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kingvozzo
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| Posted: Oct 07 2005 at 6:48pm | IP Logged
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Hello, I'm wondering how many of you have your little ones enrolled in pre-school or pre-k, and how many of you don't?
I'm having a conundrum about my 4 y/o dd--she was in 3 y/o preschool last year, and we have her enrolled in pre-K this year (as we did with my older son---then we brought him home for kinder) but I'm finding it much more burdensome to have her out of the house. I thought that my 7 y/o ds and I would be able to use her pre-k time for his intensive school, but we're just not having the amount of time I thought I would. The pre-k program is only 2.5 hours, and it seems that as soon as ds and I get settled into something interesting, it's time to pick up dd. Plus, the school is 10 miles (and 20mins) away, so we lose a lot of time, plus the price of gas on top of her tuition....(Her previous program was 5 hours 2x week.)
I'm leaning toward bringing her home at the end of the month, and I'm wondering what types of things you all do with your pre-k's to get them ready for kindergarten.
I really appreciate any input I can get.
Thank you all and God Bless!
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Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
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Mary G
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| Posted: Oct 07 2005 at 8:52pm | IP Logged
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Noreen:
When my now-5-1/2 yod was 4 (last year), I had her "do" K with her brother. Now Thomas 6-1/2 is a "1st grader" and she is a "k" -- I do some of their classes together and the phonics, math stuff separate. My just-about 3yos is with us for everything and is getting some stuff through osmosis.
I don't think I'd put her in PK if I were you -- with travel time and as you say, just as you and your son get "into" something you have to go get her -- there are so many things she could do with you and your son, and some things you could do with her while your son works on something else.....just my $.02!
I had my older ones in parochial school, my 16 yos is in a private, Catholic school now -- and I wouldn't do it again for all the money in the world. It is so much better, and more fun for all, to be home and learning together, even if the ages are different. My 14yod is really starting to enjoy having her little brothers and sister to teach stuff to while mom works with the other. My 14 yod is doing Seton, but has afternoons free to "hang out" with us....a win-win!
Hope this helps.
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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momwise
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| Posted: Oct 07 2005 at 10:51pm | IP Logged
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kingvozzo wrote:
| I'm wondering what types of things you all do with your pre-k's to get them ready for kindergarten. |
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I lean toward not doing too much in the way of formal schoolwork at the pre-K or K ages. For pre-K we've always focused on reading aloud and crafts, cooking, eating, manners, Bible stories, using art materials and songs. I mainly do more of the same for K along with more cutting and pasting, puzzles and some reading and letter or number practice if the child wants it. I confess...at that age they mostly play. If he/she resists it, we wait another year. CHC has a Preschool program if you want to use a formal curriculum. I agree it would be great to save the time and money and put it to use at home.
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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Courtney
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| Posted: Oct 07 2005 at 11:23pm | IP Logged
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Hi, Noreen. Candace went to preschool the year that she turned 4 (she's a fall bday). She went that one year and then didn't go back. I decided not to send Christopher b/c I was homeschooling Candace by that point. He just hung right alongside us while we did K with Candace. I did set up a box of things that were "school" for him. I have the list somewhere that I can look for. They were things like sorting colored beads into the right colored jar using tweezers to pick up the beads, alphabet puzzles, sorting by size, shape, matching games, lacing cards, geoboard, and other manipulative type things. He was very into cutting (cut some of my nice cloth napkins!  ) and I made pages for him to cut along the lines. He always wanted to be present for any read alouds we did. I remember being surprised at how much he loved The Apple and the Arrow (we did Sonlight that year). I really don't think he's missed anything by not attending preschool. Hope this helps. Let me know if you want that list and I'll find it and email it to you.
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Courtney in Texas
Wife to Mike since 3/94 
Mom to Candace 10/97 ,Christopher 4/00 and Connor 11/11
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Courtney
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| Posted: Oct 07 2005 at 11:29pm | IP Logged
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Here are the preschool activities I was thinking of. Hope these help. You'll have to scroll up the page to see them all.
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Courtney in Texas
Wife to Mike since 3/94
Mom to Candace 10/97,Christopher 4/00 and Connor 11/11
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kingvozzo
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| Posted: Oct 08 2005 at 12:21am | IP Logged
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momwise wrote:
I lean toward not doing too much in the way of formal schoolwork at the pre-K or K ages. |
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I agree with this. There's plenty of time for academics when they're older.
I'm just not sure where to focus our energies this coming year. My son was in preschool, and it helped me feel prepared when we brought him home for kindergarten.
Thanks!
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Noreen
Wife to Ed
Mom to 4 great kids and 10 sweet ones in Our Lady's arms
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cathhomeschool
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Texas Bluebonnets
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| Posted: Oct 10 2005 at 10:08am | IP Logged
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When my older two were of pre-K age, we just read together, colored, played with Brio train track, and went to the park. My older son asked about letters all the time, so my husband randomly went over letter names and sounds with him when the mood struck him. Eventually, we got some cheap "Everything for 1st grade" type workbooks that included math and language arts, and we colored and drew in them together. That was as formal as "school" got until about 2nd grade.
My younger two are now 3 and 4, and all we're doing for "school" is coloring, painting, counting, looking at picture books. They love to participate in activities with the older boys, so when the older two are lapbooking, the younger two pull out paper and scissors. When the older two work on nature study with colored pencils, the younger two do too. My 4yo loves to write numbers and letters, so he has a little workbook for tracing letters, but I don't require this. I just leave the book out and he uses it at random. I don't require anything of the little ones. I try to ask them daily if they want to "do school" with me, and if they do, we read or draw or whatever.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: pre-k and hs'ing
