Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments preschool???

My DS will turn 4 in December. He is very bright, although we have not had him tested. We've had a really hard time figuring out the right preschool.

We began looking two years ago for a school for when he was two going on three. We found a preschool we liked for gifted kids, but they raised their tuition to $800+ a month for 4 mornings a week. Not in our budget! He ended up last year (age 2-3) in a co-op preschool where I was in the class every other day. He had a good time, but school was little more than a play date. I think this was fine for last year. He says that he "didn't learn anything" - his words - but I know he learned a few things. Potty training, how to stand in line, how to listen quietly.

This year, we moved to a new preschool that is part of a private school. When we enrolled last January, we went ahead and put him in the 3 year old class. I thought that the 4 year old class would be a better fit, but I didn't push it. We had our first day at school last week and he was underwhelmed. The classroom was full of toddler toys. The curriculum doesn't go past introducing letters and numbers. I have a kid who wants and is starting to learn to read and write, knows letters and numbers, does addition and subtraction in his head. Plus he wants to learn about things in depth - he doesn't want to just learn his colors, he wants to understand why red is red, and blue is blue...

We brought up the idea of moving him to the 4 year old class and the teacher and preschool director were seriously skeptical. They had several objections (we've had bright kids before who've done well in their age groups, we've accelerated kids before and it's gone badly, socially, physically...) but were somewhat open to talking about it again in a few weeks.

Help? How do we talk to the teachers?

Or what should we fight for in a preschool class?

What would help prepare him if we are going to try for early entrance to K next year?

Why don't you have him tested so you have some hard evidence of where he is academically?

To be honest if he attends a regular preschool and you move him to the 4 year old class it's very likely that he will not be taught how to read or add or do other things he wants to learn. I am afraid that your and his expectations wouldn't be met anyway. He may be in better social situation and make more friends but the academics would be still off. Of course there are still schools like Montessori but even those may not work well (like in the case of DS4)

From my personal experience preschool works best as a place to play and interact with other children. If your child understands that he can get as much learning as he desires at home and the goes to PreK mostly to play and have fun, then he may be ok with the situation.

I have a DS that will turn 4 in January. We have no idea of his LOG, but the preschool we chose was not based on academics. He is in 4s classroom, which places him 6mo-10mo. younger than his peers. He's a tall boy and fits right in developmentally.

I would suggest that you work with your child at home and choose a play based preschool. If there is instruction on letters, colors and shapes, a bright child will not learn much anyway. If your child is ready to read or already reads, ask the teacher for appropriate books. DSs preschool has silent reading time every day and while some kids look at board books or pictures, an advanced child could be reading beginner books.

Jen

Our DS4 (turns 5 in January) is starting his second year of play-based preschool tomorrow, 3 afternoons/week. When his grandma asked him if he was starting school tomorrow, DS4 said "Not school, preschool." Even though his teacher really gets him (she was the first person who said to us that we would have to accelerate him at some point), we send him mostly just for fun. We considered early entrance to K, and got him tested to see what the psych would recommend. Although he tested HG+, she recommended not going for early entrance (which would have been hard to fight for anyway, with a january birthday) - she said "let him play another year -he'll learn on his own anyway." This has proven true. Another concern would be readiness for all-day kindergarten - he would have hated sitting still all day. (At the moment, I can't see how this will change for next year!) So, we're happy with our decision to do play-based preschool. His teacher talks to him about things she says she's never talked to such a young kid about before, and gives him challenges, so we love her, and I get him out of the house for a few hours. He also learns respect for other kids and for a teacher. win/win!

After the first day of the 3 year old class, I'm certain that the 4 year old class would be a better fit. This has a little to do with the academics. The school is not a highly academic preschool, but they do begin to introduce writing letters and numbers in prek and this is something he's wanting to do at home.

More importantly, I think it is a better fit socially and for play. He knows how to do school - sit for circle time, raise his hand, stand in line, etc. He has always prefered older friends. The toys and books in the prek class are the type of things he enjoys at home, while the toys in the preschool class are what he played with about 2 years ago. During the time for learning stations (when the kids choose what to do), the options in prek are much more interesting to him.

When DS is bored, he has behavioral problems. When he is excited about something, he's so much fun and generally so respectful. He was bored on the first day of school this time - very different from last year where preschool opened up a whole new world and he came home so excited. I want to give him the opportunity to be in a place where he looks around the classroom and is so excited.

It seems like an easy choice for me, at least for this year. I don't know what the plan will be for next year - like some of you, I don't know where he'll be in a year. We live in an area where we have lots of options. I wouldn't want to skip K, but I am open to early entrance in part because our local district is very open to it if a child tests in.