Part time daycare cost near me: Cost of Care – Child Care Aware MN

Cost of Daycare | Berkeley Parents Network

Questions

• Daycare price range?
• How to find subsidized daycare?
• Daycare fee increase and 2nd child discount
• Going rate for daycare?
• What do you pay for part-time daycare?
• Affordable Daycare?
• Home-based Day Cares and Preschool for under-3s
• Parents & other relatives
• Occasional Babysitters

Daycare price range?

August 2008

My son was born 6 weeks ago and my husband and I are starting to look into Childcare options for him to start in December. We are finding a HUGE range of prices…one home-based daycare we looked at was $980/month for full-time care, and another was $1900/month for the same hours! Is this normal? I was not expecting quite so much variance in the rates…is there an average rate we should expect to see? Any feedback would be appreciated!! Thanks.

Our wonderful family daycare costs me $220 per week per child. The hours are 7-5:30 and they provide meals, pre-school supplies, etc. The parents are only responsible for diapers and a change of clothes. anon

Hi, I advise you to go to Bananas and check out the files for home-based care and centers where you would like to place your child. I am a home-based provider and I use these files to help decide my rates, then I factor in things like the food we serve (organic and homemade), our ratio, our education & experience, and other offerings, as well as benefits for employees. The variance in price usually (but not always) reflects a difference in quality. Will your child be watching t.v. in care? Do you see any swings or bouncy chairs when you visit (these aren’t allowed by licensing rules), is there outdoor space, if so, what’s it like? These are things to look for and ask about, as well as discipline strategies and provider to parent communication. Bananas has several handouts on what to look for in care situations, and the files really reflect the going prices. Infants, especially, are extremely hard to find placements for, since infant care is VERY expensive due to strict ratio requirements (typically 1:4). Good luck! a toddler teacher

I was very interested in the question about daycare price ranges. I just hope answers can be shared here as well as with the parent who made the original post. I’m interested to see the range of prices and the factors involved in setting a price- qualifications, neighborhood, etc. What makes a person willing to pay more? What do people look for when searching for the right daycare, and what turns people off? I may be starting a family daycare business soon, so I’m very interested in the replies. Thank You!

Around $1,000/month is typical for full-time daycare (infants through three-years-old), based on my research 9 months ago for my sons. I didn’t see anything even close to $1,900 for a group daycare situation. You could almost get a private nanny for that price. Monica

How to find subsidized daycare?

May 2008

Hi: I am a single mother and I am looking for a daycare that offers a subsidized rate for people who fall in the low-income category. I can not afford the basic rates of day care so I need to find a day care who offers assistance DIRECTLY. A lot of the places are refering me to Children’s Counsel but I am already on that waiting list and the wait is VERY long. I heard that some big, chain daycares do offer assistance directly through their school, going off income…but I know you can’t trust all BIG chain-style day cares so I am hoping to get recommendations of daycares who offer assistance and other possible programs I may have overlooked that can give me assistance. Can you PLEASE help me?! I need to find one asap, my aunty who was taking care of my child is no longer here so I need to find someone very soon. I live in El Sobrante so anything in Hercules, Pinole, El Sobrante, even El Cerrito, etc. Thank you!!

Have you considered Head Start? If you’re at the federal poverty level (or even above), you may qualify for free childcare services through this federally funded program. You can look up the closest Head Start program in your geographic area and call them for more information. Head Start Director

Daycare fee increase and 2nd child discount

Oct 2007

The in-home daycare/preschool that my children ages 2 and 4 attend raised fees this year by $80 dollars a month, this is $160 a month for us. I have two questions that I would love to hear back on, thank you. 1.) Is this in the range of increases that most families are facing ? and 2.) Do most people get a discount for the second child? Just wondering

Our preschool (not a homebased preschool) raised its fees by over $100/mo from last year to this, so I feel your pain. This is not unusual. But note that our school does offer a 5% discount on the second tuition for a sibling. Ours also offers a substantial (5%) discount for paying the year up front (but with two kids, not feasible for us). The daycare we went to prior to this one offered the same two discounts. mom of two PreSchoolers

I think a $20.00 increase weekly per child is completely reasonable, especially if it’s annual or less frequent. Daycare providers work hard and deserve pay raises too. I pay full rate for my two children to attend an excellent home daycare, and ”discount rates” seem insulting to an excellent provider. Quality childcare is expensive, and that is just the reality of having two children. Worth Every Penny

