Finding the right preschool for your little one requires some research and in doing so you may have come across Primrose or Goddard curriculums. This will get you wondering what are the differences between Goddard vs Primrose preschools.
Goddard and Primrose preschools operate on a franchise model. Their curriculums lean towards a traditional learning style, using a balanced approach integrating teacher input and child-led learning. A blend of math, sciences, reading, and art is included in the learning plans.
Let’s explore the differences so you can decide which preschool is best for your child’s learning experience.
What is Goddard school?
The Goddard School uses academically endorsed learning methods encouraging children to learn through experience. The curriculum equips young children with developing skills, giving them the crucial foundation for long-term success in both school education and life in general.
The school structure recognizes the needs of the family while ensuring the child’s individuality is appreciated. The Goddard School’s patented learning program known as F.L.E.X. (Fun Learning Experience) is designed to let the child explore their own interests while learning in safe and nurturing surroundings.
A team of early childhood development experts work together to ensure the curriculum is relevant and meets high standards for preschool learning. Goddard teachers are highly skilled in early childhood development. They’re also required to keep up to date with the latest development through ongoing professional training.
Children are exposed to a range of learning experiences that are flexible, allowing for an organic style of teaching in the classroom. Each child is considered unique, and learning outside the box is encouraged.
The Goddard schools are operated using the franchise model and cater to children from six weeks to six years old.
How is a Goddard school’s classroom organized?
The Goddard school’s classroom is designed in such a way that each child has fun while learning physically, emotionally, intellectually, and socially. Different classrooms accommodate students from infants to pre-k and older. Each learning space is innovative and relevant to your child’s developmental stage.
To support the Goddard curriculum, the following are found in the classrooms:
- Tables for children to sit together in small groups
- Toy shelves that are easily accessible to little ones
- Mock kitchens and other “real-life” play stations
- Whiteboards
- Age-appropriate technology apparatus.
Activities (curriculum) for kids in a Goddard preschool
Your child will be exposed to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) learning activities in a fun and inspiring way. The classroom also creates the backdrop to social learning through the school’s Life Lesson Library program. This program, which is integrated into the F.L.E.X. curriculum, helps the child develop and grow valuable social-emotional skills.
Goddard curriculum-related activities also include the following:
- Developing grouping and counting skills
- Learning vocabulary
- Singing songs and playing musical games
- Arts and crafts
- Imaginative role play including the use of props
- Development of technology skills (an example of this would be using a toy for Montessori learning for kids as a way of introducing children to digital technology in education)
- Outdoor and free play time
All activities are designed to give your little one an all-around learning experience that’s fun and educational at the same time.
How many Goddard schools are there?
Goddard preschools are found in 38 states throughout the United States. There are over 560 schools accommodating over 70,000 students.
Are Goddard schools religious?
Goddard schools don’t align with any particular religion. This also means they don’t teach religion in their classrooms.
Why do parents choose Goddard school?
Watch this video to find out why parents choose Goddard schools.
How much do Goddard schools cost?
Do the fees of Goddard schools make it worthwhile sending your child to one of them? The rates do vary depending on the location and school management. However, expect to pay premium tuition fees when sending your child to a Goddard school.
Tuition fees aren’t openly available on any of the schools’ websites. You need to contact your school of choice directly when asking for the cost of sending your child to this school. But, expect to pay, on average, the following monthly fees:
- Infants: $1,400 to $1,600
- Toddlers: $1,500 to $1,600
- Preschoolers: $1,400 to $1,500
Goddard schools located in larger cities have higher fees compared to smaller cities in the United States. Additional costs are also charged for the following:
- Snacks and meals (if the school doesn’t offer this facility, you’ll need to pack food for your child every day)
- Events such as pizza days, book fairs, and carnival days
You’ll need to provide diapers, baby bottles, formula, and wipes if you’re sending your infant to a Goddard school but this is the norm for most childcare facilities. A waiting list fee of around $200 to $250 is also charged if you want to put your child’s name down for a local Goddard school in the area.
What is Primrose school?
Primrose Schools were first developed in 1982. They operate through franchises and provide accredited early education for children going into kindergarten. The school uses a Balanced Learning approach, encouraging preschoolers to develop their confidence, curiosity, compassion, and creativity skills.
The Balanced Learning curriculum is child-centered with guidance from teachers while encouraging a mind, body, and heart learning experience. This approach creates the foundation for children to learn while developing crucial life skills.
The schools focus on quality early childhood education which is continuously reviewed and upgraded by a panel of esteemed experts in the field.
Find out more about the Primrose School experience in this video
How is a Primrose school’s classroom organized?
Each Primrose school classroom is designed to be age-specific. These are broken down into the following stages:
- Infant: Babies up to one-year-old.
- Toddler: One to two years olds.
- Early preschool: Two-year-olds.
- Preschool pathways: For children who turn three years old after the cutoff date for school entrance.
- Preschool: Three-year-olds.
- Pre-kindergarten: Four-year-olds.
- Kindergarten: Five-year-olds
The classrooms have group tables, toy shelves, age-appropriate technology learning apparatus, mock play stations, and whiteboards. The floors are covered with play rugs for educational games and activities.
