How Challenging Is Your PK3 Student's Curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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).

You are the cream of the crop! This sounds exactly like my situation. DD's preschool is ages 2-5 and the children all work and learn together. I appreciate you responding. I completely understand where you are coming from on so many different levels. In terms of you feeling uncertainty about your DD's friends' parents feeling weird about play dates, I feel the same way as it comes to the transition from the private preschool to a DCPS or charter. For the majority of the schools I applied for in the lottery, we certainly doesn't fit within the "norm" of the other parents (i.e., I am 23 and AA, DH is 25 and AA). I am afraid that we will not be taken seriously. I fear that the other parents may not want to engage in conversation with us or may not want to initiate play dates and such. Question, what DCPS are you attending? Thanks for your insight!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

Thank you for your honesty. You make a great point about memorization vs. actually understanding concepts. I never really thought about that. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

That is true. It is important to incorporate both learning and fun into their classroom. Thank you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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).

You are the cream of the crop! This sounds exactly like my situation. DD's preschool is ages 2-5 and the children all work and learn together. I appreciate you responding. I completely understand where you are coming from on so many different levels. In terms of you feeling uncertainty about your DD's friends' parents feeling weird about play dates, I feel the same way as it comes to the transition from the private preschool to a DCPS or charter. For the majority of the schools I applied for in the lottery, we certainly doesn't fit within the "norm" of the other parents (i.e., I am 23 and AA, DH is 25 and AA). I am afraid that we will not be taken seriously. I fear that the other parents may not want to engage in conversation with us or may not want to initiate play dates and such. Question, what DCPS are you attending? Thanks for your insight!

DH and I are white and in our mid-thirties. We would most certainly take you seriously, and happily engage in conversation at pickup or at birthday parties. We love to talk about a lot of the issues you're raising in your posts. But please don't take it personally if people don't want to schedule playdates. We have several kids of different ages, and just cannot manage to do play dates and still have any time left for our family. I know many people who don't do playdates for similar reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are the cream of the crop! This sounds exactly like my situation. DD's preschool is ages 2-5 and the children all work and learn together. I appreciate you responding. I completely understand where you are coming from on so many different levels. In terms of you feeling uncertainty about your DD's friends' parents feeling weird about play dates, I feel the same way as it comes to the transition from the private preschool to a DCPS or charter. For the majority of the schools I applied for in the lottery, we certainly doesn't fit within the "norm" of the other parents (i.e., I am 23 and AA, DH is 25 and AA). I am afraid that we will not be taken seriously. I fear that the other parents may not want to engage in conversation with us or may not want to initiate play dates and such. Question, what DCPS are you attending? Thanks for your insight!

PP here. We are at HD Cooke in Adams Morgan. I would take you both seriously. I would engage in conversation with you and have playdates! Honestly, the problem that we are facing at school socially is a) language barrier and b) free time barrier. I work until 5, so I pick DD up at aftercare. Her friends' caregivers do not always pick them up at the same time as me. Because drop off is anywhere from 8:10 to 8:45, I don't see them at pick up either. There is no class or school directory, so I don't know how to get in touch with them. I am doing paper invitations for DD's birthday party this year for the first time ever because I do not even have a phone number for anyone in her class other than the teacher.

If you are interested and involved and initiate playdates and conversations yourself, it may be easier for you than it is for me. I personally worry about DD's friends' parents viewing me as an uptight rich white lady, which I am decidedly not.

If we are on your list, I hope you get in. We need more excited engaged parents overall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well played, OP!

Cutting across parent insecurities with a hefty does of upper-middle class superiority. This is sure to wangle its way under some people's thin skin.

I want to know: Are you trying preemptively trying to discourage people from taking the PK3 seats they're going to be offered?

What? Why would I be trying to discourage people from taking PK3 slots that they are offered? What good does that do for me? I mean really...please, get your life. That makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

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.

