Avert your eyes if you hate shameless mommy bragging.
Starting tomorrow, Declan will be going up to the Kindergarten class for their reading program 2 days a week. They tested him yesterday with the K teacher and she was stoked. He read her 2 books from start to finish and the only word he fumbled was “answer.” I guess all that reading Bryan did when he was a stay-at-home dad has finally paid off. The teacher will really be surprised when Declan starts reciting “The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich,” – the book that Bryan read to him from months 3 through 5.
This is all no pressure and totally up to him (seeing as he is the 2nd youngest kid in his PreK class and, yes, socially shy) but he told his teacher that he is into and really wants to do it! Wow!
And based on the rambunctious jumping up and down that occured when we discussed it last night, I agree.
We also talked about how it was all his up to him and then I said he shouldn’t feel pressure to do this. And then he asked me what “pressure” meant. That’s my boy.
So I explained that this reading program should be fun for him and he shouldn’t feel scared… and if he is scared or it isn’t fun, he should talked to his teachers and us and we will help him (er, yank him).
Cause while I think it’s great that he is bright, I really feel like this time of life is ALL about social stuff.
We have grappled with whether or not he should go to Kindergarten next year… at all! He makes the cut-off by just two weeks. And if the little stinker had stayed inside of me for 2 more months like he was supposed to, I wouldn’t even have to be thinking about this shit at all. Should he stay back one more year in PreK and be the more mature and biggest kid physically – but bored to tears? Should we let him go to Kindergarten next year and then possibly have to hold him back later, which would be way worse? It makes my brain hurt.
So, while I am very proud of my boy and how great he is doing with reading… I am also very excited about this opportunity because I think it will tell us more about the “To K or Not To K” question than anything else.
Smart little booger isn’t he? I wouldn’t know what to do about the K thing either. They do say that most preemies are caught up fully to their actual age by 2 and you shouldn’t have to think about the fact that they were early any more. I hope so, my 5 month old was 2 months early too.
Oh geez I’m rambling, abort mission! Abort!
Congrats to you and Declan! I am sure it’ll be great.
Its interesting to hear the story from the other side of the fence, Ellie misses the school cut off by 3 days and I have spent much time agonizing about her missing the opportunity and figuring out what the heck I’m going to do with her!
WTG, Declan! He is a smartie. And a cutie. And deep.
Meghann, it’s not so much that he was a preemie that’s the issue, just the fact that him coming early put him on the borderline for school cutoff. 🙂
And thanks everyone!