Originally Posted by
cyclinfool
Agreed - Pre-school is just another form of daycare, except it makes the parents feel better because they think the kids are getting some education. Unfortunately it is not a substitute for good parenting and it hasn't helped the educational abyss we find ourselves in.!
Both of my kids attended preschool. I thought it did them some good. Our impression was that by the time they were 4-ish they were ready for a few hours of day of playing with other kids they didn't know. Maybe they learned a few things; maybe they didn't. But it seemed to make the transition to kindergarten easier.
For us, it was not "just another form of daycare." Enrolling them in preschool was a carefully thought through decision for us, and we worked to put them into preschools we thought would be good for them. However, it also was nice to give my (stay-at-home) wife a few hours break per day to get other stuff done that was important to us as a family.
I don't think anyone has ever argued that it's a substitute for good parenting - nor is any kind of school.