child goes starts with a crèche or preschool, look for one where creativity and imagination are encouraged.
In fact, according to experts, it is not so much the day care or preschool that impacts on your child as it is his or her teacher. Therefore, if your child has a caring, interested, and qualified teacher, wherever he or she is, then you should be fine.
Take some time to find the right preschool, or day care, and you will find that it benefits your child’s development.
