Every now and then I get emails from fellow moms asking me tips on party planning, party planners and suppliers as well as stores I recommend for buying baby supplies. I would always answer these emails but one mom sent me a question which I feel can best be answered by the collective cool moms out there. Also, I realized that a lot of this blog’s readers might also learn a thing or two not just from the email but more importantly from the answers you guys have always readily and willingly shared.
Mommy J is asking, how would you know if your kid is ready for preschool and how did you prepare your kid for preschool?
my preschooler
Thank you Mommy J for allowing me to post your email!
Hi Mommy Neva!
I’m J, mother of a 16-month old toddler and a follower of your blog. 🙂Recently, I’ve started doing some research on which school will I send my boy to when the time comes. I didn’t know that there are a lot of choices now (traditional vs progressive) and it’s so overwhelming! To add, para akong maloloka when some of the school personnel I’ve spoken with over the phone are already asking me if my boy already knows how to differentiate the colors, shapes, numbers and if he can already talk. You see, at 16 months, he still doesn’t talk a lot. He’ll only say Mama, Papa, Ba (his word for bird and for calling other people), Ta (tara), shs (shoes), wsh wsh (signalling us that he wants to pee or poop) when he feels like saying it. If you ask him to say mama or papa, he just ignore us and proceed to point to us where he wants to go. So you see, my fear that I’ve been lacking in this area of teaching my son all came up. So, I was wondering how did you prepare your little boy for school? How old was he when he started school?I hope you can share with me your experience on how did you prepare your little one for school.Sincerely,J
My reply:
Hi Mommy J!
Thanks so much for the email and for the kind words 🙂 I won’t pretend that I know all the answers but I will tell you that I was in your position last year. Honestly, the moment I realized that DW has memorized slogans from noontime shows was the moment I started thinking about sending him to an environment where his capacity to absorb information would be directed at something more constructive. Because really, ano bang life skills ang matuturo ng Happy Yipee Yehey at Showtime? Although it was fun hearing DW say “Parteh! Parteh!”, that amusement was short-lived.
I also talked to my mom who was DW’s primary caretaker while me and BDW are at the office if she feels that DW is ready too. Together we all sought signs of DW’s “readiness”. The list below is based on our experience and is therefore not fool-proof but I hope Mommy J that this would also help you determine if your babe is ready. We didn’t really do any prep work for DW prior to preschool. We never consciously taught him how to read and write nor pressured him to speak in full sentences. Kids develop differently and to compare your kid’s milestones with another will only stress you out. I’ll answer your question by listing the signs which led us to believe that DW could be ready for preschool and I hope that you find this list helpful. Also, DW was 2 years and 6 months when he entered preschool.
1) Communication skills – By the time DW was two he could already speak in basic sentences and he could say his complete name already. He learned to speak early and had a fair grasp of basic and common English and Filipino words. When he was tested for readiness by the preschool he was able to name a lot of vegetables, naming Broccoli as his favorite (he could also sing Bahay Kubo then).
This was the most important for me because I wanted DW to be able to articulate what happened to him in school. In other words, gusto ko syang makapagsumbong when something bad happened to him. It’s the pessimist in me I know but it gave me peace of mind knowing that DW could say what he wants and doesn’t want to his teachers and classmates. True enough, DW’s teachers have told us that he would always tell stories about the folks at home, the places where he’s been among other things while in class!
I have to say that talking to DW like an adult helped a lot in this area and also we always talked to DW too. Even when we’re in the car stuck in traffic, I would talk to him about the cars on the road, the trees, the clouds, the traffic, what the MMDA does, what’s dada doing, what he should be doing, what we could be doing if we weren’t stuck in traffic. I would ask DW too like what he was thinking (seriously) and what he wants to do. He picked up fast and he talks like a grown-up now. Daldal din, wonder where he got that 😛
2) Interaction with Other Kids – Some would say that being able to interact with other kids is also a gauge of readiness but to us, it was the lack thereof that made us think about sending DW to school. DW is the only kid at our house and the only playmate he has is our neighbor who’s the same age as him but their playdates are not that frequent. Every Sunday we would go to my in-laws and DW would play with his cousins. We had Kindermusik every Saturday too but that was just an hour of being around other children. The interaction with kids is therefore few and far between and it’s this fact that made us want DW to be in school. He loves being around other kids too and we would see how his face would light up when he has playmates. We also wanted him to be with other kids because he is also turning into a little manong whose sentences are peppered with Hay Naku and Ano Ba Yan?! The dude needs to lighten up.
