Preschool and the push for academics

I have been struggling to figure out what to do for preschool in the coming years. Preschool, in my mind, is a time for kids to play and learn thru play. It is time for them to learn fine (and gross) motor skills thru all kinds of play, art, music, etc.

I am super disheartened by the new common core standards in schools. I am really worried about all the testing. Most of all, I worry about the push for academics at earlier and earlier ages. When you start to hear that teachers are asking for more classroom time to prepare for tests (and getting rid or recess to find those extra minutes), it is concerning. Why are we asking preschoolers to recognized letters? Why do kindergartners need to read? From what I have read and researched, there is no evidence supporting the push for literacy. In most cases, a child that learns to read in kindergarten will be at the same place a child who learned to read in 3rd grade is by 4th grade.

And why do we believe the stuff we are testing is the "right" stuff for kids to know? Why would reading and math trump say, artistic abilities like paining, drawing, music and dance? Why would they trump things like building and imagining and engineering-inventing-physical movement? Is it because reading and math are the easiest to test and we as a society feel like we have to have measurements to be sure we are "doing a good job?" And while I understand that literacy is an important building block for other skills, I don't think that it should trump other skills that are perhaps even more important like thinking critically, outside the box, coming up with original thoughts and maybe, just maybe, finding a passion and following it.

Where am I going with this? Well since Kindergarten is the new first grade and students should show up "knowing all their letters" and perhaps even having a limited ability to read, parents and preschool (or pre-K) teachers are feeling pressure to teach academics at ever younger ages so that kids are prepared for the rigors of kindergarten. What is lost in these now academically minded preschool programs? Play. Imagination. Innovation. And while some kids are excited to learn letters and numbers and early literacy at 3 and 4, other kids are not and putting pressure on them to learn them so early could potentially cause them to end up not enjoying learning.

I want a program that is play based and fosters imagination. At this early age, I could honestly care less whether my child can read, much less recognize letters or numbers. If he wants to? Great! More power to him. If he doesn't? Great too! He is building other very important skills too! The problem is, to have a high quality program in preschool, the parents want to hear from the kindergarten teachers that their child (who just finished said high quality program) is well prepared for kindergarten and perhaps even ahead of the curve in the class. It makes parents feel like they invested well in preschool and that their child is at the top end of the class. As a result, preschool teachers feel obligated to "teach" academics so that their programs appear more high quality. Never mind the fact that teaching academics isn't even developmentally appropriate at this age....or at 6 or 7 for that matter.

So what to do about school next year. Right now, Barrett is in a 2's class which is perfect. Play, art, music, presentation of concepts, developing motor skills, etc. But I know that his school, which we love, is definitely feeling the pressure to prepare kids in an academic way so in 3's it gets more academic and by 4's they feel like they need them 5 days a week to "prepare them for kindergarten." Ugh.

I am faced with the dilemma of whether to put Barrett in his current preschool, try to find a new one or home school. I do know that I fully believe preschool, kindergarten even 1st grade and beyond should be a time for play, discovery, enjoyment, and learning to love learning - not memorization, teaching to a test, teaching narrowly, etc. At the same time, that is not what society has determined is important and as such, following these principles would place my kids behind the curve come kindergarten (if we go the public school route). So there we have it. A dilemma. Ultimately, I have decided to wait until the end of the summer to make a final decision on what direction to go...but who knew a decision as simple as preschool could be so hard!

Fall/Winter 2014 - General Schedule

Life has hit a good little groove around here.

Barrett is going to preschool Tuesday and Thursday 9-12. He is also doing swimming lessons Monday, Wednesday, Friday for 30 minutes each time. This is is second 10 lesson session and he is loving it! Last week he back floated and kicked all the way accross the 25 meter pool - by himself! He is also jumping off the diving board and flipping onto his back after. He still has a lot to learn and isn't too into the whole face in the water, swim to the instructor thing yet - but he is progressing so well. We have him signed up for MWF all the way until the end of march with 2 sessions added on Tuesday/Thursday nights with a good friend of ours for good measure! So there will be a 6 week session in January and February where he will be going 5 days a week! He was in gymnastics for a little bit in September and October, but he loved swimming so much that we have kind of committed to doing that intensively for a while. I am sure we will add gymnastics or something else down the road, but for now, swimming is working out really well.

