Preschool and Kindergarten

A Preschool Student's Unusual Behavior

2009-05-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

I am a toddler teacher. I have been seeing an unusual behavior from a child in my classroom and don't know how to deal with the situation or if I should deal with it at all. There is a child who is social with teachers/adults and will talk to children maybe once a day. All the children in the classroom play together in small groups but this child only walks around an item in big circles all day long. If we go outside the child will begin to walk around a certain toy out there as well. It's very strange and I have never seen this behavior before. Is this normal? I spoke to the parents and they think it's the child's personality and that the child is shy. I don't believe so because the child doesn't play by himself either so it doesn't make sense that he is shy. Has anyone ever had a child with the same actions? The child speaks very well and is very smart.
You owe it to these parents to urge them to have their son evaluated. Ask them to talk to their pediatrician about this specific behavior. It may only occur in school, and the parents may not see it at home, so they need you to tell them about the unique behavior not found with other children his age. There are also free options that will help evaluate this child. If he is under 3 years old, have the parents call the Orange County Regional Center and describe the behavior and ask for guidance. They will probably also ask for a doctor’s evaluation, but they can give assessments and offer suggestions as well. If he is over 3 years old, have them contact their local school district. The school districts will assess children as young as 3 and offer services if he qualifies for any. You may need to put your concerns in writing, simply describing the behavior and your concerns along with your recommendation that they seek the advice of their doctor.

My child has a summer birthday, is that OK for Kindergarten?

2009-02-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

My child has a summer birthday. He turns 5 in June. Is that still OK to start kindergarten then?
I would not recommend holding a child with a summer birthday out of starting Kindergarten this Fall. If you are worried about your child and he or she is notably more immature than other children at the same age, talk to your child's preschool teacher for additional guidance. Generally, I would not recommend waiting a full year with summer birthdays.

Ask a Question

2009-01-07T16:16:00.000-08:00

Parents and teachers can write to ask questions here. You can post anonymously or leave a name - your choice. Other readers feel free to post comments and help as well. We are all here for each other. If you do not want to post the question you can email me directly to goasktheteacher@yahoo.com

We want to move to the best school district, can you help me compare schools for new homes?

2009-01-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

I am trying to find out information that is useful on schools in different areas. I remembered reading someone asking you about schools when they were moving. We are moving and I need that information now. How can I find information about schools when I am looking at houses from Irvine to Dana Point? The real estate agents all tell you “great schools” so how can I compare them to pick the best we can afford?
There are several things you can do: First, you should bookmark each district’s web page in the areas you are searching. For the areas you described, you are looking at Irvine Unified (IUSD), Saddleback Valley Unified(SVUSD), and Capistrano Unified(CAPO) school districts. These districts have school locators on their web pages. For IUSD, go to http://iusd.k12.ca.us/asp-bin/whichschool/. For SVUSD, go to http://www.svusd.org/Locator/. For CAPO, go to http://webapps.capousd.org/sls/schoollookup.asp. You simply type in any address into these locator sites, and you will find the schools your child will attend for each address. Once you have that information, you might want to try a new web site launched by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called the California School Finder (http://www.schoolfinder.ca.gov/). This is a great site for parents to easily find and compare schools. For some more in-depth reports, I like to find School Accountability Report Cards (SARCS). The California Department of Education has a reference page for all Orange County public schools. (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/sa/ap/sarclink2.asp?County_Number=30)

Write to Stop Mid Year Budget Cuts this Nov '08

2008-11-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

If cuts must come, they must be planned for and schools must prepare.

Our leaders pile all letters in piles FOR and AGAINST to see what the electorate think. We all need to tell them. Here is all the contact information I have so far:

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor (R)
State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: (916) 445-2841; (213) 897-0322 Fax: (916) 445-4633

California Senate Districts Senator Dick Ackerman - Senate District 33 (R)
17821 E. 17th Street, Suite 180 Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 573-1853 • FAX (714) 573-1859
e-mail: senator.ackerman@sen.ca.gov

Sacramento Office—Room 4066 •
(916) 445-4264 • FAX (916) 445-9754

Find your representatives and assembly members here:
http://www.ocvote.com

or

Click “find my district” on this page http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/defaulttext.asp

Other Contacts

Senator Tom Torlakson
Senate Education Committee
7th Senate District State Capitol Building,
Room 5050 Sacramento, CA 95814 Fax:
(916) 445-2527

