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I have a 2.5 age son. He will be 3 in mid September. He currently has a nanny, or at least that's how it started. He has never been to daycare has always been watched by someone in the home(I was a Sahm for a year, than for about 4 months my late mother watched him while I worked part time, when she passed away I stayed at home with him for another three months, than started working about 30 hours while he had a nanny up until he turned 2. Once he turned two I went to full time and now average closer to 45 hours per week. He's been with her and her two children (one which is at preschool three days a week) for the last year or so. At first it was very beneficial in socializing him, and he loved it. She believed highly in the play philosophy and encouraged a lot of play, and trips and events but no structure or strict discipline. At first it seemed great but in the last 6 months I haven't felt that it was as beneficial for him. He seems to really need structure, which she doesn't provide, and more activities geared toward learning as opposed to playing all the time. He is a bit behind where he should be and so are her kids which leads me to believe that the educational activities she claims to be doing with him during the day probably aren't happening. When I'm with him and read to him I can't get him to focus or listen and I see him doing things that she lets him do with her(such as jumping off furniture, running wild, etc ). There are other things that she's done recently without telling me that lead me to believe that she is no longer a good fit and just isn't doing what I pay her to do. she gets paid $2000 after taxes each month and we still provide her with his juice and milk and snacks as well as allowing her leeway to do things that I now realize conflict with the structure, discipline, etc I provide at home. As it stands he now has a speech therapist and an occupational therapist to help him with focusing and to help him with his speech.
I want to pull him out of the nannys care by the first week of August since that's when the contract ends with her. I'm trying to find a good daycare fit someone like him that is a bit behind and needs structure, discipline , academic based learning activities , and works a bit with individual children needs. I'm leaning toward either a Montessori daycare environment or a daycare that practices the highscope philosophy. My question is are schools like goddard, or bright horizons good choices or should I just look for a private Montessori school. He won't be preschool age in time for a preschool so I won't be able to enroll him until next year when he's 4, which is fine because he's behind anyway. And money isn't a problem but anything under $1500 a month would be great lol.
How did those of you who sent your children to daycare determine which school was best for you? I'm unsure based on the websites I've looked at what approach and curriculum programs would be most beneficial for him. I want to be informed before I start touring schools.
How did those of you who sent your children to daycare determine which school was best for you? I'm unsure based on the websites I've looked at what approach and curriculum programs would be most beneficial for him. I want to be informed before I start touring schools.
Thanks!
(On my iphone ignore any grammatical errors)
Faith, first of all, why do you think he is behind? Have you gotten a special evaluation and thus you are seeing a speech therapist?
For my DD (who is now 2.5, will be 3 in Dec), we decided on Public school as opposed to Montessori purely based on the fact that we cannot afford Montessori (we are saving for her college fund by those extra dollars). But here is Montessori, its all play-based. Not sure if its any different in US. If its the same in US, you may consider private school.
Maybe if you can tell the learning he had done so far (like alphabets etc), we can compare notes and see if he is as behind as you think he is or you are being overly worried; I am asking this because my DD is also in the same age group.
I was concerned because other 2 year olds that I know were speaking very well and my son wasn't. He can say phrases such as "come here", "sit down", "I thirsty", "I hungry", etc. "Look at me", etc. But not as many sentences as a couple other 2 year olds I know. I can have a simple conversation, but he says a lot of jargon and we can't understand him when he speaks in jargon. Like he will often say a long phrase and I will often only be cake to point out two or three words within that 3 sentence phrase. He can count to 20, and knows his colors, animals, etc. He knows the alphabet. And can repeat things fine and is great at expressions and is very animated. But he is very hyper and wild and rough. I mean he's a boy lol. Anyway I called intervention in my state to see what they had to say and they were the ones who did the evaluation and recommended the speech therapist and the occupational therapist. He passed the doctors test though when she tested him back in April. The occupational therapist was recommended because they said he was hyper and needed help focusing. And they said his speech could be better as well.
The websites I've read for goddard is that it's play focused with learning centered around play, the Montessori seems play based too but seems to also be more structured and stresses a variety of subjects that can be applied to the real world as they age. I can't find a school with the highscope method which seems to probably be what he would need the most.
Many states have free public school classroom programs for children with speech & language delays and OT needs starting at age three (sometimes younger). At that age most programs are half day. Ask his current therapists about what happens in your state. In a classroom EC-Special Education program he would learn age appropriate academics as well as appropriate school behavior and rules.
He may still need a half day day-care but EC would give him a great start in school.