I don’t know about daycare, but my child attends a Montessori preschool. My baby will join next year. The answers to your questions w.r.t. this school are: 1.) Is this in the range of increases that most families are facing? YES. WE WILL PAY DOUBLE WHAT WE PAY NOW. 2.) Do most people get a discount for the second child? NOT US. Grim, but that’s our situation too. -anon

our daycare (blue skies for children in oakland) raised rates this year for the first time in awhile (this is our first year so I cannot confirm). our increase was $180/month from $2,110 to $2,290 for infant care. i do not think they offer a 2nd child discount, but i could be wrong. working mom

Our preschool/daycare went up 100/year as it has each year for the last two years. Siblings get a 10% discount. not a money mama

We got a $50 increase from last year day-care fees (one child). Yes, in the past we got a discount for the second child in the same facility (now our older son is in Kindergarten). EP

Well my child attends a daycare facility and I am on the board there. Typically we increase our fees by ~2-3% each year. Thus far it has ranged between $30 and $40 since the classroom fees vary. Usually a discount is given for siblings e.g. 10%. I recommend speaking with childcare provider about this. Parent

my corporate daycare raises rates ~4% each year and offers a 10% discount for sibs. most home daycares seemed to offer the same 10% discount for sibs. pricey being a parent, but rewarding too!

Going rate for daycare?

Oct 2004

We’re feeling squeezed financially paying for a full time nanny for our 16 mo twins, and I was wondering what the going rate is for daycare. There’s some info on the website, but it’s out of date. Any info would be most welcome! love our nanny, but going broke

I don’t have much to compare, but at my son’s home based daycare (which we love) we pay $760 a month for 4 full days. It includes breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, diapers/pullups, and really wonderful care. Full time (5 days) is $950 a month. love our daycare

We’re paying $1,075 a month for fulltime Montessori pre-school (that’s 7:30 am to 6:00 pm 5 days a week). anon

I paid $780 a month (for one child) for a high-quality four-day-a-week family daycare (8:00 – 5:30). Karen

I live in Berkeley and recently hired a nanny. Although I did not hire a nanny for twins, I did look into shared situations. I found that legal nannies who are fluent in English, have a driver’s license, a car etc. charge $20 for two and up to $15 for one (the woman charging $15 was not interested in two, so I’m not sure what her rate would be). Nannies who want to work on a cash only basis charge between $10-12 an hour for one and $16-18 for two. These nannies usually are not fluent in English. One nanny who wanted to be paid in cash and was not fluent in English told me her rate was $14/hour for one, which I thought was well above market. I noted recently that after 4 weeks she is still looking, so that confirmed my theory. Hope this helps. anon

What do you pay for part-time daycare?

Sept 2004

I looked at the archives on this subject, but I found nothing too recent or about part-time care. I would really like to hear what other people pay (if they are comfortable sharing, of course). –anon

I just moved my 18 month old from an in-home daycare that cost $650/mo full time to another in-home daycare that costs $540/mo for 7 hrs/day FYI

550 for 20 hours, or 9/ hour for fewer hours. Lunch not included (bring our own.)For a fabulous loving creative and exceptional place, which otherwise I would feel this is too high but also don’t know the comparisons. anon

Affordable Daycare?

My daughter very much wants to work, but is having trouble with childcare. She is a young mother with a five month old baby. She has a work opportunity right now where she can make $10/hr. but is much discouraged by the $7/hr cost of babysitting which after taxes are taken out of her salary, will leave her with very little if anything at all to show for her efforts. She might as well stay home take care of the baby and apply for welfare except, she wants to work. These are such discouraging choices. Does anybody know of any programs out there where young mother’s can get help with child care in order to do part time study or work?

I’m sure lots of people will write in to say this, but $7/hour is more than the young woman needs to pay for good childcare. Many home daycare situations charge $4/hr for taking care of a child as part of a small group in someone’s home. Our little boy (3 1/2) has been in a home daycare situation during the morning hours since he was six months old, and he has done very well. Right now he goes to a group care program that is very good, run by a woman named Rosa Jaramillo in Albany. Rosa provides both breakfast and lunch, and she and her helpers take the kids on little field trips, walks around the neighborhood, etc. We are very happy with the care he receives there. If you contact Bananas (510) 658-0381 (for Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, EC, etc.) they can offer lots of names with prices and other information. I realize that $4 is still a lot if you earn only $10 — you could also check into cooperative situations, where parents volunteer to work one morning a week and pay less for the care. Good luck! Linda

