So, kindergarten is turning out to be a dissapointment.

CleoKitty

Ds used to love school, now he cries every morning and says he doesn't want to go. Says it's boring, that he just has to sit there and do worksheets. From what I can tell this is pretty much accurate, unfortunately.

The teacher seems to be a great guy but is limited because it's only half-day kindergarten. He says that he's required to get the core fundamentals covered and since he only has the kids 2.5 hours there is absolutely no time for anything other than reading/writing/math. There's no art, music, science, social studies, no playground time, etc. Nothing creative at all. Other than calender time each morning it's all desk work and primarily worksheet based.

I just hate seeing how much ds is starting to dread school. Kindergarten is supposed to be fun and at this rate I'm afraid that it's starting to make ds have a negative attitude about school in general. We'll stick it out for the rest of the semester but if there isn't any improvement I may seriously considering pulling him out. It's too late for this year, but maybe next year we can petition to be allowed to send ds to a different school in the district.

shopgirl78

I am sorry to hear that.   DD seems to be enjoying hers once drop off is forgotten...

Don't you have him at two different schools?  Or am I thinking of someone else?

AngelaSue

That stinks. DD who is my shyest kid loves kindergarten. She goes all day everyday. She missed two days because she was sick and I couldn't believe the number of work sheets she had to do as make-up, thankfully we picked up her homework vs waiting until she went back to school, but we spent a good hour doing kindergarten homework that she missed for two days. I was surprised by the number of worksheets they have to do. I hope it gets better for him.

cnybride2be

that is sad . some of Matt's best times in K this year are all the fun creative things the teacher does to cover the content.  (going on a bear hunt, chasing the gingerbread man, the story of johnny appleseed are all reading instruction activities for example. This week he made the ships (and not in art class)

2.5 hrs and no gym art or music would be making me look into a different option.

wasn't it you that posted about your ds starting to read?  He could be painfully bored with worksheets.

shouldbworkin

Is there an all day option?  I can't believe they can't fit in a half hour here or there to make the experience well rounded.  I wouldn't be happy with that either.

CleoKitty

Yes, ds is going to two schools and yes, ds is reading now.

He's going to public school in the am and private school in the pm. We did that to transition him over since this is probably going to be the last year he can keep going to the private school. That's why I'd be okay with pulling him out of one school at the semester break if needed.

As for the reading thing ds's public school teacher (awesome guy, but totally overwhelmed by the class I think) said that many of the kids don't know their ABCs or how to hold a pencil. There are also lots of behavioral issues in the class and so I think that by default ds just kind of gets overlooked because he's a bit ahead of some of the other kids, is very well-behaved and doesn't cause any problems. 

prism207

Oh, that sounds awful.  The more I hear about public school kindergarten, the more I dread sending Sam when the time comes.  He's in a Montessori preschool now and we love it.  The idea of worksheets all day and no co-curriculars just turns my stomach.

Poor kids.

omurray

Wow, I'm sorry.  I would be hugely disappointed as well.  I understand needing to cover the fundamentals, but there are lots of creative ways to do that which don't involve worksheets.  Is this a new teacher?  I wonder if he's considered the fact that there may be less behavior issues to deal with if the children weren't being asked to do desk work all morning.  Capture their attention, give them something interesting to focus on and they won't have to resort to naughtiness to keep themselves awake. 

summerbrideDC

I'm so sorry; that's got to be so frustrating.  I worry about the same thing; DS is in a play-based Reggio preschool right now & I am absolutely dreading kindergarten--from what (admittedly) little I've seen so far, based on the public kindergarten's website, he is going to be doing a lot of work-sheet, rote learning type stuff & I can't imagine how that's going to impact his love of school and learning.  

CleoKitty

prism207:

Oh, that sounds awful.  The more I hear about public school kindergarten, the more I dread sending Sam when the time comes.  He's in a Montessori preschool now and we love it.  The idea of worksheets all day and no co-curriculars just turns my stomach.

Yeah, we're coming into this from a Montessori preschool too. I would like to keep ds there for elementary but it's looking like they're not going to have enough room in 1st grade for all of the current kindergarten students. They give priority to children with older siblings and staff's children and since ds's doesn't fit into either of those categories he most likely won't get a spot next year.

gracendantho26

Oh boy! That does not sound fun..I don't blame him for being bored. You know I am the biggest whiner about music, art etc. being cut from schools but no playground time? That really is nuts. I would  definitely look into other schools in the district. I cannot imagine kinder without playground time, art, music etc. That's just not right.

gracendantho26

cnybride2be:

that is sad . some of Matt's best times in K this year are all the fun creative things the teacher does to cover the content.  (going on a bear hunt, chasing the gingerbread man, the story of johnny appleseed are all reading instruction activities for example. This week he made the ships (and not in art class)

2.5 hrs and no gym art or music would be making me look into a different option.

wasn't it you that posted about your ds starting to read?  He could be painfully bored with worksheets.

