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Virtual Preschool vs. In-Person Preschool: The Pros & Cons

Virtual Preschool vs. In-Person Preschool: The Pros and Cons

BY DENISE SHIELDS

One of the biggest decisions that parents must weigh these days regarding preschool - after understanding how important preschool attendance is for our youngest children - is whether to have their youngsters attend in-person or virtually.

Here are observations regarding the pros and cons to virtual preschool and in-person preschool.

Virtual preschool - Also Known As Online Preschool

PROS

COVID-19 has made virtual education a vital option for children of all ages - even preschoolers. For this age, it’s convenient, and preschool curricula like my own, for example, is prerecorded and can be viewed “on demand,” 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This allows learning to fit into any family’s lifestyle and time constraints.

In addition, virtual preschool is much less expensive than traditional school, and there is no commute. Children learn where they are most comfortable - right at home!

Another factor that helps tailor education to each student is the ability for parents using virtual lessons to “pick and choose” based on their child’s learning preferences. The online option also can be used to supplement in-person preschool, lessons are typically no more than 30 minutes - a time frame pretty easy to fit into any child’s daily activities.

Bolstering the relationship between a parent and child is another plus attributable to online learning. Parents must assist children with virtual preschool learning, and during these early schooling years, it’s vital that they stay closely in touch as their child begins to display his or her individual learning style and first gets interested in school. Children can have their initial introduction to school at home via computer, often as early as age 2, and this eliminates “separation anxiety” for these little ones.

Many parents prefer to homeschool their children, and this is another advantage that virtual preschool offers. It’s also an important option for parents who might relocate often due to employment or for other reasons.

CONS

Online preschool is not a perfect fit for everyone. One primary drawback is the lack of social interaction that children receive when receiving their education at home. Peer-to-peer play is vital especially for our youngest children as they start out in school, and that is harder to come by when students attend online.

Virtual preschool also requires more time and commitment from parents. The children need assistance to go through online lessons and participate in hands-on projects guided by their teacher in the virtual sessions.

In-person preschool

PROS

By far the biggest advantage to in-person preschool is the social exposure a child gains by going to traditional face-to-face class. The youngsters are able to interact both with their teacher and with other children, and they make friends, furthering not just their formal education but starting to build social skills as well.

Traditional preschool also requires less parental involvement, with teachers providing in-person instruction and guidance for everything from basic lessons to playtime, to hands-on projects. This can be a huge factor for working parents who cannot carve out as much time for one-on-one learning with their little ones.

CONS

One disadvantage to in-person preschool - compared to virtual preschool options, especially - is cost. Attending school at a dedicated building for education is more expensive, and parents also typically must commute with their children to school.

Another drawback to consider is that some preschool-age children, particularly if they are ages 2-3, may not yet be ready to go to school in person. They may need more time at home to grow and prepare for meeting new people and being away from their parents for even just a short amount of the day.

Plus, most in-person preschools require that children be potty trained, and some are just not ready for this at the youngest ages.

TO SUM IT UP

There are advantages and disadvantages to both virtual and in-person preschool. The former has lesser cost but requires more parental involvement, while the latter requires more of a financial investment but brings added bonuses such as social interaction for children.

Many Parents Will Find They Actually Can Have The “Best Of Both Worlds” - taking advantage of both virtual and in-person preschool. For example, they could place their young preschooler, from ages 2-3, in virtual preschool for their first year of this level of education. Then, in year two, their more mature preschooler, from ages 3-5, could attend a traditional in-person preschool.

What’s key is to get children learning - and loving it! Encourage and support all of your child’s learning experiences! Gaining early enjoyment from learning about the world around them will be of great benefit to them all of their lives - both in the classroom and beyond!

About the Author

Denise Shields is a preschool teacher from Fredericksburg, Virginia. When she had to close her Fredericksburg VA preschool last year due to COVID restrictions, Denise brought her preschool program online to offer a virtual experience to young children. She has worked with preschool children for 26 years, with 13 years as a preschool teacher. She is the owner and founder of both Creative Kids Preschool in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the free virtual preschool program called Creative Kids Virtual Preschool, which has helped thousands of families educate their young preschoolers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How Important is Preschool Anyway?

BY DENISE SHIELDS, Creative Kids Preschool Fredericksburg Virginia

Once upon a time, preschool was reserved for children who appeared delayed in development or did not seem ready for kindergarten. Perhaps they did not know the basics yet - discerning one color from another, for example - or were simply too shy around others to be ready for kindergarten.

