The things you learn in PRESCHOOL!!!!!!

I am so happy with Liam's preschool. Its a play based program, meaning they learn by playing as opposed to lots of desk work. Lots of free time. I guess the teachers are not allowed to "tell them what to do" They can say what "centers" are open and let the kids decided between which open centers to go play at. Liam mainly likes to play in the block area, or puzzles, or library. I guess he also likes to work at the sequencing board, and gets antsy if someone else is there and not getting things in the right order. My little perfectionist! He rarely makes it over to the arts area, but then comes home disappointed that he didn't get to make the project of the day. I have tried to see if his teachers can at least invite him over to the arts area, I think he gets so focused on one thing and doesn't know its open because he doesn't hear it.
They also have circle time a few times a day. once in the morning and once in the afternoon for sure. In the morning they greet each other and the day and talk about what they had for breakfast...(that part keeps me on my toes, one morning I let them have cookies....) They also have been working their way through the letters. Liam can now recognize almost all of the letters of the alphabet (and they've only made it to "T") he didn't know any at the start of the year. He can also write most of them with only a little help. He needs to look at it to be able to write it. In the morning they also sing songs that help them spell all their colors. He is getting to the point where he can even spell some colors with out singing them, but I do enjoy the songs!
In the afternoon circle time they have show and share where they bring out their homework projects, usually practice writing and cut and paste. On Fridays they bring in something from the theme or letter of the week. They sing lots of songs, and read lots of book, they have more structured parts of the day, and less structured parts of the day. He has lunch at school, and eats at least some everyday. His only complaint is nap time. They have an hour or quiet time and he hates that part. He doesn't want to go to school because he dislikes nap time so much.
Anyway, you wouldn't think that these kids would learn so much considering that they are playing all day long, but really he has. Liam is all about spelling right now, I have to spell EVERYTHING for him (and I suck at spelling!) He even is learning how to sound out simple words and read!!!!!!!! In preschool!!!!!!!!! Didn't it used to be that we learned how to read in 1st grade??? WOW!!! I am completely impressed by him and by what his teachers are able to teach him. I hope wherever we are next has a similar program for Finn. He is learning more than I think I could have taught him had I kept him home, and he is having a ton of fun doing it!
Below are some pictures with stories that he drew and wrote. He is VERY proud of them. I have to read them to both Liam and Finn every night. This is my blog about my children, I am gonna brag about them, deal!

"A Monster that gets bigger"

















"A spider that bites and shrinks"