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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We have been in a TOTM class for two years.

Pros:
- It works well with developing writing. My son can write actual short simple sentences. 
- It facilitates the ability to draw detailed things through observation. He's really learning to draw complex, realistic things because they practice techniques every day. 
- It helps a child adapt to a schedule and routine. My son is thriving on this and hates when the day is interrupted. 
- It helps the child make decisions. My son is goal-oriented and decisive when it comes to play, and I don't feel he's "too" structured. Just smart and mature. 
- It allows ample time for play - dramatic, creative, independent, group, etc... It's all incorporated.

Cons: 
- It does work best with more involved parents who work with kids at home because they don't really focus on letters and numbers. My son knows these, so he does well and is BUILDING at school rather than learning new stuff constantly. 
- I don't want to say it stifles creativity, but one example of the rigidity that is funny to me is that when they draw their play plans it is with a single marker or crayon that matches the color of the center. As a result of 2 years of this, my son draws mostly in one color because that's how he does it at school. He draws very detailed things, in ONE color. 
- We don't have this experience, but when TOTM is done wrong or half assed, it's boring and flat and bad. Ours is done every day and well, and we are lucky. 
- It also works best with a supplementary arts and physical and musical program; we sort of have this, but we have a really half-assed art teacher in our school so I wish the whole program was as well done as the TOTM classroom element.

Hope this helps!

I have had good experience with this program and recommend it if you think the school implements it thoroughly and true to the method. [/quote]

NP here, thank you for this summary pp.  My IB school uses TOTM and it still wasn't clear to me exactly what this program was like.  Can you describe how the children are learning how to write sentences if there's little focus on numbers and letters?[/quote]

Sure.

Each day there are what we essentially know as centers. These are based around a unit which at our school lasts about 1 month. So if you are doing "grocery store" as a unit, center choices will be something like delivery dock (blue sign), produce (red sign), bakery (green sign), deli (purple sign), and checkout (orange sign). At the beginning of the center time, kids choose their center; my kid often gets his first choice but sometimes the 2nd or 3rd. Before they go there, they sit down with the teachers and draw a picture of their "play plan" of the day. So my son chooses bakery, gets a green marker, and draws himself baking a cake. At the bottom of the picture they write their plan in a sentence. For 3 yos, this is the teacher writing for them...a few months later, the 3 yo writes dashes for each word to represent that they can count words or syllables...at the end of the 3yo year, many kids will write "I am and a mix of symbols, sounds, and teacher fill-ins. Now at almost 5, my son has memorized "I am going to" and can write things like "bake a cake" or "gv pepol food" (currently on my fridge). It is AMAZING.

I know that sounds totally rigid, but I have been in the class a lot and it really isn't any more routine than the calendar at circle time. It takes 5 minutes then they go play.

I should add that at centers, they interact. For example in the grocery unit there is no "shopper" center because they all can walk to the other centers and participate in the play as visitors to the bakery/deli/whatever.

[b]We have an awesomely craft-gifted asst. teacher [/b]this year and their centers are incredibly intricate. Cool sandwich making materials, dental molds made of pink salt dough and rocks (for teeth), etc...

I am loving the program. [/quote]

I agree that the more the teacher is creative and interested in crafts the better the outcome for his/her students. [/quote]

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