9.5.12 First Day of Preschool

Leah sent me this photo of Matthew, ready for his first day of preschool...

Matthew's first day of preschool

I love the mixed expression in his face...a little happy, liking the new backpack, and perhaps, wondering what the whole school thing will be about.  His preschool class is Monday and Wednesday, 8-3.  I asked how he liked the first day.  His teacher told Leah he did great until naptime, but after that "didn't want to do anything."  When Leah picked him up, he was running a temp.  She gave him tylenol and a nap, and he rebounded.  When I told her to tell Matthew "Grandma Stacie is asking what you liked the best about preschool.", he responded "Drawing frogs."  I am grateful Matthew has the opportunity to learn and grow with a group of peers.  His class has one teacher and 6 students.  

I'm going to go on a soapbox here, so prepare yourselves, readers. ALL children deserve the opportunity to learn and grow in a preschool setting. In our state, there are very few public preschools. In our city, there are none.  All 5 preschools are private, and have long waiting lists. We have enough preschool capacity for only 25% of students who will enter kindergarten here.  There are many parents who want their children to attend, but there is no space.  Joey went to preschool for only one year. Fortunately, Pre III was half day, every afternoon.  Joey is an "older" student, because of his Feb. birthday.  He was already done with napping.  The cost was affordable, $140 monthly, because it is subsidized by our parishes, and it is a GREAT way to recruit students to stay at the school for the next 7 years.  About 30% of the students in the three preschool classes at Joe's school migrate out to public school settings. All of the parents support a religious integration if choosing Joe's school, so the kids are exposed to prayer, bible stories, and Holy Days.  I love it that Joey has come home talking about the saints!  

The children who most need the preschool setting, often come from families who cannot afford the tuition.  Another barrier is half day settings, which present a challenge for all working parents.  Most cannot leave work for a half hour to transport the child and again, to pick up the child. 

Preschool is not necessarily all about the academic content.  It's about exposure to language, fine and gross motor development, listening and following directions, learning to take turns and share, and function in a structured setting.  It's about field trips and exposure to life in a group setting. Children love predicatble routines.  It makes them feel safe. It gives them a sense of control over learning and being able to predict what activities come at the same time during the day.  It is also important for them to develop relationships with "trusted adults" other than their parents. There is an objectivity there that allows teachers and aides to identify a child's strengths and needs, and communicate those needs to parents. Many parents, out of love for who their children are, don't realize they are missing some developmental skills.   Having an objective 3rd party to evaluate your child and tell you they need more fine motor activity to develop strength in their hands, is a good thing to learn.  They need to play with play dough and small objects before they ever are required to hold writing utinsels and "write."

With the advent of "all day kindergarten" preschool opportunity is more important than ever.  In our city, the "begindergarten" programs are full of kids who need exposure and maturity before being ready for the all day kindergarten setting.  All day kindergarten programs in our school are VERY long days, often beginning at 7:45 and not ending until 3:15, frequently bookended with a bus ride on either end, or an after school program.  They are just little people! All day kindergarten programs were driven by 2 things....convenience for working parents, school busing schedules, and also the fact, that schools don't get federal funding for half day programs.  Schools only receive funding for students who are in school for a full day. In cities, elementary schools often have a shorter day, say 9-3.  Not so in our state.  

Please consider and support the needs of all young children, and their opportunities to learn and grow.

Addendum added later...Matthew, your dad went to preschool on the "3 year plan."  He just wanted to "pway".  This means "play."  Your dad substituted letter W for r and l consonant blends in his speech for a long time.  He also was not a morning person, even at age 3.  He went to T-Th preschool for one year, and M-W-F preschool in the afternoons for 2 years, followed by a year of afternoon kindergarten.  So, he really didn't have to confront the morning routine until 1st grade. Life was good then!  Less pressure on little people.