Son starting kindergarten without preschool experience
My son is 4, turning 5 in september. My in-laws have pushed and pushed me not to enroll him in kindergarten this year because they don't think he's ready, in some ways I agree, but in others, I know he wants it so bad, and I personally think kids should start formal education earlier than he has. I intended to enroll him in prek this year, at least, because my husband and I were at odds over him being ready (he is of the same mind as his parents). When I went to register him, the school told me he was too old for pre-k, so I talked it over with hubby and enrolled him in kindergarten.
I am a SAHM without a lisence, so my son has minimal opportunity for socialization, the one skill he lacks in that makes me nervous about him starting K in september, so my question is, how can I help him prepare? We have started taking him to sunday school, but that is only one day a week, and he is the youngest/smallest in the class. We have tried with some things, such as we know he will have assigned seating in the classroom that will change periodically, so we have assigned him a seat at our dining table and change it every week or two. This has helped a little with getting him to understand the concept. I have tried to institute a meal routine in my house for nearly 5 years, with no success, though we are all sitting down to supper together now where we used to eat on the go, or on the couch..ugh.
Any and all advice will be appreciated!
Can he write his name? Does he know his ABC's and can recognize them...can he count to ten, know his colors? Does he know his phone number and address?
This all the things they asked my daughters when they registered for Kindergarten. They test them at the time...I don't know if they ever deny anyone Kindergarten, my kids knew all of that..but they also did preschool with my MIL who used to be a teacher.
check and see if there is story time at your local library or bookstore. Has he been left with a babysitter ? If not I would try to get out and leave him for an hour or two so he gets used to taking direction from others .
He knows his ABCs (does not recite them, but can recognize them all), his numbers up to 12, he can dress himself, use the bathroom on his own, he knows his shapes (up to octagon, I think..) and all his colors. He can read and write his name and a couple of other words. He doesn't know his phone number or address though, but those are things I can start working on with him now, so he's prepared for that.
I just don't know what to do to socialize him. There are not many young children in the neighborhood, and we just moved here, so he doesn't know anyone here yet, except for one or two of the kids in sunday school. He has one friend his age, the son of one of my close friends, who he sees once a week for a few hours, and that has helped a little... but I'd like to do more to help him be ready.
He's a smart kid, that I'm not worried about it, it's how to prepare him for the routine of school, and the social aspects. The rest I'm sure will come in time..I just don't want him to go through culture shock on the first day of school..
Talk to him about school as much as possible. Talk to him about the differences and activities and listening to the teacher, etc. You'd be surprised how far a little mental prep will go with kids.
Socialization will come, the biggest prep needs to be his learning. He needs to know his ABC's and 123's and how to write letters and his name in proper upper/lowercase form. He needs to know certain sight words and how to use scissors and hold a pencil properly. ect.
My son is also entering Kindergarten without preschool but he is very social. It helps that we have 2 neighbors that are also entering Kindergarten with him.
Exactly. I consider my girls to be homeschooled for preschool since I taught them everything I thought they needed to know for Kindergarten. When I enrolled my oldest, the teacher was very negative at first and said that she felt Sidonia would be behind the others who had all been in Pre-K but she was sure she could help her catch up. The first day, however, she pulled me aside and apologized - Sidonia was ahead of everyone else. We also found out later when she brought home worksheets from school to do that they were from the same Pre-K prep workbook we'd been using when I taught them, lol. Tabitha started Kindergarten the next year and the teacher was happy to see that she was just like her sister. :)
Quoting calusari:Neither of my daughters attended preschool, and they both thrived in kindergarten. I wouldn't worry so much about it; if he has the basic skills that another poster mentioned, he should do just fine.
Shame on that teacher for pre judging your daughter simply because she hadn't been in preschool!
I have always felt it was important to work with my kids before they were of school age; not so much workbooks, but lots of reading, talking about colors and shapes, things like that. I would hope that all parents do that, but judging by that teacher's reaction, maybe they don't.
Quoting Cafe Steph:Exactly. I consider my girls to be homeschooled for preschool since I taught them everything I thought they needed to know for Kindergarten. When I enrolled my oldest, the teacher was very negative at first and said that she felt Sidonia would be behind the others who had all been in Pre-K but she was sure she could help her catch up. The first day, however, she pulled me aside and apologized - Sidonia was ahead of everyone else. We also found out later when she brought home worksheets from school to do that they were from the same Pre-K prep workbook we'd been using when I taught them, lol. Tabitha started Kindergarten the next year and the teacher was happy to see that she was just like her sister. :)
Quoting calusari:Neither of my daughters attended preschool, and they both thrived in kindergarten. I wouldn't worry so much about it; if he has the basic skills that another poster mentioned, he should do just fine.
I didn't put my kid in preschool. I saw no reason to dump her in preschool...it's glorified daycare.
She went into S/K and adjusted just fine. The first day I was worried about her but she told me to go away, she didn't need me there.
He'll be fine.
Only when the last river has been poisoned,
Only when the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.
— Cree Indian Prophecy
Growth spurt?
- BisketLiss
on Jun. 30, 2012 at 8:58 AM