Many parents may not realize there is a difference between daycare and preschool, even though the distinction is quite clear.
Daycare: What is it?
Daycare is a place where children are cared for while their parents are at work. Daycare can be a good place for children to socialize and learn. Daycare centers are usually run by one caregiver, who cares for several children at once. Many daycares have playrooms with toys so that the children can engage in imaginative play.
Preschool: What is it?
Preschool is a pre-kindergarten educational program for children ages 3 to 5. It’s a time of transition between home and school, where children are free to explore their world, socialize with other kids, and learn new things in an environment that feels safe and fun.
Preschool differs from daycare in that it’s not just about the care of the children but also focused on education – they both provide care but preschool provides more structure around learning whereas daycare simply cares for your child while you work.
You can even enroll your child in a school which offers preschool for toddlers, and prepare them for higher education in the same school. This is what some of the best international schools in Singapore offer. In this way, the child doesn’t have to deal with a changed environment every time.
The benefits of preschool
Preschool is a great way to help your child get ready for kindergarten. Children who attend preschool are more likely to be ready for kindergarten than those who don’t, according to a study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Preschool can also be an investment in your child’s future. A study by the Center for American Progress found that children who attended preschool earn more money as adults and have higher educational attainment as they grow older. The same study also shows that attending preschool is good for parents financially since it increases their employment opportunities, reduces the need for costly services later on, and contributes positively to economic growth through increased productivity.
Preschool can help your child develop social skills like sharing with others or taking turns playing games; language skills like speaking clearly or understanding complex sentences; math skills like counting objects from 1-10 or identifying shapes using words; science concepts such as what happens when you pour water into sand; creative thinking abilities like coming up with creative solutions when faced with challenges (like being able to figure out how you might get some blocks out of a plastic container if there aren’t any empty spaces left); self-awareness abilities related specifically towards themselves (such as knowing what they’re feeling right now); empathy potentials where they show concern about another person’s feelings even though those feelings might not directly affect them at all times immediately (for example if one person needs help picking something up off the ground but another person doesn’t want him/her standing near him/her).
Many parents may not realize there is a difference between daycare and preschool, even though the distinction is quite clear.
Many parents may not realize there is a difference between daycare and preschool, even though the distinction is quite clear. Daycare is for children under school age, while preschool is for children who are school age. Daycare can be provided in a variety of settings and by many different people with different levels of education or training. Preschools on the other hand are usually set up as educational institutions that require some form of certification on behalf of their teachers or staff members.
Daycares can provide care for babies through school-aged kids, but they are much more flexible than traditional preschools because they don’t have strict requirements about when each child should begin his or her educational journey – this means that if you have a child starting at age three instead of five, no problem! Preschools however typically require children who attend to have reached certain milestones in order to graduate from their program (e.g., potty-training), especially in international schools.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many differences between daycare and preschool. What is most important for parents to know is that both types of programs provide a safe environment for children to learn, explore and play. While preschool is designed to prepare kids for Kindergarten, daycare centers offer care during the workday when parents need it most.
