Fitness and healthy lifestyle 

Kindergartens in America. Features of preschool education around the world

It is carried out in preschool institutions - nurseries, kindergartens, toddlers and preschool centers - public and private institutions for toddlers and kindergarten children.

Everything in the USA is divided into public and private. Almost all pre-school education is private, only a few states include preparatory classes (Pre-school or Pre-K) in the public school system.

In the United States, there are a variety of programs designed for preschoolers. As a rule, these are programs that aim to reduce the impact of stress factors on children and ensure their development.

Some programs are full-day, others half-day. There are programs with flexible schedules that allow parents to choose the schedule that is convenient for them.

From the age of five, most American preschoolers are brought up in kindergarten, essentially kindergarten, in which toddlers are prepared for elementary school, gradually moving from games to reading, writing, acquiring other necessary skills.

More than 60% of all five-year-olds attend pre-school departments of public schools. However, many parents prefer private preschools.

In most preschool institutions, much attention is paid to the comprehensive development of children rather than the acquisition of special education by them. skills. Group games are organized, children are engaged in making crafts, drawing, singing, music, physical education. exercises, listen to lit. works. Prior to the start of literacy training, emphasis is placed on the development of oral speech.

At the end of preschool, depending on the state, parents receive a certificate that evaluates the overall achievement of the student. This is necessary in some cases to enroll a child in primary school.

A bit of history

The first kindergarten appeared in America in 1855 in Wisconsin. By the end of the last century, the number of kindergartens grew like an avalanche; the reasons for this were the struggle of women for their rights, the growth of the urban population, as well as the increase in the number of non-English-speaking immigrant children who needed to be Americanized.

In addition to educational duties, preschool institutions took care of hot food, clothes and shoes for children. The first public kindergarten opened in 1873 in St. Louis, Missouri.

At the turn of the century, every large city already had its own public kindergarten, and preschool institutions began to appear at schools, designed to improve the quality of preparation for it.

Gradually, kindergartens were attached to schools, and in the 10s of the XX century. "nursery schools" or "preschools" began to form.

Reviews of our compatriots about preschool institutions in the USA

» America's early childhood education is very different from state to state. In most states, there is simply no public preschool, with the exception of Head Start kindergarten or special groups for preschoolers with developmental disabilities at public schools. In two or three states, including Florida, from the age of 4, a child can attend VPK (Voluntary Preschool Program) 3 hours a day for free (the state pays for this time). Usually this program is carried out by private kindergartens as part of their services.
Letters, numbers, colors, geometric shapes, etc. are taught almost everywhere. As such, there is no stable training program, there are only their names. The results of this training also largely depend even on the microdistrict of residence. "

“There are simply no preschool development groups in the Russian sense. For example, it is simply impossible to find an art studio for preschoolers (and for schoolchildren too) - only private lessons. The same with music. There are private sections of football, gymnastics, swimming and some other sports (of course, everything is paid and not cheap). Some private schools have pre-school classes, but teaching in them is also not much different from teaching in private kindergartens (often only by wearing a school uniform). If the school is religious, then the study of religion is added. Certainly in a few particularly prestigious institutions, things are different, but the tuition fees, to put it mildly, go beyond even the unreasonably acceptable.
In general, of course, a huge percentage of success depends on the teacher (as in general and everywhere).»

“A friend has a child who goes to kindergarten in Miami. They pay $ 700, from 7.30 to 18.00, breakfast, lunch (several dishes to choose from), afternoon tea. To improve nutrition, the garden received a grant from the state. They play 2 times. Linen and blankets for sleeping, yes, they bring their own, at the end of each week they take them to wash. They are engaged with children (they learn letters, counting, colors, etc.). ”

“American kindergartens are very different depending on the requirements of the state, the amount of payment, etc. In a typical average private kindergarten in Florida, organic food does not even smell (and even in a more expensive one too), they are fed with fish fingers, chicken fingers, pizza, sometimes stewed chicken with rice. Also stewed vegetables and canned fruits are given. It's only for lunch. In many gardens there is no breakfast, but for snacks (second breakfast and afternoon tea) they give a handful of cookies and about 150 gr. juice. Somewhere better, somewhere worse... In a group of 3-year-olds, according to the law, there is one teacher (without a nanny) for 15 children. Payment for 3 years for a full day 5 days a week $110-$250 per week. We pay $205 a week for a kindergarten where there are only 12 people in a group, a lot of space, good equipment, where they are allowed to bring a pillow, sheet and blanket (and in so many kindergartens children sleep on bare mats, uncovered and in shoes - here are such stupid requirements here in most kindergartens). As for learning, they learn letters, numbers, etc. like everywhere else. For the poor, there is a special federal program called "Head Start" - this is a kind of kindergarten for people with a certain income.

“I’ve heard from Russian-speaking friends before that kindergartens in America are far from ideal, now I’m convinced, although this doesn’t make it any easier.

They took us around the garden, in groups. There is not much good, but there is: people work there, they seem to be not bad, kind at first glance, constantly with children, all the time on the move; a lot of toys; clean, cameras all over the garden, everything is under surveillance.

Much more about what I didn't like.

1) The rooms are quite dark, subdued light is used instead of natural, sunny.

2) There is not enough space in the rooms, everything is crammed with either toys or devices for children, there is no feeling of spaciousness.

3) Children sleep on the floor, on mattresses brought in. Each child has his own, with his own sheet, the sheets in the garden are washed every day. Do you know why? Because the children sleep on them in the clothes in which they came, and sometimes even in shoes. (It just pisses me off!)

4) They feed the children with what mom left, canned food, I guess. Don't they make sandwiches? Children under 2 years old, food is heated in the microwave, after 2 years they eat directly from the refrigerator. (Absolutely dark!)

