Troubled by Story Time (xp in GD)

[Cujobunny]

DS (3yo) is in Story time for one hour each week. It's for 2.5 - 5 yo and supposed to teach them "active listening skills" and such. We have been twice. He is a very active, outgoing, verbal boy. He loves books (we read at home quite a bit) so I thought this would be good for him to be with other kids his age, to start listening to a teacher. He is supposed to start JK in Sept. 2009.

The class itself is ok, it's an hour long. For the first half, she reads and the children are expected to sit on the ground and listen, they can take part in the story, she encourages them to do that. The second half, they play games (ring around the rosy, follow the leader, musical chairs, what time is it mr. wolf).

Here are my issues:

The teacher is a bit physical. She encourages the kids to sit and listen, but there are times when if a kid is running around she will hold their arm to get them to sit or stand still or to pick them up off the ground. Honestly, any physical contact between the teacher and the children makes me uncomfortable.

He loves to run around and play and roughhouse. I explained to him that story time is not time to run around that it's time to listen and play with the teacher and the children and follow the instructions. He doesn't seem to want to follow the instructions, and I'm not sure if I should really expect him to. When we leave though, he says "That was fun mom, I can't wait to go back there."

FWIW I was a very gifted child, could read at 2, read at a gr 8 level in kindergarten, was and is very intelligent, but I HATED school. I was a terrible student, just getting by on my tests and exams because I have an excellent memory. I didn't finish high school and didn't go on to any post secondary education. I have no respect for the education system. I want my children to be successful and happy in whatever they do and I don't want to set them up for failure. I do expect to start ds in JK next year but if he hates it I am willing to look into alternative schools or homeschooling. We live in a big city with lots of options.

WWYD???? Keep going to story time or never go back again He also does a sports class once a week and he gets lots of outdoor play time, in the backyard and at playgrounds.

[Ruthla]

I wouldn't bring him back with such a rough, physical teacher. Even if she never grabs HIM roughly by the arm, he's seeing it happen to other kids.

If I were you, I'd hold off until he's older and more ready to sit still for half an hour and follow instructions.

[LifeIZBeautiful]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

I wouldn't bring him back with such a rough, physical teacher. Even if she never grabs HIM roughly by the arm, he's seeing it happen to other kids.

If I were you, I'd hold off until he's older and more ready to sit still for half an hour and follow instructions.

Totally agree. 30 minutesd is far too long to expect a child to sit nad listen. 10 minutes would be a stretch!

[HerthElde]

You have over a year before he starts JK. That amount of time makes such a huge difference in both their desire and ability to sit still.

You don't really want him sitting still at his age anyway, right ?

[StephandOwen]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

I wouldn't bring him back with such a rough, physical teacher. Even if she never grabs HIM roughly by the arm, he's seeing it happen to other kids.

If I were you, I'd hold off until he's older and more ready to sit still for half an hour and follow instructions.

[Cujobunny]

Originally Posted by HerthElde

You have over a year before he starts JK. That amount of time makes such a huge difference in both their desire and ability to sit still.

You don't really want him sitting still at his age anyway, right ?

This makes me feel better

[Cujobunny]

Thanks everyone. I think I'm right to trust my instincts. I think I'll give it one more shot and see how it goes next week.

I stay in the room with him the entire time and in fact I asked him a few times today if he wanted to leave. There is a playground right outside the building and told him if he wanted to run around then we could go out. He didn't want to, he wanted to stay. But he wanted to run around, crash the kids and climb up into the windows

These programs are free and usually have waiting lists so I don't want to be taking this spot if there's another child who would actually benefit or enjoy it.

I guess it's just my own baggage making me worry that he will never like being "taught" But he's only 3. Perhaps I should be nurturing the talents he has rather than quashing them in favour of what he *should* be doing.

[greeny]

Oh my gosh, my 3 year old son would NEVER sit still for half an hour at story time. I can't even imagine him sitting still that long period!

And a teacher who expects 2.5 and 3 year olds to do so seems, at best, to have really unrealistic expectations. Add into that physically restraining them, and I'd be out of there so fast.