I have a response for the person asking about help with expenses for childcare. Contact Bananas- they have wonderful resources and are hooked into everything that may be available. Good luck. Mona

Occasional Babysitter

From: Orit

What is the going rate for an occasional daytime/nighttime babysitter?

responses from Oct 2000

I’ve had great luck with babysitters. The one young woman we’ve had for almost 2 years started at $5 per hour for 2 children (and my daughter was still just over 1 year). We now pay her $7 an hour, since the children are older and she has done a great job. We even have a part-time college student that babysits occasional evenings (and has a car) and we pay her $7 now, but started at $6.

I’d like to put in a general note of advice for people seeking part-time childcare since I’ve been in that situation frequently in the last 3 years. I finally gave up and am now staying with my nearly three-year-old kids all day, then going to work after 5:00 when my partner comes home. The turnover in sitters was taking too great a toll on my kids and they were asking me every morning, who’s my babysitter? It’s quite difficult to hire someone reliable who will stay with you for only a few hours per week. I don’t know what the solution is, possibly exchanging sitting with another family with similar needs at different hours or hiring a younger (probably high school) person who REALLY only wants to work a few hours each week. This last was our solution for over a year until our sitter went on to college. Beware however, sitters who want the job for only a few hours (in our case it was about 7 hours a week) if they can’t or won’t tell you just how they are filling the rest of their schedule. I had THREE sitters (all with references)come to work for us and then leave, since July this year, two of whom left because they found more work with another family AFTER coming to work for us and then decided our hours were no longer convenient or enough. The third spontaneously decided to pursue classes full-time so that was just our rottern judgement/luck. It’s also very helpful to know the sitter’s other present employers if they’re already working and their families etc. as the more connections you have to their life the more responsible they will need to be. Good luck. I’d love to hear any other solutions people have found. —

From: Eartha (9/98)

Someone asked in the 8/28 digest how much babysitters charge. I called Bananas which is a childcare referral service. The going rate for an occasional daytime/nighttime babysitter is $5-$7 depending on the area and the provider.

From: Ed (9/97)

I am in the midst of switching babysitters and will probably try to share with another couple. Our previous babysitter charged $7.50/hr for a single child and 12.00 for two. Other than that I have heard all sorts of ranges for pay. I would love to know what other types of arrangements people have to gauge what is reasonable and fair for compensation. Also since we are paying cash, we are not able to take advantage of pre-tas savings plans for childcare. Was this ever a subject that was addressed in the mailing list or is there some info somewhere that would be helpful?

We share a wonderful babysitter with another family and pay her $7.00 for one child and $11.00 for two. We feel that this is a bargain and would have happily paid her a little more had she requested it. She definately earns her money. She cares for two VERY ACTIVE boys of the same age (1.5 years) and has experience caring for twins (in our selection criteria we were especially looking for someone with experience caring for twins or more than one child at the same development stage.)

Kelli

$12/hour for two kids??! At that rate I’d never get out! For the last two years we have paid our babysitters $7/hour for two kids, and they’ve all thought that was fair…

Kimberly

We paid our babysitter $6/hour for one child and $10/hour for two. But lately it seems many sitters are charging $8/hour for one child, $12/hour for two — ouch!

Cecilia

I’ve only gone out a few times since Curt (20 months) was born and only felt comfortable leaving him with a sitter he knew and who has training for emergencies; we were lucky to be able to hire a woman from Curt’s daycare. It’s expensive (for me) at $8/hr, but it’s worth it to me because I know she can take care of Curt in an emergency– as a daycare employee, she’s had all the CPR and emergency first aid classes and is up-to-date on them.

Peggy

Re: How much do you pay a babysitter?

$5.00 /per hour for THREE kids maxing out at $20/ per evening. A couple of extra bucks for fixing a meal or changing diapers. Ours would usually clean the kitchen up while we were out (this was not expected/required but boy was it nice!)

Roger

Home-based Day Cares & Preschools for Under-3s

2000

I have looked on the UC parents web site at for advice on day care, but it seems like no one wants to spill the beans on how much they are actually paying. I send my 18 month old to Duck Soup in Rockridge and it costs $829 a month. I didn’t do an exhaustive search of east bay day cares, but I think this is on the high end and I am wondering if that is true. maybe we can’t say the exact amount for some kind of privacy reason?? If telling the actual amount is some sort of problem–how about using ranges–$600-50, $650-700 and so on.

