Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school Preschool 2010-2011

I thought it might be fun for those of us with little ones to have our own thread for the upcoming school year. A place to update and keep track of each other. I know I love reading about everyone's kids.

My DD (just turned 4 this month) has been going to a Spanish Immersion school since last year but only MWFs. We planned to keep with this same routine this year but when we went to the parent orientation this past week we decided it would be in DD's best interest to enroll her full time. Mommy is a little sad but I'm sure I'll adjust. Reason why we had a change of heart: DD's school is working on IB certification and in January they will be moving the part time students into separate classrooms, plus the schedule was handed out at the meeting and I was not happy that the French and Mandarin will only be taught on Tuesday and Thursday. My DH calmed me down, suggesting that it was out of the school's hands and perhaps the teachers that come in to teach are only available on those days. We plan to keep DD in the school until 5th grade (so long as it remains a good fit for her) which means we want her to stay in the class that is structured for the IB which will make it an easier transition when she does move up to Kindergarten.

My DS started in a Spanish immersion preschool this fall. He's only part-time but loving it. He's actually been in a much better mood lately and I think I have school to thank for it. I think the extra stimulation was needed.

Katelyn'sMom: Lucky you to have both French and Mandarin available too!

Did your son know Spanish before starting the program? Our DD didn't and we found her instantly challenged when she stepped into the classroom. This really set the stage. Before moving her into this program we tried a social preschool but found out quickly that it wasn't a good fit. DD was just not herself and everything was for older kids: writing, drawing, reading, math, etc. We learned we have to keep her challenged and when we do her mood and attitude is great.

The school starts French with the 4 year old class but it is really more of an introduction since they get 1 hour a week. The Mandarin was added this year and I'm super excited about it because I planned to start her in Mandarin in another few years as an extra activity. My DH works with the Asian market within his job and I see more and more companies doing so. I just think it is an important language to acquire. I have a few friends who have adopted children from China and I know there is a Chinese center in town that offers Saturday classes. It might be worth looking into in your area if you think your son would be interested.

Hi, my little one will be 2 next month. She will be staying home with me and attending various activities such as storytime at the Zoo. Because her big sister goes to school, she wakes up every morning and wants to go to school..... I like this idea of a second language pre-school when we get there. I agree with the idea of learning Mandarin. I think it maybe essential for these kids.

My guy will turn 3 in October. �I stay at home. �We live in a small rural town. �There's livestock in peoples yards in town, including a longhorn bull in one persons yard and horses grazing loose around town. �
I'm a housewife so my son won't start preschool until he starts pre-k at the public school. �But we homeschool preschool. �Last year he worked through the kumon letter tracing books the pre-k and kindergarten hooked on phonics. �This year we're continuing with phonics and Singapore math. �He uses some Spanish due to where we live, but he's only fluent in English. �He's recently started being able to letter words legibly free-handed on the big kindergarten tablet. �He's recently started reading full sentences (like just last week. �Yay! :D) using phonics, not just memorizing or using sight words, although he has sight words from the computer and the tv. �He has a kid-safe web browser from firefox kidzui. �He's taking rock n' roll drumming lessons from a DVD. �He pays attention and tries to follow the lessons.
Someday I'll add www.activechinese.com. �He'll start twice a week karate classes shortly after his 3rd birthday. �I've started keeping a little online journal. �It's linked under my icon. �It includes some of his photography. �
Sorry if this post doesn't go here. �I hope it does. �Since it's not traditional pre-school we don't fit in the pre-school threads. �(with the social scenes and teacher's comments). �Since he's too young we don't fit in the homeschooling threads.

I'm jealous of all the language programs available to you. I posted last year about my DS7 who was in a French program from age 2 through K, at which point it started to become a bad fit academically. I would put DS-going-on-two into the same or similar program if there were one nearby which we liked, but I don't want to drive as far now with two kids in different schools. So DS1 will start MWF at a neighborhood preschool in the same class he attended last spring, with swim lessons on Tu and mommy-&-me music on Th. His preschool offers Spanish once a week, so at least that's something, and next year there is the possibility of a Spanish immersion preschool close to home. Meanwhile we made the decision to drop French tutoring for DS7 due to lack of interest on his part, but at least he now has Spanish every day in school.

