How Challenging Is Your PK3 Student's Curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get you, OP. We are at a HRCS and I do wish that the curriculum at PK3 was more "academic." My child happens to be one of the older ones in PK3, so there is also that. As previous posters indicated, much of the focus has been on social interactions and emotional development. However, I was really excited to learn about the kids' recent engineering projects. They built boats and made hypotheses about how many toy animals would fit on them before the boat sank. For me (not an education or child development expert) this seems like is a good introduction to basic science and math. It would be great to see a bit more emphasis on writing and reading as well. Our child learned to read at home and it would be nice to see more of that at school. However, in speaking with early education experts I've also heard the refrain that this is not developmentally appropriate at age 3-4, so the focus is on "pre-literacy" skills at this level.

Thanks for understanding. Do you mind sharing which HRCS you are at? I would like to know if it was on my lottery list. DD will also be one of the oldest in her class, she has an early November birthday, so I do get that piece as well. I agree that those types of projects will definitely introduce different skills, to include math and science. I just want my child to be stimulated in different ways. It sounds like you're in a great program! Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child went to AppleTree for two years, which has a very robust but age appropriate curriculum.

They do centers and dramatic play and sing a lot of songs, learn to follow directions and to be nice to their friends.

They also do "academic" things like learning letter sounds, rhyming words, beginning and ending sounds, counting and skip counting. Not exactly teaching to read, but teaching the skills needed to learn (my child started reading before he turned 4 because he was interested and made the connections between letter sounds/rhyming words etc not because he was pushed).

These are all taught around themes such as family and community, Washington DC, archeology and paleontology, the Planet Earth etc. Those themes are evident in the art work they do, and throughout their centers (for example, the dramatic play center became a metro train when they looked at Washington DC).

Sounds like an excellent program. We have looked at a few AppleTree locations, and based on reviews and our own take on the program, it does seem like what we are looking for. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for snark as a response to stupidity, but at least make it funny. The snark in this thread is over the top in my opinion.

Completely agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I seriously don't even know why I bother with posting questions on here. All I wanted to know was what types of activities your preschoolers are engaged in at PK3. I NEVER asked for anyone's opinion on why a child shouldn't be challenged and I also didn't ask for anyone to question my ability to parent. You people take it way too far! Thank you to the very few who actually answered my question

OP, for many children entering PK3 and PK4, the basics have not yet been mastered. Even your child probably has not yet mastered the basics, such as listening to a teacher, waiting in line, etc. Your child will not be bored, because your child is 3 and your child will be excited to have new friends and new experiences. My child is reading in PK4 and still enjoys going to school with children who are still mastering their letters, if only because she enjoys things like art class and gym class, which also happen at school.

The reason that people are responding hostilely to your question is that it comes from a place of privilege, which I'm not sure that you realize and am sure you didn't mean maliciously. Many children do not have the option of attending a private preschool where they learn the things your child has learned.

I understand where you are coming from. Thank you for your response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:EOTP DCPS (not dual-language). Creative Curriculum. Learning is focused around themes that change a few times a year. Building, materials / clothing, cooking.
I think the true challenge for DS is learning to interact with other classmates, and that has been improving (for him and them) really well through the year. Major credit to the teachers there.
Oddly, he is starting to read. I'm not sure if that's because of the school or if it's just him. I'm also not worried about how much knowledge he is learning at this point - that doesn't seem relevant. I'd rather he learn how to learn, and he can study history later.

Thank you. Maybe I misworded my original post. I'm not saying that my 3 yo needs to be a scholar. I just want to make sure she is stimulated in ways other than the true basics. Thank you for your response. It helps!

You're welcome. But I'm still not sure what you mean by "beyond the basics".

I mean basics like coloring, letters, numbers, things like that. I just want her to be exposed to different things, to include building, problem solving (not like literal math problems or anything), cooking as you said.

Thanks for clarifying. I don't know all of DCPS, but from the PK3/4 programs that I've seen, it's either Tools of the Mind or Creative Curriculum - both of which do exactly what you're looking for. Within each of the topical modules they deal with coloring, letter, numbers, etc.