Yes, same at our predominantly high SES Capitol Hill school. A few topics (buildings, trees, cities, families), with focus on asking questions, listening, seeing interrelationships - and of course the socialization is a huge issue at this age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are the cream of the crop! This sounds exactly like my situation. DD's preschool is ages 2-5 and the children all work and learn together. I appreciate you responding. I completely understand where you are coming from on so many different levels. In terms of you feeling uncertainty about your DD's friends' parents feeling weird about play dates, I feel the same way as it comes to the transition from the private preschool to a DCPS or charter. For the majority of the schools I applied for in the lottery, we certainly doesn't fit within the "norm" of the other parents (i.e., I am 23 and AA, DH is 25 and AA). I am afraid that we will not be taken seriously. I fear that the other parents may not want to engage in conversation with us or may not want to initiate play dates and such. Question, what DCPS are you attending? Thanks for your insight!

PP here. We are at HD Cooke in Adams Morgan. I would take you both seriously. I would engage in conversation with you and have playdates! Honestly, the problem that we are facing at school socially is a) language barrier and b) free time barrier. I work until 5, so I pick DD up at aftercare. Her friends' caregivers do not always pick them up at the same time as me. Because drop off is anywhere from 8:10 to 8:45, I don't see them at pick up either. There is no class or school directory, so I don't know how to get in touch with them. I am doing paper invitations for DD's birthday party this year for the first time ever because I do not even have a phone number for anyone in her class other than the teacher.

If you are interested and involved and initiate playdates and conversations yourself, it may be easier for you than it is for me. I personally worry about DD's friends' parents viewing me as an uptight rich white lady, which I am decidedly not.

If we are on your list, I hope you get in. We need more excited engaged parents overall.

Thanks for responding. I totally agree with the barriers you mention. I can imagine that it would be difficult to engage in conversation and get to know parents and students when you barely see them! I also understand how you feel others will view you. I'm so happy that you are one of the few that are open to and optimistic about the diversity of the District. Unfortunately, HD Cooke is not on our list. We are on the other side of town

[Anonymous]

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.

Yes, same at our predominantly high SES Capitol Hill school. A few topics (buildings, trees, cities, families), with focus on asking questions, listening, seeing interrelationships - and of course the socialization is a huge issue at this age.

Sounds great

[Anonymous]

We certainly don't** my apologies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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).

You are the cream of the crop! This sounds exactly like my situation. DD's preschool is ages 2-5 and the children all work and learn together. I appreciate you responding. I completely understand where you are coming from on so many different levels. In terms of you feeling uncertainty about your DD's friends' parents feeling weird about play dates, I feel the same way as it comes to the transition from the private preschool to a DCPS or charter. For the majority of the schools I applied for in the lottery, we certainly doesn't fit within the "norm" of the other parents (i.e., I am 23 and AA, DH is 25 and AA). I am afraid that we will not be taken seriously. I fear that the other parents may not want to engage in conversation with us or may not want to initiate play dates and such. Question, what DCPS are you attending? Thanks for your insight!

DH and I are white and in our mid-thirties. We would most certainly take you seriously, and happily engage in conversation at pickup or at birthday parties. We love to talk about a lot of the issues you're raising in your posts. But please don't take it personally if people don't want to schedule playdates. We have several kids of different ages, and just cannot manage to do play dates and still have any time left for our family. I know many people who don't do playdates for similar reasons.

You make another excellent point! With two parents working full time and daily commutes, it's hard to find time to do anything during the week. Then, whatever doesn't get done during the week is taken care of on the weekend! It is hard to find time for play dates! Sometimes I wish I could be a SAHM

[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.

FTM of girls are my favorite.

I predict you will stay private for a long ass time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Yes, I would like to know this too. Please share.

Yes, please do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

FTM of girls are my favorite.

I predict you will stay private for a long ass time.

It's true. I am so glad I had my son first. My sister in law had a rather precoious girl first and then a hell of an adjustment when she had her son.

[Anonymous]

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

+1. I laughed at OPs post. Our 3rd is headed to PK3 next year & no way do I want him doing K level work! I want him playing & learning thru play. I have a K student & our 3yo could not do what she's doing now.

OPs kid is perhaps gifted.