5) In a group from 1 to 2 years old (where would I put Dimulya) for 6 children, 1 teacher, there’s nothing else, at least the kids go by themselves, you can already do something, but in a group of up to a year, my heart sank in a lump. There is 1 teacher for 4 children, the youngest, screaming child is carried in his arms. Those who are older can sit, mostly spend time in swings or in walkers. It turns out that the older and calmer the baby, the less favorable position he is in.

6) If I don’t work in the summer, I don’t take my child to the garden, I still have to pay, so as not to lose my place. Well, about payment. This pleasure costs $570 for registration and $840 every month. Cheaper than a nanny, but better? Especially considering that in the summer I do not work for 3 months.

And the last joke. Do you think they can't wait for me to bring my baby to them? How! Now there are no places at all. One place in the group from one to two will be released only in January (I have to go to work in December), and there is already a queue for this place. We signed up, so for the future. And we continue to look for a nanny.

“I learned about the state kindergarten. A couple of days later we were already on his doorstep. We talked to the secretary. From the documents they demanded a birth certificate, a certificate from a doctor and confirmation that both parents work or study.

There are 20 children in the group and one teacher and two assistants work with them. Then we went to meet. We were met by the teacher Elizabeth. We talked with her a little and decided that from next week our daughter will start going to kindergarten in the USA.

The location of the group surprised me. A large room where children study, eat, play and immediately sleep. There are no beds for sleeping, instead of them there are special beds - a metal frame covered with fabric. Pillow, blanket and sheet must be brought from home.

You can bring your own food from home, or you can eat the one that is given in the kindergarten. At first it was hard, we were worried, my daughter cried when we parted. And then I saw how they carry her in their arms to calm her down.

They began to give us daughter's drawings and crafts, friends appeared, the first words in English. And it got easier. Two weeks later, my daughter started crying when I came to pick her up. We still remember this garden fondly. Yes, many things were unusual, but every day spent there was a joy.”

The education system in the United States is significantly different from what we are used to at home. In America, there is no long maternity leave, so babies are sent to kindergartens very early - sometimes from six weeks. Moreover, there is no division into nurseries and kindergartens. And already from the age of five, the child must attend special groups at the school (kindergarten). With a story about the preschool education system, ForumDaily begins a series of materials about education in the United States. We will show all the pitfalls and share life hacks on how to give your child the best education.

Non-Children's Choice

Isabella Halperin from California has been looking for a kindergarten for her three-year-old daughter Charlene for a long time. I wanted him to be close to home and, most importantly, to have a good time in the garden for the child. Their family is Russian-speaking, but for Isabella it was important that her daughter already started learning English, found friends and started talking. So she was looking for a large non-religious American garden.

Isabella started by looking at reviews of kindergartens on Yelp.

“I only looked at kindergartens with a five-star rating, read reviews on the Internet about those kindergartens that were suitable in terms of rating and distance from home. If they were good, I went on a sightseeing tour. So I visited six or seven kindergartens. In one of them, there were even video cameras so that parents could remotely watch what their child is doing at any time. I really liked this idea. But in this garden, unfortunately, there was no place,” says Isabella.

As a result, she found what she was looking for - a large American kindergarten close to home, which operates according to the Montessori system. Before going to the kindergarten, little Charlene learned how to say in English so that she would not be pushed and what she needed to go to the toilet. Now she attends kindergarten two days a week for three hours.

In Charlene's group there are 24 children from 3 to 5 years old. Children have their own schedule and snacks are provided. The child's day is divided into two parts - classes with teachers, during which the children sit in a circle, sing songs, read, learn letters and numbers, and time for self-study, when the child himself chooses a toy or developmental tool to his liking. Isabella likes that in the garden a lot is provided specifically for learning: along with toys, there are a lot of educational materials, and the list of activities even includes real geography - with maps and cardinal directions. Charlene, on the other hand, liked the lesson most of all, in which the children taught the states of bodies: liquid, solid, gaseous.

The kindergarten is very clean, the kids clean up after themselves, put everything in its place. Outside, safe and interesting playgrounds with slides and a sandbox await children.

True, Charlene did not immediately get used to the kindergarten. At first, the language barrier affected - Isabella often noticed how her daughter stood apart from all the children and played with herself. But now Charlene has already got used to it: she is learning songs in English and is friends with an English-speaking girl.

What are kindergartens in the USA

In the US, you can choose a kindergarten (day care) for every taste. First of all, they differ in size: there are small, so-called family, kindergartens (they can have only 5-6 children) and traditional large ones, where there are about 25 people in one group.

Small kindergartens can even be located on the territory of a private house. Their activities are subject to mandatory licensing.

The advantages of such kindergartens: few children, which means a more individual approach, family atmosphere, relative cheapness, many of them are designed for one or another diaspora (for example, there are Russian, Chinese or French kindergartens). Cons: as a rule, the academic program is weaker than in large kindergartens, in addition, it can be cramped for a child - there is not enough space, few children, and there is no varied communication.

Large gardens are located in buildings specially designed for this purpose. There are quite a lot of children in them, respectively. As a rule, in such kindergartens, children are accepted from the cradle - the baby can be left as early as six weeks. All day they sleep in special boxes. Pampers, baby formula, blankets and everything else must be brought by the parents. Such an early age of admission of children is due to the fact that there is practically no maternity leave in the United States. Three years of childcare, which everyone in the post-Soviet countries are used to, can be forgotten here. In the States, you need to go to work a month and a half after giving birth, and many American mothers make a choice in favor of work.

Maria Oksyuk, a psychologist by training, is now a kindergarten teacher in California. In her group there are kids of one and a half years. “They don’t need me, but their mother,” shares Maria. “As a mother, my heart just breaks when I see how difficult it is for such babies to stay all day in an unfamiliar environment. As a psychologist, I understand that if a child is sent to kindergarten at such an early age, he will not form an attachment to his mother. In fact, it turns out that for the baby, the educator becomes the main adult. This is probably the secret of such “detachment” of local adults, and the desire of teenagers to quickly leave their father's house. For example, I see a two-year-old baby whom his mother brings at seven in the morning and picks up at half past seven in the evening. In the evening, he no longer runs joyfully towards her - on the contrary, he rushes away. This is such a “refusenik” syndrome.

