Preschool Progress Report

Yesterday Alex's teacher sent home his preschool progress report.  [insert eyeroll here] It began with a checklist including everything from "works neatly" to "goes to bathroom alone" that were graded by either a check mark indicating "good work" or a "W" indicating "working on skills."  Alex received all check marks with the exception of three W's for "Respects authority" (RESPECT MAH AUTHORITAH!), "Respects others' property" and "Follows classroom routines."  None of this was a surprise to me.  He never does what I say either and the only thing he routinely does at home is swipe his sister's crap, usually directly from her hands. 

Academically speaking, Alex scored 100% on the test she included on the second page (number/letter recognition, letter sounds, shapes, etc).  Again, no surprises.

His teacher also went on to write:

"Alex is doing well academically and his fine motor skills are improving. He is working on writing his name (one capital - rest lower case) to fit in the lines on his paper [dude, we gave him a REALLY long name and for whatever reason, he still insists on being called Alexander at school].  Sitting quietly in circle and using an indoor voice during free time are areas where he is working to improve.  Alex shows leadership skills and also will admit when he is not playing with someone as nicely as he should."

Basically, he's future president material.  Obviously.

At home we continue to work on academics and he's making a ton of progress.  A bunch of you get up in my grill every time I mention that yes, I homeschool my five-year-old ACADEMICALLY, but we're just Those Parents and academic excellence is always going to be really important to us.  In fact, we already talk about college, mostly just by answering the phrase "I want to drive a Corvette someday!"  with, "Well then you better go to college, Dude." 

A couple weeks ago Alex caught me watching Wife Swap (shout out to my home girl Jonna!  Holla!) and the episode featured one set of parents who, like Dave and I, were all EDUCATION OR DEATH and another set of parents who were adamant about getting their kid a PAINTBALL scholarship, not for college, but to play more PAINTBALL. 

Now for the most part, I LIKED the paintballers WAY better than the edumacation people (who were portrayed as complete pricks, probably because they WERE), but that's not my point here. My point is that Alex overheard something about the paintball kids NOT going to college and his eyes got big and he grabbed my arm and said, "BUT WHY AREN'T THOSE KIDS GOING TO COLLEGE?!  YOU HAFTA TO GO TO COLLEGE!" He was concerned about THEIR FUTURE.

Phase one of Operation Yuppification: COMPLETE.

[For the record, Alex still mainly wants to grow up and drive an excavator for a living, which is fine with us!  He just has to go to college first.]

Math is his favorite subject and yesterday I gave him his first timed addition test.  It surprised me when he pulled the sheet out of his workbook and wanted to do it, but I figured why not?

Fourteen correct answers in five minutes.  Not bad for a future president!

Comments

[Melissa]

Good to know we aren't the only parents who feel that college isn't optional. If my kid wants to be a circus clown, the only thing I ask of him is that he is a circus clown with a Bachelor's degree.

Congrats on your future excavator driving president. It looks like he's doing great!

[Alias Mother]

"Operation Yuppification." Hee.

[Brandy]

Awww! How cute is his little math test! His little numbers are just adorable!

Respect mah AUTHORITAH! Love it!! Yes, Cartman is my fave! Well, Cartman and Mr. Hankey! :)

[Danell]

Wait, college is optional for some people? Wha..?

[Jen-Again]

Oooops. Guess I am a college is optional loser then. But, I am a college is optional loser who makes well into six figures with excellent job security and no student loans. Atypical, I know, but not impossible- work ethic is key.

[Stefania/CityMama]

Right there with you on the college thing. Not going to college = not an option 'round here. You want to be a knitter who grows heirloom truffles and lives in a yurt? Fine. After you graduate from college.

[Alison]

Oh yes, the kids know that the piggy bank is the "college fund." :)

[cindy w]

I grew up in a house where I never knew that college could possibly be optional. Nothing wrong with that.

Also, Washington state has the highest percentage of college-educated construction workers in the US, and they make pretty good money. When he gets older and doesn't want to do physical labor outdoors, he could be a project maanger or something. Seriously, he could do worse. (Although my guess is that he'll change his career goals a time or two over the next 15-20 years.)

[LizP]

I am home temporarily (i.e. unemployed) and would LOVE some info on homeschooling a preschooler. We would send him to a regular preschool but there's the potty issue ... he won't go if we don't remind him. If I have to listen to much more PBS kids I will poke my own eyes out.

[JMH]

I have a question. I guess I don't understand the homeschooling yet he goes to preschool thing. Will you homeschool him "fulltime" when he is in kindergarten? Or do you work on extra academics at home to make sure he is getting what he needs? Just curious....

[1hot&tiredmama]

My husband is an insulation contractor but his college degree is in languages and linguistics. I can't tell you how handy that is since more than half of his employees are Spanish speaking (only). I think college should be mandatory just from the point of view that it gives you an opportunity to mature without having to fully fund a household.

As for the homeschooling -- people always ask me why I don't homeschool. (Our kids go to public school, but we work with them a lot at home.) My response is this: "I do homeschool my children. I choose to supplement that education with public school." I think every parent homeschools to some degree -- it may not be what you'd want a child to learn, but they are definitely learning stuff at home!

Keep up the good work!

[Kendra]

I don't know if you have answered this before, but I was wondering what sort of activities you've done with Alex to get him to this point academically. Any suggestions?

[lolismum]

That's very good for a 5 year old. Props to you for being able to make time to work on his academics with him. I can't believe people get worked up about this. And yeah, college is not an option in my house either. Last week, when our PK daughter wanted to stay at home and play with toys and whined, "I don't like school" . We said, "Dude, you are out of luck. You have two academic parents with 5 graduate degrees between them! You better get your ass to school and like it too."

[Julie]

I'm going to show that worksheet to Tacy: "Look at that! This boy is nearly two years younger than you!"

Because not only am I all about the education, I'm also not above using competition as motivation.

[laura]

okay i have to agree you can be anything you want to be but you better have an education behind you. i let my kids play and so fourth but i try to make most everything a learning experience.

[taylor k]

my husband and i didn't finish college and we already have a huge college fund set up for our son (and will do the same for our future children).

its great to know that you'll let alex be whatever he wants to be in life as long as he goes to school first - i feel the SAME way.

love your blog - always!

[CAB]

apparently the Wife Swap education pusher is a big meanie....
http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/husbands-behaving-badly--120

[jamie]

ok, first, I have to A) give you a big ole Thank You for the bday wishes, Amanda! Time, events & pestilence have prevented me from replying to u.
second, I DO have comments on the chapters you've sent me, but read a.'s comments, added to the fact that I just can't (CAN'T!) reply via texting by phone, but I'm hoping to steal husband's computer here shortly...

That out of the way, I never, EVER for onesinglesecond thought about NOT going to college. It was just assumed. This, coming from both of my parents who never got more than an associates degree. I say, GOOD JOB. Bravo. Same here.

[AllyM]

Very cute. My sister planned on homeschooling all her kids, but now that they're getting older she seems to have changed her mind. I think taking care of all her kids in addition to teaching them must be too exhausting of an idea for her. You must be quite strong willed!