Assemblyman Fabian Nunez Speaker of the Assembly
California State Assembly State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249-0046
Fax: (916) 319-2146

Senator Don Perata
President Pro Tempore California
State Senate State Capitol Building, Room 205
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: (916) 327-1997

Assemblyman Michael N. Villines
Assembly Minority Leader
California State Assembly State Capitol, Room 3104
Sacramento, CA 94249-0029
Fax: (916) 319-2129

Special Education Funding Congressman John Campbell House of Representatives – District 48 610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 330 Newport Beach, CA 92660 Fax: (949) 251-309 Congressman Gary Miller House of Representatives – District 42 1800 E Lambert Road, Suite 150 Brea, CA 92821 Fax: (714) 257-9242

Should I start my 4 year old in Kindergarten? Turns 5 in December...

2008-08-31T15:39:00.001-07:00

I have a 4 year old girl who will be turning 5 exactly in December of this year. She is excited to start kindergarten although she will be one of the smallest and youngest. Her preschool teachers all say she is both academically and socially ready although still a little on the immature side at times. She still has a few months at least before September. Should I worry about teasing? I don't want to hold her back, but some are telling me that would be the better thing to do. I don't think so.

I taught kindergarten for years, and I would recommend waiting. I know you are leaning toward going ahead, and I know you will do what is best. I cannot say I have met too many Kindergartners with December birthdays that were ready. Imagine her at 15, when all her friends are 16 going on 17 and they are all in the same high school class. Rather than worrying about teasing now, worry about peer pressure she’ll have to face when she is much younger than the other teens. She would go away to college at 17 and not become 18 till the end of the first semester.

You also run the risk of retention if it is maturity and that is another issue. Maturity is the one thing that cannot be taught. Give her the gift of time. She will only be 1-2 months older than many of the other kids, since many will have late December, January, February birthdays if she waits and goes with the children closer to her age. Also, California is one of only a very few number of states that allow children the option of starting this early. Most states ask that children turn 5 by the first day of school, and some states require them to turn 5 by June before school starts.

It is always better to be the oldest in school. Less peer pressure, less academic worries...and you get to keep your little four year old close to home then let her go off to college when she is 18 rather than 17.

I still know only the parents know the child and the decision is best made by you.

How do we get our child ready for Kindergarten?

2008-08-31T15:08:00.000-07:00

My child starts Kindergarten in September. Is there anything special I should do this summer to help him get ready for school? He was in preschool, so he had that already. We are going to be AM kindergartners.

It is so cute to hear the mommies of new students. “We are going to be AM Kindergartners,” is so true. This will be a new experience for you too. You will now watch a child progress through the entire school process, Kindergarten through college and beyond. When you were little, you did it, but it will be quite different watching your child. Different and fun.

My best advice would be to turn off the TV. This simple step will do wonders. Kids that get used to starting their day with TV often struggle with an academic day. When he wakes up, get him moving indoors and out.

Visit the school a few times, maybe even playing on the playground if it is open, just to get a feel for the environment. And of course, read together often. Make the library part of your summer routine. It is air-conditioned and free so your child can go from topic to topic learning how one thought leads to another and books will always open the pathway.

Is it bad to wait till kids are 6 before Kindergarten?

2008-08-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

My child went to Kindergarten this year. We decided to hold her back and send her to Kindergarten again. She was 5 right before Kindergarten, in August, so now she will be 6 before she starts. What do you think about this? Will she be too old for the other kids? Also, should we do summer school for her? She is eligible and her teacher gave us the forms but we are not sure if we should send her. What are your thoughts?

Your daughter will not be too old for kindergarten. Rest assured, many parents are now waiting to send their children to school when their birthdays fall right around the start of the school year. Certainly, there will be some children that are younger, and some that are her same age or very close to it. Do not worry about your child being one of the older kids. This will add to her maturity and self confidence.

I would not recommend summer school for your child. If you have decided to retain her, then let her have the year to grow and mature on her own time. Summer school would only be an option if you were going to put her in with the idea that you might send her on to first grade if she did well in summer school. Our districts in this area offer that as an option, but I would still shy away from summer school for most all Kindergarten children. Summer school programs are most often remediation and kids at this young age who are struggling generally need time to mature. A summer full of more work they are not ready to process will not do much for the self esteem of these little ones.