I thought so too. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm guessing maybe DCPS or a charter will feel like backtracking for you, unless maybe you get an immersion or dual language school. Even though your child will likely be challenged by some, if not all, of the academics, a significant amount of time will be focused on everyday skills: lining up, sitting on the rug, taking turns, moving smoothly through stations, etc. And although I'm sure your child knows how to do all of this perfectly, the teachers will need to be helping OTHER children who may not be quite as advanced as yours. Most three-year-olds can't get their milk open without help, and getting all of them through a meal and to the bathroom can take a big chunk of time right there.

In our Tier 2 charter, the year was divided into units of study like People in the Neighborhood, Making Healthy Choices, etc. and there were projects that went along with each unit. They also went through one letter of the alphabet per week, learning to recognize it and pronounce the sound. Kids learned to write their names and count.

The second part of your response sounds like what I am looking for. I do also understand the basics of lining up, taking turns, sharing, etc. All 3 year olds need help with this! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP: Could you please post which preschool your child is currently in?

I won't name the school, because I don't want them to know that we are looking at leaving lol. But it is a private, in-home school. It is not a fancy private school with 1000s of reviews. The director, a former principal, puts a great emphasis on education and exploration. The entire "school" has 12 students, so it is a very small environment. I don't mean to come off as if my child is in "class" all day with textbooks. They have mastered incorporating Kindergarten-level learning with lots of play and field trips. The kids are kids, they play, they color, they paint, they have fun. They go on field trips to just about all kid-friendly places in the area, including libraries, Port Discovery, Six Flags, Climb Zone, Sky Zone, etc. They just happen to be taught more than your traditional "preschool" or "day care" will teach. I realize that my initial post has come off completely wrong. I am sorry for that.

This is helpful information, OP.

I think your actual question is more along the lines of, "How does your DCPS/charter differ from [this school my child goes to]?" I will respond to that, in hopes you find it helpful.

For starters, adjusting to being part of a larger group. That will be something that many students in whatever class your DD gets into will be working on. My DD was in group daycare from 6 months on, with about 15 kids per class starting toddler age (I don't remember exactly, it was in DC so whatever the regulated ratios are in DC). She was used to things like walking to the playground in a line, having a buddy whose hand she held as part of that process, paying attention to adult directions outside. Those things are useful in her DCPS during field trips. Many kids do not come from a preschool/daycare that took field trips or walked to the park daily, so those are skills that they have had to learn. DD was also used to waiting her turn for things, including her turn to speak. A child whose experience is mostly in a smaller social group may have less skill on those areas. Certainly it will be a different vibe.

Curriculum-wise, because children will all be the same age, it's possible that the upper limit of things they learn about will be lower than in a mixed-age group. A good teacher will be able to assess children's individual skills and, to some extent, tailor that child's experience to their skill level. This is particularly good if your child is one who is struggling, because the teacher will be able to note areas where support is needed and suggest things you can do at home, school resources, etc. If your child is not struggling, it's also good - my DD is an early reader who also loves math, and her teacher has noted these skills and does everything she can to maximize DD's exposure to things that challenge her in those areas. She encourages DD to read whole words, rather than just identify letters. She presents counting games in a more advanced way than she would for a child who is only just learning to count now.

Finally, there will always be areas in which your child can improve. My DD's problem area, all damn year, has been nap time. She had basically dropped her nap and her previous school had been able to accommodate that. (It was Montessori, so 3-6y kids - she would just go hang out with the 5 & 6y kids, rather than napping with the wee ones.) The school she's in now has had more difficulty accommodating this, and DD has had more difficulty mellowing out and not being disruptive during nap time. Her teacher and I check in about it regularly and come up with creative solutions, including stern talks with DD about how she needs to let other kids sleep and not talk to them during rest time, period.

Every social environment is different. DD started in an expensive child development center, spent a year in Montessori and is now in a DCPS that uses Creative Curriculum. She's exposed to a very new group of kids, demographically. Her best friend's family speaks Spanish at home. She's the only little white girl in her class (there are white boys, but no other girls). Many of the children are low income, but honestly, that doesn't seem to matter much at this age to the kids. I have issues with it (mostly related to worrying that DD's friends' parents will feel weird about playdates with DD's more affluent non-Spanish speaking family and how to make them feel more comfortable, rather than concerns that DD will somehow be damaged by her association with low income kids).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm all for snark as a response to stupidity, but at least make it funny. The snark in this thread is over the top in my opinion.