American gardens are not like ours in terms of food either. Most kindergartens do not have traditional breakfasts, hot lunches and afternoon snacks. They are replaced by either food that parents provide with them in a container, or snacks - pizza, french fries and fruit. Some gardens, however, sometimes offer hot meals as an option.

Also, in American kindergartens, children usually do not sleep on beds, but on special mattresses that are placed on the floor. At the same time, children do not undress - it is believed that they should be prepared for various emergencies and not waste time getting ready. Cribs are only for the little ones. However, in small private kindergartens, all children can be put to bed.

In addition, kindergartens belonging to a religious community are popular in the United States. There are, for example, gardens at Catholic churches, chabads at synagogues. As a rule, they are much cheaper than usual ones. But to send a child there, you need to be a member of this religious community.

Yana Berger, a Russian-speaking immigrant from Israel, has three children. She gave her youngest son Aaron two and a half years to Chabad at the synagogue. This is a small family kindergarten in a small California town. “I traveled a lot of gardens: Montessori, ordinary, and Russian, but I settled on Chabad. Firstly, it is not far from home, and secondly, I feel that the educators work here not out of fear, but out of conscience. Aaron goes to the garden with pleasure, and in the evening the teachers tell me what an angel he is. Of course, a mother’s heart melts from such an attitude towards my child, ”Yana admits.

In Chabad, children also sleep in clothes and shoes, in addition, they are forbidden to take off their shoes. “As they explained to me, if a child drives a splinter into his leg, no one has the right to take it out - this is considered a surgical intervention. Well, and because of the earthquakes that often happen in California, of course, ”explains Yana.

Expensive pleasure

Whether or not to send a child to a kindergarten is up to the parents, there are no special requirements at the legislative level.

Kindergartens in the US are mostly private. However, for families withlow income (for three people this is $19,790 per year) free gardens under the “Head start” program. Even in small towns, by contacting the local department of education, you can find a free garden. True, even if you find it, this does not mean that you can send your child there - as a rule, there are huge queues for free kindergartens. Children are accepted there almost from birth to five years.

If the family income is a dollar above the poverty level, the garden will have to fork out, and how.

average cost a private kindergarten for babies from six months to three years in the United States - a little over $11.5 thousand per year, that is, about $1,000 per month. Older children (3-5 years old) cost their parents a little less: $4-9 thousand per year, that is, $300-800 per month.

But this, of course, is “the average temperature in the hospital.” The price tag varies depending on the age of the child, the number of hours they spend in the garden, the type of daycare, and the state where you live.

The difference in the cost of the kindergarten, according to data The National Association for Preschool Education, on average, can be quite substantial: from $5.5 thousand to $16.6 thousand per year. In some cities it is even more expensive. For example, the cost of staying in a kindergarten in Boston or San Francisco can reach $2,200 per month. This is what it looks like list of states with the most expensive gardens in descending order: Massachusetts, New York, Minnesota, Colorado, California, Illinois, Washington, and Wisconsin. For comparison, the most inexpensive kindergartens are in Mississippi ($4.6 thousand per year), Kentucky ($6.5 thousand) and South Carolina ($5.8 thousand).

All information aboutthe cost of kindergartens in your area, contact the Child Care Resource and Referral agency.

But there is also good news. The amount of payment for the garden can be deducted from taxes. If in a year parents who are full-time students or work have spent more than $3,000 on a kindergarten for one child or more than $6,000 for two or more children, then they can return up to 35% from the amount spent. That is, it turns out that in order to receive a tax benefit, it is enough for a child to go to kindergarten for a full day for two or three months a year, or for half a day for six months. It is only important not to lose monthly checks.

Even American kindergartens teach parents to be organized. When a child enters the kindergarten, the parent signs a contract, which also stipulates fines for being late. And the fines are considerable - from 15-20 dollars for twenty minutes.

If 20-30 minutes after the end of the working hours of the kindergarten, the child was not taken away, and the parent cannot be reached in any way, the teachers call the police - the policeman arrives with a social worker. The consequences can be dire, up to the transfer of your child to another family in court. So don't be late.

Different learning systems

In American kindergartens, there are different systems of education. In addition to the usual ones, there are Waldorf gardens, Reggio Emilia gardens, Montessori gardens. As a rule, the specialization of the kindergarten does not affect the price, it's all about the preferred direction of development for your child.

waldorf gardens

The Waldorf system, based on the teachings of the Austrian Rudolf Steiner, provides an individual approach to raising a child. Children are taught, including their imagination and imitation, with absolutely no tests used.

This system is more suitable for children with artistic inclinations. The daily program of such a kindergarten includes a variety of artistic activities: drawing, modeling, music, puppet theater, staging small plays, telling fairy tales. The child is free to find means for artistic expression. Among other things, Waldorf schools and kindergartens are also focused on religious Christian education.

Reggio Emilia approach

Gardens of Reggio Emilia (the name comes from the Italian city of the same name).the city where the pedagogical system was born)the project approach is the basis of the training system. Children spend days and months exploring parts of the whole from different angles - for example, the sea is known through the study of shells.

The system is based on such postulates as the control of the child himself over his learning and development, obtaining new knowledge through the study of objects and moving them in space, many ways for the child's self-realization (music, design, drawing, storytelling).

Kindergartens in Reggio Emilia are distinguished by their original design. These kindergartens are as far as possible in appearance from what appears before the eyes with the words “preschool”. Rather, it is a warm, welcoming home with all its smells and sounds, funny pictures and collages on the walls. Educators in such kindergartens are not senior mentors, but co-authors and co-creators, they constantly learn with the children, and sometimes from the children.