My Child is Still Crying after the first month of school

2008-08-31T15:04:00.002-07:00

My son started kindergarten the 1st week of July (year round school district), and he had a very tough time when I left him the first day. By the time I picked him up, he was saying how much he loves kindergarten. But in the last week he has developed an anxiety, and has been saying he doesn't want to go, and crying when I take him. I help in the class every Monday, so I see that he is doing very well with the work load. His teacher lets me stay as long as I like when dropping him off, but I know he needs to do this on his own.

The teacher thinks it might have something to do with 2 new students that started last week, and one that cried hysterically on her 1st day, while sitting next to my son. That is when it all seemed to start. He went to one year of preschool, and never had any anxiety issues.

Is it normal for anxiety to set in after a few weeks, even for an eager to learn student? Or can a frightened new student trigger it? And how can I help him cope and get back to wanting to go to school?

It is not uncommon at all for the fear to go away the first few days and then return. It sounds like the little girl who was afraid made your little boy sad, and that is normal too. He felt for her, and he understood her fear. Think of that as a strength for him and ask him how that other little girl is doing now.

When you take him to school, try not to be sad with him, but stay understanding. When he says he is scared, tell him you understand he is unsure, but stress that you know he will be fine. If he believes you are sure, it will help him. Then ask, besides being a little unsure about going, is there anything that he will enjoy today. Focus on the fact that he is just unsure about going, not staying – he is good at that. Once he is there, ask him what he likes to do. Ask him when things get the most fun. Does he like group time, recess, songs, just talk about the things he likes.

Also, cut your entrance time down. Tell him you don't want to make him sad when school starts, so you will go in with him when he shows you a little smile. Tell him you want to feel happy together when you go into school. See if this helps. In a way you are telling him you are not going in with him unless he shows a little relief, and this might help him. He wants you with him right now for his entrance. You are helping him 'cross the threshold' but you need to back off as soon as possible to allow him to do it on his own.

It happens all the time, so do not feel alone. Your goal should be to make him feel happier about going to school, gain a sense of comfort about it, and add to a calm entrance in school. Let me know how things progress. He'll be fine (and so will you).

Should I start my 4 year old in Kindergarten? Turns 5 in December...

2008-08-31T15:04:00.001-07:00

I still know only the parents know the child and the decision is best made by you.

How do I choose the right preschool?

2008-01-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

There are so many options and we recently moved to San Clemente. How does one choose a preschool from the myriad of choices???

Choosing your child’s first school is difficult for more reasons than one. If you are new to an area and cannot rely on recommendations from friends and family, make an effort to reach out to other parents. Try to find a mom’s club in your area. Also, walk right up to parents at the park, church, or in the mall, and ask them where their children go to school. For the most part, you will find parents willing to share their experiences and their tricks of the trade. We are all new moms once, and others will reach out to help you find answers to questions we all ask.

After you receive some recommendations, plan to visit several schools. There are preschools and child development centers linked to churches, community colleges, and universities. Then there are independent schools or family homes. Each environment is unique and you will find one that suits your child.

When you visit, schedule a tour and plan to ask questions at the end. While you are there, look at the classrooms, bathrooms, snack areas, and play areas to be sure the facilities are clean, safe, and adequate for the amount of children in attendance. Stop when you are in the classroom and watch how the staff interacts with the children.

After the tour, have your questions ready (you might even want to have a notepad so you’ll remember to ask everything and perhaps take notes). Ask if the school is licensed and accredited. Licensing covers the minimum health and safety guidelines, but accreditation means the school has achieved a higher level of quality. Jot down what the student-teacher ratio is and compare it to the schools you visit. Always make a mental note of how the children function in the classroom and compare this to the ratios. Sometimes schools will claim low student-teacher ratios, but there are way too many kids in one room even if there are several adults. You want adequate space with low student teacher ratios. Inquire as to the teachers and don’t be shy. Ask how long the teachers have worked at the school, what the turnover rate is, and what type of schooling is required of the staff. Make sure to get a list of fees, hours, and schedules. Before you leave, ask what the teaching and learning philosophies are and compare the answer to what you saw on your tour.

I have a personal bias that I have to share: Beware of schools claiming to be overly academic. You want a rich environment, but when children are forced to do academic worksheets or prolonged learning sessions at the preschool age, children begin to think that school is laborious and not a place to learn and grow while having fun.

When you get a warm, fuzzy feeling about a school, and you have done your research, you will know you have found the right place.