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That a so-called teacher feels it's appropriate to mark a 3 year old's written name as wrong is disgusting. I would be asking for a prorated refund of my tuition deposits. Tomorrow! You can't bridge that kind of gulf in ideology with diplomacy, and your son will be the one left to suffer the poor methodology of the teacher.

Thanks you so much everyone!!!! Glad to know that it is really a problem and not i am too sensitive.

I also agree that the first thing for my son to learn English is speaking and listening, and it should be learnt through playing with friends or teachers. He seems shutting himself down in sch as he didn't speak any English at home after 3 months of school (my son is advanced in his 1st language development, and he knows lots of English words, so we don't think it is hard for him to learn speaking english). The school keep giving him words to write with lines that he must have to write in between the line correctly.

The X is definitely a problem. Glad that he still love writing right now but I Will change him to another school as soon as possible. Thanks again everyone ^^

suevv, it is so sad to what happen to your kid, so how is your DS now? does he finally get back his confident on writing?
I am sad that the school/the norm is "killing" the creativity of the kids.

This sounds unusual. Is this due to your son's advanced talent in math, has he surpassed the materials available?

From your post it is not possible to tell if the reason this doesn't work is related to the preschool's Montessori philosophy or to your son's preferences?

It sounds like the teacher believes she is going "above and beyond" to meet the child at his level of assessment, achievement, and interest, rather than focusing on what is developmentally typical for his chronological age. Customized attention and support in developing child-led interests to the next level is what many gifted students and parents hope for.

Unfortunately, in this case the challenge for developing to the next level has been done in a manner which is discouraging to your son. It is being experienced more like the negative pressure of hot-housing than as positive support. There is a fine line, and it has been crossed. It seems it would be an easy thing, at this point, to gently discuss this with the preschool teacher and share expectations.

Finding the right balance of adult encouragement and support for a child's challenge and joy in learning is a process which undergoes constant refinement. Parents frequently make adjustments in their approach. In partnering with the teacher, she may learn it is OK to make adjustments too.

You may wish to share with the teacher that your son, although interested in writing, is still only three and finds the corrections discouraging but would enjoy or benefit from... (insert preferences here)... displaying his work in the classroom, being encouraged to illustrate his stories, help with spelling, reading and/or being read to, being encouraged to play or teamed up to play with other kids in putting together a puzzle, etc

Does your child like the classroom, the other kids, the teacher? Does he have friends? Has he asked to see other kids outside of the preschool, for play dates?

In seeing an "X" as a multiplication sign, he's definitely looking at this through a math lens!

Indigo, thanks for your reply.

As montessori philosophy is more focus on independent learning, there are some toys that can play with other kids but not much. Although the teacher promise me to give my son more chance to work on the same material with other kid, but from my observation he is still playing alone in class. My son seems enjoy playing with other kid on the same material especially maths toys :P He did play with other kids as he did mention about it to me but only a few time.

yup, teacher want to give DS3 challenging task according of his cognitive level and interest, that's a good thing actually.

I have visited another preschool that I want to switch him to and in that sch, he has some friends there already, and that school is more focus on social and emotional development, hope he can be more social in that school.
For the school he is attending now, seems other kids know him (know his name) but he doesn't know their name and always ignore them when they try to play with him. We definitely have to work on his social skill before everything.

It sounds like this will be a very positive move, with no angst, no second-guessing, no hard feelings, and no looking back.

Thanks for supporting me ^^

Your story made me think of the teacher in Harry Chapin's song "flowers are red"

If you've never heard it, please look it up. It's about a child who goes to school drawing flowers of all colors but his teacher insists that flowers are red and should be in neat rows. She ultimately breaks him down.

I'd forgotten that song. It is really sad.

Flowers are red, green leaves are green, there's no need to see things any other way, than the way they always have been seen.

This is the first time i heard about this song, it is really sad and after wiki it, the origin of the song is sad too.
It made me think of the day when I was a kid, every kids draw water in blue. So sad that school guide the kids to be the same.