This incoming school year, we are finally enrolling Kyle to Kindergarten. (Hurray!) My husband and I decided that now is the perfect time for him to attend a structured, everyday school and we both agreed that the boy is now socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively ready!
Kyle is already 4.7 years old by June, but really, it’s not solely about his age that we considered (he can still wait for one more year before Kindergarten according to a preschool teacher to fit for the K-12 program ( but can also already be accepted this early)). There were several things that we carefully thought of.
Just a little background, my husband considered enrolling him to preschool last year. In fact, we started scouting a school for him. But observing my kid, I told my husband that we should wait for another year for the boy to be a little more independent. Back then, Kyle could not put on his shoes by himself, could not eat on his own, wakes up late, plays around very often, and takes a nap more than twice a day. I don’t want to steal his nap time and play time away from him. I told my husband that that were things that he needed to do and learn at home first, before taking another big step outside.
As a result, Kyle stayed at home most of the time . We only enrolled him to programs that didn’t require long hours of stay, such as reading and playschool programs. The year was filled with craft activities, mini field trips, structured and unstructured playtime, dance lesson with dad and other fun times at home. He had a happy, fruitful year. And he learned a lot. Now he can take a quick shower (with supervision), put on his shoes, wear his clothes, brush his teeth, and eat on his own. The basics that I wanted him to learn first. And the bonus? He can read. He can read simple sentences with high frequency words!
Did we regret not enrolling him to preschool last year? Not at all! =)
Really, taking kids to school is not a race. My mom, Kyle’s lola, was so worried why we didn’t enroll Kyle early because her friends’ grandchildren (who are of the same age as Kyle) went to school already. I reassured my mom that Kyle is just on the right track. It can be challenging to know when the “right” time is to enroll a kid as there is no one-size-fits-all checklist, but, we, parents, should always trust our instinct.
Kyle is enrolled in a Montessori school. He will be in Junior Casa by June. Whether he will be taking another preparatory year before Grade 1 depends on how he performs this year. I’ll never pressure my child, but I’ll try my very best to inspire him to be the best learner that he can be.
I love what Jeannie Fulbright said about learning.
Meanwhile, here are some guide questions that can help us decide if our kid is school-ready. If your answers are mostly yes, observe your child for another week and if he continues to show signs of school readiness, then maybe you can start scouting for a school for him. =)
- Is your child fairly independent?
- Does your child do well being away from you?
- Can your child participate in group activities?
- Is he able to communicate and express his feelings?
- Is he completely potty trained?
- Does he have the physical stamina for preschool?
- Is he used to taking only one afternoon nap?
I am very excited for the school year to come. Finally, I will be a parent to a school kid! I was a school teacher for so long!haha
Praying earnestly that the boy will learn a lot while having loads of fun! =) Our countdown to KINDERGARTEN begins!
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