Activities (curriculum) for kids in a Primrose preschool
The activities supporting the Primrose preschool curriculum are also age-related. Infants learn by using tools that encourage their touch, smell, taste, grab, and listen. Teachers sing and talk with the babies while encouraging them to use their senses to learn through specific equipment such as cause and effect toys. Infants also learn sign language as a way of communicating their needs.
Toddler activities encourage your little one to develop motor skills through climbing, crawling, and hiding using specific equipment. They’ll also play ball games, dance to music, learn songs, and listen to stories.
From preschool upwards, activities focus on life skills such as potty training and handwashing while incorporating STEAM into all parts of their learning program. Social and emotional development is also vital and taught through activities that encourage honesty, generosity, and compassion.
Language, reading, and writing are developed in the kindergarten year. All activities are designed to engage your child while promoting their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development.
Activities are designed to include:
- Problem-solving games
- Writing, drawing, and taking photos
- Storytelling
- Arts and crafts
- Movement and balance games
- Counting numbers, taking measurements, and discovering patterns
- Tools for developing age-appropriate life skills
Outdoor play is included in your child’s daily school life as well as fitness games.
How many Primrose schools are there?
There are over 465 Primrose schools throughout 33 states of the United States. An estimated total of over 60,000 children attend these schools which are part of a franchise system.
Are Primrose schools religious?
Primrose schools don’t follow any particular religion nor do they teach any religious subject in any of the classrooms.
Are Primrose schools accredited?
All Primrose schools fall under a national system of accredited private preschools providing high-quality early childhood education for children from infanthood to five years old.
Does Primrose school have cameras?
For safety and security reasons, all Primrose schools have exterior cameras for surveillance and recording of all activities outside of the school buildings. This is done for the safety of children, teachers, and other school staff members.
How much do Primrose schools cost?
Primrose school fees also vary depending on the location as well as your child’s age and the program you select for them. School fees aren’t disclosed on any of the Primrose school websites and you’re asked to book a tour of your local school when asking about pricing. However, based on estimated rates discussed by other parents who send their children to a Primrose school, you can expect to pay on average the following:
- Infants: $1,400 to $1,500
- Toddlers: $1,000 to $1,400
- Preschoolers: $600 to $1,400
Primrose school fees are calculated based on whether your child is attending half-day or full-day programs. Different locations offer a range of schedules so always check with your local school what programs they have available. Some schools may also offer discounts if more than one child in a family attends the school.
Additional costs are charged for the following:
- Before and after school care. The rates vary between $60 and $100 per week on top of the normal school fees.
- Part-time programs such as the “Go & Grow” program for three and four-year-olds.
- Summer camps
- Registration fees
Children attending Primrose schools are required to wear a uniform which is an additional cost to parents. But, meals and snacks are provided and included in the child’s school fees.
Pros and Cons of Goddard / Primrose
Both Goddard and Primrose schools follow a similar curriculum with child-led learning and teacher guidance. Both are accredited schools offering premium early childhood education. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using either preschool option.
Pros
- Balanced education: Both schools focus primarily on a balanced approach to learning. Their curriculum encourages child-led learning under the guidance of highly skilled teachers who’ll guide them gently and skillfully. Your child will do individual as well as group work. The curriculum of both schools focuses on physical, emotional, academic, and social development.
- Learning through fun: Children will learn through play and pretend (as all kids should be encouraged to do!) while still learning to grasp academic concepts from an early age. The lessons are not rigorous in structure, giving your child a more fun learning experience in the classroom.
- Highly skilled teachers: Both schools are considered luxury preschools. This means they rely on highly skilled teachers to give your child the best education you expect from a premium preschool.
Cons
- Quality not guaranteed: Being franchise schools, you can’t be guaranteed every school offers the exact same quality. Inconsistency can come about depending on the school management team, different staffing personnel, and location.
- Not tailored specifically to your child: If you’re looking for a school that tailors the curriculum to your child’s specific needs, these schools may not be your best fit. While they always look out for your child’s development and move them accordingly to the right level, they don’t give the kind of specialization that a Montessori or Waldorf school would.
- Expensive: Both Primrose and Goddard have expensive school fees with infant classes being slightly more costly than preschool years.
- Waiting list: Goddard and Primrose schools are in demand so if you want your child to attend one in your local area be prepared to put them onto a waiting list.
Is Goddard school better than Primrose?
To say that Goddard school is better than Primrose really would be based on personal preferences. Both offer a balanced curriculum with very similar approaches to learning and teaching styles.
Your child will learn STEAM education at both schools while still enjoying playtime, both indoors and outside.
Conclusion
The best way to decide whether to send your child to Goddard or Primrose is to visit the school itself. By viewing the classrooms and school grounds and meeting the teaching staff, you’ll get a good sense of which one appeals to you the most.
Are you wondering how to teach a child to become an engineer (artist, mathematician, or any other career for that matter!) from an early stage? Placing your little one in a preschool that exposes them to a STEAM curriculum is a good place to start! Such a curriculum is in stark contrast to that of the Montessori system (as opposed to e.g. Goddard).
