How to prepare for public K

[debi21]

I've wrestled with posting here (and in which forum), but I really would like to receive advice. :) My son is 4y2mo. I believe he is gifted (but not profoundly gifted). The plan is to send him to public school for K in Fall 2014. We can't afford private and husband is opposed to HS'ing. I am weighing options (essentially local school, montessori charter, K in a nearby school that offers foreign language immersion starting in 1st). Our local school district doesn't have a gifted program until 3rd.

 

But to come to the point, I'm trying to figure out what to try and teach him in the year before he goes, and that's what I want advice on. I don't think of myself as a tiger mom, but I do want him to do the best he can, and also give him the best foundation I can. My MIL seems to feel he will already be bored to tears in K with the implication, stop teaching him now. I think because I was terrified of the school teaching him to read, I began that process maybe 2 months before his fourth birthday. He is through the first 3 sets of regular BoB books and the K and 1st grade sight word sets; he is now reading Elephant & Piggie and Little Bear, for example, though not independently (he reads aloud to me and might need help with 2-5 words per story).

 

My plan for the upcoming year is to advance his reading as much as I can through read alouds, independent reading, some phonics; introduce critical thinking with logic books and such; and introduce science, mainly as a way to introduce critical thinking / scientific method as opposed to background knowledge. I also feel like I should do math mainly for the reason that he not pick up an attitude of "I'm not good at it" from PS. I think he already is close to achieving K math standards already. When he turns 5, I also hope to get him piano lessons.

 

Everything else will be playing, play dates, active gross motor extracurriculars (we have done swimming, gymnastics, dance this past year, signed up for soccer next), unstructured art & music. As might be expected, he is fairly awful at sitting still and handwriting.

 

What I really want is to give him confidence and (inner) motivation to achieve heading into PS...and something to prevent PS from killing the joy of learning, without killing it myself. I also wonder to myself whether I can train him to be more "well behaved" (sitting still, listening, attention span, executive function) from a teacher's perspective without killing his amazing little spirit. Will my choices help or hurt? Any suggestions? And what can I do to help prevent complete boredom and hating school once he goes?

 

Anybody's thoughts on any aspect of this are welcome.

Debi

[SKL]

I'd start developing a solid foundation for math. I found that my kids' KG didn't prepare them adequately for 1st grade math. I didn't push it at home, because my daughter was way ahead of the class in KG math. But there was a big conceptual jump in 1st grade and not enough foundation for that to be seamless. I wish I had bought the math manipulatives (base 10, Cuisenaire rods, abacus, etc.) and put them to use, and worked a little with "facts." .... In the fall before my dd was accepted into KG (she entered in December), I was homeschooling KG in the evenings, and to make the most of our limited time, I had my dd read nonfiction books for her daily reading. These included "Rookie" science books, some biographies, some books about geography, etc., in addition to good age-appropriate literature. I had a world map and a globe next to their bed and we'd refer to them when we discussed / read about many topics. We also went often to the kid-friendly Natural History Museum and the zoo. That pretty much covered everything other than math. For math we did a little here and there, but I wish I'd done more.

[Uff Da!]

Some kids will fly regardless of what parents do. I think it is more important to be a supportive parent then one not feeding a child's needs in hopes they'll fit into the school system.

 

Like SKL, we really like the c-rods for math and enjoy using educationunboxed.com to introduce concepts. For math, I am letting the school do the drill and kill and we are exploring new concepts at home. We also enjoy the Life of Fred books.

 

Have you considered after schooling once he's in school? It can help feed the spark for learning. Have you played with different curriculums? It can take awhile to figure out what works for both you and your DC. We are having fun after schooling and going wide with history, extra languages at home et cetera. These are subjects our school curriculum will not address for awhile. The kids ask to do their after schooling work. If you see a curriculum that looks fun, my suggestion is to try it out and have some fun.

 

Immersion has gone well here. Math moved slowly in the beginning of the year when the kids were learning the words for the numbers and starting to grasp the language.

[SKL]

For math, I am letting the school do the drill and kill and we are exploring new concepts at home. We also enjoy the Life of Fred books.

