Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school Preschool 2011-2012

A happy update on preschool:

DS4s tears when I mentioned "checking out other preschools" the other day turned out to be that he is unhappy in the current one, moreso than I realized. He was very open to visiting a different one. We've done that now and he enjoyed it and we are now pretty sure we are going to switch.

Some of the differences, many of which were only visible to me after actually seeing him in both settings:

In the current one the percentage of speech that is by the teachers through the day is much higher. The content of that is maybe 10% personal questions or neutral comments to individual kids and 90% is management, mostly reminding them to sit still, not be too loud, not run, or top down sorts of whole group questions made in a loudish voice such as "is this a letter or number?" (only loud so that everyone can hear over the hub-bub of distracted kids). All the little boys look squirmy and distracted for much of group time.

The new one the teachers are quieter and maybe 10% is directives such as "everyone, group time", or reminders to sit still. 90% is discussion, interested questions, questions on how the kids would like to manage something, taking votes, or answering questions from the kids. The children are not too loud or running excessively, because they are busily engaged with things they enjoy doing. There is never a "criss cross applesause" or "zip your lips", because it's okay if the kids lounge a little and the kids are listening because the topic is worth paying attention to.

There is more verbal interaction between the kids both related to information or academics (for example arguing over species names during free play) and cooperative (asking to help a kid do a puzzle). The teachers are always circulating engaged with some child in some way versus more of an over-seeing role. At group time nearly every child looks engaged.

The ratio oddly enough is identical, so it's not that there's more kids per teacher at the first. However the new one is smaller overall and perhaps that naturally fosters more of a individual approach.

In terms of schedule, in the first there is more group time, about 1/2 the time is full group. In the second there is only maybe 1/5th of the time in full group activity.

Yet the content at the second is more advanced and academic in some ways. The alphabet is taught individually or in twos via activities to kids that are at that level so one doesn't encounter it if not at the level for it. Particular facets of academics such as reading are pushed only if a parent has identified a need. But the teachers aim high in group discussion or the choice of topic at group time, then individually explain to kids who are lost. For example, the stories they read have at least some words that would be unfamiliar to most kids, and can have fairly convoluted plots.

Group activities the day he visited the new one: listening to a girl show and tell stories she had written (actually scribbly pictures she'd drawn and she would explain what they meant), the kids freely asking her questions about them, "is that the pumpkin?", "what happened to the little girl?". The other main activity was composing a song as a group where each child contributes a line and the teacher writes them all down and rearranges, helps with flow. And 5 min of weather, date etc at the beginning. One teacher read a story.

Having seen an alternative, I really feel now that a year at DSs current school would have set him up poorly for starting school. Taught him that teachers are often ignorable, taught him that it's normal to feel squirmy during school and pent up by the time it's over, that it's normal to be chastised for just being you, that there's nothing one can do about those feelings, taught him that there is nothing at the blackboard worth paying attention to and that it's not worth speaking up to answer questions. He may end up learning some of those things later but why have an extra year of that kind of brainwashing?

The new one hopefully will teach him other aspects of school: more about conversational turn taking, that you get higher level answers when you ask higher level questions, that teachers know a lot, that other kids have interesting things to say sometimes, etc.

Okay so I'll post again after the honeymoon is over, LOL, in a few weeks I'll probably have something I don't like about the new one -- but right now it's just glowing in comparison.

Polly

Great news Polly.

One thing Mr W's school does is let him do something different from the other kids when he has the planned activity down.

For instance, during puzzle time, which is 10-20 piece puzzles, they let him play on the computer or read.

To me this shows a high level of tolerance and maturity for the staff.

Yes Austin can you tell by my writing a book I'm incredibly relieved. As DH said today it was seeming a long way til June. Now we just see if they agree he's a good fit.

That is really nice your son's preschool recognizes individuality. Sure there are going to be many times throughout the next 15 years when a child has to sit through something boring, but at 3 or 4 it seems like repeated experiences of that teach only negative stuff.

Polly

Our next task is to get him into a private that goes through grade 12.

We've been to several two weeks and have another tomorrow. The "tier 1" privates in DFW are pretty amazing. I've talked to a lot of kids who go there, to current parents, staff, and looked at every classroom.

We've learned a lot from other parents and from the school staff. I can already tell Mr W will love any of the "tier 1" schools but we are more concerned about where they will place him and whether its appropriate for him or not.

The one thing I've found out is that the top privates appear to have just one kid in every other class who is PG ( PG kids seem to be always admitted no matter the number of slots ) and most of the kids are HG and a few are MG. Perfect place for GT kids. I've got some reservations, too.

I'd love to post the rest of my impressions, but until Mr W gets in, I'm keeping my mouth shut.

DD is still loving preschool. It is a fantastic fit for her. It is all very normal, and there is no drama. She laments about wishing to go more days than just two, and she has made a best buddy-- a 4-year-old boy. One teacher shared with me that she has never seen anything like it in over ten years in the business. It is just really sweet. They lay on the floor together and read the same book. They play dragon on the playground. He gives up his chair for her, tells her to sit in the shade, reminds her to wear her hat, and they are just inseparable.

At home she is also starting to really enjoy card and board games. She beat us at Uno the other day and teased, "did you ever think that a three-year-old could beat you?!" She plays her cooperative games by herself almost daily. I have caught her counting and adding dots on the dominos. And, she is actually spelling out words with her Bananagrams, rather than just sounding out her experiments. She does this all on her own without me even in the room. I spy.

Developmentally, her imagination is soaring. She is telling tall tales regularly and lying with intent. We have lots of magical thinking and arguments with inanimate objects about why they need to be cleaned up, etc.

DS3 is still loving 'treeschool'. He is such a boy, though.... when I picked up his school pictures last week there was a class picture included with the package. I asked him to tell me who the kids were. He told me that the teachers were all named Mrs. Quinn and he pointed out his best friend. He did not have a sweet clue who the other kids were. To him, school is about red paint, singing "I've been working on the railroad, and snack time. He is just so completely normal in that school and I LOVE it!!

Which preschool is your child at right now,if I may ask, Austin? I am located in the North Texas area too and am finding that "Montessori" schools and several of the daycares are not really a good fit for my 3-yr-old son. Would love to hear from you.

Thanks in advance.