it's a year away, but i'm already thinking about what i'm going to do with jake next year.
he turns 4 in march, so he'll be about 4.5 when school starts in the fall. the fact that he's not old enough for K is just unbelievable to me just b/c he seems so ready.
that being said, i'm trying to decide what to do with him next year, school-wise. he's in preschool 4 days per week this year - M-Th from 9-11:30 and then he goes longer on days when i need to work out of the house longer hours.
the preschools i've seen around here do 3ish hours per day and then you can add enrichment to that day to make it a longer day if you want.
my issue is i'm wondering if jake would do better with longer hours of actual SCHOOL time next year.
his teacher pulled me aside today when i picked him up to tell me that she thinks he is "super intelligent" and i just don't want to limit him in any way.
the good thing is that emily should be in 1st grade, so i shouldn't have to pay any daycare cost for her (she's going to AM enrichment this year since she has PM kindergarten since i didn't want her to do half-days).
my friend deborah tells him he'd do great in a montessori type program, but i haven't really looked yet to see what i can find.
sorry this got so long, but any advice anyone has would be appreciated!!!
My first thought is that I would definitely look into the Montessori/similar programs around there, because they would definitely keep him stimulated and learning, and would be more likely to go at his pace/be tailored to his interests and needs academically.
FWIW, Holly's pre-K was full day (she started at 4 yrs, 3 months) and I think it was the perfect fit for her. I loved that it was academically focused -- she was reading Dr. Seuss on her own by the end of her time there, and while that wasn't a requirement at all, I love that they helped her learn at her own pace, and that she had the opportunity to soak things up all day.
ITU the fear of limiting them in any way. But I know that you will always find the best solution to fit whatever needs Em or Jake might ever have.
While I don't personally have experience with Montessori preK, the one here is tremendously popular for parents looking for full day preK and for kids that are ready and already inclined- the results of the program are pretty amazing (as Mel pointed out about Holly...rock on Holly!) Probably not helpful, but I've never heard anyone unhappy with the local program. Of course I'm sure every program is very different and I feel like somewhere along the way I've learned that even within the label of Montessori itself there are drastic differences- but I'm guessin word of mouth from the community would give you great insight :)
True Monetessori would be perfect for him in a sense, but it depends what you are looking for or what type of kid he is.
Allie started Montessori at 3 and loves it. She was so bored that I did not wait a year to put her in. She was ready for FT preschool. I would have kept her out a year if I thought she was not ready.
i'm already thinking about this also. C is doing half days this year (m-f, 9-1130). when she hits the 4s class, i'm considering doing fulldays (m-f. 9-230). i think R would have been ready for this at 4, but i didnt do it bc i really wanted R and C to bond and have the at-home time, knowing it would be the last year for that long afternoon together.
C is a lot less shy than R, and i'd say they're probably around the same in terms of academic readiness, attention span, etc (of course they learn much differently, but i'd say they've been pretty much keeping a similar rate of learning). i think she'll be ready for full day but i have to just see what happens i guess.
montessori sounds like a good match for jake - i think you should totally look into it. how exciting! one of the reasons i dont want to do full day for cara at 4 is because it's the same cirriculum repeated in teh afternoon session, as opposed to a true full-day program. i dont want her to be bored kwim? i bet montessori is a totally different setup.
