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Monday, May 18, 2009

what to do, what to do....

I had a meeting with Hailey's teacher and speech teacher and one of her teachers for next year this morning. It had been decided earlier in the school year that Hailey would attend morning kindergarten and the pals program in the afternoon. For those of you who don't know Hailey attends ECSE 4 half days a week, mainly for her speech, Tyler also had to take this class for his speech at 4 years old. It is a really great program for kids with special needs. Not that is a SLOW class let me clarify some kids need help with speech while others need help with fine motor skills and so on, I don't like to label kids. I remember putting Tyler in the class and one of my good friends said to me "but look at who he is with do you really want him in a class with kids like that". Hmm I did not quite know what to say to that, especially being a friend in all. I felt like gee's I hope not everyone perceives the classes like that. So from that point on I have always been a bit sensitive to responses I may get for those who care to voice their opinion. Anyway it helped Tyler with his speech and get a head start of the whole school transition. So when Hailey was struggling with speech I got her tested and welcomed the idea of her attending. The first half the school year she spoke to no one not even her teacher which surprised me she because she is the most talkative child I have. Well around February she finally started opening up a bit. Well because of her age and her progress her teacher decided that kindergarten was best and Pals in the afternoon, pals is a smaller group of kids that work on everything, speech,and everything you learn in kindergarten so it would be just more added help. Because of her speech difficulty she struggles with explaining herself or telling a story, pals will aim at her struggling areas and give her the extra help she needs. Well at kindergarten round up she was tested by the young fives teacher. The results are in, she spoke hardly nothing to her, and what she did speak she was very soft with her words. She did not answer questions that she knew the answers to because her teacher had gone over them with her. So based on the young fives teachers findings she recommends young fives which I am totally fine with my other two attended young fives because of their ages but Hailey just turned 5 which means she will always be the older one in her class, which in all honesty does not bother me but my fear is someday it may bother her. After talking with John he agrees with the teachers Hailey could use the extra time and help before kindergarten, I mean we would hate to see her struggle later in life and have to be held back or something in the future. I swear this is one of the harder things in raising kids, the regrets we may face later on for the choices we make now. My mind is trying to think logically but my heart often over takes my logic thinking. She's my baby so the whole school thing is such a struggle anyway. One teacher tells me that based on her findings she is totally ready for kindergarten and then the young 5's teacher tells me she is not. The decision is mine. I have great respect for each of these teachers, but ultimately its my daughter. I do not want her to struggle, I am sure I am going to go with young fives because Miss Claus has never steered me wrong before but I just need a bit of time to be sure.

4 comments:

JT said...

You're a wonderful mom, whichever you choose will be the RIGHT ONE! Patrick and Jodi put Caleb in young fives because of his age, and now he is one of the older kids in his class... but talk to her, I don't think either of them thinks it was a bad descion.

Kristin said...

I think you and John now what is best for your child. Take the advice of the TRAINED professionals. People are always going to say that you made the wrong decision, but it is not their child. Raising kids is hard work; they do not come with an instruction manual...trust me...I keep looking. All you can do is the best you can do. Make the best decision for your child and move on. Nothing else (or anyone else) matters. You are a GREAT mom...ALWAYS remember that!!!!

Anonymous said...

Look at the BIG picture- if she is in young fives next year that gives you an extra year before you have to send her off on her own to college!

Lori F.

Anonymous said...

I know you wrote this a while ago and here I am just posting a comment. I just want you to know that I'm going to be going with the same thing with Adam. But, I talked to other teachers and they said they waited to put their daughter in school until she was 6 and she was the oldest one in her class all the way through school. She now goes to college and is greatful her parents made that decision because she feels she is more mature and capable of handlening herself while away at college.