"The primary purpose of the class is to teach a child to separate comfortably from his parents, (HA! he has barely said goodbye since day 1), to be happy in the time he spends at preschool, and to know that his parents always return for him at a given time. We learn about weather, colors and numbers 1-5. Our goals include learning to have and to be a friend, and learning to follow directions and safety rules".
Okay, let's break this down. Is he happy there? I don't honestly know. Lately, he says he doesn't want to go. When I pick him up, he doesn't seem thrilled or upset. He doesn't tell me much about it. I'm pretty sure he has understood the terms "windy, cloudy, rainy, and sunny" for some time. He's known his colors for a long time. They discuss a color a month. A MONTH. Recently he asked me, "Mommy, are we STILL going to be talking about blue?" He's known the numbers 1-5 for a long time.
Learning to have and to be a friend? That is the main reason I sent him to preschool. As an only child, who is mainly around adults, he needs that social interaction. He needs to learn to share. He needs to learn that he is not the boss. He needs to learn to compromise. About a month ago, he brought home his class picture. I asked him the kids' names. He knew three of the 17 names. The fact that my kid, who has an amazing memory, cannot tell me more than 3 names tells me that "learning to have and to be a friend" is not really a focus in the class. Either that, or he is just failing miserably at it, and that makes me sad.
He can follow directions. The question is, does he want to? He's a stubborn three year old boy, so I don't know how that aspect goes. I don't know, because the teachers don't tell me ANYTHING. I used to be a preschool teacher, so this fact makes me a little... GAH!!!
When I heard that registration for next year is coming up on February 16th, I got a little(understatement) anxious. What am I gonna do? Then, one day, completely on his own, he started doing this...
and this...
and this...
And, now, I am spending all my free time researching and touring preschools. Oh my, oh my, oh my. I have come to the realization that I have VERY strong opinions about education. I am downright obnoxious and I have an opinion about every little aspect. Yes, I am one of THOSE parents. You know, the annoying ones? Hi! That's me. BUT! I'm also one of those parents that truly appreciates the good stuff the teachers and the school do. I'm verbal about it. I will sing your praises to anyone who will listen... if I think you are worthy. Yep, I just wrote "worthy". Like I said, Obnoxious.
7 comments:
He's brilliant. Katie still sings "ABCXYZ". She's just 2 months younger and her alphabet still has 6 letters.
Brilliant I tell you. Brilliant. (either that or I have to worry about KB, so I'm sticking with brilliant)
Since academics are obviously not an issue for him, I would be tempted to look at a completely play-based program.
All four of my kids went to a totally play-based, non-academic preschool and it was a great experience. They did the level of learning abc's, etc. at home as they desired.
You must be having a blast watching him absorb everything like a sponge.
Oooh, I'm a freak like you about this! I toured 19 (yes 19) preschools before choosing one for my daughter. I ended up going with a Montessori. The funny thing is, from the outside it doesn't look like much. They turned an old house into a preschool with a little renovating, but from the moment I stepped in the doors I loved it. It was just such a warm place. And the teachers, well, I would give up sugar for a year (cough, cough) to keep them around.
You need to get your kid out of there pronto. I mean, really what do I know about the situation. But it seems to me the teachers are the heart of it, good or bad. And based on what your son can do, he is a smarty. Similar to my now 5-yr-old (not so much my 3-yr-old-please never tell her I said that). And my daughter thrived at her preschool. And I felt somewhat responsible for that. Because of my freakish ways, she benefited. I mean if we are not advocates for our kids, who will be?
Dude. Dylan is a very bright little boy! Cooper will be entering kindergarten in the fall and he is nowhere near writing his entire alphabet - or even knowing what a vowel is! Dylan strikes me as the type of kid who would do quite well in a Montessori setting.
And I wouldn't worry too much about him not being very communicative about his current class . . . we went through the same thing with Cooper - I had no idea what he was doing or if he was enjoying himself (per his report), and he rarely talked about his classmates. As time has gone on, I hear much more about all of these things, and he talks a lot more about his classmates.
i'm with amber. advocate. and you will seem like a crazy mom. but that's your job. your boy. is. smarrrrrt!
I have had so many of those same questions about sending my boys to "school" also. I don't really know if/what they are getting out of it and if I am doing the right thing and wondering how they fit in with the other kids and if they are advanced/behind compared to their classmates. It is a little stressful! Even more so that they aren't giving you any feedback! I would be upset about that also. Don't worry about being the "crazy" mom. I am certain that the director at our preschool thinks I am a GIANT pain in the ass! :)
That is awesome. Darn it he is smart...
I'm looking at preschool for Jonathan. We are going to a open house on Sunday. I think he needs it ... not the structure, but the challenge of his brain!
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