My dilemma is whether to move my 3 year old somewhere more academic (and closer to home, which is more convenient). Or should I just let him stay where he is and have fun, stay with his friends, etc. even though he's not learning much. I work full time so I need full time care.
My 3 year old is very bright and has always seemed like an older child in a younger child’s body. From birth he was very focused, attentive and observant always intensely watching everything. He was verbal VERY early on, and already displays many signs of giftedness. His first word was at 10 months. By 14 months he had about 10 words, and actively communicated with baby sign language. By 16 months, he could talk in sentences about what he wanted, what you were doing, ask questions etc. He’s also very “quick” mentally, understands complicated concepts, doesn’t miss a thing, and has an amazing memory. He just turned 3 and knows his letters and sounds, can count to 20, has known his shapes and colours since age 2 etc.. However, he doesn’t have a long attention span to sit still and do work books, or any kind of educational activities or games.
My older son was similar, but loved to sit and do flashcards, phonics games and work books. He knew all his letters and sounds by age 2 and was reading by age 3. He was also able to do addition and subtraction at age 3. My older son started in a Montessori preschool at age 3 (with half-day Montessori until age 4). At age 4 he went to full days Montessori, and at age 5 did alternate full days in Montessori, (the other days in Public school).
We’ve been very happy with how much my older son excelled in the Montessori program. He was able to have lots of 1:1 attention and could learn at his own pace (his reading was up to about a grade 3 level by the time he finished the Casa program, he’s doing long division in to the thousands, etc.). He starts French Immersion in grade one in public school in the fall. What we were NOT happy about with the Montessori school, was how rigid they were with the kids. They “had to” finish their printing, math, metal insets and projects (i.e. geography, etc.) before they could do any other Montessori activity. They only went outside for ½ hour once a day. They used time-outs excessively and were very strict (my son actually got sent to the office once for “looking up from his work”).
Back to my 3 year old. We had planned to have him attend the same Montessori school that my older son did, but we just moved and the location won’t work anymore – and I’ve had reservations about their strictness. In our new town, there is only one “real” Montessori school and it is run by the same school as the one my older son attended, so I’m concerned about the strictness again. There is an option for another private school with small classes, and it is quite academic, but it’s not Montessori and although it gets “rave reviews” around town, I find the Principal who runs the place quite ditzy when I talk to her on the phone.
Right now he’s at a small daycare centre that we are fairly happy with and where he has lots of friends. However, there is very little academic programming. The teachers are very caring, but they don't always model or teach the things we want taught, and that we've seen taught in Montessori, (respecting each other's work, manners, etc.). He likes going most days and they do lots of fun stuff, cooking, sensory stuff, lots of play time outside, art, dance, music…basically it’s “fun” but not academic. There's no reading or math etc. and the teachers are just not the "quality" I've seen at the private schools (b/c it's just a daycare centre).
He will start Kindergarten next fall (in a year) alternate days at public school, and the Montessori and private schools don’t offer alternate days, so I’m basically trying to decide whether to:
i) leave him where he is, let him have fun and stay with his friends, he can learn what he needs to learn in public kindergarten and join the public school next year on alternate days, or
ii) move him somewhere academic (and if so, which place) since he seems like he could learn a whole lot in the right environment, but knowing it will likely be for the next 3 years until he starts grade one.
Should I be making the most of his "brightness" and putting him somewhere he can learn even though he'd move away from his friends, and may be more strict with less "fun" stuff.
Any thoughts or advice are much appreciated.
My 3 year old is very bright and has always seemed like an older child in a younger child’s body. From birth he was very focused, attentive and observant always intensely watching everything. He was verbal VERY early on, and already displays many signs of giftedness. His first word was at 10 months. By 14 months he had about 10 words, and actively communicated with baby sign language. By 16 months, he could talk in sentences about what he wanted, what you were doing, ask questions etc. He’s also very “quick” mentally, understands complicated concepts, doesn’t miss a thing, and has an amazing memory. He just turned 3 and knows his letters and sounds, can count to 20, has known his shapes and colours since age 2 etc.. However, he doesn’t have a long attention span to sit still and do work books, or any kind of educational activities or games.
My older son was similar, but loved to sit and do flashcards, phonics games and work books. He knew all his letters and sounds by age 2 and was reading by age 3. He was also able to do addition and subtraction at age 3. My older son started in a Montessori preschool at age 3 (with half-day Montessori until age 4). At age 4 he went to full days Montessori, and at age 5 did alternate full days in Montessori, (the other days in Public school).
We’ve been very happy with how much my older son excelled in the Montessori program. He was able to have lots of 1:1 attention and could learn at his own pace (his reading was up to about a grade 3 level by the time he finished the Casa program, he’s doing long division in to the thousands, etc.). He starts French Immersion in grade one in public school in the fall. What we were NOT happy about with the Montessori school, was how rigid they were with the kids. They “had to” finish their printing, math, metal insets and projects (i.e. geography, etc.) before they could do any other Montessori activity. They only went outside for ½ hour once a day. They used time-outs excessively and were very strict (my son actually got sent to the office once for “looking up from his work”).
Back to my 3 year old. We had planned to have him attend the same Montessori school that my older son did, but we just moved and the location won’t work anymore – and I’ve had reservations about their strictness. In our new town, there is only one “real” Montessori school and it is run by the same school as the one my older son attended, so I’m concerned about the strictness again. There is an option for another private school with small classes, and it is quite academic, but it’s not Montessori and although it gets “rave reviews” around town, I find the Principal who runs the place quite ditzy when I talk to her on the phone.
Right now he’s at a small daycare centre that we are fairly happy with and where he has lots of friends. However, there is very little academic programming. The teachers are very caring, but they don't always model or teach the things we want taught, and that we've seen taught in Montessori, (respecting each other's work, manners, etc.). He likes going most days and they do lots of fun stuff, cooking, sensory stuff, lots of play time outside, art, dance, music…basically it’s “fun” but not academic. There's no reading or math etc. and the teachers are just not the "quality" I've seen at the private schools (b/c it's just a daycare centre).
He will start Kindergarten next fall (in a year) alternate days at public school, and the Montessori and private schools don’t offer alternate days, so I’m basically trying to decide whether to:
i) leave him where he is, let him have fun and stay with his friends, he can learn what he needs to learn in public kindergarten and join the public school next year on alternate days, or
ii) move him somewhere academic (and if so, which place) since he seems like he could learn a whole lot in the right environment, but knowing it will likely be for the next 3 years until he starts grade one.
Should I be making the most of his "brightness" and putting him somewhere he can learn even though he'd move away from his friends, and may be more strict with less "fun" stuff.
Any thoughts or advice are much appreciated.
