Preschools

[kuddliphish]

I took the kids with me to visit a preschool today. It's the fourth one I've contacted and the third one I've visited. They've all been really, really different and I'm no closer to knowing what I want than I've ever been, so I'm going to talk about each of the schools and sort of blather my thoughts and impressions here.

Comments

[zathrus]

I have obviously not chosen the preschool route, but I've heard a few things that might be worth investigating further, and then I have a suggestion.

1) Waldorf -- I've heard some really good things about them. I've also heard that they have a really strong preference for late learning to read. For bright kids, who sometimes really want to learn earlier (or who simply happen to learn earlier on their own, with no adult assistance at all), this may not be the best fit. I have no personal experience here, and certainly there might be some variation between schools, but it's something to inquire about. When do they expect kids to learn to read? How do they deal with one who learns on their own before that age

[kuddliphish]

I think I found public school less traumatic than you did--though my elementary school was also just a really good fit for me. I never felt stupid, but I was below average in math, and a really late reader, so "gifted" was not a term I applied to myself. We moved before my sixth grade year and only then did I discover that I was what most people would consider smart. And still, my baseline self image is that I'm normal, bright maybe but not anything to write home about. And in some ways that's my image of Raine as well. Sure she's bright, and very verbal, and of course I'm very proud of her, but mostly she's just a kid, and what makes her special is that she's my kid, if that makes any sense

[zathrus]

Wow. Either you had a really high local "average" to compare yourself to, or you just took a while to grow into yourself in math; I can't imagine anyone being truly below-average in math and surviving Mudd. I think you have a really good, healthy image of Raine. :) It's nice to have a kid who's special because she's yours.

To be honest, structure, organization, and self-motivation aren't my strong suits, either. It's been a struggle, moreso at some times than others of course, but never really easy. Homeschooling for preschool is pretty easy, though; most of it is social, and the rest is finding some interesting and beneficial activities she can do on her own (which is what the books are for) and making them available to her. It's the teaching a kid to read that's making me freak out a bit. (I just try to keep the freaking out quite and mostly internal. :)

Newt

[kuddliphish]

Either you had a really high local "average" to compare yourself to, or you just took a while to grow into yourself in math; I can't imagine anyone being truly below-average in math and surviving Mudd.

A little bit of both. I was born in Los Alamos, NM and can remember quite vividly the one boy in my class who didn't have a parent who worked at the lab. His dad was a minister, not a scientist! And his mother wasn't a scientist either! Astounding! So the kids were smarter than average, and the parents also cared more about education. Of course, math also got easier for me once it got more abstract--I'm still really bad at my multiplication tables.

And "survive" is a strong term--I did ITR my sophomore year ;)

while I know nothing about the particular schools you atteneded

[dmyersta]

I love love loved my montessori school and so have a strong prejudice for sending my kids to one. I also had such horrible experiences with public school that I would rather lock my kids in a closet than enroll them in a public school, so it would take a lot to convince me. OTOH, Andrew attended public school for everything until college and had a not harmful experience. So. I know that all public schools are NOT inherently evil.

I know you didn't ask for advice. I just wanted to encourage you to go with your heart. :D

Re: while I know nothing about the particular schools you atteneded

[kuddliphish]

Beyond the trauma of cliques, public school never did any harm to me. It was sometimes boring, but that's what sneaking books under my desk to read in class was for...

And while I didn't explicitly ask for advice, if I've posted it on lj, it can be assumed that feed back is welcome--though not always followed, of course ;)

[mbrubeck]

Lots more info (from a biased source).

[kuddliphish]

Wow, so like literally a cult...how bizarre.

[tigresa]

Ditto.

But then, I would have to be in a weird place in my life to consider sending my kids to school. So I'm not in a position to give advice! ;)