I've been looking into preschool opportunities for Roscoe, not so much for now, but maybe in 6 months and most definitely by the time that he turns four.
Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf are among the philosophies that I want to learn more about and I was happy to find that Richmond Waldorf offers a 6 week parent/toddler program that meets for two hours once a week. The sessions serve to introduce Waldorf education to parents, and to provide a transitional setting for little ones.
Today was Roscoe's first day of preschool, and he was pretty excited. We were asked to bring a piece of fruit, some nuts, or a vegetable to contribute to the communal snack--Roscoe chose an apple. We were told that class would not begin until every student was present so we made an effort to get there early and when we arrived we were ushered to a homey little space and greeted by a warm and soft spoken teacher.
Class began with a circle where our teacher shared three finger play songs about wintertime and a short story about a little boy who's family relied on candlelight during a power outage in a snowstorm.
Next, the parents set about crafting a "toy" for the children while the kids were offered free play among the play stations on the other side of the room. Most kids (ranging in age from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2) opted to help at their mom's side, and so together we shelled walnuts and then made candles from walnut halves that we filled with beeswax and a wick. The meat of the nuts was incorporated into the daily snack, and the kids seemed to take some pride in that. Roscoe is impressed with the four candles that we made. All of the children were mesmerized when, during snack, the lights were dimmed and the candles lit in shallow bowl of water.
I liked the contrast of work and play, and the gentle rhythm of the day. Roscoe is very kinetic and expresses himself in very physical ways. I think he will benefit from the peaceful environment and the emphasis on nature and natural play things.
After snack, the kids were offered more free time while the parents discussed Waldorf in more detail.
We're really looking forward to next week.
What preschool does your child attend, or in what preschools are you considering enrolling your child ? I'd love to hear what you like about the philosophy that you've chosen.
That is so wonderful that you have found a program you are happy with. I was pretty stressed out about the whole preschool thing a month ago. I was researching places like crazy, but wasn't too happy with most of the programs. I found that a lot of the preschool curriculum (or lack there of) wasn't much different than daycare, which Lilah already attends 3 mornings a week. So I was leaning toward a wonderful Montessori school nearby. I like how it is individualized and they will base her curriculum off of what she already knows and go from there, rather than just teach what most kids her age know.
ReplyDeleteShe actually ended up testing into a pre-kindergarten program, so we are going to skip preschool altogether and she starts pre-k in the fall. I am so relieved to have her registered in a program that I love and feel comfortable with though. Huge weight off my shoulders. I will admit to getting a bit teary during the tour last week though...can't believe my baby is starting school in the fall! It's crazy!
I enjoyed it, I have some reservations, but figure that I'll come to a decision over the next few weeks. I wish all the preschool programs offered a similar parent/tot option, to check things out before making a commitment. Open houses are happening now for Montessori and Reggio Emilia, so I'm hoping to check those out too. I do like that Waldorf offers 2 and 3 day programs. I don't think either of us are ready for more than 2 days to start, but I would like him to go 5 days a week in his fourth year to counter the shock of full time kindergarten. Lilah is a smarty pants :) It feels weird to me too that Roscoe is at old enough that we are discussing preschool and elementary school options already. I totally feel like I just gave birth to him! Maybe it's because schools are so competitive now and you have to reserve a spot so early. Anyway, I too like the individualized progression that kids can make at montessori. I'll look forward to hearing more about your experience there!
ReplyDeleteOn 2 of those fronts - I worked at a Waldorf school years ago & enrolled my daughter in a Montessori pre-school. It seems that Montessoris can vary greatly from 1 to the next, whereas Waldorfs are more similar from 1 to the next. I'm totally dazzled by the Waldorf world, but think that Montessori is more consistent with what kids will experience in public school (if that's the ultimate destination). Our local Waldorf offers a summer program that I'm hoping to enroll her in this year, so that she can be exposed to the stories, rhythms & artistry that I like so much about Waldorf, without a year-long commitment. I'm curious to see which you decide on ~
ReplyDeleteJust found a waldorf-montessori hybrid shop on Etsy that I'm excited about: apple n amos or "applenamos" - - Just placed my 1st order!
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