How Challenging Is Your PK3 Student's Curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a rising PK3 student that currently attends a private preschool. At her current school, the curriculum is great. The students (starting at age 2) are working on Kindergarten-level work. DD knows key historic and present figures, writing, reading, etc. I'm interested in learning about what types of activities your PK3 student is challenged with in school. I understand it varies by school, so I'm just interested in 1) what school you attend (you can say HRCS, JKLM, etc if you don't want to be specific) and 2) what's your PK3 kid's curriculum like?

If you are indeed serious, you might want to try a Montessori school. We've had three in Montessori (including our youngest who is a first year primary student). They are allowed to work at their own pace. Kids who are already reading and writing are given work that supports that. Children like my daughter who can't read or write are focusing on fine motor skills to prepare for writing and other skills, like sounding out words/syllables/rhymes to prepare them to read. But beware- if you want a curriculum (We are covering this this month, then this next month, you're not going to get it.) Here's a link to OSSEs early childhood standards...
http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/DC%20Early%20Learning%20Standards2013.pdf

Thanks. There is one Montessori is on our list. Well, two. We have a crazy high waitlist # for LAMB so I basically don't count it!

No NOT monessori. You would be frustrated at your child needing to relearn letters as cursive and sounds and thus not making academic "progress" perhaps till well into pk4 Plus you'll freak out if she spends her first year, as many kids choose to, spooning beans, and cutting apples, and washing windows, and polishing metal. What you need is a super academic, traditional preschool. A Kipp for the middle class?

I am not the PP, but I wanted to actually chime in about Montessori vs. traditional school.

What the PP describes was absolutely our experience. DD was in a play-based private daycare/preschool (first the one, then the other) and started in Montessori whens he was 3. Montessori has a very brand-specific academic learning. It is very linear. The cursive letters resulted in DD backtracking on literacy that she'd been developing in her previous class. She was criticized by the guide for not using the materials correctly/appropriately and when I asked what that meant, the guide said that basically, DD was using the materials in a playful way - building block houses with the pink tower, for example - and that that was not appropriate to Montessori. I agree - it's not appropriate to Montessori, but that kind of creative exploration is completely developmentally appropriate for a 3yo. Other programs encourage it.

I will say that the practical life skills like polishing and folding and fasteners have come in very handy, but we were glad to leave after a year.

[Anonymous]

My child is in PK3 at a neighborhood DCPS school not well regarded on DCUM. She can write her name and sight read maybe 5 words. She is good on number and letter recognition. SURPRISE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ours is not that challenging, but my son can't even wipe his own butt. So, I think it is a good fit.

Best perspective I've read on here in a while.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a rising PK3 student that currently attends a private preschool. At her current school, the curriculum is great. The students (starting at age 2) are working on Kindergarten-level work. DD knows key historic and present figures, writing, reading, etc. I'm interested in learning about what types of activities your PK3 student is challenged with in school. I understand it varies by school, so I'm just interested in 1) what school you attend (you can say HRCS, JKLM, etc if you don't want to be specific) and 2) what's your PK3 kid's curriculum like?

If you are indeed serious, you might want to try a Montessori school. We've had three in Montessori (including our youngest who is a first year primary student). They are allowed to work at their own pace. Kids who are already reading and writing are given work that supports that. Children like my daughter who can't read or write are focusing on fine motor skills to prepare for writing and other skills, like sounding out words/syllables/rhymes to prepare them to read. But beware- if you want a curriculum (We are covering this this month, then this next month, you're not going to get it.) Here's a link to OSSEs early childhood standards...
http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/DC%20Early%20Learning%20Standards2013.pdf

Thanks. There is one Montessori is on our list. Well, two. We have a crazy high waitlist # for LAMB so I basically don't count it!

No NOT monessori. You would be frustrated at your child needing to relearn letters as cursive and sounds and thus not making academic "progress" perhaps till well into pk4 Plus you'll freak out if she spends her first year, as many kids choose to, spooning beans, and cutting apples, and washing windows, and polishing metal. What you need is a super academic, traditional preschool. A Kipp for the middle class?

But then she'll actually really know her letters and will have had a significant improvement in fine motor skills and will also have seen huge gains in math.