I would just note that my kids' school did NOT do the "drill and kill" as one would expect. There was practically no practice of math facts etc. Then on almost the last day of school, we were told we ought to be drilling with flash cards at home. At this point many of the students were struggling and unable to keep up.

[regentrude]

I see no academic preparation necessary for public K. There will be kids who had never opened a book or never used a crayon (I kid you not).

Because we had moved from a country where formal academics do not start until age 6 or 7, my DD entered K not even knowing the entire ACB. She was the first in her class to read real books fluently and finished K reading on 4th grade level.

I have serious difficulties comprehending why you want to teach him to read before entering K. That was pretty much the only redeeming feature of public school for my kids; once they could read, the rest was boredom. The teachers have their hands full with struggling students; a student that is far advanced will get no instruction.

Since a PP mentioned math: we found no difficulties other than the instruction moving too slowly. My kids complained about too much repetition and too little progress; the curriculum is not geared towards advanced students.

 

Prepare him for:

following rules. That's a main learning objective in K. Follow directions, listen to the teacher.

kids being different. My kids always came home with stories about completely unacceptable behavior by x or z, and they could not wrap their mind around how a kid would behave like this.

learning going slowly. The differences are huge. Some kids don't learn all letters in that one year, some read on 4th grade level in February.

 

ETA: Since you mentioned sitting still and behaving: make sure he has enough exercise. We found that walking to school really helped my kids, especially my more physical son, being able to sit still for those many hours.

[Uff Da!]

We had a brief moment when she struggled with language this last year due to hearing issues. It's not fun when your DC is struggling because the class marches on with or without your child. I am grateful I had experience teaching her prior to that. I could weed through options efficiently and knew what she would like and what my teaching endurance would allow. Knowing what works for your learner and you as a teacher is valuable going into a school.

[boscopup]

I think if you push academics now, he'll be even more bored in school. And a bored kid sometimes equals behavior problems (even my normally perfectly behaved in a class situation oldest child got in trouble for talking during the first semester when they were learning letters and he could already read).

[Punks in Ontario]

It sounds like your little guy will do fine with the academics whether he learns from you or from the school.

 

You can always expand his knowledge base with great read alouds that will increase his vocabulary and worldview. The school will not likely focus much on history or geography. There are wonderful lists of great kids classics in places like amblesideonline.org, Tapestry of Grace and other sites. Science books and experiments may also stimulate his love of learning as well as nature walks and plant/animal studies.

 

Also being able to listen, follow directions, and work with and be helpful to others are never to be overlooked. Character and life skills will help him wherever he goes. While he may not get much academically out of K, he could learn the skills of gently mentoring some of his peers.

 

I would also likely still support him if he wants/enjoys learning to read and do arithmatic. This will enable him to read independently to learn as well as figure out the world around him.

 

While my guys are not gifted, I love hs because it allows them to work at their own academic pace, and grow at their own emotional pace.

 

My oldest went to immersion specifically so that she would have some more challenge. It worked fairly well.

 

Best of luck with your decision.

[mathnerd]

My advise is that you can do whatever you need to do for your child and it does not affect the K experience. And you can continue afterschooling your child after they enter K and it is a great way to keep the spark of learning alive. Not everyone wants to homeschool or can afford very expensive private schools - so make the best of your situation and try to see how your child can have the best of all the worlds :)

My DS is advanced and he could read and write and do math way above grade level when he entered K. But, he had zero interest in crafts and did not like coloring at all. He has learnt those skill sets during his K year. His teacher was well aware of how advanced he was and though there was no "official" differentiation in instruction, she used to make him join an advanced reading group where there were a few other kids reading at 2nd and 3rd grade level. She knew that Kinder math was boring for DS, so she would tell him to finish his math tasks quickly and go and play with legos (which is what he loved doing most) - DS would feel special because he was the only kid who got to play with legos and blocks while all the others were working on math.

The only problems we faced was that DS would lose focus during instruction time because he knew what was being taught and then would try to entice his classmates to play with him or act silly. We had a couple of meetings with the teacher about it and she decided to let me send in work packets from home for him to keep busy during instruction time.

