We are looking for great Minneapolis (& suburbs) pre-kindergarten programs.

December 1, 2009 12:18 PM

Our son will be 5 in July and could go to Kindergarten next Fall but we want to wait a year before we send him. He is currently in preschool but has reached the end this year. What kinds of programs/language schools/preschools are in the Minneapolis or Southern & Western suburbs for 5-6 year olds that are waiting a year before entering school?

The main reason we are asking is his current program is going away and is not going to be offered next year. Also +1 for programs that are reasonably priced.

posted by rdurbin to Education (3 answers total)

The City of Lakes Waldorf School could be what you're looking for. Waldorf kindergartens are completely non-academic, and involve individual, group, and organized play; songs and chores; lots of outdoor play; and stories galore. The kindergartens have children form ages 3 through young 7 in them, in small groups with two teachers per classroom.

Side note: Waldorf schools are very supportive of not pushing academics on children too young, and instead build a fundamental love of school and learning by going slowly and involving play and creativity. My daughter is six and a half and in her second year of kindergarten at a Waldorf school and absolutely loving it. Although my mother (a reading teacher) was very concerned that Waldorf schools don't teach reading very young, she is reading just fine (with no instruction) and there are good studies that show that late-but-relaxed readers ultimately do as well as or better than children taught to read before they are ready. Your choice to hold him back despite the calendar will be well supported by the teachers at the Waldorf school.
posted by Capri at 12:46 PM on December 1, 2009

I know my school district (Robbinsdale ISD 281) offers a "kindergarten prep" class for kids who would be old enough for kindergarten but who may not be ready for it, and I know other districts offer the same thing (e.g., Cottage Grove). Maybe that's not much help -- I can't tell if you're looking for public school options, or private, or both -- but I hope it gives you a starting point.
posted by Janta at 2:50 PM on December 1, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks! Both public or private works. We would probably lean towards public just for cost saving reasons but we are paying for preschool now and wouldn't mind continuing to pay if needed.
posted by rdurbin at 3:46 PM on December 1, 2009