HELP!!! I Don't Know How to Get My Son into School! :(

http://www.mplspic.org/index.html this is one place that I found that may help you, it's for the Minneapolis Parent Information Center.

My son is very similar to your son, he knew letters, rhyming, numbers, shapes, colors, etc. before this school year started (he turned three in August). I agree that preschool is not necessarily needed but for my son I wanted to look for a program where he could work on his listening skills, social skills, group skills (things that he has a harder time with and that are harder for me to expose him to). I was very happy with the 3-4 year old preschool program through the ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education) in Roseville. I liked it because of the teacher (amazing!) and the emphasis on social/emotional skills.

Here is the Minneapolis ECFE link: http://ecfe.mpls.k12.mn.us/

Each community offers ECFE although the programs will vary so you should be sure to visit before the school year is out. The local ECFE office can usually also give you a list of some other preschools in your area. Registration for preschools does typically happen in January but it isn't too late to check for space or get on a waiting list if it is full.

A lot of kids who are gifted in certain areas do well in a Montessori preschool because they have a lot of independent work time that they can pursue their interests (for example a friend's 4.5 year old is mathematically gifted and is doing multiplication at Montessori).

What I recommend is to sit down and think about what goals you have for your child attending preschool...social, emotional, academic, independence, etc. Then you can decide if there is a program that is right for him. You know your child better than anyone.

Preschool is good but it's not completely necessary. My daughter didn't get a whole lot out of it. I was kinda disappointed in the curriculum. They aren't the least bit pushy at most preschools it's all about well we hope you join us or we hope you do that but you don't have to. My daughter is also bright but needs a challenge and needs to be pushed or she's kinda lazy you could say. I thought she would be coming home knowing all sorts of things and really she wasn't so I had to be teacher and sit down and I'm the one who taught her letters, numbers, how to write her name etc. I guess I was very disappointed in preschool and had higher expectations. We went through our local school district and she went 2 years in a row 3 and 4 years old as well as had some preschool curriculum in her daycare.

Preschool did get my daughter ready socially and she got alot out that she became better at sharing, having compassion, following classroom rules and getting along with her peers.

So it's not all what it's cracked up to be. If you have the money I'd look into montessori schools most are daycare centers around here but some do part time or preschool that may fit your child better. They are pushier and more academically natured. I originally had my daughter at a montessori but couldn't afford it after awhile. I was very impressed. You can find them in the yellow pages. We went to Early Education Montessori in St.Louis Park.

As far as signing up for preschool you have to find one. Maybe call your local school dist., look in the yellow pages, ask around. Then find out when they do registration. From my experiance the good one's have registration like in January for the following school year. You could probaly still get into something if you act fast. I think once June or July comes you may have a hard time finding a opening.

Call a school near by and ask them when they will have pre-K screening. Ask them to send you out information on the screening. At 3 1/2 your child is old enough to be screened. This is the best way to find out where your child stands and what is available. Once you get to the screening make sure you get all your questions answered. They will advise you if he is ready for some schooling and where to go. Good Luck! L.

It sounds like a Montessori school might be a good fit! In Montessori, children are encouraged to move around during learning times (in fact, part of the philosophy is that children learn through movement!). Also, children work independently, and teachers give individual and small group lessons based on the learning needs of each child. This way, your child can be with his peers, but continue progressing at his academics (rather than learning the ABCs, ect.). Many Montessori schools are private and can be expensive. Some have scholarship programs. St. Paul Public has 3 Montessori schools that run a 1/2 day program for 4-year-olds (but they fill up fast, so you'd have to contact St. Paul Public Schools right away to sign up). They are open to anyone in MN willing to provide transportation. If you're looking into private, I'd highly recommend looking for a school that is accredited by the Montessori societies (AMI or AMS). There are no copyright laws protecting the Montessori name, so schools exist that call themselves Montessori, but don't actually have staff that are trained in Montessori, thus they are not running a true Montessori program (they may not adhere to independent work, and freedom to move philosophies).
I was a Montessori teacher for many years before having my son, so if you need more info., let me know. Best of luck!
M.

Check out Fraser, it's in Richfield right behind the Lunds on 62. They have a preschool program and Ready for K. I have two children there and they love it!
Also, they work with children of all abilities so a child with High energy wouldn't be an issue.

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Lisa recommending doing the Pre-k screening. That is really good at determining if your child has problems in any area, but it will not tell you how smart your child is or how gifted. My friends son knew his numbers and letters by 2 and at 31/2 he's a pretty dang good reader. The screening did nothing that she expected and was very disapointed. I think they did give her the name of someone who could test him for giftedness (is that a word:) but that is it.

What you need to do is contact your district to register your child, in the area not in a school. Once they know he's in the district you start getting info on kindergarten readiness, open houses(when they are 4) and round ups (when they are 4). You are not behind in getting him ready unless your looking into private school, so I wouldn't worry. You can also look on the web for your school district and hopefully they can help you with what you need to do.

I'm in the hopkins district and they have a great website that tells you which school your assigned to and tons of other good info about all the schools in the district.

By spring the schools usually are assigning spots. So get moving.

Good ones to try in SW -- Grace Neighborhood Nursery School (28th and Hennepin), Judsen (Colfax?) and Mayflower (Diamond Lake Road and Stevens).

I know that Grace has a website. It's a great school. Fun. Interactive. Hands-on learning. That's where my two kids went, and we all loved it. A great community. Good luck.

Hi J.,
I followed Angela's advice and enrolled both my sons in Fraser when we moved here in Sept. and we have been very happy with it. I live in Savage and I leave at 8:40 to have them there by 9:00 and have had no problems with traffic thanks to the HOV lane. Just because you are South don't rule this school out. Make a phone call, take a tour, and see for yourself. It is that easy. Good Luck!

I also have a 3.5 year old! She goes to preschool in St Louis Park every morning while I am at work (teaching a.m. K in south Mpls). I don't think preschool is absolutely necessary but I do think that it is a great experience if it works for your family. My little girl knows a lot of the things you mentioned as well (but she isn't even close to reading - Wow!) and boredom isn't an issue at all. I'd find a few preschools in your area, call them and set up a tour and give it a try. A good preschool teacher can easily keep a high energy gifted boy engaged and happy.