My experience is that most teachers are able to differentiate instructions whenever they can. And they appreciate the parental involvement in their kids education - in their eyes, it is way better than parental indifference.

Public K is heavily focused on arts and crafts. So, keep up with the academics at home.

Our K year went by so quickly and so will yours! So, enjoy the experience and don't worry too much about it :)

[JenniferLynn]

My DS 4.5 is starting K in the fall. He's reading at a 2nd grade level and moving quickly through Singapore 1A. I know his K teacher well since older DD had her 2 years ago and I met with her to let her know where he is at (though I don't volunteer what we are doing at home).

 

I wouldn't worry about kids being bored to tears if they are advanced. There is a lot going on in kindergarten even if they arrive already reading and doing math. DS loves reading. I am so glad I released the brake a few months ago and let him race ahead. Same with math. From older DD's experience, being able to read comes in handy when they are ahead in class because the default activity for early finishers is to go to the library corner and read a book. Our main prep for K is to not interrupt and shout out answers when it is someone else's turn.

[debi21]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts so far. Some of your experiences are helping to soothe my anxiety. I plan and hope to do some afterschooling with him when he goes. And I really am trying to enjoy his 4-year-old-ness.

 

I supposed I'm just scared, which is probably not unusual. And I would have a hard time not doing anything, even though my brain knows he'll probably turn out the way he'll turn out no matter what I do. But I'm living in a state very unlike where I grew up. I had an outstanding public school education, whereas my husband, who is from a more rural part of the state we live in now, had an absolutely terrible experience. And where we are, there are an awful lot of kids in every classroom. so that whether he thrives or struggles, I doubt he'll get much individual attention. And I'm turning into an old fuddy duddy who doesn't like how most of the teenagers I've been in contact with lately seem to be turning out. So I am having some trouble being optimistic about how it will go.

 

As for why I'm teaching him now, so early, it's mainly the above plus the fact that my father kept reminding me I was reading some words at 2, and I've read horror stories about poor teaching of reading in public schools, and the fact that I'm thinking about the Montessori charter and two people I respect have said they've seen Montessori kids switch to traditional public schools and be terribly behind in reading. Now is when I have a lot of time to devote to him one-on-one. And he's doing so well with it and wants to read and says he loves books.

 

I definitely need to teach him to not interrupt and shout out answers. Any tips on that?

[msjones]

I used to teach ps K. I loved my job and I was good at it, but that setting has serious drawbacks for many (most?) kids.

 

I would not recommend sending him, but if you must, try to find a half-day program.

 

Also, try to find the very best teacher you can -- one who enjoys the job and who works to accommodate kids with varying abilities. I think you're most likely to find that in a 'true' kindergarten -- one that focuses on play and community and story-time and free choice and music and recess and painting and play-dough.

 

I would avoid an 'academic' kindergarten, as you can provide all of that at home for your son far more effectively than one teacher can provide it for 25 students.

 

He'll be happiest if he can sit still, raise his hand to speak, wait his turn, wait in line, listen to stories, follow instructions, and not come completely unwound if his blocks are knocked over. All-day K, in particular, is full of waiting, waiting, waiting.

[musicianmom]

Considering that so many public schools teach look-say, guessing, and sight words, I would be trying pretty hard to get my kids reading beforehand if they were going to ps, so I understand that part!

[Guest BethSchart]

So great that you're working with your son. Not all kids have that benefit at home. Definitely explore some math. I really like this site http://www.k-5mathte...activities.html because it has everything and it is aligned with Common Core, which your school district may be using. Scroll down the left sidebar for mental math stragegies - I like the empty number line and have used this in the classroom. Also use a deck of cards to teach the complements of ten, so if you flip over a 3, your son should say 7, when you flip an 8, he should say 2. Make a list first of what equals 10. 1+9, 2+8, etc. for him to refer to. Very shortly, he won't need the list anymore. On this link above, type word problems into the search bar at the top. In the early grades, they involve very basic math skills which an advanced child may find easy, but now you're incorporating a bit of reading comprehension as well. I also love the idea of reading math themed stories.