DW: Kain na mga parekoy!
3) Ability to Follow Instructions – DW can already follow instructions when we entered pre-school. He was comfortable with receiving instructions as well as with transitions. I credit Kindermusik for this. DW became familiar with the concept of a class, a teacher and activities/chores (kids are always asked to pack away, to share, to pass around toys etc). It was a routine that he knew very well. DW’s teachers have always told us how good DW is with following instructions. I still sing the pack-away song to DW from time to time and we still sing songs from the class. Some of DW’s favorite storybooks are from the take-home packs from all of our Kindermusik classes. Of course, enrolling your kid in Kindermusik is not enough because follow-through is important (and this is emphasized in KM too). Maybe Mommy J you could start with basic instructions for your babe like passing the ball to you or packing away his toys and build on that.
holding on the rope, falling in line, staying with his classmates, listening to his teacher
4) Separation Anxiety – DW had a hard time in the first two months of school. He would cry every time his Lola would drop him off. His teachers assured us that this was normal. It was great that DW’s class was small and that he had two teachers. One teacher would be with DW to comfort him and reassure him that Lola would be back while the other teacher would be with the other kids. The “ate” too also helped out with easing DW’s anxiety. His teachers assured us that this was normal and first time parents were given reading materials about dealing with separation anxiety. What’s important is the constant reassurance that you will be back for your kid. Nowadays, as soon as DW is dropped off at school, he makes a mad dash to his classroom, wala man lang goodbye kay Lola. Of course, iba na pag si mommy ang may separation anxiety 😛 I guess Mommy J you have to assess if your baby is ready to be away from you and vice-versa. You could probably ask the schools you are interested in on their policies with dealing with kids who have meltdowns every time their sundo says goodbye and see if you’re comfortable with their ways.
5) Your Reason – Ask yourself Mommy J why you feel that your baby needs to be in pre-school and go from there. I asked myself if DW is still too young to attend. He’s actually the youngest in his class when he enrolled at 2 years and 6 months but we all decided to give it a try. It was a joint decision and we were also ready for the eventuality that it might now work out for now. Personally, I wanted DW to be with other kids and to be in a structured environment where he can be creative and learn new things . Time is a luxury for full-time working parents like me and BDW and as much as we devote our evenings reading to and playing with our little boy, I feel that it’s not enough and that he’s not getting everything that he needs to know. Now, I’m happy that I am the supplement to DW’s pre-school, that me and BDW are here to follow through with what DW is learning at Books and Blocks.
Don’t worry Mommy J about the progressive and traditional schools for now. What matters most is if your child is flourishing in your chosen school. You may want to try enrolling your kid in Kindermusik or Gymboree first and figure out if maybe that’s all your kid needs right now. Both programs have trial classes so go ahead and see which is a better fit for your baby 🙂
A good tip: Should you go ahead with preschool, pay tuition fees quarterly. This is what we did so that we were prepared to pull DW out of school if the whole thing didn’t work out.
I hope my list is helpful Mommy J!! How about you dear readers? What tips could you share with Mommy J?
Thanks again Mommy J for trusting me with your letter and thanks in advance guys for your insights on Mommy J’s dilemma 🙂 Fire away at the comments box below!
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Yvette says
February 26, 2012 at 10:07 pmWhat a great post! Me and hubby are Also contemplating on sending our daughter D to school. She’s only 19 months old but we think sending her to school at an early age is going to work for her advantage since at school, they follow a program or curriculum, so it’s more structured learning. I also work full time, so the weeknights and weekends are not enough. We usually spend this time for playing and bonding and singing and reading sessions! Pasingit singit Lang ang actual study mode! 🙂
Now I’m starting to shop for schools. I hope I can find one ASAP! Excited for things that my D could learn! 🙂
candy says
February 9, 2012 at 11:19 pmenjoyed this post a lot – it’s a great post, and a great topic for parents. my own experience has been that i wanted my daughter to start school because I wanted to her to build confidence and to learn how to talk to other adults and kids, other than family. We started off with Kindermusik too (because she enjoyed music a lot – also with Teachet Suzette). There we saw that she was starting to follow intructions and interact with other kids. At 2years and 2 months, she started attending twice a week 2 hour sessions at a nearby preschool.