[lindberg99]

Wow, an hour is a long time. The story times here are only 30 min until the kids are like in 1st grade.

[HerthElde]

Originally Posted by Cujobunny

This makes me feel better

I'm glad.

And just for anecdote's sake, my 4yo dd would have been the same way a year ago, and now she's perfectly content to sit for stories and stuff . . . and we never did any sort of classes to cause that to happen, it was just a natural progression with age

[CarrieMF]

there are times when if a kid is running around she will hold their arm to get them to sit or stand still or to pick them up off the ground.

Is the teacher actually rough when she does this? Where are the kids parents during this time? Are the parents expected to stay? Is the Storytime at a school or in a library?

Honestly, any physical contact between the teacher and the children makes me uncomfortable.

I can see certain types of physical contact, but why all types?

Your DS has a long time until he starts JK & there'll be alot of maturity in that time. I wouldn't be concerned about what happens when he goes into JK for at least 1 year, even until the July before he starts. any preconceived notions you have about school is going to affect how he views school.

Honestly it sounds like DS wants to join a play group & what he likes is interacting with the kids, not necessarily the actual story time.

[Danielle283]

My DD is 3 also, and she can't sit still for Story Time at our library either. We don't go anymore. She walks into a room full of kids and wants to play with them, not sit and listen to a story.

[lindberg99]

Originally Posted by Danielle283

My DD is 3 also, and she can't sit still for Story Time at our library either. We don't go anymore. She walks into a room full of kids and wants to play with them, not sit and listen to a story.

You should talk to the moms of the other kids who don't want to sit still and see if everyone just wants to meet at the park instead.

[Cujobunny]

Is the teacher actually rough when she does this? Where are the kids parents during this time? Are the parents expected to stay? Is the Storytime at a school or in a library?

No she's not rough that I have seen, but a kid pushed my ds down and as he way laying on the ground right in front of me and I was soothing him, she came over and tried to pull him up by his arm to get him to come take part in the game they were playing. I told her, he's OK, let go of him please. The parents are in the room. They have to be. It's at a community centre.

I can see certain types of physical contact, but why all types?
I guess it's the lifting up to make them join the group, or if a kid sort of trots by her as she's reading she will put her arm around them to get them to stay close and look at the book. I can't really explain why it makes me uncomfortable but I don't see the need for the teacher to use any physical force to get the kids to participate.

[ShadowMom]

The whole thing sounds completely age INappropriate to me. I would never subject a 3 year old to those sorts of expectations.

[ShadowMom]

Originally Posted by Cujobunny

I guess it's the lifting up to make them join the group, or if a kid sort of trots by her as she's reading she will put her arm around them to get them to stay close and look at the book. I can't really explain why it makes me uncomfortable but I don't see the need for the teacher to use any physical force to get the kids to participate.

That would make me uncomfortable as well. I think you are right to be a little wary.

[sleet76]

I don't see my 3-yr-old DS being able to sit through something like that anytime soon. We don't go many places these days--he's just really not capable of reigning himself in much at all now.

[CarrieMF]

I guess it's the lifting up to make them join the group, or if a kid sort of trots by her as she's reading she will put her arm around them to get them to stay close and look at the book. I can't really explain why it makes me uncomfortable but I don't see the need for the teacher to use any physical force to get the kids to participate

I can see picking them up & trying to make them join the group, but if a kid is walking by her as she's reading & she puts her arm around them to get them to stay close it sounds like she's just trying to re-direct them(as long as it's a gentle touch/nudge & not shoving).

I work at our school(K-6) & a gentle nudge on the back or touch on the shoulder is used to re-direct. If a kid is hurt I'll rub their back while talking to them to find out what they need. I've had kids come up & hug me. Every recess I'm asked by kids to give them pushes on the swing, my own kids I'll push on their bum/back but other peoples kids I'll push on thier upper backs.

However, when you are soothing your own child & the teacher comes up & grabs him from his arms yeah I'd have a slight issue with that. If this happens alot, perhaps the teacher needs to talk to the parents & either shorten the amount of reading time(30min is long, the library here only reads for 15minutes & then it's craft time) or have the parents participate more so they can keep their kids involved in it without the teacher having to get involved..