And stupid. Will the idiot who keeps posting about word salad stfu already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child went to AppleTree for two years, which has a very robust but age appropriate curriculum.

They do centers and dramatic play and sing a lot of songs, learn to follow directions and to be nice to their friends.

They also do "academic" things like learning letter sounds, rhyming words, beginning and ending sounds, counting and skip counting. Not exactly teaching to read, but teaching the skills needed to learn (my child started reading before he turned 4 because he was interested and made the connections between letter sounds/rhyming words etc not because he was pushed).

These are all taught around themes such as family and community, Washington DC, archeology and paleontology, the Planet Earth etc. Those themes are evident in the art work they do, and throughout their centers (for example, the dramatic play center became a metro train when they looked at Washington DC).

Sounds like an excellent program. We have looked at a few AppleTree locations, and based on reviews and our own take on the program, it does seem like what we are looking for. Thank you!

IMO, AppleTree provides the best early years education in the city. Everything they do is research based and the results are amazing. We were very disappointed to leave (because they only go up to PK4).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this really a real post? I don't know anyone who wants this academic a curriculum for their TWO year old.

Yeah, this is fake, right? Three years old. The social piece matters most right now.

OP here. The social piece is very important, I agree. But because she has been in that type of environment for going on two years now, I don't want her to feel bored in a new PK3 classroom.

My DD was in a similar spot when she started DCPS PK-3. Her ECE classroom was Reggio-inspired -- so in many ways the antithesis of her previous experience -- and I had similar concerns.

Boy, was I wrong. She had a fantastic experience in pk3. Being a little ahead of the game was great for her confidence and gave her some breathing room to work on the social aspect. She seriously had a WONDERFUL year, which set her up to do well in pk4 and beyond (she's in 1st now). She was never bored -- knowing her alphabet already did nothing to diminish the fun of weaving a little Moroccan-style rug.

On the contrary, she might well have been bored in a classroom with a more academic focus.

[Anonymous]

OP the daycare/preschool my DC attended sounds similar to yours and he appeared very advanced for his age. I was also worried he would "lose" some of the information he'd learned coming into DCPS/charter system. And it's true, some of the information he once knew was gone after a few months. But I realized he hadn't really learned the concepts behind the material, it was simply rote memorization. Since attending real preschool, I can see a huge difference where he's actually thinking logically about topics vs parroting information that's been drilled into him.

[Anonymous]

Child with early academic interests and aptitude who followed directions well and liked "doing work" went to dual language charter PK3 following preschool at private daycare center.

The dual language program offered challenge for all the things already known in English (letters, shapes, colors, counting) as well as things like being part of larger and more diverse group/class, more technology, interacting with older kids during before- and after-care, writing and reading, performance skills (learning songs and hand motions for school assemblies), more role play/dramatic play and storytelling, greater physical challenges being on bigger playground...

[Anonymous]

Mine is in a dual language EOTP PK3 using Tools of the Mind. They start every day with play planning. The kids that can write, can practice writing. Those that can't can draw pictures. The teacher has been getting materials form the K and 1st grade teachers for math choice time, so that kids who can count well can move ahead to adding, but only if they want to. My child is an October birthday, and he is being challenged.

One of the things that has impressed me about our teachers is that in PreK 3, they are dealing with kids who turned 4 years old six weeks after school started and kids who turned 3 years old four weeks after school started and are barely potty trained , all in the same class. Coupled with the fact that some came from academic daycares and some came straight from home, they are dealing with a huge range of experience and ability, and they are doing a great job.

[Anonymous]

In my school, PK3 covers Shakespeare and PK4 covers Chaucer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my school, PK3 covers Shakespeare and PK4 covers Chaucer.

We're at the same school then. Now in K they're reading Ulysses, so prepare for that. It has been fun.