As I researched preschool for Zeb last year and this year, I just couldn't bring myself to pay the 120+ dollars a month (remember-I'm a cheapo) for him to go and have a lot of 'free play'. There are a very few preschools that do true kindergarten prep (as far as academics go) so I'm so lucky to have been able to do co-ops both years with friends. Zeb still gets the social learning and the 'school' experience- and besides teaching once every seven weeks- I don't owe anybody anything! It's perfect. Plus- we do our own reading and writing skills at home. And although he still doesn't like to write- he's getting much better. I hope there's not something we are completely missing that he could be getting at preschool!
We taught preschool at our place a week ago- while Kent was on his vacation. I planned it that way so I wasn't left to deal with the seven (plus Ike) rugrats by myself. I'm really not great with toddlers.
Our lessons were all a little science heavy and we spent one day as paleontologists digging for fossils in the backyard and then making fossil prints with what we found.
I'm all about hands on. It means I do less teaching and the kids do more 'enjoying' :)
The next day (first day of fall) we spent time as leaf hunters looking for leaves who had shut down their chlorophyll factories to show off their xanophylls, carotenoids, and anthocyanins :) Those are the scientific terms for red, orange, and yellow leaves. We then read some leaf books and made our very own leaf people.
I can't believe that Zeb is going to be headed to kindergarten next year! so exciting.
sidenote: He's been asking some pretty good questions lately. He's loved cemeteries since he was two- and loves talking about bodies. This week he asked me how our spirits get to heaven once our bodies are buried. I told him I wasn't entirely sure - to which he answered: "they probably just use pixie dust."
6 comments:
Great idea and those kiddos will get a much better education with those free classes than with any expensive preschool. I smiled when I saw that with all the scientific explanations and names Zeb was taught, he realized what we adults forget...life really just boils down to "pixie dust"...smart kid!
I know just what you mean! Its way more money than I want to spend for preschool here too, at least you have this group to supplement! We've got nothing, no play group, no preschool, nothing! I have been teaching Cohen my self and lets just say, every time I tell him its time to do preschool he starts getting all worried and says, "but you are going to get mad at me!". The kid drives mw crazy sometimes!!!
You are TOO great with littles! Look at those awesome projects you had going on.
Zeb is going to be more than ready for kindergarten. He probably could test out and just go straight to first grade easily. :) You and Kent are amazing.
Brent and I need to come to your preschool for a refresher course - great job. Our grandkids are in good hands.
those leaf people are pretty cool.
Hey I don't think you're missing too much! We do both of those activities in our preschool and it's $230/mo. The leaf people turned out so great!
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