Every Thursday I take the kids to a preschool class through Tri-Community Adult Education. It is considered a Parent Ed course so this isn't the drop-off variety of preschool. It is for ages 0-5 so I can take both kids and it is only $35 for the entire year. My tax dollars are at work! It is a great little class for the kids and we've enjoyed doing this for the past year.
The class is structured as follows:
9-9:15 Free Play
9:15-9:45 Music Time/ Concept Time (Days of the week, months of the year, patterns)
9:45-10:00 Table Activity or Play
10-10:15 First Parent discussion group (Half of the parents go into a room and discuss some topic for the day like sibling rivalry, imaginative play, or whatever, and the other half are watching the kids play)
10:15-10:45 Snack time
10:45-11 Second Parent discussion group (Kids now do outside play)
11-11:30 Craft
11:30-12 Story time and Sharing
The kids' teacher is named Ms. Rhoades. Frannie's best friend in class is a little girl named Sarah (the one she's sitting next to in the boat thing) and she also likes to play with the other girls Amy and Leah. I'm a little disappointed that she will quickly lose touch with Sarah because she lives and will go to school in Glendora. It's a bummer because they love each other so much and look forward to playing together every time. It does make me happy though to watch her with the other kids and I can see that she does well at making friends and getting along. One nice benefit of me being there is I've been able to watch her, and nip a few negative behaviors in the bud. (She used to do this thing where she'd buddy buddy up with one girl and the two of them would exclude another child from their play on purpose. When she started doing this I told her that she had to sit next to me until she was ready to play with everyone.)
I began this class mostly for Frannie. I felt that our week was majorly lacking in any craft time. The nice thing about preschool is that they have a prepared craft for you all ready to color and glue. For most of the year Adam has been just a tag along participant. He plays with all of the toys (which is nice because then the house doesn't get messed up during the three hours that we're there) but I don't have him doing the craft or really much else. Now that he is turning two, he is starting to get a little more out of the class for himself. He likes to bring a toy to show and I'll let him glue and color a little (if I have the patience for it). He doesn't really have a friend per se, but I can see that he enjoys his time there.
5 comments:
Oh my goodness, Jamie, you are making me want to quit my job and stay home. Well, it's not just you ;) It's also Eddie.
This looks like it's so good for the kids and fun for them too. You are a good mom for not sending them to a drop-off pre-school. I love the fact that Frannie has a best friend already. She's got social skills :)
As for Adam, he will get there. He is just younger and not quite as far as Frannie has got with her sociability.
The pictures you posted are SO adorable!
Had we not moved, I so would have been doing this class, too! I had a friend who took her kiddos and LOVED it. What an awesome community resource!! $35?! Can't beat that!!
Iris- you are a very good mom too! I know you want to be home with Eddie so I genuinely hope that you and G find a creative way to make it work. I know it is a financial thing.
You will want to take Eddie to classes like this. There are many moms in my Moms Club who work part time so they are still able to do things during the day, at least a few days a week. One gal I know from the preschool class works at Sam's Club from 6-9:30 at night about 4 days a week and works some hours on Saturdays. She really enjoys it! And it enables her to be home during the day.
Let me know if I can help you brain-storm.
Shannon- I know, I know. $35 for the year.
It's truly wonderful.
That is FANTASTIC!!! What a great time for the kids. :)
I wish we had something like that here. I wanted to put Ethan in "preschool" for 2 days a week and all 3 places I looked at wanted $350-$500 a month. yeah right. Unfortunately I don't make money at my day job. (I should as Ethan is a handful)
((HUGS))
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