Montessori system

The Montessori system has become the most popular in the United States. It was invented by the Italian Maria Montessori about a hundred years ago and has not changed significantly since then. The essence of the method is to follow the individual physiological schedule of the development of the child's brain, tossing the child tasks with an increasing level of complexity. Since the mid-2000s, the principles of Montessori education have been included in the US public school curriculum.

In practice, in such a garden, children from three to six years old are in the same room, play and study together. This is one of the basic principles of Montessori - to imitate the village community. So the younger ones learn from the older ones, and the older ones get used to feeling their responsibility for their actions to the kids. In the morning, at the most productive time for children's development, several training sessions are held, the rest of the time the children play by themselves with ordinary toys and educational aids.

Keep in mind that the Montessori trademark is not registered in the USA, as is done in Europe and Russia. This means that any garden can use the fashionable prefix Montessori in its name, having purchased specialized teaching aids, but at the same time be far from the principles of the ancestor. You can check how a children's institution really works according to the Montessori system by asking employees for an AMS (American Montessori Society) or AMI (Association Montessori International of the United States) license. If you don’t have such a license, but you still like the kindergarten (cheap, close, nice teachers), don’t be upset: ask where the teachers studied, if they have an idea about the method, and in general whether their eyes are “burning”.

How to learn a second language in kindergarten

The USA is a multinational state, and children can benefit from this state of affairs already in early childhood. Increasingly, native American parents and immigrants prefer to send their children to ethnically oriented kindergartens, for example, Russian-speaking immigrants often send their babies to A child who has found himself in a different language environment from an early age has every chance of growing up bilingual - a person for whom two or three languages ​​are native. For example, Forum Daily previously said, . In addition, learning a foreign language, albeit in a playful situational form, gives a powerful impetus to the development of the brain, stimulates the child to more actively explore the world around him in all its diversity.

Children's ability to grasp the language on the fly gave impetus to the emergence of many bilingual kindergartens. “Popular” foreign languages ​​in the US are Chinese and Spanish. Accordingly, kindergartens with these languages ​​of instruction are also in high demand. So, Chinese - a very difficult tonal language to learn - is surprisingly easy for children. Classes are held by native Chinese speakers, children are sung songs, read fairy tales in Chinese. Normal non-gaming communication is usually in English. And it does not matter if the baby does not understand either one or the other - he will not confuse the languages, but will learn both over time.

Russian-speaking Yana Diener from California sent her four-year-old daughter to a Chinese kindergarten for a full day. “My daughter is always happy to go there in the morning and never wants to go home. We are very satisfied: she is always clean, dry, fed and satisfied. And although the main language of my daughter is Russian, she already speaks Chinese, ”says Yana. Yana gives her daughter food to the kindergarten.

“Chinese kindergarten costs us $1,300 a month. In our region, ordinary American gardens cost $1500-1700 per month. So it also saves money, ”Yana shares.

To whom do we leave children?

Preschool education in the US is a large piece of the labor market. By data 2012, 2.3 million people are employed in the care and education of children under five years of age. About half of them work in kindergartens, the rest are nannies, as well as relatives and acquaintances who are paid to look after children.

According to the National Kindergarten Association, many daycare workersdo not have specialized education only slightly more than half of them graduated from any college. In fairness, it is worth mentioning that their work is paid accordingly.average salary kindergarten worker $10 an hour. Basically a penny.

Veronica Ant failed to find a good daycare in San Francisco for her two-year-old daughter on her first try, although there were no special requirements. “We were looking for an ordinary district kindergarten not far from home. But during the search, I was horrified: the tutors have no education, no normal English. Licenses are unclear. In a word, it is difficult to find something of high quality, and waiting lists for kindergartens do not end, ”Victoria is indignant. As a result, she hired a nanny, but from the new academic year she still plans to send the child to kindergarten.

In principle, care and supervision in American kindergartens is not bad: up to a year for three children there is one teacher, from one to two years old - one teacher for four children, and from two years old to the older group - one teacher for six kids.

An alternative to gardens can be a qualified nanny. However, this is not the most budget option. Depending on the duties performed (cooking, delivery to sections, developing activities), an hour of nanny's work costs $ 12-20. Add the cost of sections and circles. Savings do not work, but the child receives individual care.

Food for brain

Sending children to kindergarten, parents count not only on their socialization, but also on intellectual development and preparation for school. results research , conducted in 2012 by Eliott Tucker-Drob, PhD, from the University of Texas, talk about the positive impact of gardens on the mental development of babies.

The psychologist examined 600 pairs of twins. The initial testing for mental development was carried out at the age of two years. It was studied whether the children attended the kindergarten, how stimulating for mental development was the communication of the mother with the children, and also analyzed their socio-economic status and race. The final test in reading and mathematics was conducted at the age of 5 years. Since it was twins who had the same set of genes and grew up together, Dr. Tucker-Drob was able to isolate the influence of the child's environment on the test results.

The report states that poor home environments affect the mental performance of non-kindergarten children much more than children who do. In other words, a bad home environment becomes much less of a problem for a child if he goes to the garden. And even if the family is very poor, a bad kindergarten is better than nothing. If everything is fine at home, then it does not matter for the child's ability to learn whether he attends kindergarten or not.

Of course, for working parents, a garden is a great way out. Children go there with pleasure, make new friends, learn foreign languages ​​and learn the world playfully. And for non-working mothers, a garden is a couple of hours of relaxation, an opportunity to pamper yourself, while being sure that the child is also well. And often only the financial side is decisive in the question of whether or not to send a child to a kindergarten in America.

American kindergartens are very different from Russian (or Soviet, which were in my childhood). In my opinion, the main differences are two - there are no state gardens and there are strict restrictions on the number of children per adult. Children in American gardens can start as early as 6 weeks from birth.