Also, over the course of the year our day care closes for all holidays and a couple vacations. This time off adds up about a month off. I am fine with this because I want our provider to have time off and the staff to get vacations. Is this how other centers work? Of course, we pay the same tuition every month regardless of whether or not the day care is open all month. Basically, I’d like to know more about how people are handling care. Thanks Sarah

I pay my daughter’s daycare provider (at home) 10.00$ per hour (w/out taxes,etc.). At the outset, it sounds like a lot, but if you do the math, it isn’t like she’s rolling in the dough. And what she provides to my child two days a week in invaluable in some ways (we love her obviously). She is now charging others $15.00/hour and said it was the going rate these days. Only you know if you can afford it. I know that if we suddenly had to start paying our nanny $15.00/hour, then it probably would almost be worthless for me to work even two days per week….so consider that too.

I have a 7month old boy and we are currently paying $50 a day for daycare. I was wondering if this is close to what I would be paying in a shared nanny situation. If anyone is looking to share a nanny and/or has information about current costs, please let me know. Jo Ann

From: Grace (1996)

When our daughter was about 9 mos., my husband and I started visiting daycare centers around the Berkeley area and here’s our observation: regarding cost, they were all very similar between $725 – 825 per month, providing either lunch or diapers and all provided snacks)

Family day care (your child goes to someone else’s home — this is regulated by the state and the caregiver must have a license) seems to be $300-$500 per month.

The preschool my daughter attended (McGee’s Farm) was on the high end of the price range and currently charges $730 / month for full time with no parent participation. I’ve seen it as low as $500 / month, but those places usually have a lot of teacher turnover because the pay is quite low (sometimes $5 / hour).

Our experience with home babysitting has been great. We are lucky enough to have a home childcare dynasty across the street from out home. There are two houses next door. The grandmother and motehr live in one. The grandmother has two or three children, and the mother works with Alameda County dealing with childcare issues. The daughter has her two sons and eight other kids in her house. She has an assistant. The two backyards are combined and it has lots of play equipment. She has 17 years of experience, has lots of training and does CPR training for childcare providers. She believes in non-violence, maintains limits but is totally loving. Obviously. we are very happy. Our daughter has been there since 6 mos., is 18mos now. Pam, who runs Harrison’s Child Care provides a structured environment – lots of stories, activities, preschool worksheets for the older kids. Our cost averages $450/mo. for full time care. My daughter is very happy, has learned lots of social skills (including how to say please & thank you).

Another friend of mine takes her 2.5 year old to a day care home where he has been since he was nine months old. The woman that runs the home takes in 3 or 4 kids roughly the same age and gives them 2 hot meals a day (she is state subsidized) at their own little kids table, back yard play, classroom play etc. She charges $20 a day, or $18 a day if paid in advance.

What we pay our parents & other relatives

In my particular case I am fortunate to have my mother close enough by that she can come over in the morning and stay with my 22 month old son four days a week for about 8 to 10 hours a day. I pay her $400 a month which helps her to cover her rent. This works out to about $2.75 and hour. It’s especially nice for baby and me because he doesn’t have to wake up and immediately get dressed and driven off to day care. My mom gets to hang out in a roomy house all day, instead of her small apertment. She usually makes meals out of food in my house but does bring her own food from time to time. There is a park on the end of my street, kids my son’s age across the street and of course our now well toy-stocked back yard.

All in all I like having my baby at home, he has comparably less colds, (he’s never had an ear infection) and of course he loves his Nanny, as he calls his grandma. I also give him plenty of opportunity to play with other kids his age, and try to take him on regular outings of some kind even if it just a walk in the stroller to visit the neighborhood butcher.

I would like to add that I am planning to place him in a nursery/pre-school situation around age 3.5 starting part time at first.

Child Care Program Enrollment and Tuition

Thank you for your interest in The Ohio State University Child Care Program for your family’s early education and child care needs. Our program was founded on the belief that high-quality child care and early education benefits the university community’s youngest children and their families. If you are ready to join our program, here are the next steps to take toward enrollment.