We do all of this too and I was with his class as they were chasing the "gingerbread man"...so cute! They even looked in DD's 2nd grade classroom which they both thought was so cool.

cnybride2be

grace did you end up going the public or private root?  i know you were previously happy with public but sad with the cuts.

i feel very lucky to be happy with the public school in my location.  but i know that is not always the case.  (no extras and 2.5 hours is a very different sounding public for cleo)

and the gingerbread chase is a huge fav.  they do it at my school too (ds doesn't go there) and really work with differentiating the content. (they find challenging related activities for advanced learners) Cleo's son could be reading the story to the class as they search.  the worksheet thing makes me sad because my kid does some too but it is never the only thing and never what makes him want to go back.

gracendantho26

We chose to stay in public and supplement with a tutor (when needed). Right now DD goes to a reading tutor twice a week to help with reading stamina and it's been HUGELY helpful so far. The school as been able to retain a year around music program, art, some aids etc. There have been some sacrifices but overall I am pleased with the year so far. We have a really strong parent community that supports the teachers as much as we can to lighten their load...that is a huge strength of ours as a school (along with great teachers of course). We work in small groups with the kids, art and PE programs, math groups, drive for field trips etc. There are always several parents on campus volunteering in some capacity or another. We also are in the process of raising some money for the district in other capacities.

Carol*Brady

That is so sad...I take it you took him out of Montessori.  I would find another school.  DD is in K (M) & her favorite part of being a Kindergartener is "specials" (art, PE, spanish & music).  She would hate, hate, hate doing worksheets after doing M for 2yrs. 

august06mom

What's the private school like? Any way to just keep him in that one? Better to like the program and have a good attitude toward school than to have extra schooling and a miserable attitude.

CleoKitty

august06mom:

What's the private school like? Any way to just keep him in that one? Better to like the program and have a good attitude toward school than to have extra schooling and a miserable attitude.

Love the private school but they have three preschool classes (kindergarten is still a part of the preschool) that condense into one elementary class. Ds's kindergarten class at the Montessori is unusually large and there isn't going to be enough room for everyone in 1st grade. Since children with older siblings and staff's children understandably get priority there isn't going to be room for him. 

There's been talk of them trying to open another elementary class next year because there's so much demand but nothing's definite yet. They would have to add onto the building or use a portable classroom and I'm not sure if they can manage to make it all happen by next year. 

And frankly, even if they manage to open another class I'm not 100% sure we'd be able to pay for it since dd will also be old enough for school next year. One kid in private school is one thing, but tuition for two kids might be beyond our means at the moment. 

littlemermaid

My kids had 1/2 day Kindergarten but they also had specials once a week.  They would have music, gym, art, library, and Spanish class once a week.  There definitely was no recess since there wasn't any time because then the rest of the morning was for academics but they did have their specials.  

GinandTonic

That absolutely sucks.  DS's full-day K barely has any worksheets.  The teacher uses creative ways to engage her students who are at a variety of levels as well.  He also still has all his specials. 

Is there an enrichment program he can be in?  Since he can read already?

PinkPiano

My dd is also in half day K for 2.5 hours.  They are on a rotating schedule and do art/gym/music/library every day.  Usually they only go to the playground on Friday's though, sometimes one or two other days if they have time.  I would not be happy with them being stuck doing worksheets all day, that would be boring for anyone! 

august06mom

Unless your kid does terribly with transitions, I just do the private school this year and then try public 1st next year if you can't do private.

CleoKitty

august06mom:

Unless your kid does terribly with transitions, I just do the private school this year and then try public 1st next year if you can't do private.

Yeah, we're going to give it until the end of the semester since we're already almost to the half-way point but ultimately I think that's the direction we're heading. Ds has never had any issues with transitions at all. I think adaptability/flexibility is one of his greatest strengths so I'm sure he'll be fine.

 

CubbyMama

Ugh, that sucks!  I teach half-day kindergarten and the kids still get lunch and a 15 minute recess, which only leaves basically 2 hours of instruction.  We still do interactive writing, read-alouds, journal writing, phonics activities, etc. and the kids aren't chained to desks/tables doing worksheets all day.  They do practice tracing and writing their letters & numbers, but that's about all they do as far as worksheets go.  I know some of the other kinder teachers do huge packets for each letter of the alphabet and their kids have pencils in their hands all day long, but luckily I learned from an awesome teacher and started by copying everything she did.  I think limited time should mean LESS time spent on worksheets and more time spent on active learning, and it's a shame your kiddo isn't getting that.

libra31

That is so sad.  I have a kindergartener and she loves school!  She is in full day and at a catholic school.  My sister is also a teacher and I understand the core fundamentals but there are definitely more ways to teach then worksheets!  I would pull him from the am kindergarten now.  Let him play at home in the morning and attend school in the afternoon.  If he's already reading then he really doesn't need the repetition of both...no wonder he's bored!  Kids transition a lot easier then we give them credit for!  I'm sure he'll do just fine next year.  He has the summer to help with the transition as well!

stephmike52

This is sad.  As I teacher and a parent, I totally understand why this is so disappointing.  I hate how education has really given up on all of the "extras."  The teacher probably doesn't have much of a choice about the worksheets.  The curriculum in many districts these days is very strict about what is done, and a lot of the time teacher's do not have the freedom to be creative with how they teach it.  I teach 4th and 5th, but even in those grades I only have 20 mins. a day to fit in Science, Social Studies AND P.E.!!  It's completely ridiculous! 

I used to teach at a Montessori elementary school and LOVED it!  I have since moved, and don't have that option anymore. I would choose Montessori over public school if I had that choice.

jlw2505

Hence why I am willing to pay for my kids to go to full day kindergarten.  My older DD is in a FD PreK program now and sorry but it sounds like she is doing more stuff than your DS is in Kindergarten.  That is really a shame and I hope it doesn't give school a negative feeling.