Pre-School for your child?

[mrs.melton08]

You went to first grade at 4 1/2???? That's interesting.



I'd say it's for letters, colors, numbers, rhyming, patterns, social interaction, how to behave...



Reading and Math and social readiness.



These days I feel it's a necessity! By third grade we are writing 4-5 paragraph expository papers with elaborations. And in math the kids not only have to solve problems, but have to explain in words how and why they did what they did in solving the problems. Third grade reading-kids have to respond to literature with proof from the text and their own knowledge...more than just a comprehension question.



School is MUCH MUCH different from when I went to school as a kid!

I have to disagree, I don't think it is a necessity in that setting if you can provide it outside of that setting. For many pre-school is the only way and the easiest and best way for them, but: "letters, colors, numbers, rhyming, patterns, social interaction, how to behave...Reading and Math and social readiness" can all be taught and structured outside of the a preschool setting too. The learning of these things is a necessity, but it doesn't have to be done in that setting and really the social interaction and how to behave is not even the job of those settings, it just has become their job (unfairly I believe) over time.



I would venture to say that more often than not those things are only learned in the preschool setting with most children who are in early elementary educational settings, but there are those who are the less often than not and they are just as adjusted. Not saying you are wrong in anyway with the results, just think they can be done in more than one setting.

 

[lf5058]

I have to disagree, I don't think it is a necessity in that setting if you can provide it outside of that setting. For many pre-school is the only way and the easiest and best way for them, but: "letters, colors, numbers, rhyming, patterns, social interaction, how to behave...Reading and Math and social readiness" can all be taught and structured outside of the a preschool setting too. The learning of these things is a necessity, but it doesn't have to be done in that setting and really the social interaction and how to behave is not even the job of those settings, it just has become their job (unfairly I believe) over time.



I would venture to say that more often than not those things are only learned in the preschool setting with most children who are in early elementary educational settings, but there are those who are the less often than not and they are just as adjusted. Not saying you are wrong in anyway with the results, just think they can be done in more than one setting.

I agreed with you.

Though never go to preschool and kindergarten, I knew a lot of stuffs! My father gave me a note book to scribbles and when I asked,, he showed me how to write. I could write my name in Chinese and English, could write A-Z, knew some English vocab and could read and write a few hundreds Chinese characters, could do addition and count till 1000 before I started school.

My grandma was illiterate, so I helped her count all her duck's eggs and wrote down the dates on the jar of saline water, so we knew 3 weeks later we would have salted eggs for dinner.

 

[Mom2Dee]

I agree that the teaching can be done at home (can very often be better!) but I also see that parents generally don't realize what is required today at what age. I've met parents who bragged how intelligent and "ahead" their child was because they could do something that was actually behind where their child should be for current grade-level expectations. If a parent doesn't do the research they may be putting their children behind should they later enter mainstream education.

I also agree that there is a high price being paid by our children with the ever increasing list of what they will accomplish at younger and younger ages. I fantasize about a school system that would quit forcing requirements down their throats and teaching to the tests and instead teach each child at the level where they are measuring success by growth and improvement in subject knowledge. I'd also love to see the end teaching content based on age rather than ability or knowledge. The death of art and creativity in our system is going to cost all of us.

 

[lf5058]

I agree that the teaching can be done at home (can very often be better!) but I also see that parents generally don't realize what is required today at what age. I've met parents who bragged how intelligent and "ahead" their child was because they could do something that was actually behind where their child should be for current grade-level expectations. If a parent doesn't do the research they may be putting their children behind should they later enter mainstream education.

I also agree that there is a high price being paid by our children with the ever increasing list of what they will accomplish at younger and younger ages. I fantasize about a school system that would quit forcing requirements down their throats and teaching to the tests and instead teach each child at the level where they are measuring success by growth and improvement in subject knowledge. I'd also love to see the end teaching content based on age rather than ability or knowledge. The death of art and creativity in our system is going to cost all of us.

Many parents may not know child development theory and what's age appropriate, but it's common sense that's quite lacking.

I am proud to say my illiterate grandma and my mother who never had formal education were my first teachers!! They taught me everything in the context of every day lives and by the time I started school, I was far more advanced than most of my classmates who had gone to preschool and kindergarten for 2-3 years.

