Preschools and daycares have existed for decades across the country.
If you’re a parent looking for the best early childhood education choice for your child, you might be wondering if there are significant differences between daycares and preschools.
Some may also wonder about the biggest difference between these child care centers, the type of child care programs they provide, child care facilities, care providers, and how they operate on a day-to-day basis.
It’s normal to question the key differences between preschool and daycare when you first consider it.
Preschools put more of an emphasis on education than daycare centers do, which is one of the biggest philosophical distinctions between the two.
They offer a safe and caring atmosphere, allowing your kid to develop their full potential by preparing them for formal schooling.
So, what really is the difference between daycare and preschool? Daycare and preschool differ from each other due to several factors. For one, the preschool curriculum is more academically oriented compared to a daycare which adapts a fewer organized activities. Second, daycares highlight a drop-in child care service whereas preschools have more rigid care options. Third, daycares often serve a wider school age range compared to preschools. Lastly, school hours in preschool typically follow a schedule similar to that of schools for older children whilst daycares are more likely to be open later and are designed to fit into the schedule of working parents.
In this article, we’ll analyze the practical meaning of terminology like daycare vs. preschool, differences between daycare and preschool, common objectives from each type of program, and decide from their which child care provider is best to send your child to.
What is Daycare?
Although it’s a common term, daycare actually refers to a variety of early education services that might aid you while you’re at work.
A daycare is a facility that provides care for children during the day, typically and conventionally for children with working parents.
Regardless of whether you’re searching for a full-time center-based program, a part-time, in-home daycare, or a preschool with a Montessori emphasis, there are countless alternatives.
Finding child care that satisfies the needs of a particular family can be challenging given the variety of possibilities. However, finding one will benefit the family greatly from having that kind of choice.
Daycare can be center-based, typically located in a building and offering a variety of activities and programs for children; family day care, provided in the home of a caregiver, and care for a smaller number of children than center-based daycares; and in-home daycare, wherein the child gets cared for by a nanny.
What is Preschool?
A preschool program is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary school.
It may be publicly or privately operated and may be subsidized by public funds.
Preschools, both private and school sponsored, are available for children from ages three to five. Many of these programs follow a similar curriculum as pre-kindergarten.
In the United States, preschool education emphasizes individuality.
Children are frequently permitted to choose from a variety of activities, using a learning center approach.
During these times, some children draw or paint, some play house, some play with puzzles, some listen to the teacher, and read a story aloud. Activities in preschools usually vary in each session. Each child is assumed to have particular strengths and weaknesses to be encouraged by the teachers.
Parents enroll their kids in preschools to give them a head start in the classroom, keep them occupied, and socialize them with other kids.
Before entering kindergarten, preschool provides kids with a learning environment for early childhood education. It may run privately or publicly and receive public funding for subsidies.
Differences Between Preschool and Daycare
1. Education Curriculum
Preschools and daycare centers both offer early childhood education.
Preschools, however, tend to be more academically oriented. With an emphasis on unstructured play and impromptu learning, daycares frequently offer fewer organized activities.
Compared to day care centers which have more free play time, fewer controlled activities, and more opportunities for unplanned learning, the focus of preschool will be on preparing children for kindergarten by teaching skills in art, literature, science, and other subjects in preschool.
Preschools commonly adhere to a predetermined instructional style and curriculum.
A predetermined educational curriculum based on a methodology like Montessori’s is probably there, along with lesson plans that are formalized educational assessments.
Preschool teachers are more likely to hold advanced degrees in early childhood education as well.
However, daycare may operate without a set curriculum vs preschool.
2. Services Provided
Daycares, as opposed to preschools, concentrate a greater emphasis on providing working parents with a place for them to drop their kids off during the day.
Daycare typically provides more adaptable child care services, such as drop-in child care.
Given that they offer more routine care, they typically offer more meals than preschool.
Further, preschools may often serve older children and require their students to be potty trained, whereas daycares may include services like diapering.
Preschools often have more pupils than daycares and usually have much larger spaces. Daycares may occasionally operate out of a house.
In preschools, child care ratios are occasionally lower, allowing each kid to get more individualized care.
Since timing and flexibility can differ between these forms of child care, a specific program can be a better fit depending on the services and schedule your family requires.
3. Age ranges
Daycares often serve a wider school age range than preschools, though this varies depending on the program.
Infants through children as old as 5 may attend daycare programs. Further, the facilities also provide after-school activities for children of school age.
Even daycares that serve children up to the age of twelve exist. Thus, children can engage in interactions between ages because of the wider age group.
On the other hand, preschools typically cater to a smaller age range.
Although some preschools start as early as two years old, the term “preschool” generally refers to a school for children ages three and five.
Kindergarten may also be offered in private preschools.
More age groups may be separated in preschools than in daycares, allowing students to benefit from developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that follow a predetermined methodology and curriculum.
4. Operating Hours
School hours in preschool typically follow a schedule similar to that of schools for older children.
Preschools may be closed during the summer, on holidays, or due to bad weather, and their hours are shortened.
Children may enroll in preschools as little as twice a week, and they typically provide half-day or full-day programs.
On the other hand, daycares provide childcare programs that serve for as long as necessary because they place a strong emphasis on assisting working families.
Typically, they are open during the summer and occasionally on weekends.
The center will be able to meet parents’ needs for child care because of the more flexible hours and less strict childcare regulations.
Further, daycares are more likely to be open later and are designed to fit into the schedule of working parents.
Preschools can be part-time programs, some use the same school schedule as public schools, or they can close on certain days.
Daycare facilities are also more likely to feature a wider age range, which is good if you plan to stay in one location for several years or enroll your child of various ages.
Ages 3 to 5 typically attend preschools, and some of the daycare staff help your child to be potty trained.
Similarities Between Preschool and Daycare
The same laws and regulations apply to both daycare and preschool programs from director and staff qualifications to safety, nutrition, worker-to-child ratios, and recordkeeping standards.
Both programs must be licensed by state authorities. Whether a childcare facility is referred to as a daycare or a preschool, it must typically adhere to early childhood education standards and child care regulations.
Children can develop, learn, and play in both preschools and daycares with the support of a caring staff.
They both prioritize the well-being of each kid while promoting their healthy physical, emotional, and cognitive development, making safety a primary priority.
Further, the focus is typically serving kids before school age.
Summary
Because of the parent’s employment schedule, some families may have no choice except to enroll their children in an extended daycare, childcare center, or early learning facility rather than preschool.
Others may find it difficult to decide between preschool vs daycare.
You, after all, decide the beginning of your child’s educational journey with this action. Or perhaps you’re letting your child go out into the world for the first time.
What is best for you, your family, and of course, your child will ultimately determine your choice.
Whether or your family selects not preschool or daycare, there is proof that successful children benefit from high-quality child care.
FAQs
Why should parents send their children to preschool? There are many reasons why parents should send their children to preschool. Preschool can provide a number of benefits for children, including socialization, early learning, and caregiving.
What is the earliest age for preschool? The earliest age for preschool varies from country to country. In the United States, most preschools accept children as young as 3 years old. However, some preschools may accept children as young as 2 years old. The decision of when to start preschool is a personal one, and there is no right or wrong answer. When deciding when to start preschool, it is important to consider your child’s individual needs and readiness.
What are the benefits of preschool? Preschool education offers numerous benefits for children’s development and lays a solid foundation for their future academic and social success. Through this, children become more academically prepared and develop their cognitive, emotional, and intellectual processes.