Gentry and I go to the gym on Tuesday and Thursday when Barrett is in Preschool and I also try to hit the gym Monday, Wednesday and Friday (or at least 2 of 3) after swimming. Gentry has been a really good sport about just getting dragged around to Barrett's activities. He isn't the best at sitting still though. At the pool, I basically chase him around the whole time and try to keep him from falling into the pool. I can't wait for him to be able to do lessons too although you have to be 3 and that wont happent until May 2016 which seems really far away.

Barrett is loving school and has been coming home singing songs. He can sing all of twinkle twinkle and he was singing Jingle Bells (the first 2 lines) today. He has absolutely no ability to carry a melody which is pretty funny. At parent teacher conferences I learned that he loves to gather things, is "kind of" playing with 2 of the other boys, enjoys participating in everything and can get kind of wild in circle time. He also loves building toys and the cash register.

My boys at 3 and 16 months

I find it so interesting having 2 boys 18 months apart. It's so fun to see all the ways in which they are similar and the many more ways in which they are different. It blows my mind on a daily basis how, two boys, from the same parents and so close together can be so very different.

Barrett loves fruit. When he eats a burger or a sandwich, he eats the insides and discards the bun or bread. He hardly eats (it seems). He will eat anything for the most part, just not very much. He favors any fruit or berry, yogurt, carrots and sweets...the kid has a sweet tooth which clearly didn't come from me.  He loves to help, with everything. He can build with legos for a long period of time. He really is a self directed kind of kid. He plays in the sandbox, in the yard, in the house without needing a lot of intervention. He is also stubborn and hates to go down for naps (and always kind of has). He loves to cuddle and needs some time to wake up in the morning. Generally, he likes to sleep in. Sometimes I have to wake him up for preschool and he will say "lighs off mama! Sleeping." He sleeps mostly calmly and right next to Nick (like glue). He is pretty controled emotionally but when he is tired he gets naughty and does everything he knows he shouldn't do. He is busy and active and very good with his body (jumping, running, kicking, swinging a golf club, etc). He is like a cartoon character. He will do things like a full belly flop off from the swings and onto the grass, grin really big and get up and do it again. He smiles often.

Gentry loves food. Any food. Doesn't matter. He eats. A lot. Fruit, veggies, bread, spaghetti, meat - I mean seriously whatever. The kid just likes food. He feeds himself and he is very enthusiastic about it. If he had a theme song it would be the "food glorious food" song from Ice Age the Meltdown. He is fast and mischievious but the biggest cuddle ever. He is so easy to put down for naps but then wakes right up when he is done and is so cheerful and happy and ready for the day. He also wakes early and is spritely and ready to go! (insert the poor mama face here). He wants to do what Barrett is doing. He also wants to do things himself. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. If he is mad, he cries - loud - and hard. He is busy with a capital B. He is tough - like really really tough - like kind of a badass he is so tough. The things that Barrett has done (intentionally or not but mostly just wrestling too hard) and Gentry has just taken like a man are countless. He is the most terrible person to share a bed with. He twirls and kicks and moves and pushes. I call him "the bad citizen" for his sleeptime antics (he goes to bed in his crib but always ends up with us...) He loves to be chased. He runs fast for how little he is and giggles and laughs and thinks it is like, the funniest thing ever.  Lately he has been doing this "evil" laugh all the time and it seriously is the funniest thing. Muahahahahahah!