Before enrolling her into the pre-school – I made sure to speak to the school administration first to understand their focus, and how they would go about supplementing the learning of my child. At the same time, the school required my daughter to attend an assessment session – to see if she was ready. The assessment was not on academics – but more on basic skills, like following instructions, interacting with kids, listening… etc. Even today – the assessment discussions we have with her preschool is all about building the basic skills of a child – and not too much on whether she knows her ABCs, or talks in sentences. It’s more about sharing, making friends, trusting adults, and other physical skills. I like that they do not pressure the children to learn – but the learning inherently gets into their day to day activities.
You may not exactly see that your child is ready – but you definitely have to ensure that the school you are enrolling into are equipped, and ready for your child. Good luck!
rosette says
February 9, 2012 at 11:16 amhi neva! great topic here! i’m also looking for a school for my daughter. after inquiries from several schools, all of them said that my daughter needs to take an assessment test particularly on reading. I was shocked kasi my daughter’s just 3 and she can’t even write her name yet. kailangan ba talaga they know na how to read? kahit mga tipong ba, be, bi, bo, bu daw sabi ng directress. if not, she has to take summer classes daw on reading/writing para she can catch up pagdating ng pasukan.
I was wondering what kind of assessment test did DW take, does he know how to write his name before you enrolled him?
great advice din on paying tuition quarterly, kung may monthly pa nga mas ok.
manilamommy says
February 9, 2012 at 12:54 pmhi rosette! don’t fret! DW can’t read yet and he can only write his name plus certain letters.
DW’s assessment test was actually just him and his teacher playing. they had puzzles, crayons and activity sheets and they all tried to go through the activities together as if they were just playing. DW’s teacher also talked to DW a lot and with that she was already measuring DW’s vocabulary. there were no writing tests but there were identification tests like letters, numbers, shapes and colors. the goal of the assessment was to see what DW’s capacities were at that time so they’d know how they’d structure and help DW when there are activities at school that he still can’t do yet. DW’s school kasi believes in integrated learning (it’s a progressive school) i don’t see the kids being pressured to learn how to read and write and there are no pressure from the school for us parents too. they do guide us on how to instill the love of reading to DW for example. but no pressure like dapat by next year nasusulat na ni DW full name nya and address. nothing like that.
shop around first mommy rosette or maybe you can try out the remedial classes too and see if it’s a good fit for you and your kid’s needs?
ang haba nitong comment haha but i hope it helps 😀
April says
February 8, 2012 at 2:51 pmI’m just so glad I found the time to read this entry. I’ve been seeing you tweet about it but never got aorund it until now.
I’ve actually been contemplating about sending Summer to pre-school this coming school year. She’s turning 3 this May. I’ve been having second thoughts because of the K+12 program of DepEd. Like you, I and my husband are full-time working parents and as much as I want to be the first one teaching Summer basics (colors, shapes, etc), we only have the weeknights and weekends. And just like DW, Summer, too, has memorized every commercial on TV, the Showtime song, and the Bandila song. She even mimics Anne Curtis when she does her daily chant in Showtime. Hays…
I, too, feel that Summer’s ready to go to school. She knows color red and yellow, some fruits and vegetables, can count 1 to 10. She talks in full sentence although still bulol.
This post is really helpful. Now I’m really decided. She’s going to pre-school this June where she can learn more constructive things than more commercials on TV. 🙂
manilamommy says
February 8, 2012 at 6:36 pmgood luck summer and mommy april!!
DarkHalf says
February 8, 2012 at 2:34 pmHi Mommies!
When my son (my first baby!) turned 20months, I was very concerned that he was not “talking” yet. Babbling yes, but he was not forming words properly, and does not even say mommy (calls me by wailing) or daddy (calls by grunting) or yaya (stares lang). I figured that even though I talk to my son properly WHEN I am at home, as a working mom, I cannot depend on yaya to fulfill his learning needs as he grows older. Both me and my husband work full-time, and we usually come home and get 1-2 hours of playtime before our child gets sleepy. 🙁 Thus, I decided to send him to preschool.