 

To reinforce emergent reading skills, check out my blog post "Yes this picture is for real" at theteacherschild.com. This is what I did with my own son at age 4. There exists a very strong reading-writing connection for children, so take advantage of that.

 

In addition, and if your son is ready, introduce him to counting of coins and telling time on an analog clock. If you don't use an analog clock in your home, you should consider getting one. It will lay a foundation for future math concepts for yrs to come, such as skip counting, fractions and angles. As a classroom teacher, I often referred to the clock on the wall during math lessons. It gives students a familiar point of reference when trying to grasp new concepts.

 

I'm not suggesting that you should be doing all of this - hope I didn't go overboard. Just thinking of a variety to pick and choose from. Basically, take your cues from your son. He will let you know how much to do or when to back off. Good luck to you :) BTW, you're doing the right thing. There's research about the benefits of an "enriched environment" during a child's early years.

 

Beth

[ElizabethB]

I would personally focus on phonics, I have remediated hundreds of children who have had trouble because of the emphasis on sight words and guessing from context as commonly taught in schools.

 

Here is why and how to teach the Dolch words phonetically:

 

http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/sightwords.html

[eleileen]

great resources here!

I like the early-reading books and k12readers.com

 

[bakpak]

You know what, I was bored in school and my Mom didn't work with me much prior to Kindy. She kept dot-to-dot books in stock, so I could count like a fiend, but she purposefully didn't show me anything about reading (that's what Kindy was for). I agree that your child might be bored in school, but he'd probably be bored no matter what if he's gifted and his needs aren't being met at school.

 

My guess is that it's best to instill a love of learning now, show him how learning is fun and exciting. You can do that any way you want to. You can always supplement, as others suggested.

 

My DD4 goes to a Montessori school, and the good ones are pretty awesome. For example, in a traditional classroom with 3-6 yr olds, the math goes up to 4th grade math. She will only be there until she's 5 though, as she can advance to the next classroom, ages 6-9 if she's ready. I know you said the Montessori choice is a charter school, so probably not a mixed-age classroom, but I would guess the materials in the classroom are more conducive to children working at their own pace compared to a traditional school.  For example, it's not unusual for 4 yr-olds to be working on multiplication if they're ready for it.

 

And as much as I love Montessori, I might put my DD in a language Immersion program instead, because simply navigating an extra language would be challenging enough for her for a year or so. So ideally, I would want my DD in a multi-language Montessori program, but there aren't any around here. If I had the option of a language-immersion program, I think I could after school the extras a bit to keep her excited about math/history/geography/science. As is probably the case with your son, the reading will take care of itself as long as I/you keep up the supply of fabulous books.

 

Good luck!

[Runningmom80]

How to prepare for public K? Around here you just need exist. ;)

[bakpak]

How to prepare for public K? Around here you just need exist. ;)

 

This reminds me of when I substitute taught a couple of times in public school in Alaska. I'd never done it before and they didn't really ask me too many questions, just signed me up. I was feeling nervous about it and asked about qualifications, etc. (I'm sure there was a high school graduate qualification, but don't remember now). The secretary said, 'You're an adult, you're breathing, and you show up? You're qualified". She was only half joking! Yoikes!

 

 

[ThoughtfulMama]

I have a 5 year old gifted boy who will be starting K next year, so feel free to take this with a grain of salt since I haven't done this before! I think if you have an active learner then you need to feed their interests. We are trying to find a new variety of ways to keep him entertained through projects instead of workbooks. For example, last week he asked me how cartoons move since they are drawings and not real people, and his drawings don't move. This led to us making a flip book, taking about frame rate, slow motion, time lapse, and also the eye and the brain and perception. All of this directed by his continuing questions. We did an investigation of viruses and antibodies when he got his flu vaccine last year. We talked about how the body makes antibodies that stick to a virus and tag it for white blood cells to eat and looked and pictures and did drawings of it.

 

I think the most important skills that kids need to learn going into kindergarten are not academic, however. Sitting and listening to a book, keeping your hands to yourself, resolving conflicts with kids, following directions etc. It sounds like he has lots of activities that may have already helped teach him this, but even setting up regular weekly "school" play dates with a group, preferably with rotating parents in charge so that he has to listen to another adult.

