Pre-school vs Nursery at 3.5/4??

[searching4serenity]

DS has been going to pre-school 10-15 hours / week for almost 3 terms. He's just turned 3. I'm happy with it. I've just been told however, that they don't think their pre-school is so suitable going forward as he'll be 'more than ready for nursery' by about January... Apparently they don't teach phonics, and he might miss out if he stays at said pre-school...

We've moved & so we do not have a local nursery place for him.

He's bright for 3, particularly with regard to speech, letters, numbers etc.

Any advice? Should I try & find a nursery place now? or a childminder??

I thought nurseries were also meant to be learning through play only? Personally I can't see any advantage to doing phonics so early and so am keeping my ds who is 4 at preschool for at least another term instead of sending him to reception to start phonics. There is lots of evidence that delaying formal education is beneficial in the long term, none that I know of which says that phonics at 3 (or 4 or even 5) give any long term advantage. If he's happy I would leave him where he is.

As far as I know they should all be more or less the same, no real difference between pre-school or nursery.

Although there is apparently a local nursery that is very academic and I from what I've heard it must be very different from the pre-school I viewed but never used.

Surely both nurseries and pre schools learn thorugh the early years foundation stage. The difference between pre school and school nursery shouldn't be that great.

If you are concerned about phonics you can always do a little bit your ds yourself in the summer holiday before starting reception. When a child is ready for phonics they pick it up really quickly. If he has just turned three then I am sceptical that he is ready for phonics.

Some children never attend nursery or pre school and still cope with reception. There is phonics teaching in year 1 for children who don't grasp phonics in reception.

Thanks for the insights.

I'll have to think about it over the summer holidays I guess. Maybe talk more to his key worker then.

Maybe I'll look more into benefits of delaying formal education..

There shouldn't be any difference in what is offered. As a teacher in an LEA Nursery, I'm at phonics at such a young age. Little bits, if they're ready, are ok, but for me a daily session is too much too soon.

They are usually the same kind of programs for 3 and 4 year old children(and sometimes 2's) and provides a perfect balance of academic and social instruction leads to solid academic and developmental foundation

Who has told you that the preschool is unsuitable? Are there other children his age there or is he one of the oldest? If he is with his peers & they are using the EYFS then he is not missing out on anything.

If you do decide to move him try and choose somewhere that is using the EYFS properly. I would be very wary of any place that offers formal phonics 'lessons' to 3 year olds. They should certainly not be sitting the children down for extended periods of time for anything, let alone for lessons in phonics, or work sheets or any of that other fluff. A good place will seem a chaotic buzz of happy children, flowing about the place making choices of a wide range of activities.

There is a fantastic resource called letters and sounds, produced by the Department of Education, it is based on solid research & has some really fun ways of introducing phonics concepts appropriately. Find a place that uses this resource, or stick with the informal preschool and have a look through the document yourself. Hopefully you will pick up on the tone that learning academics at this age should be through fun, play and exploration www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/Letters%20and%20Sounds-1.pdf