Number of children

The number of children per adult depends on the age of the children. For example, in Florida, for children aged 6 weeks to 1 year, one (1) caregiver is required per 4 children, for children from 1 year to 2 years it is 6 children per (1) caregiver, from 2 to 3 years - 11 children , from 3 to 4 years old - 15 children, from 4 to 5 years old - 20 children, and then 25 children a
1 adult.

It should be noted that the above are the minimum requirements, but many kindergartens are more conservative, for example, there will be 3 children per 1 adult in the nursery group instead of the prescribed 4 children.

The size of the groups (according to the number of children) varies from kindergarten to kindergarten. Since we have direct experience with the nursery group (children under one year old), I will write what I saw. The smallest group in terms of the number of children was 8 children per two (2) teachers, and the largest - 16 children per 4 teachers. We went to one where there were 8 kids and 2 teachers.
Then, when they moved to the next group, the maximum number of children in one group increased to 12 people per 2 teachers.

A couple of words about the schedule. Usually gardens work from 6:30 - 7 am to 6-6:30 pm. Children, in principle, can be brought at any time, as well as taken away. For children from a year old, a part-time schedule is practiced, that is, children can be brought to the garden
several times a week for a few hours (at certain times) or just for
hourly basis with a negotiated minimum (in our real garden it is 4 hours per
day).

Basically I would
divided all the gardens into 3 different types :

Church garden

Home/family garden

The garden is private

Church gardens usually differ in price (they are cheaper) and queues in consequence. Among Americans, the attitude towards such gardens is very trusting,
after all, believers work there, and nothing bad can happen within the walls of the church
can not.

What I found interesting about these gardens is that they are licensed and accredited in a different way. For them, everything is somehow easier, at least at first glance. I didn’t dig deeper, but I didn’t see any reports on the state of such gardens either.

Home/family gardens usually exist in someone's home by
room (premises) and outdoor playground equipment according to certain standards. There are requirements that people who have home gardens must adhere to. They are required to obtain a permit for their type of activity, take courses (for example, first aid), and go through the control of the premises so that everything complies with the norms.

Home gardens can also be of 2 types: Small and Large. In Small
the maximum number of children is 10 people (if all the children are small, then less, then
there are requirements for the number of children per adult are still adhered to), in
Large can be up to 12 children (according to the same principle).

Gardens Private probably the most common. They can also be conditionally divided into 2 types: using a well-known trademark (franchise) and without it. The first are network gardens. There are many networks throughout America, these are kindergartens such as KinderCare, Discovery Point, Bright Horizons, Kids R Kids, Primrose, La Petite, Goddard School, as well as gardens under the Montessori program, and others. Each network has its own differences (at least their representatives say so). The gardens of the same network differ little from each other - usually the buildings, the layout of the rooms, the decorations, the curricula and even the toys are exactly the same. Prices differ, but more on them later. Non-network gardens are gardens opened by someone, with their own curricula, approaches, nutrition, conditions.

According to my observations, such gardens are basically similar to each other (except
those that follow the Montessori program, about which I will not write anything).
The number of children in such kindergartens must also comply with the norms. Total Qty
children in the garden can reach more than 200 people.

Nutrition

This, in my opinion, is a very, very sad thing.

Again, the gardens can be divided into those in which food is provided (food -
it's juice and biscuits at around 9 a.m., lunch around 11 a.m., and
another afternoon snack around day 3 (cookies-crackers and juice or water)) and those in
who need to bring their own food.

I have already changed my attitude to the question “How better” several times and to
At the moment I don't have a consensus.

What I don't like about the idea of ​​"your" food is the lack of a refrigerator.
or microwave, that is, everything should be long-term storage and not requiring heating.
For me, it's a complete mess. In principle, there are many different products,
which you can give your child for lunch, which will not spoil, but judging by
according to what I observed - children are given chips, apples or bananas, juices,
yogurts, sandwiches ... In principle, there is probably nothing bad in such food,
but ... Considering that children in America start going to kindergarten early, I
dinners are a little alarming... In my understanding, these are not even dinners.

With the provided lunches, too, not everything is so simple. I went around a lot
gardens, and everywhere paid attention to the menu. In most cases it looked
appetizing and healthy, for example, meatballs with spaghetti, chicken in Alfredo sauce,
Meat Stroganoff, macaroni and cheese, chicken and rice + for every lunch there were more
some vegetables, such as beans, or peas, or carrots, or corn,
or mashed potatoes and fruits - peaches, pineapples, pears ... Sounds
pretty good, right? For me at least it was until the child
grown out of baby food and didn't start eating regular food...

In fact, everything turned out to be disgracefully simple. Despite the presence of a kitchen and
such a menu, the food in the garden was not prepared! Everything was from semi-finished products (or already
ready-made frozen foods), and was only warmed up by a “turn”. Everything
fruits and vegetables were canned....

After that, when looking for another garden, I didn’t just ask about the menu and
the presence of a kitchen, as well as about what the food was prepared from - from fresh products
or from semi-finished products. Well, everyone answered me to a single - from semi-finished products.

I have not yet found a golden mean in this matter.

I also want to note that for infants and children under one year old, parents should
provide nutrition in any case - either bottled breast milk or
the mixture diluted in advance, and then when the child grows up baby purees. V
group for the little ones has a refrigerator and a pot of water, in which
bottles are heated.

Price

This question is certainly on the minds of many. Prices in America for gardens are quite
decent. The price depends both on the state and on the area of ​​a particular city. For
For example, in our area, kindergartens for children under one year old cost from 200 to 300 dollars per
week. For children from one to 2.5 years old, this is approximately $ 160-230 per week.
Also, every year you need to pay 50-150 dollars for your child to go there.
just walking.

If there are 2 or more children in the family, you pay for each additional child
10-15% lower (deducted from the payment for the older child).

Pay either on Friday for the next week, or at the end of the month for the whole
whole month.

