Differences between Daycare and Preschool, Which Do Your Children Need?
Differences between Daycare and Preschool, Which Do Your Children Need?
For parents who work full time, it is often difficult to divide their time between work and caring for children. Especially during working hours and when the child has entered the age of five.
One solution to this problem is to send children to daycare or preschool. Both of them do look the same at first glance. But apparently both have different systems according to lallipopdaycare.com
1. The basic difference between daycare and preschool
Daycare is a daycare for children. Even though today many daycares are equipped with more facilities with staff who have been trained with basic early childhood education, basically the function of daycare is for temporary childcare.
Whereas preschool, or in Indonesia it is also referred to as PAUD (early childhood education), is a semi-formal form of preschool intended to bridge the gap between daycare and kindergarten. In preschool children learn social and academic skills to help with the transition to kindergarten.
2. Age of the child
The age range of children entrusted with daycare varies, from 18 months to toddler age. Some daycare also provides child care up to elementary school age. While the age of children entering preschool usually starts at the age of three or four years.
In preschool children are categorized based on the same age to facilitate classroom management and teaching. Whereas in daycare, generally children of all ages meet in the same place so as to enable children to socialize with friends of different ages.
3. Time duration
Most daycares provide year-round child care, Monday through Friday, during regular business hours to accommodate working parents. There is even a daycare that is also open during weekends and holidays.
In contrast to daycare, which has a flexible duration, preschool has a system like schools in general. Some preschools offer half-day or full-day school programs, from Monday to Friday. At the preschool, a new school year begins in July.
4. Class setting system
Preschool teaches children skills to help them succeed socially and academically in kindergarten and beyond. At least the child attends preschool for one year before starting kindergarten. In preschool classes children will be taught about numbers, letters, shapes, various vocabulary, early reading skills, basic math skills, to the ability to socialize in groups.
Because daycare does not have a teaching curriculum, there is no structured class management system. But in daycare children can hone their social skills, such as waiting their turn to use toys, interact with peers, and so on.
5. Independence
One of the important skills taught to children from an early age is independence. In preschool, children spend half the day away from their parents.
It is at this time that they must overcome the discomfort of separation. This lesson makes the transition to kindergarten easier.
Preschool also teaches children how to make decisions, do things for themselves, toilet train, contribute to class, and be confident. This is supported by an academic curriculum that has been designed according to child development.
On the other hand, daycare also educates children’s independence through social, cognitive and emotional skills, with the help of staff. However, for children who will enter school, preschool programs are better at preparing children to enter the social and academic environment in kindergarten.