Program Details

Waitlist❯❯

If you are considering enrolling your child, we suggest you complete and return a Child Care Program Waitlist Application as soon as possible. Please note these requirements:

• Affiliation with Ohio State is not required for the waitlist, but it is required for enrollment.
• A child birthdate or due date is required.
• Waitlist families receive a verification email once their application is processed, within two to three weeks. Applications are ordered according to the date received.
• Families are required to renew their Child Care Program waitlist application annually.
• The program’s first commitment is to the families who are currently being served. After a family is enrolled, siblings have priority for available enrollments.

Waitlist Time

Many variables affect waitlist time including age of the child, enrollment option preferred and the time of year the application was received. Waitlist time varies. Some families may wait months and other families may wait well over a year. Applications are ordered according to date received, however, other factors affect enrollment offers.

Tours❯❯

Due to COVID-19, we are not offering tours at this time.

Monthly program tours are offered to help families be prepared to make an enrollment decision. Registration is required; call (614) 292-4453.

Tuition❯❯

Weekly child care tuition is calculated on a sliding scale based on both parent/guardians’ gross income and the number of days of care enrolled. Tuition is charged based on the age group in which the child is enrolled, not the age of the child. If multiple children are enrolled, the oldest child is placed one income category below the family category for tuition determination.

Full tuition is charged weekly regardless of attendance and of the number of days per week the program is open. Holidays follow official university schedule and tuition is charged for these days. View the Child Care Program Tuition Schedule.

Evening Child Care

• Additional Hours: $10 per hour per child-for currently enrolled families only; care must be requested in advance.

Other Charges

• Registration Fee: $60 non-refundable family fee and $250 non-refundable advance payment upon enrollment or re-enrollment; Kindergarten and Summer School Agers have a non-refundable fee annually.
• Late Pick-Up: Charges may be applied in certain circumstances.

Tuition Assistance❯❯

Families who meet established income guidelines may be eligible for enrollment in Publicly Funded Child Care through their county department of Job and Family Services and receive assistance with their child care tuition. Eligibility in this program is based on income. Parent/guardian(s) must be attending school and/or be employed; only employed graduate students are eligible for this program. For more information see Helping Families Afford Child Care on the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services website.

The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) grant is authorized by the Higher Education Act and administered by the U.S. Department of Education. It supports the participation of Pell-grant eligible, low-income parents in postsecondary education through the provision of childcare funding assistance. The ACCESS Collaborative program coordinates the CCAMPIS grant at Ohio State as well as links parenting students to licensed/nationally accredited campus or community childcare services for children 6 weeks to 12 years old. To learn more about this grant, eligibility requirements, and childcare center partners, go to odi.osu.edu/ccampis to apply or contact ACCESS-CCAMPIS Program Coordinator, Stephanie Fields at [email protected].

Schools – as they teach here.

– Australia through my eyes

July 26, 2011
Life and Life in Australia, How they teach here

114 comments
50,935 views

Revised 03/21/2019

In Australia, kids go to school when they are, or should be, 5 years old by June 30th. That is, some start going to school at 4 years old. So both my daughters went to school when they were 4 years old. Quite babies.

The preparatory class, from which all training begins, is, in my opinion, an analogy for the younger group of a Russian kindergarten, only without hot meals and sleep hours.

School starts in kindergarten at age five and ends in twelfth grade at age eighteen.

Compulsory schooling from kindergarten was introduced in 2007, before that parents chose whether to send their child to school or leave them at home or in kindergarten.

When my oldest daughter started kindergarten in 2003, they didn’t wear school uniforms and only studied 3 days a week. Now in the preparatory class, everything is the same as the rest of the school: a school uniform and a full week of training. nine0007

The school year in Australia starts at the end of January, usually the 23rd, and ends at the beginning of December. The entire academic year is divided into four quarters, as in Russia, with vacations of about ten days.

The school day is the same for all students. In all schools, children start studying at 8-30 and finish at three in the afternoon. Quite a long day, especially for toddlers. But there are nuances – two breaks and each, about an hour. The features of an excellent climate are taken into account. Children play outside and run for two hours a day. There are usually playgrounds on the territory of the elementary school and there are always huge sports fields. nine0007

The fact that the school day always starts and ends the same way is very convenient for a working mother. Because I pick them up from school. I also work until three and after work I go to pick them up.

I want to mention how much easier it is to get a part-time job here. In Russia, I have not heard that so many people work from 8 to 15, but here it is full. A very common form of work. Part time job.