As you know, the inability to sit down and pay attention will Be a big hindrance when he gets to kindergarten.
As soon as you can, find a preschool that is accredited and has a mix of play and structure. You can ask friends who have older kids for recommendations. We used a church preschool that is accredited by the state. My twins went 1 day a week at age 1, 2 days a week at age 2, 3 days a week at age 4 and then 4 days at age 5.
And keep up the interventions at home. Find active ways to learn until he gets more practice with self-discipline.
Many states have free public school classroom programs for children with speech & language delays and OT needs starting at age three (sometimes younger). At that age most programs are half day. Ask his current therapists about what happens in your state. In a classroom EC-Special Education program he would learn age appropriate academics as well as appropriate school behavior and rules.
He may still need a half day day-care but EC would give him a great start in school.
They are already in the process of testing him to see if he qualifies for intermediate care. The test will be done in two weeks. But I'm not sure if I'm going to do it. I know that with kids that often if they are in an environment where they can actually learn and mimic other kids who are where the should be, they can often make progress. As I said the nannys little girl can't talk well at all either and I notice my son mimics her. At this point I wonder if just being in a structured learning environment would help him eliminate the wildness that he has as at the nanny. She had ADHD and is very chaotic has no schedule or structure and just let's them play any type of way. I just wonder if in the right environment if things would improve to the point where he would be where he needs to be. Although I might be in denial. As other people have noticed when he's around me and his aunts he talks much better.
As you know, the inability to sit down and pay attention will Be a big hindrance when he gets to kindergarten.
As soon as you can, find a preschool that is accredited and has a mix of play and structure. You can ask friends who have older kids for recommendations. We used a church preschool that is accredited by the state. My twins went 1 day a week at age 1, 2 days a week at age 2, 3 days a week at age 4 and then 4 days at age 5.
And keep up the interventions at home. Find active ways to learn until he gets more practice with self-discipline.
Honestly I'm wondering if it's genetic. I was diagnosed with ADD when I was 5 and I did have trouble focusing in school but when I wanted to focus I did, incidentally even with help and my moms tutoring and homeschooling me each summer, I still did poorly because I just didnt care. I didnt do well
Until highschool and college. When he cares about something he has focus. Lol. He would rather run, wrestle, and build things then listen to a story. In fact often by the second page of the book he often smiles at me waves and says "bye mommy" and leaves the room. He just doesn't care about listening to stories.
Start making phone calls and visiting daycare centers (and preschools if a preschool would work with your schedule or in combination with a nanny). Make the phone calls between 1PM and 3PM when things are calmer at the center and many of the children are napping. Visit for the first time when the kids will be awake but not during typical drop-off and pick-up times.
There is no substitute for visiting, and many centers do not have a detailed online presence.
You said that you would like to have him in a new situation by early August (1 month from now)? Do you have this range of choice (Goddard, Montessori, play-based, academic, etc), in your area but no waiting lists?
My advice is to make many phone calls, talk to other parents in your area, and take a morning or 2 off work to visit, then go with your gut.
Even though genetics do play a part, everyone is different. He is still young, and at an age when MANY things could be the source for behaviors that don't seem "normal."
My youngest son NEVER wanted to read "to learn," and would get mad if I tried to read him alphabet books etc. He only wanted to look at books about his favorite subjects (trains, trucks etc.)
In kindergarten he couldn't read, though his older brothers had been in the top reading groups. In second grade, he still could barely read and ONLY when he noticed that other kids were choosing better books out of older-reader sections of the library while he was choosing from the "baby" section did he begin to want to learn.
It was a combination of sight words and Dr.Seuss that did it.
All that is to say that you should not worry too much about behavior issues YET. Your instincts about his environment are good. Put him in a more academic preschool and see how he does.
Start making phone calls and visiting daycare centers (and preschools if a preschool would work with your schedule or in combination with a nanny). Make the phone calls between 1PM and 3PM when things are calmer at the center and many of the children are napping. Visit for the first time when the kids will be awake but not during typical drop-off and pick-up times.
There is no substitute for visiting, and many centers do not have a detailed online presence.
You said that you would like to have him in a new situation by early August (1 month from now)? Do you have this range of choice (Goddard, Montessori, play-based, academic, etc), in your area but no waiting lists?
My advice is to make many phone calls, talk to other parents in your area, and take a morning or 2 off work to visit, then go with your gut.
Thank you! I don't know many parents in my area that aren't sahms. I've lived in this area since January of 2013. Most of the schools I've looked at so far don't appear to have wait-lists.
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