The Great Pre-K Search

After visiting nine schools and researching pre kindergarten curriculums for over a month, I have finally found the very best place for Miss Sydney to receive her pre kindergarten education next year. It has been an arduous journey; one I do not wish to repeat. Ever. Thankfully, the information I uncovered during my research should hold true when B and B are in Pre K in a few years and I won't have to.

The school Sydney has been atttending for the last three years has been terrific. I have no complaints about their teachers, curriculum, facilities. Nothing at all. It has been, and continues to be, a fantastic school.

But. It is only two days a week and for Pre K, I simply wanted more days. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted a five day program or a three day program. Then I tried coming up with a hybrid four day program where she could stay at this school for two days and I would "homeschool" her for two days.

But I know me. And I know Sydney. And I know, THAT probably wouldn't work. It might...but I just don't know. We get distracted too easily. With some little people named Brock and Braden. Or cooking. Or shopping. Or cleaning. Or organizing. Or playing. Or whatever.

We applied to our school district's magnet program Pre K that is filled using a lottery system. We didn't get "picked." Which was probably a good thing because I kept doing research and looking for the best place to send her and I probably wouldn't have if she had gotten in. The magnet school was five days a week from 8-3 and I wasn't sure I was ready for that.

Now I'm sure I'm not and I'm sure she's not. And she doesn't need it. I have gotten to talk with several Kindergarten and Pre Kindergarten teachers at these various schools and they have all given me wonderful tidbits of advice.

Don't start her too soon-she'll be in school all day soon enough. Let her have one more year of a couple days while you can.

Keep her in a Pre K program where she can be a leader in her class instead of placing her in a private Kindergarten a year early where she will always feel frustrated that she is behind the other children. That will undermine her self-confidence unnecessarily.

Developmentally they are not ready to sit and "learn" yet. They still need to learn through play much more.

We want to foster her love for learning- not squash it with too much too soon.

I have been so worried about her being behind when she gets to first grade (more about that in a later post), I have been missing the here and now. Thank goodness I have someOne who knows just what I need and how to give it to me just when I need it most to save me (and my kids) from myself.

"The clock is running. Make the most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

That's why it is called the present."

Thank You, Father.