Jay's First Day of the Last Year of Preschool

This year we decided to move Jay to a different preschool. While the one on Isle of Palms was terrific, the drive to and from was not. For some reason, I didn't realize how long it took to get there. Going back and forth cut a big chunk out of my 3-hours of free time. The new school is only 10 minutes straight down the highway. It's worked out great, not only time-wise, but because Jay has thrived! We send him to a four-days per week class because I wanted another year with my sidekick on Fridays. He would have loved to go all week though and is definitely ready for kindergarten.

The curriculum is more structured than at the previous schools. I now think this is a better approach. While a student-directed method may work well in later grades, kids still need to be taught the basics and at that age, they don't know what they don't know.

 I can tell the biggest difference in phonics and writing. The class has a letter of the week and all the activities revolve around that letter. This week is Mr. W with the Wonderful Wink. They sing a cute "wuh, wuh, W" song and practice writing it. All week Jay comments on words that start with that letter: "Hey, 'word' starts with W. Wuh, wuh, Word!" When I am quizzing Cole on his spelling words, Jay likes to blurt out the first letter (which infuriates Cole).

With all the phonics practice, Jay is learning how to read at lightning speed. I think watching big brother become a bookworm has made him especially eager. And Cole relishes being the teacher. He's patient most of the time, but gets frustrated by certain things, like Jay thinking words rhyme if they start with the same letter. He has given Jay all his sight word books from kindergarten and Jay can read most of them. I wonder if he'll be bored in kindergarten when he receives the same books.

The kids in his class get along incredibly well. If they see each other in the parking lot, they shriek and wave frantically to each other, as if they're long lost friends. Jay flirts with the girls constantly by getting very close and making this loud, i.e. annoying, chirping noise. It seems to work! His favorite, Cecelia, has announced that she is going to marry him. She's a tiny girl, so when they hug he almost squashes her. Her big sister, Isabelle, was in Cole's kindergarten class and he has always liked her too.

Jay's Mating Call

After school Jay and a few kids like to play in a drainage ditch next to the school. They call it the "Secret Spot," although it isn't secret since they talk about it all the time. They chase each other, pile sticks together for a bonfire, and move rocks around. It gives the parents a chance to chat, although sometimes it can be difficult to make the kids leave.

Four kids in the class will go to Belle Hall for kindergarten (including Cecelia). Jay and I would be thrilled if they were all in the same class.