September Update

Oh my - where does the time go! Life with young boys is crazy. Fun but crazy. Time for blogging seems to be at a minimum. Then when I do consider it I'm think to myself - do I update from now forward? Or try to go back... But honestly, I don't think I have the brain capacity to go back. It's lost in diapers, meals, trying to get out the door in a timely manner, worrying about whether I am being a good parent, codling too much - er maybe not enough. Should Barrett be getting himself dressed by now? Should I worry that we aren't potty trained? Or that both kids sleep in bed with us? Nah - or whatever I guess. I have 2 happy and healthy boys so perhaps those questions are unnecessary. When I drop Barrett off at preschool, he waves goodbye and happily goes off to play and learn...seems pretty well adjusted to me! When I send Gentry to the gym Kids Club, he generally takes a nap.

So what are we up to lately?

Barrett started preschool at Resurrection Catholic Preschool in their 2's program. Because his birthday is in September he will always be oldest in his class, but he was ready for some type of preschool so we found one that had a 2's program. He LOVES it. He gets to paint, draw, play, ride trikes, do music, learn pouring and mixing and all kinds of useful things like waiting his turn, washing his hands, following directions! He goes in happily and it is always hard to get him to leave. He seems more mature and seems to have picked up some fun new skills/phrases. He can sing part of twinkle twinkle little star. "Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what ...doo...rar!"

He started gymnastics one day a week and loves to follow the teacher and jump in the foam pit, hang from anything, run around on the floor and do the warm up song. It is a great way for him to learn direction following and waiting his turn.

Gentry continues to be a spirited little sprite! His favorite and most frequently used word is "Go!" He follows directions really well (when he wants to), can say "down" and some other words but like his brother is really a man of few words. He likes to do what Barrett is doing (and Barrett doesn't always appreciate it).

For the most part the boys love to do things together and when Gentry isn't with us, Barrett will ask where Gentry is. Barrett loves to help me cook and will bring his chair into the kitchen every time I start to cook. They both love to play in the yard and love going to the pool to go swimming. Both boys are pretty funny. Barrett has a more dry humor that can be a bit harder to get. Gentry is just a ham.

So obviously a lot more has happened since my last post ages ago...but a mama has to start somewhere. And has to finish quickly before the boys tear the house apart during my brief "break."

Things Kiddos

Things Barrett:

• When he goes to bed at night, he gives you a kiss and says "kiss", says "honk" and honks your nose, and says "hug" and gives you a hug
• When he is in the bath will scoot over and say "Gaanty too" (Gentry too) and pat the spot next to him. 
• Thinks bubbles are ice and says "ice"
• Confuses hot and cold. When it is really cold he will say "hot" sometimes
• Likes Wall-E, Toy Story I,II,III, Cars I,II, Baby Einstein, Ice Age I,II,III,IV
• Talks quite a bit. Not full sentences but he will say multiple words together like "Gentry eat more" "Mama outside" "Eat cookie" 
• Takes a while to warm up to situations and tends to be quiet and shy at first
• Likes playdough, coloring with chalk or markers (and an isolated incident on the wall), cars and trucks, blocks, toy tools, toy kitchens and play food, balls
• At kids club at the gym goes back and forth between playing with other kids and playing alone, likes to run around a lot. 

Things Gentry:

• Bear crawls and crawls
• Says Mama
• Likes to be held but lunges at things when you are holding him which makes holding him hard
• Does not like to go to sleep, I think he doesn't want to miss anything. 
• Love all things Barrett. What B is doing, playing with, where he is going.
• Thinks Barrett is hilarious. If B does something, he laughs. B can rile him up very easily. 
• Eats everything. And he must be growing because he eats A LOT. 
• Wearing 9 and 12 month clothes and weighs around 21lbs. Unlike tiny B, he is pretty big. 
• Still smiles all the time but is also going through a fussy phase. I think he may be teething plus he always cries when it is time to go to sleep so I think that not wanting to miss anything causes him to get over tired. 
• Still takes a paci and is still nursing. Less during the day but other than a fluke night where he slept through the night, he still wakes to eat several times. 

They all said it would go fast....

And they were right!

