I can't believe I'm writing about preschool already. Isaiah and I visited a WONDERFUL preschool here that is a Parent/Child participation preschool. I still have to complete registration but it looks like he'll be starting preschool in February!
Isaiah was a preschooler for a day yesterday. I was so proud and so sad at the same time. He's getting so big. The class is mostly 4 year olds (a couple 5 and a couple 3 year olds), but Isaiah seems to be able to interact really well with the older boys (even though he's still technically 2). I think they are actually a good example for him to look up to and follow. It's funny how the boys and girls tend to stick together, even at such a young age.
At one point during circle time the teacher had Isaiah introduce me. He said, "This is my mommy and her name is 'Mommy'." I almost cried, it was so sweet. The teacher asked him if I had another name and he told them my first name.
This school is an answered prayer for me and exactly what I was looking for. It is a mandated school and parent participation is a requirement. This helps keep the cost low. Amazingly low compared to EVERY other school I've toured or researched. You have to participate only 6 hours a month, but I suspect I will do more. I love that I can be part of this. I feel like it already happened so fast, soon he will be in kindergarten and next thing you know, highschool. Because parents are actively involved, the student "teacher" ratio is unheard of, and in yesterday's class it was 3 to 1. Of course there is only 1 teacher, but the three other parents were there to help supervise and interact. This gives the teacher more one on one time with each child. Parents can stay or come by anytime.
For me this is the perfect balance between home schooling and full blown preschool. There will be days that I can just drop him off and come back in 3 hours and days when I will stay the whole time with him. He gets play time with his peers and also learns how to act around other adults. He will learn so much and have so much fun doing it!
What I love about this school is that it is totally unpretentious. It isn't fancy, the equipment isn't new, they don't even have a big fancy playground. They have sweet little fenced in patio that reminds me of someone's very fun backyard (with sandbox, art easels, picnic tables, basketball hoops) and then share a field that they can run in. Some of the children painted outside on the easels and you could see their paintings on the clotheslines hanging out to dry. It isn't Harvard or any of the other philosphies, I believe in the play based preschools. There is a lot of learning incorporated, but it all seems like so much fun, they don't even know they're getting educated!
Today Isaiah asked me 5 times if he could go back to school!