Children are not fed at school, their parents give them food to take with them. It was this question of nutrition at school that frustrated me the most at first. In my own school there was a chic canteen, where I was fed deliciously and healthy at the table, with a spoon and fork. When I first saw my child eating his sandwich with dirty hands, sitting on the pavement, I was very upset. I still don’t understand how, with such concepts of hygiene, there are no general epidemics here, but there are none. Oddly enough, children do fine without having hot food for lunch and not washing their hands before eating. nine0007

The school has a kiosk where you can buy food. ( tuck shop) The purchase price is 5-7 dollars. Which, after moving from Russia, seemed expensive to me. Besides, it seemed to me that the food was so healthy there. Now, 15 years later, the quality of food has changed for the better.

Education at school is divided into primary (primary) and secondary (secondary). Primary school will be called primary school, and middle and high school will be called high school. Elementary school is from preparatory grade to sixth grade, and middle school is from seventh to ninth and senior to twelfth. nine0007

All public schools have separate primary and secondary schools. That is, these are different institutions, territorially and organizationally.

Private schools very often combine elementary and high schools into colleges, as they call it here. That is, this is one organization, only school premises, playgrounds for recess, are located in different parts of the school. The school uniform of high school students (here all students wear a school uniform) is different from the school uniform of junior high school students. And the elders are not allowed to go into the territory of the younger ones and vice versa. nine0007

Public and private schools

Australia has public and private schools. Moreover, I don’t know which schools have more children, and both of them are everywhere in abundance.

I call paid schools private, because public schools are free. Private schools are religious and non-religious schools. Since the organization of a school is an expensive business, only the state or a rich church can master it. I know only one private school that is not religious – Brisbane Gramma School. She’s kind of terribly expensive and prestigious. nine0007

When I arrived here, I couldn’t figure out which schools were better, private or public. I didn’t want to send my children to a bad school, so I kept asking my friends where it was better.

Private school

No one could explain anything to me articulately. I remember a kindergarten teacher who worked in both a private and a public school said that the education would be the same, the teachers too, only the children were different. At the time, this explanation seemed vague and vague to me. nine0007

And my daughter went to the nearest public school. Which was a five minute walk. The school made a strong impression on me. Not only because it was full of toys and a great big playground, but also because of the philosophy of education, which is different from the Russian one. There is respect for the child in education. And the fact that teachers are trying to make the children interesting and fun, and not to keep the class quiet.

I have often heard that Russian education is almost the best in the world. I don’t agree with this. I do not consider stuffing information into heads as a smart training. Especially now, when any information is so available. Out of the box thinking and developed imagination I like more. Not that things are going great here, but still a couple of steps ahead in relation to Russian education. They try to find out the opinion of the child, they are extremely loyal to opinions that differ from the opinion of the teacher. nine0007

At the end of last year, my eldest daughter gave me a book published by their school to read, and there was an essay section on how children feel about school. What was not there. Among the standard reviews, there were a few unusual ones. Not so much bad as a little mocking and just childish – in relation to the school. I asked – and how did the teacher react to what they wrote – it’s fine, he says, he laughed with us.

Such teaching requires much more from the teacher than lecturing in a quiet classroom. Therefore, those who worked at a school in Russia, and now work as a teacher here, scold the local system, but children like studying here much more. nine0007

And I also like that it takes into account the fact that we are all different, and therefore children can choose which subjects to study in high school. Mathematics, English are compulsory subjects, and the rest of the subjects, starting from grade 8, can be chosen.

I wrote about it here: High school students in Australia – choice of subjects and path in life.

Children are treated with respect in Australia. As they say, I can’t speak for the whole of Australia, but in the Australia that I see, children are not offended. Beating children is not accepted here, even socially unacceptable. Children here are protected from assault by parents and teachers. They are told at school that if you are offended at home, call this number and they will help you. I don’t know how they are helped, but the fact that huge, strong adults are very limited in their ability to offend a creature much weaker than them is very pleasant to me. nine0007

How children learn to speak English

I am often asked how my children learned English when they started school. Both girls did not speak English at all, and learned to speak at school. It happened pretty smoothly.

Due to the fact that in the preparatory class there is no study, only games, for some reason I believed that my kids would somehow figure it out in the sandbox – what’s what. The main words – I want to go to the toilet, drink – I taught them. The rest they somehow pulled up. I didn’t teach them English specifically. nine0007

At school, children who have just arrived and do not speak English are usually helped. They help in this way: three times a week, children go to a lesson called: English as a second language. English as Second Language (ESL). This is a good program, especially if the children are small, as was the case in my case. They don’t really strain them there, they memorize words and expressions in a playful way.