I have heard many people who said their kids are very smart, but they are not interested to engage their children in intelligent conversations, fed up and yelled at many questions their children asked them, but that's usually how children learn, by asking questions and seeking answers for their natural curiosities!

 

[boyzrus]

Maybe the parents are involved when they are younger, but we are having a hard time in our district with parents getting involved at the grade school level. I'm not talking about volunteer work, I'm talking about making their kids do homework, stressing that homework is a priority, helping their kids or being an advocate to get them to help. We have a 5th grade class at our school and the parents complained that there was too much homework and it interfered with the extracurricular activities. Really?

All 4 of my kids went to preschool. My kids need structure, so I picked a place that was good for that. Some school are geared more towards socialization and playing and some are more academic.

 

[velviita]

Thank you everyone for the info!

I did find the Grundy County Screening thing and contacted the Minooka school. I have to make an appt to get her tested. She said the waiting list is very short right now though. So we shall see! The school is really close to me too!

 

[velviita]

DS3 isn't 100 percent potty trained (no #2 without a pull-up), but we still put him in preschool through the park dist (2.5 hrs twice a week). He doesn't do day care so preschool has really helped him.

My DD won't poop without a pull-up on either. I can not for the life of me, get her to poop on the toilet. She says ewww and how nasty it is. I guess it is not nasty for me to wipe her butt all day! She is great with peeing though. She really does need the socialization with other children. I didn't sign her up last year b/c I had the twins. I just didn't want to have to deal with taking all 3 out, seemed like such a hassle. The babies are older, not on such a strict schedule so I should be able to manage. She doesn't poop in public so I am sure she won't poop til she gets home!!!

 

[mrs.melton08]

My DD won't poop without a pull-up on either. I can not for the life of me, get her to poop on the toilet. She says ewww and how nasty it is. I guess it is not nasty for me to wipe her butt all day! She is great with peeing though. She really does need the socialization with other children. I didn't sign her up last year b/c I had the twins. I just didn't want to have to deal with taking all 3 out, seemed like such a hassle. The babies are older, not on such a strict schedule so I should be able to manage. She doesn't poop in public so I am sure she won't poop til she gets home!!!

ROFL...my DD2, will come get me IMMEDIATELY to change her poop. Ewwww...mommy...yuck...it's nasty...get it off...yuck...hurry. She is still working on #1 in the potty too, but it just frustrates me so much that she wants it off immediately, but wont just get on the pot to do it :lol:

She even tells DD1 to "go to pot to poo-poo" REALLY? Follow you own advice!

 

[autumnsky]

I have to disagree, I don't think it is a necessity in that setting if you can provide it outside of that setting. For many pre-school is the only way and the easiest and best way for them, but: "letters, colors, numbers, rhyming, patterns, social interaction, how to behave...Reading and Math and social readiness" can all be taught and structured outside of the a preschool setting too. The learning of these things is a necessity, but it doesn't have to be done in that setting and really the social interaction and how to behave is not even the job of those settings, it just has become their job (unfairly I believe) over time.



I would venture to say that more often than not those things are only learned in the preschool setting with most children who are in early elementary educational settings, but there are those who are the less often than not and they are just as adjusted. Not saying you are wrong in anyway with the results, just think they can be done in more than one setting.

IF it is properly provided at home, then fine. But MOST of the time it is not properly provided. And I agree with other posters who say that lots of parents don't realize what their kids even need to be KDG ready. In more cases than not, I believe preschool is a necessity. I think there are a few who can or will provide what is needed.

I agree, it's not the place of the school to provide behavior lessons, but dang...much of the time it sure isn't provided at home! Plus I think if you are not in connection with schools in your area, you don't usually know what's going on there...learning wise, especially if it's your first child.

 

[autumnsky]

Thank you everyone for the info!

I did find the Grundy County Screening thing and contacted the Minooka school. I have to make an appt to get her tested. She said the waiting list is very short right now though. So we shall see! The school is really close to me too!

Keep me posted!

 

[velviita]

Keep me posted!

Would you believe there is a session tomorrow right here in Minooka where they are doing testing? Of course by appt only and I didn't see it until after the office was closed! Doh! I wish I had seen it earlier. I even emailed the teacher but she said I must have an appointment!

 

[autumnsky]

try again tomorrow! call first thing!