Judging by the forums of Russians in America, the price for a garden per week reaches 400
dollars.

In many kindergartens, even if you do not take your child (due to illness or vacation), you still need to pay. In some, if the child is absent for a whole week from Monday to Friday, you pay 50%. In some, after a year of being in the kindergarten, they give one week of vacation - this means you can not take the child to the kindergarten for one week and do not pay anything.

Medicine and health

There is no honey in American kindergartens. office with a nurse. If
child's temperature or something else, they call their parents and they are obliged to
hours to pick up the child from kindergarten. In some gardens I saw "waiting rooms"
for sick children, where they sit in isolation and wait for their parents.

Each child, upon admission to the kindergarten, must provide 2 forms from the doctor -
one about the general development and health of the child, and the second about the history of vaccinations. Not right
the one who says that all children in kindergartens are vaccinated. Actually it is not.
There is a perfectly legal refusal of vaccinations, which everyone, including
gardens, obyzany accept.

Children in kindergartens often get sick. Usually these are viral infections that do nothing
are being treated. The first year of a child in the garden is the most difficult in this regard - his body
meets various bacteria and viruses and is just learning to produce
immunity. Children with snot and cough are not considered sick, so snot and
Everyone in the group will cough to some degree. Only sent home
when the temperature is high (above 101 Fahrenheit or 38.3 Celsius)
discharge from the eyes and other signs of contagious diseases. Return to the garden
after the temperature is allowed only when it is gone for more than a day without application
any drugs to bring down the temperature. I think for no one
The secret is that there are few sick days in America and far from everyone is entitled to them. Because of
Because of this, the majority of sick children return to kindergarten before they have recovered. According to my observations, American mothers and fathers, if a child is suspected of having a fever, give him an antipyretic in the morning and take him to the garden. This is why kids get sick all the time.

There are no medicines in the garden, only a first aid kit. If a child needs to be given
any medication during the day, the parent must write a statement with the exact
dosage description and schedule, often bring a note from your doctor. Without it
nothing will be given to the child.

In case of emergency, an ambulance is called, regardless of the availability of
child insurance.

I also missed such gardens as in large organizations (for children
workers) and about gardens at universities (for children of students and workers). V
the first are usually very good conditions, the child is at hand, the price is much lower, and the quality is higher. It's impossible to get there from the outside. At the universities, the gardens are not so cheap, but from what I have seen, they leave much to be desired.

Checks

The Licensing Department conducts unscheduled and scheduled
inspections of private kindergartens (but not home or church gardens).
The results of the checks are public information and can be found online (at least in Florida for sure). If the check reveals violations, first warnings follow, and then fines.

educators

The work of educators is not a highly paid job. Often there
people without education work with a minimum set of courses they have completed.
They get from 8 to 12 dollars an hour in Florida. Working with children in my
In general, it’s not easy, but for that kind of money (for clarification, the minimum hourly rate in Florida is $ 7.25), not always people with a vocation go there to work, more often those who can’t do anything else or don’t want to do anything.

Very, very much depends on these people. The garden may be
good, but if you are not lucky with the teacher, you can safely look for another kindergarten.

In older groups there are teachers with education.

Groups often have at least two educators - one leader, and the second
assistant.

All kindergarten teachers are called teachers.

Sadik's routines

While pregnant, I heard and read in various magazines about queues in gardens.
And 4-5 months before the birth, I already went and chose a garden to get in line.
As it turned out, there were queues, but not quite real, as it seems to me. Director
each garden claimed that there were no places, and you need to get on the waiting list (and
pay at the same time from 75 to 150 dollars for registration, and this money is not returned under any circumstances). So I've been told in every garden that I
visited. But after a few weeks, they began to call me and offer places,
ostensibly just released. On each excursion, I was asked to complete
questionnaires - my name and coordinates, age or expected date of birth of the child, and so on. And now, after the estimated date of birth, they began to call me with “accidentally vacant seats” every day! As it turned out, there were simply no queues. Whether it's because of the large number of gardens in our area, or we just really got so lucky.

But I know it's not like that everywhere. There are still queues, we just don’t
encountered so far.

Children in kindergartens go without a shift. They sleep on rugs or thin mats, in clothes and shoes. They have different activities throughout the day. Judging by the schedule on the wall, they draw during the day (with pencils, paints or
fingers), read books, walk on the street 1-2 times a day on a special
playground with slides and toys for their age, and just play in a group.

These are the kindergartens in America, or rather in Florida.

It seems I didn't miss anything.

I myself about kindergartens are not in the tooth with my foot. Therefore, I was sincerely delighted when this article caught my eye. Read who asked. I read it with pleasure and interest.

I knew something, but most of the information is new to me. I'll just start and give a link, because there are too many photos there. To not waste time! 😉

Kindergartens (preschools) in the United States are almost completely unregulated by the federal government, and are entirely in the hands of local authorities. In the United States, as a rule, there are no public kindergartens.

Almost all preschool institutions are either private, or owned by a company for their employees, or are based on religious organizations.

Almost all large churches have preschools that are open not only to the parishioners of this church, but also to any other people.

Quite often you can see children of Muslims or Christians who attend preschools at Jewish temples.

A small digression about the terms. The word kindergarten (kindergarden or kindergarten) in the United States refers to the first grade of school, which goes after reaching 5 years.

Where children go until the age of 5 is called either a child care center or simply a day school. A place for very young children is called a nursery (nursery).

Usually the gradation in the USA is like this. There may be slight differences between states.

  • Nursery
  • PreK-1
  • PreK-2
  • PreK-3
  • PreK-4
  • Kindergarten (free, part of the public school system) from age 5.