If the child has already grown up, that is, from 9 years old and older, then it seems to me that these lessons will not be enough. I know a case when, after their arrival, parents sent their child to an expensive college for foreign children so that he could improve his English. I don’t know how effective it is. In that case, there was no particular benefit. It seems to me, and I may be wrong, that it would be better to find a good, qualified tutor who will work individually with the child. It’s significantly cheaper than college. And depending on how good the tutor is and how good his teaching methodology is, this path should give a faster effect. nine0007

One of my clients gave me the address of such tutors. Kip McGrath Education Centres. According to her, her son has been going there once a week for 3 months now, he really likes it. He had a deuce in English last quarter, and now a four. Says his teacher can’t believe the change.

I dialed the Redcliffe zip code: 4020 and it turned out that there are three centers nearby (this is a network). The one where her son went – KALLANGUR. $50 per lesson, very good result. It’s cheaper than a private school. And many adults would not hurt to learn there. nine0007

How to support the Russian language

I noticed that for many Russian children there is another problem – to speak Russian. They quickly lose their native language. Therefore, for my children, I focused on teaching Russian.

We read the Russian primer with them from the age of 5, and then the Russian language textbooks. I still read books to them in Russian. True, the books are English, which we borrow from the local library. So I have extensive practice of simultaneous translation from English. nine0007

There are also Russian schools in Australia, usually they are based on Orthodox churches. There are a couple of schools in Brisbane. Here: Serafimovskaya school. And the second – Nikolaevskaya.

I didn’t take my children to Russian schools. Partly because it’s a long way to go. Partly because this school is Saturday and takes half a day. That is, Saturday is completely killed. I just deal with them myself, combining communication with my children and learning Russian. Both me and the kids are happy. We speak Russian at home.

It seems to me, and I also read some book on bilinguals – that is, children for whom two languages ​​are native, that learning one language helps learning another. nine0007

That’s really how it works. I see this in the example of my friends – the better the child speaks Russian, the better, as a rule, he will study at an English school. Although, maybe it just reflects the amount of time parents spend with their children.

Well, in general, my children study well at school, and they have no problems with English. On the contrary, the eldest repeatedly received a diploma for the best knowledge of English among her peers. And she graduated from school as the best student of her year. nine0007

Choice of school

Choice of school is a purely individual thing, just like choice of place of residence. Everyone has a different idea of ​​what good learning is. There is a website in Australia where you can compare schools.

Here is a comparison criterion – the results of national examinations. There are some here, and they start in the third grade, take them every two years. The results are summarized and published on the website: My school. This is a government site, but since state exams are taken in both private and public schools, there are statistics for both. As it is written there, the purpose of the site is to provide information to both parents and children about the resources, the mission of the school, the characteristics and performance of students. nine0007

How my children moved from public to private school

A little more about religious schools: after three years in a public school, my children went to a private school. Why we decided to transfer them from the state, free school, I can’t explain exactly. One of the reasons was that Russian music teachers, our good friends, worked at this school, and they constantly praised their school and called to them. Since both girls are engaged in music, we fell for their persuasion. The school is called Mueller College. nine0007

So I had the opportunity to compare both education systems. What I liked and what the kids liked is different.

The children didn’t like anything at first because they had to leave their friends from the old school.

Then they formulated what they like: – interesting weekly meetings, with songs and dances, school rooms with air conditioning, that the children do not tease each other, during lessons in a quieter classroom (this is my eldest, it is easier for her to concentrate) , the younger one doesn’t like it at all, they also like that they eat their lunch at the table, and not on the ground. nine0007

As for me, I was strongly impressed by the school toilets – like in a four-star hotel, no worse. A chic concert (theater hall) for 1650 seats, with sound equipment similar to the Sydney Opera.

School play in our school

Then I evaluated other aspects of education in this school:

Opportunity to get a real profession while still at school.

For example, they have pilot lessons, and high school students get initial pilot’s licenses and even fly on their own. There are also aircraft mechanics. nine0007

They have a professional kitchen and you can get the profession of a barista – the one who makes coffee, and in general certificates for working in a cafe as a cook and a waiter. They even work and earn money in their cafe at school.

There is a sewing workshop, a carpentry workshop.

Excellent equipment for filming, they also have their own directors. Luxurious lighting equipment, children get the profession of lighting and sound engineers (if they choose). There are children who come up with applications for apple – and sell their work – and these are also lessons at school. nine0007

I really like that there is this practical side of education, which I think is sorely lacking in Russian schools.