Whatever the issue, formal education before kindergarten in years past was deemed necessary largely to help children who seemed behind in development to catch up. Others were considered ready to go. My, how times change!

And yet, preschool is still a lot about preparation. But now, preschool helps our youngest children of all skill levels to get the right start as they approach kindergarten age. It’s about building a foundation, and parents and educators now know that starting that base for a good education need not wait until kindergarten. It’s vital for our children that we understand the importance of preschool in our current times.

Why Preschool?

According to an article from greatschools.org, preschool offers a solid foundation both socially and academically for children to succeed as they prepare to enter kindergarten and then elementary school. It is likely the first structured learning environment these little ones experience.

In addition, preschool gives children an opportunity to learn the basics - like their colors, ABCs, and 123s - and offers social engagement, too. Kindergarten has become more focused on academics and less on fundamental skills, and parents want their children to be prepared. It’s never too early, for example, to practice social and emotional development with age-appropriate exercises in class. Simply interacting with a teacher and other little ones helps prepare children for the next level.

In preschool, children get an early “trial run” of a kindergarten type of setting. They have structure - organized classroom space and lessons - but also choices for both individual play and learning and group activities, too. All in all, it’s an age-appropriate dip of the toe into educational waters they soon will need to navigate.

In-Person Preschool

Learning comes best to children in person, of course. At my preschool, which is online at http://www.ourcreativekids.com to give you a peek, we offer two or three days per week for children ages 3-5 in an environment with small classes and individualized attention. Along with Ollie the Puppet, I engage children in the basics of learning, and there is plenty of time for socializing and play. Children ASK to go to school at Creative Kids Preschool - because we make learning fun!

Interacting with others in a classroom is a completely different social environment than children experience at home with parents, siblings, and other family members and friends. This offers them a new social construct and an opportunity for growth. They are learning new social skills and how to interact with others - and they are learning through play!

Lessons are short and interactive, keeping our children interested and involved. They are reinforced by accompanying activities, too. This is a great precursor for kindergarten - letting them get a taste of what a classroom is like while keeping activities and lessons at the right level to fit their youthfulness.

Virtual Preschool

In the age of COVID-19, many parents have concerns about sending their children to in-person school versus keeping them at home. Naturally, this has led to virtual preschool options.

Virtual preschool is a great alternative for families that cannot afford in-person preschool, or those parents who want a year of virtual learning then a second year of in-person preschool for their children before kindergarten.

In addition, virtual learning is a great supplement to in-person preschool. Lessons in my virtual preschool, www.creativekidsvirtualpreschool.com, are short and theme-based - perfect for not only supplemental learning for the little ones but also stout enough to stand on their own when parents choose this route.

In 30 minutes a day, Ollie the Puppet and I help children grow, learn, and have fun from the safety, convenience, and comfort of their own home. We encourage curiosity and fun in our lessons, and feedback from parents has shown that many children continue practicing what they learn even away from the virtual classroom.

The Importance of Preschool

It’s not just my instinct as a teacher, or your parental gut feelings, that indicate that preschool is key for our children. Studies have shown the importance of preschool in a child’s development.

According to an article from the California’s Learning Policy Institute, children experience benefits all the way through school and their entire lives from attending a high-quality preschool program. A 2019 study of 21 large-scale public preschool programs found that little ones who attend such programs are more prepared for school and benefit from learning gains than children who do not have a preschool experience. Put simply - the research backs up our common sense.

Now imagine children in the small-scale preschool setting with more individualized attention, and you see what I’m getting at. Starting a child’s more formal education from ages 3-5 is key to building the foundation they will need in life to succeed - not just in kindergarten, but throughout their lives.

The importance of preschool cannot be overstated. The social and educational benefits have not just been experienced individually for families but also have been proven on a wider scale. Preschool isn’t a head start. It’s the start that all children truly need - and deserve.

About the Author

Denise Shields is a preschool teacher from Virginia. When she had to close her preschool last year due to COVID restrictions, Denise brought her preschool program online to offer a virtual experience to young children. She has worked with preschool children for 26 years, with 13 years as a preschool teacher. She is the owner and founder of both her traditional in-person preschool Creative Kids Preschool in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the free virtual preschool program called Creative Kids Virtual Preschool, which has helped thousands of families educate their young preschoolers during the COVID-19 pandemic.