Since in Russia all preschool institutions are called kindergartens, in order to avoid misunderstandings, I will simply write “institutions” (preschool institutions)

1. Group size

Governed by state law. Here in Florida, here is the maximum ratio of children to caregivers:

  • Under one year - 1 adult for 4 children
  • from 1 to 2 years - 1 adult for 6 children
  • from 2 to 3 years - 1 adult for 11 children
  • from 3 to 4 years old - 1 adult for 15 children
  • from 4 to 5 years old - 1 adult for 20 children
  • over 5 years - 1 adult for 25 children

But most kindergartens have smaller groups. For example, in the school I visited, 2 year olds were in groups of 14, with two adults. 3-4 year olds were in groups of 20 people, with two adults.

What I heard about kindergartens in Chicago is that the groups here are also small. I mean, more adults for the number of children.

2. Price

Based on the size of the groups, and average salaries, you can roughly estimate the cost. Each group has at least two adults (sometimes 3) - a teacher and an assistant. A teacher's salary is probably around $15-20 an hour, and an assistant's salary could be in the region of $10-12 an hour.

Therefore, if there are 8 children in the group, then the cost of only wages will be about $150-200 per week for each child. If there are 15 children in the group, then the salary costs will still not fall below $ 100 per week for each child.

And in addition to the salary, you also need to maintain the premises, buy consumables and toys, and cover other expenses.

As a result, we have that in the cheapest option, it will cost about $600 per month (where there are large groups of children). Where the groups are smaller, it will cost about $1000 per month and more.

Here is an example of prices in one of the local kindergartens. From 8:45 am to 1 pm costs $638 per month. If extended until 6 pm, it costs another $360 per month.

There is a free program (state funded) for 4 year olds (VPK) but it's only until 11:45 am and if you want to keep your 4 year old until 6 pm it costs $800 per month.

If you do not pick up your child after 6 pm, then the late fee is $1 per minute. In addition, there is a one-time registration fee of $350.

Also, every year they take $300 to improve the school. If more than one child from the family attends, then a 10% discount for the second, and 15% for the third.

For poor people, there are some assistance programs and subsidies. One local agency says that for families with incomes below $55K a year, there are free seats, and for families with incomes from $55K to $170K a year, there are discounts.

But since I do not fall into these categories, I can not say anything about these discounts.

I suspect that in more expensive locations (New York, San Francisco), prices may be substantially higher due to higher room costs and higher salaries, and in lower-priced locations, prices may be slightly lower.

1. General about the education system in the USA

I’ll make a reservation right away that in preparing this article, I used not just personal experience, but experience based on living in the Northeast of the United States, in the state of Massachusetts. I admit that the situation may differ slightly depending on the region ( the country is very diverse.). But still, I believe that some of the tips given here are general and will allow you to delve into the tricky field of preschool education almost immediately.

First, if we consider children's education as a whole, it is important to note that there are three main stages here:
Preschool- this is an ordinary kindergarten from three months ( and sometimes even earlier) up to five years.
Kindergarden is the first grade of basic school education ( elementary school) for children over the age of five. It's not kindergarten anymore how we were taught in English lessons), but a complete curriculum. The school bus comes for the children, and they go for knowledge, up to the time set by the schedule.
school- This is the last "children's stage", which consists of Elementary, Middle and High School. Despite the fact that according to this classification, Kindergarden seems to be part of the school, in fact this level is isolated. It can be compared with our preschool classes for preschoolers or other educational programs. Only here, the state removes authority from parents, and takes responsibility for basic skills like knowing letters, numbers, etc.

2. What are the gardens

Many argue that all kindergartens in the US are paid. In part, this is true. But, there are exceptions. In almost every state there are a huge number of social programs for low-income families. If you have the necessary documents confirming legal status and low income, you can relatively easily get a place in a free kindergarten for a child. This is usually done in services related to child protection ( Department of Early Education and Care). You can also get detailed information from social insurance consultants, children's clinics, etc.

Do not assume that these preschool institutions are worse than paid ones. Since here in the general group there are both “state employees” and children who have received places for ordinary payment.

However, to be honest, kindergartens in the US are very expensive. On average, a day of a child's stay can cost $80, and if you take into account meals, educational programs, etc., it will be more expensive. But again, prices vary from state to state. Maybe that's why, if American mothers are going to give birth to children, then as a rule, two or even three at once. If you still want to stay at home. The state here, as you know, does not allocate funds for maternity leave. A maximum of three months, or you need to quit your job.

Among all paid kindergartens, one can single out those that focus on education and those in which children are simply looked after ( daycare). The former are more expensive, the latter are cheaper. That is, what we, in domestic kindergartens, goes for granted, is considered a privilege here. Sculpting, drawing, alphabet, abacus - attributes of gardens are more expensive. But, as I said, for further admission to the free Kindergarden, you do not need to have basic skills. The child will be taught everything, just a little later.

3. Features of American gardens

Speaking about the features, I note that not every visitor (in particular, from the expanses of the Post-Soviet space) will like the education system in American kindergartens. Almost everything that serves as an occasion for creating jokes is true.

Let's start with food. It's no secret that Americans don't have a culture of proper nutrition at all. At best, the child will be offered pizza or pasta for lunch in the garden; at worst, nothing. We collected lunch boxes for three months ( food bags), where they put snacks, fruits, juices, but in the end, patience snapped. Five days a week the child is in the garden. And five days a week he eats what he eats. Do you understand what I mean?

The very process of eating food also strains a little. Something is eaten at the table, and something is sitting on the floor in a circle. Imagine, everyone takes out delicious treats from their OWN lunch box and single-handedly hamsters. How about " share with a friend"?! There is simply no such concept.

sitting on the floor is the next point of discussion. Yes, you may say that the whole of Europe does this and no one catches anything for themselves. So, my friends, I will answer that you are wrong. They get cold and how. Especially if on concrete, but longer. It's just that no one here focuses much attention on it. The child does what he likes. He is already a person.

