Kindergarten
My little guy started Kindergarten this year.
Kindergarten is a transition period from playing with blocks in daycare to reading/writing in school for several hours a day. I would be full of crap if I didn’t say I was nervous about it for him.. With my other son and daughter trying to stay in trouble as much as possible, we didn’t spend the time with him as we did with the other two getting them ready for kindergarten.
So.. In my eyes.. he’s behind. I have a neurotic compulsion to believe everyone in his class is reading Moby Dick, and my son is struggling with ‘pink bug, blue bug’. Is this the case? Well we met with the teacher, and it turns out it isn’t the case. She, God bless her, didn’t say ‘he’s the farthest behind’ and didn’t say he’s in the middle. I am going to assume middle. There was a checklist to know all his letters of the alphabet and their associated sounds, as well as some ’sight words’. 26 letters of the alphabet, and about 40 sight words. That seems to be the long/short of getting into first grade now. I realize its more than that, but if I think that I’ll panic and start shaking. We’ve marched through a few letters, and pounded away on those trying to increase his letters. I honestly don’t care about sight words yet, until he knows more of the alphabet. Is that wrong? Is that right? I don’ know, but it seems to make sense in my mind that once you know your letters words will be easier to distinguish.
My Mom is terrified he needs some tutoring or maybe tested for ADD, which I have. My oldest son has this, and was unable to be tested until First grade. He did marvelous in Kindergarten, with almost no shortcomings, that I can remember. Her saying/thinking this makes me a nervous wreck, on top of trying to be patient (NOT my strong suit) with a wonderful little guy trying to learn his letters.
His first report card showed, to me, remarkable movement from not knowing any letters but ‘B’, to knowing several letters and I think 1 sight word. I had to calm myself over and over again looking at all the boxes without a check (check=kid knows this). I’m still TRYING to calm myself, but being somewhat unsuccessful.
If anyone out there has any tricks/tactics to give an old guy.. throw them out in email or in comments..