[msk]

Kindergartens vary a LOT.  My older daughter was one of the only kids NOT reading at the level the OP describes or higher when she started K, because (unlike most people where we live) we chose a non-academic preschool and didn't do academics at home unless she was interested-- and she wasn't interested in reading by herself at 4.  Obviously some places are not like this, but there are also many public schools where most kids are reading before K and the teachers are fully expecting it.  The OP may be in a school like the ones previous posters describe, but she could also be in one with plenty of kids for a 3rd-grade-level reading group in K, weekly art, science, music, library, and PE time, and all sorts of other ways to keep her son engaged.

 

I think the "being bored" issue is often more related to personality than to giftedness or academic level.  I had a great time in public school.  I loved our gifted pull-out program once a week, but I also enjoyed having time to read everything I could get my hands on when I finished my work early.  I found my own challenges-- writing long and complicated stories and poems for our writing assignments, finding multiple ways to solve math problems, and watching all the different ways other kids behaved and trying to figure out different social situations.  My own daughters seem similar so far; when my oldest gets a list of vocabulary words she already knows and is asked to write sentences with them, she makes all her sentences rhyme, or makes them into a funny story.  I know there are gifted kids who are bored or feel stifled when challenges aren't directed to them regularly in the classroom, but there are also gifted kids who learn to occupy themselves productively and happily (and teachers who let them do so)-- and there are lots of kids who are behind in the classroom and still bored.

 

If a child is likely to be bored in a classroom, that will probably happen whether parents spend time on academics at home or not.  If your son wants to do academic work, I see no reason not to.  I agree with previous posters about using math manipulatives in meaningful ways; Kindergarten math is very simple, but fun and interesting practice will make later concepts seem more intuitive.

 

[HS Mom in NC]

I had to teach my homeschooled children not to let their mouths fall open and look shocked when the neighbor kids told them what they were learning in school because it was so shamefully rudimentary.  Now I'm having to teach those same kids (17 and 15) who started community college this year not to let their mouths fall open and looked shocked when their classmates reveal just how little they learned in their public schools and how little their teachers demand of them.

If you only do one thing make it reading aloud great literature (classic and modern) to your child.  It will do so much more for him in building a vocabulary, broadening his view of the great big interesting world we live in, and training his ear for grammar than anything else. There are plenty of threads here for details on what and how to read aloud. If he's going to an institutional setting, make Story of the World one of your read aloud series. History is terribly neglected in most institutional settings anymore.

 

[AimeeM]

Depending on where she's located, some states that offer free pre-k across the board (to everyone or lottery funded) do expect children to be reading by kindergarten. My sister had her son in a public pre-k for a few weeks (she pulled him out to homeschool recently), and they STARTED the pre-k year teaching the children to read and write. <---- Note: I didn't say I agreed with it, just that some kindergarten programs do expect a child to come in with an almost ridiculous foundation.

 

I see no academic preparation necessary for public K. There will be kids who had never opened a book or never used a crayon (I kid you not).
Because we had moved from a country where formal academics do not start until age 6 or 7, my DD entered K not even knowing the entire ACB. She was the first in her class to read real books fluently and finished K reading on 4th grade level.
I have serious difficulties comprehending why you want to teach him to read before entering K. That was pretty much the only redeeming feature of public school for my kids; once they could read, the rest was boredom. The teachers have their hands full with struggling students; a student that is far advanced will get no instruction.
Since a PP mentioned math: we found no difficulties other than the instruction moving too slowly. My kids complained about too much repetition and too little progress; the curriculum is not geared towards advanced students.

Prepare him for:
following rules. That's a main learning objective in K. Follow directions, listen to the teacher.
kids being different. My kids always came home with stories about completely unacceptable behavior by x or z, and they could not wrap their mind around how a kid would behave like this.
learning going slowly. The differences are huge. Some kids don't learn all letters in that one year, some read on 4th grade level in February.

ETA: Since you mentioned sitting still and behaving: make sure he has enough exercise. We found that walking to school really helped my kids, especially my more physical son, being able to sit still for those many hours.