Such free will, especially annoying. You can throw sand, you can do a lot more, just from what you want. Everything is very impersonal. One of my close friends just works as a teacher in an American kindergarten. This strikes her the most. You can’t become attached to children, you can’t show care and affection more than it should be. You see, as if there are no real sincere feelings. Tenderness to the crumbs. All according to the instructions.

We were very lucky with the first kindergarten, because there were several tutors in the team - Latin Americans. Temperamental grandmothers, who raised numerous grandchildren, obeyed their mentors, but still did it their own way. They could, where necessary, scold, and take a nap if someone feels bad. For this I am very grateful to them.

Lunch nap in American kindergartens also has its own characteristics. Children sleep on the floor, on mattresses, and always shod. It has to do with fire safety. In which case, everyone should be ready for immediate evacuation. It's warm on the floor in the southern states. And here in the north it can be oh, how cold. The walls are thin and the windows are leaky. The normal room temperature for Americans is about 20 degrees Celsius. This leads to the next point of discussion.

The children go to the garden and with a runny nose, and with cough, and even with temperature. What if there are no sick days? They will bring the baby to the group, giving an antipyretic in the morning. By lunchtime, the teacher will give you a pill again. So it turns out that all the kids are always sick.

Well, I've said a lot of bad things. So to speak, sore. But, fortunately, things are much better with subsequent educational levels. Children literally need to be dragged out of school by force. Usually everyone loves to study.

4. How to find a good garden

The answer to this question is quite difficult for many expats. Especially if you arrive in a new country without friends, connections and a pre-planned plan.

Good old word of mouth will help. Kindergarten need to look for reviews. Moreover, it is among the Russian-speaking population. No matter what they say, but our people know a lot about everyday things. Usually, Russian shops and restaurants are the center for collecting such information. It would be nice to find Russian-speaking friends from your city in the very first days. There is a very good Facebook group Between us mothers". This is a closed forum for all Russian-speaking US moms. The members are usually very responsive and happy to give advice on everything from insurance and medicines to kindergartens.

So we found our Russian kindergarten. The decision was made on the basis that the child began to speak Russian with an accent in a very short time. It can, it just seems that when dad and mom speak their native language at home, the child, a priori, will not forget it. In fact, everything is much more complicated. An important task in the preschool period is to preserve the native language as much as possible, and I will devote a separate post to this.

Therefore, as soon as instead of simple answers, in the speech of our child ( and it's only three months) began to slip YES & NO, and the names of our favorite cartoons were translated into English by themselves, we decided to change the kindergarten. You see, all the problems that exist in American gardens are mainly smoothed out due to the fact that they are cheaper than Russian ones. And yet, all visitors naively believe that a child needs as much as possible adapt into the local culture before he goes to school. Unfortunately, we were no exception.

5. About kindergartens for half a day. What for?

This is a question that I never stop answering. Indeed, in our kindergarten, as well as in most others, there is an “option” to leave the child until lunch. I must say right away that this is convenient only for non-working mothers. And there are at least two advantages to such a half-stay.
1. Trite, it's much cheaper (logical).
2. You can’t live without a garden - you need communication.

It is very easy in our countries to go to the playground and meet a million friends. In the US, a playground, at best, will be two kilometers from home, at worst, in another city. And not the fact that there will be children. And then, language. The Russian-speaking contingent is worth a lot here.

6. About our kindergarten

Russian kindergarten USA

And finally, I'll tell you about the most interesting. Our kindergarten is a home garden. Only six children in the group, who from eight in the morning until one in the afternoon are in a private home accredited by American standards for fitness for such activities. The kindergarten is open only four days a week, from Tuesday to Friday. And every day corresponds to a certain subject or, more precisely, educational activity.

The subjects are taught by four different guest teachers, while the educator coordinates the overall creative program.
In Tuesday We have math lessons.
V Wednesday- Russian and sometimes a speech therapist.
V Thursday- gymnastics.
V Friday- music.

In addition, since the director of the kindergarten is a former teacher at an art school, various types of applied art have been brought to perfection. Children do everything. And even more.

The most important thing is that communication with peers takes place precisely in their native language and, again, within the framework of “our” culture. Despite the fact that the contingent is quite diverse - Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus ...
During the time the children are in the garden, they have time to eat twice: for breakfast - porridge, cheesecakes or pancakes and for lunch - always something liquid, second and compote (!).

During the walk, everyone must put on hats. And this is the point that I completely forgot to mention when I was describing American kindergartens. It doesn't matter what the temperature is outside. Children are almost always taken for a walk without hats, with their breasts wide open.

Moreover, this is not a problem of one particular team, but widespread everywhere. I often see a picture when, at sub-zero temperatures, parents put on full uniforms, and the child does not even bother to button up the jacket.

I cannot explain this phenomenon. I'm just glad that, at least until Kindergarden, this specific hardening can be postponed for a while.

And what great mornings we have! To be honest, I'm not a fan of Halloween - party. Or rather, in Russia, of course, all this seemed like a cheerful action. An opportunity to dress up one more time. But here with the holiday is clearly too much. The costumes are already very realistic, in the local areas they make scenery with the hands of the dead sticking out of the ground, and in schools, severed bloody hands are hung along the corridors. Well, it's fun ... And even our pediatrician ( american by the way) said in secret that after such celebrations he prescribes several times more sleeping pills and sedatives for children. Here, just think!

That is why I am glad that there is nothing like this in our Russian kindergarten. There are autumn and spring matinees, there is a New Year with Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden. And believe me, this is very important. Because the child will have contact with Santa Claus for at least the next twelve years ( or until you stop believing). And then go and try to explain that there is still some kind of Santa Claus!

Conclusion

My friends, I have written so much here. And I’m even afraid that this doesn’t sound like excerpts from the personal diary of a hysterical mother of many children. But still, the main goal of the article was precisely to help all those who are at a crossroads and are only choosing options for preschool education for their time in our distant overseas country.

Pleasant emotions, family harmony and creative fuse!