I skipped playschool entirely, even though he was not yet 2yrs old, because we already did both Kindermusik and Gymboree classes before. Gymboree was boring for my son. Kindermusik was more interactive and required the use of a lot of words/talking/discussions, which seemed to appeal to him more. We looked for a preschool that could fill-the-learning-gap he was obviously wanting. It didn’t matter to me whether the school was traditional or progressive or some other style of teaching— I wanted a school who could coax my child out of his “silent phase.”
True enough, I found a school I liked, and their focus was on READING skills. I loved how the teachers interacted with the children and how they paid attention to the children who were NOT paying attention during the class. NOTE: it is VERY important that you insist on having a trial class before enrolling your child, as this will help you gauge the school’s program and how receptive your child is to the teaching methods employed. Out of 4 trial classes (different preschools), my son was only lively in 1class and that’s where we enrolled him.
Within 2 weeks, he was using words AND his hands to convey what he wanted. Wow, only 2 weeks and already there was improvement! I was so glad with the decision to send him early. He only suffered separation anxiety for 1 week (and I was actually only stuck in class with him for 30mins on his first day of school— he didn’t even notice when I left him in the classroom!). The succeeding days, I only dropped him off at the door and he was only anxious about this for 1 week. 🙂 After that, he is always looking forward to school (says bye when he hears the phone ring, which means the school bus has arrived to pick him up) and he does this until now.
So, to me, it’s not really about whether or not your child is ready for school— children YEARN to learn during the first 5-6 years of their life, and if we are not able to supply their demand to learn by ourselves, then it’s probably time to enroll in a preschool so that our kids can reap the benefits of learning at home and outside of it. 🙂
Hope my post was able to help somewhat.
manilamommy says
February 8, 2012 at 6:35 pmthank you so much mommy dez for sharing your insight!!! you made really great points! i especially loved that you emphasized that kids YEARN to learn. i hope your post helps more parents make the right decision when it comes to their kids schooling 😀 galing!
i heart my readers <3
Chesca says
February 7, 2012 at 8:02 amI’ve had students as young as 2.3 before and they all enjoyed our class 🙂 for younger students, a 2-hour class is suitable for their attention span. Be aware of the class routine as well and check if they have a balance of active and quiet time.
More than the child being ready for school, the parents should be prepared to follow up what is being taught in the school. In our school before, we had weekly newsletters to inform the parents of what is going on in the school, new songs introduced and possible activities they can try at home with their children. Be involved in your child’s school life!
manilamommy says
February 8, 2012 at 12:02 pmthank you so much chesca for the great tips!
jay arcy says
February 6, 2012 at 11:18 ami was hesitant to enrol my baby to preschool also (he’s in nursery, his first try at school at in two months, he will be able to finish the school year! yey!), but it was my dad who was sooooo eager to send him to school already. Thinking that he can do it, since he can communicate well enough, he can finish complete sentences before 3 yrs old,and he knows a lot of stuff already, i thought sending him to school would really help his development. and to my surprise, he can read now! well, not the difficult sounds, but he can read a whole lot of words now, and his teacher also told me he is a good reader. hay, natututunan din pala! and i thought all he did there was play!
he is also the youngest in class, and he is the sweetest. hehhee. pero what convinced his dad and i to send him to school is that he is super sungit to our neighbors, who are his age! when he enrolled, his social skills improved and he is now the one who says hi to our neighbors, even the parents of his friends, he would say hi if he sees them even from a mile away. hehehe.
the thing that i learned also is that, I should not force him if he doesnt want to do things in school, after all, he is still a baby. but it helps to integrate his school lessons during play time so that he would always remember that every moment is an opportunity for playing and learning.
Cris says
February 6, 2012 at 10:17 amVery nice read! We tried the sampler classes in Gymboree for my daughter and she really liked them. We want to try Kindermusik first before deciding if we should enroll her in Gymboree or Kindermusik. Have you tried both Gymboree and Kindermusik?
manilamommy says
February 6, 2012 at 10:37 amhi cris! we only tried kindermusik (with teacher suzette and friends) and we were so happy with the program that we enrolled on the spot hehe 🙂 so we were never really able to try gymboree na 🙂