Is CM care ok till school or is some sort of nursery advisable?

[bigkidsdidit]

My 2.10 year old goes to a fabulous CM 4 days a week, he has been with her since he was 11 months. There is one other 2yo boy there, plus an after schooler twice a week. DS2 will start with her next month at 6 months.

We are in Scotland and deferring his entry to school as we would be the youngest. He will go into school nursery at 4.8 if we can get him a place (not certain). He will start school at 5.8.

I love the cm and they go to playgroups twice a week. But all his little friends are going to nursery / preschool now and I thought I'd ask opinions here. Would nursery add a lot / do a lot for him? Or can I keep him at the cm until je starts school?

Thanks for all opinions :)

Depends on the child and the CM. Many of my mindees stay with me until school, but some go to nursery for the last year.

My dd started nursery in September at 3 and a half. I'd say it's been really beneficial for her. She's not doing any formal learning, but she's learnt a lot from just being in a school environment - concentrating, sitting and listening, taking turns etc. I think she will find starting school much much easier because of it. The option for us was her staying at home with me (I'm a sahm), and I've no doubt we made the right choice her her. She loves it.

She was 5 half days a week.

Thanks for your thoughts :)

Hmm. I think nursery is hugely beneficial Fruit - what I don't know is how much that is owing to 'being with other children and with someone other than mummy' and how much is the school environment.

Staying at the CM would make my life a lot easier, with only one drop off / pick up. I don't want to put ds2 in nursery till he's at least 2 so I won't put hem both in nursery.

It's not necessarily as clear cut as should they or shouldn't they do nursery/preschool. My children each did one term at preschool - I felt (and found) that that was enough for them to make friends who would move up to school with them and get into the slightly more regimented routine which had them prepared for school. As a childminder myself, I was able to give them plenty of opportunities to socialise and gain social skills, build self-confidence, and in my opinion have better learning opportunities than they would have had at nursery, with frequent visits to museums and other places of interest, and a lot of one to one time devoted to literacy, numeracy, problem-solving etc etc, I have also cared for several other children right up to starting school, and of course beyond. I think some children learn better and more from someone they know and trust and that a more intimate setting may have the flexibility to tailor the child's experience better to their interests and individual learning styles. So I would say if your child is flourishing, and it makes life easier for the family, don't move them just for the sake of it. I would say a term at pre-school delivered all the benefits; longer would have been at the expense of better opportunities.

I sent my DD to nursery school prior to starting Reception. With hindsight, I really wish I hadn't.
Her keyworker hardly seemed to know her and, although she came home with lots of paintings (all either quick splodges with a paintbrush or else near perfect artwork that she couldn't possibly have done by herself), I know I could have provided far better learning experiences for her.

Why can't he do both?

Few morons at nursery when 3 - so has funding- and cm then picks up afterwards

Few morons

He could do both, that's why I'm asking if it would be valuable for him.

Instinctively I feel that he's flourishing with the CM and they do lots of trips and educational play etc. so really I feel as minderjinx says, that he is fine where he is. However, it seems everyone goes to nursery at 3 now, and the free hours suggest the government think it is important. So I was wondering if CM could give me their opinions :)

I am leaning towards leaving him where he is, for at least another year. When he is nearly 4 I will reassess (still 18 months before reception at that point).

my DD1 did one term of one morning a week at school nursery which started after we'd got her place at that school conformed for the august. We left her at her wonderful day nursery before that. Whilst the school is wonderful and I cannot rate the reception class more highly the school nursery was pretty crap, miles less personal than her other nursery and a real waste of time. I sent her so she's make friends with some other children but actually she started reception only knowing one or two girls, one of whom we knew from church and she's now got loads of friends and is really happy. Next time I won't bother (was a pain with session times as well)

Most CM's will drop off and pick up from the local nursery. Have you talked to your CM?

My CM took my ds to nursery, so he did both. This worked well for us.

I would keep him with the CM until he starts school nursery. He has that year to get used to the school environment, make friends etc. He probably doesn't need a year at nursery getting ready to do another year at nursery.

I think the funding at three is because children in England typically start school age 4, so it's just the year (more if they're older in the school year obviously) prior to starting full time