MAE:

I fear we will run into the bad fit academically ourselves. DD's school is academic in that they are two years ahead of public school. IE. last year in the 3 yr old class they were doing work equivalent to Kindergarten, but if the curriculum was taught in English it wouldn't be enough of an advancement for DD. We have the cushion of learning it in a foreign language but that gap isn't much of a gap anymore. She comprehends everything but is still hesitate to speak Spanish. This summer she was moved over to the 4 yr old class and her new teacher challenges her with her Spanish so we definitely see that she is talking in Spanish now. She still has her moments of trying to get out of it, such as getting her friends to translate for her. haha But she is definitely talking in sentences and holding conversations now. I'm really hoping that with the added languages she will stay challenged and we also signed her up for piano lessons through the school. They have a pianist that comes in and teaches in Spanish. I really hope she enjoys it because that is one less activity that I would have to drive her to.

She also does swim lessons and will continue doing so until our free months are used up.

If she doesn't remain challenged I hope the school keeps their word. They told us from the beginning that they have no problems accelerating her when she does master the curriculum in Spanish. They promised that they would test her and place her accordingly. This at least gives me hope!

Katelyn'sM om I've been thinking of you since you responded to my very first desperate post over a year ago. It sounds like your DD is absolutely thriving and that you are involved enough to keep on top of issues as they might arise.

We were also assured when we learned that the school accelerated kids as needed, but when the time came there were several factors that made us decide against it. We did end up enrolling him just this fall at the HG school. I'd be happy to chat more with you about this but I don't want to hijack this thread.

As far as DS-almost-2, we actually did have him enrolled in a Spanish program this fall. It is much closer to my house than the school DS7 attended, but the program is new and the teacher wasn't good with the younger kids, so we pulled him out after the first week. I will reconsider putting him in that program next year when he would be with a teacher I know is awesome and after they have gone through some growing pains. For now he'll have to settle for Bob el Constructor and Muzzy el Grande.

Hi,

Reporting on DS 3s first week at preschool: I posted last year about whether or not to send him at 2 and after going back and forth decided against it -- we just have one option for preschool and the particular teachers for the twos were unenergetic and kids all ran around taking eachother's toys, there were only peg puzzles and they were not open to adding anything to the room, etc. When observing the twos though I noticed the threes looked a lot more engaged and happy.

So we started this first week in the 3 year old program (they are inflexible on age groupings) with a little optimism. At the meet/greet I was pleasantly surprised to hear the classroom is used alternate days for the 4 year olds. Which is wonderful as it meant that in addition to peg puzzles there was one 24 piece puzzle, and some books with a reasonable number of words. Still not challenging at all but better than if the room was geared solely towards 3s. On the minus side during the same hour a older child pushed him repeatedly on the preschool's playground, until finally he went sprawling. So he came away saying there were "too many kids" and was not looking forward to today.

Another plus, none of the other kids in his class has attended preschool before, so it is nice everyone starts socially on the same plane. DS is socially very much 3.

The room is tiny, there's no windows, generally speaking the stuff to play with is really dull. They have a lot of rules. So I don't know how long he'll last. So far he has come out dry eyed but saying he didn't like it. He's agreed to continue trying to get used to it. He likes the teacher. And there are a couple kids of professional parents in there (unusual for our area). Lastly but not leastly -- I heard a rumor that problem kids are always put in the other teacher's class As DS is a sensitive and careful type that is much appreciated.

All kind of moot as we will have him in a different (much nicer I believe) preschool next term as we have a temporary move to a real city coming up. So this is just a trial run and in a couple weeks we'll just quit it if he's still saying he doesn't like it.

Polly

Hi
I am not exactly sure how to classify DS 4's preschool. It's considered quite academically advanced compared to the others in our area. However last year I was getting concerned that he was bored. And then he made one of those awe-inspiring leaps of growth in reading, we are now doing up to 6th grade content. But we have no intention of a skip (not even sure we could). I have always focused on preschool as a social thing, as an only i feel he needs it. He has always preferred adults, and they like him, so it's been a transition getting him to focus on the kids. He is doing better, but of course part of the issue is the difference in thoughts and imaginary play between him and his peers. He gets Spanish once a week and music and a gym program. And his teachers this year are awesome. So i guess i am hopeful. He has always liked school and I am hoping that his big leap forward doesn't change that.

Although I have also realized that I am homeschooling him to an extent, which I guess we all sort of do. We're doing the magic school bus science kits - I have chicken bones soaking in vinegar on my counter and petrie dishes of mouth bacteria and toothpaste on my window sill - and DS has a "lab" book complete with hypotheses - sometimes I wonder if he thinks he learns at home and plays at school!!!!

DeHe