While our wonderful music teachers, Renat and Khila Yusupov, were working, my musical education was at its best.

Musical theater at school, singers and musicians of the highest caliber. It’s also a bar for which children are drawn.

I wrote about how my children learned to sing and play musical instruments here:

Teaching children music in Australia

As I was warned, the curriculum itself and the teachers do not differ from the state. For example, I thought that teachers in a private school were paid more than in a public school, but this turned out not to be the case.

Public schools often pay more, so the best teachers do not necessarily go to the private sector. In a public school, I was familiar with simply outstanding teachers (according to my concepts), in a private school I have not yet met such. But they are also good, often very young people. nine0007

The first year we transferred our children to a private school, I thought I didn’t see too many advantages in this school to pay so much for them. But, since the child has almost grown to high school, I thought that after 12-13 years, when the opinion of peers becomes much more important than the opinion of parents, it is important who these peers are around my child.

One year after transferring to this school, my daughter decided to study to become a doctor after graduation. She used to want to work in a nail salon. Because her friend’s mother worked there. The environment is changing. And then this change was enough for me. Now other things seem more important to me. nine0007

Spiritual development

The fact that the school is religious brings its own nuances. They pray there every day, for a variety of reasons.

When we went there to sign up our girls and talked to the director, after the conversation he said, well, now let’s pray. I thought – Christmas tree sticks, whatever – let your name shine, but I don’t remember anything. He closed his eyes, bowed his head and said: “God, thank you for bringing these children to our school, may they be fine. Amen.” nine0007

Well, I think I can master this kind of prayer.

Over time, I have come to appreciate this aspect of learning.

Now it seems to me the most important and main reason why so many parents, with a quality free school education, send their children to paid schools.

And now, it is the presence of such an education that I explain the advantages of the Australian society.

After all, spiritual education is not about candles, icons and rituals, which are not at all in school. nine0007

This is an approach to life that is expressed in simple things. Forgive everything, immediately and to everyone, do not judge, treat others only as you would like to be treated. A life based on these principles leads to the existence of a society in which it is so pleasant to live.

I like the habit of expressing my gratitude and desires in plain language, addressing God or in general to a higher power. I’m glad my kids have this habit. And spiritual development now seems to me an important part of education. nine0007

They don’t teach anything about the theory of evolution because they think it’s politically incorrect. I do not like it. Therefore, I take books about Darwin’s theory from the library and read to children.

I don’t know exactly what direction of Christianity this school has, but fortunately they don’t convince anyone that their religion is the best. Both Catholics and Protestants study there, and anyone, and all are good. Christ loves all, as they say. It’s hard to disagree with this.

Children do not tease each other. Not because someone has just arrived in Australia and still speaks poorly, not because someone studies worse (better), not because someone has a different eye shape or skin tone. Politics is preached and carried out very much – we are all different and we are all good. All kinds of ridicule at each other are suppressed. nine0007

As my children say, no one was teased at the last school, but this one is even better.

In general, I can say that the children of Russian immigrants usually do well in any school and do whatever they want after graduation. The opportunity for a good education is provided for everyone, not just those who have money. You can get into university just as easily after going to public school if you did well there. By the way, not so many children dream of going to university here as in Russia. There is no military obligation here. The call to the army does not hang over your head and therefore, you can focus a little more on what you want, and not on running away from the army. nine0007

And the cost of education in private schools: it varies, but on average from a thousand to eight thousand per quarter per child.

If you want to know the exact cost – send a request to the school – they will definitely answer.

One of our acquaintances, a brilliant child managed to study in several private schools. He began studying in the nearest, and then participated in competitions for free education in the best schools in Brisbane. He won competitions and entered schools. After studying there for a while, he changed schools again. As a result, after studying at the prestigious St Paul’s School and Brisbane Grammar School, he settled on the state Queensland Academy of Science Maths and Technology, where he was happy and stayed until graduation. Another example of the fact that particular is not necessarily the best, especially since the best will be different for everyone. nine0007

More information:

I have written a lot about moving and living in Australia. Answers to many questions are in the headings:

• Moving to Australia
• How to buy a house
• Jobs in Australia
• Business in Australia
• Life in Australia
• Taxes in Australia
• What to see and where to go

I will add that I work as a tax accountant, my name is Elena Telegina.