October Catch Up

Sometimes it is so hard to take the time to write a blog post. Often I find that our lives are full and busy but to put it into a blog post - well, suddenly it becomes repetitive, mundane perhaps.

The kids are growing by the day. Having 2 a mere 19 months apart - it's hard, it's fun, it's chaotic, it's exhausting, it never lets up. During nap time (if I am fortunate enough that both will sleep at the same time) I have grand ideas of blogging, reading blogs, cooking and cleaning. Sometimes I end up just sitting on my couch with pandora playing on my phone. Sometimes I mindlessly scroll through facebook looking at nothing in particular. Sometimes I debate getting off facebook and finding a way to make my phone be less mindlessly alluring. Stupid phone. Scrolling and searching and looking at - nothing really. The ultimate time waster.

Our days have been filled with diaper changes, meal times, the week where I pulled out the mediterranean cookbook and cooked time consuming meals during naps and beyond (it only lasted a week), gym time, thinking about yard work and then not doing it (somehow I just end up holding G all the time). The days are long and some are easy and others are unending. I think the kids gang up on us sometimes - like "hey, I will throw a tantrum and get all worked up, get mom nice and frazzled...then, you need to finish her off with a bout of gas."

G is so close to rolling back to front. He gets his little legs moving to the side, looks for things, reaches for them but doesn't quite make it. He is jolly with a smile that just can't be contained and dimples that sink so deep into his overly chubby cheeks. We call him chunk and other names that most people would be aghast at...terms of endearment in our eyes but I am sure other people would not view it that way.

B is talking a little more. His language has yet to blossom the way I envisioned it but he is a very effective communicator and understands complex instruction so I am not getting to worked up or worried about it. I try to remind myself that adults have varying degrees of talkativeness and perhaps he won't be the most talkative person in the future. Heck, Einstein didn't talk until he was 4.

I have found that I am evolving as a person so much. I falsely believed that once you were an adult, you really kind of were set in your ways. Everyone says people change but I guess it didn't really sink in that I would change so much. It is so interesting to have new thoughts and ideas about things that I never thought I would have. In my early and mid 20's I can't say I ever thought about the second amendment, private school, home school, political beliefs, government, religion or debt. Somehow all of these things have become important to me. I would say part of it results from having kids. You really start to think about the world in a different way. You think further than yourself and you think about the types of people you hope to help shape.

The school thing has been a very interesting change. I suppose before I had kids, I just either didn't think about schooling or just made the assumption that yea, kids go to public school - they learn - they do well - they graduate. It seems that schools have changed so much tho. Social media. I am so thankful that social media didn't exist when I was in school. For the distraction. For the ability to bully facelessly(ish). For the inherent narcissism it creates in people. Class sizes. When did 30 become the minimum with a continuous push upwards? Standardized testing. And how do we determine what is important for standardized tests? What is relevant? The disappearance of physical education (never mind the fact that our nation is getting more and more obese), art, music - basically the disappearance of things that keep us healthy and creative (or perhaps the things that allow us to be original). Mainstreaming (I won't go into that one).  Bullying, shootings, violence. Huge schools. When did it become normal for elementary schools to have 500 kids? All of this has me thinking and debating. We have a ways to go before we are in school - we have 4 years for B and 5 for G before they are in kindergarten so we have some time to make some decisions - but it is something I think about often. Homeschool in the early years? Would this make them weird? Outcasts? Halt socialization? Would be be more relaxed and have more quality time with eacholther? Would the kids learn more/less than their peers? Or perhaps private school where class sizes are more controlled and the curriculum has more leeway. A religious private school? Something else? When I became a parent I knew that there would be decisions but I didn't realize there would be so many and that it would feel as though those decisions were really so life altering for the kids. So much of a persons identity begins to be formed in school, through the friends they make, the things they learn, the environment they are in and their general experience. But seriously, no pressure for picking the right path for them...no pressure at all!

But mostly, we just spend our days busy - playgroups, the gym, playing, learning, being outside, being a family.