D went into the Montessori program like it was made just for him. And I think it was. The kids loved him from the very beginning. Even a bully liked him from the beginning. The bully said, "we should call you stinky D." And D said, "pee u." The other kid just laughed!!
D's teacher said, "D has adjusted very well, in the beginning he had a hard time knowing what to do." She would find him sitting at the table confused. But once he learned that he can play learning games all day, WOW a whole new world opened up to him.
For kindergarten and part of first grade he had his photo taken and his shoulders were hunched over and his eye's didn't have the sparkle in them and his smile was forced. At this new school, they had picture day and wow it was like night and day. I don't think you could make his smile any wider and the sparkle in his eyes are in full force.
E on the other hand had a harder time adjusting. She would cry and say that she felt like she was in preschool. She wanted more structure and she even said that she wanted to go back to her old school to the sassy girls because she is used to them. She also wished that the classroom could be quieter. My heart went out to her. But I really wanted her to give this a try.
Now E is liking it more. She has found two friends that she really likes. She was really frustrated with multiplication because they learn it a little different. They use what is called a checker board to learn and for a week and a half she would come home so upset that they were confusing her and that she just didn't know what was the right way or the wrong way to do multiplication. Then one day I printed out a few sheets of multiplication problems for her to practice at home and as she started to work on them she said, "Mom, I don't need to do this on paper anymore. I know how to use the checker board and I am really good at it." We gave high fives and then she told me that she has two friends who helped her learn it. I asked about the two friends and she said that she really likes them and they remind her a lot of her best friend who lives around the corner.
I am so excited that E is really liking school and that D loves it. I have been wanting to find a school for my kids that caters to them, not the type of school where they have to find out how to fit in the mold. D's teacher is the head montessori teacher and I asked her a little about what to do with E and she said that if E wants to do a worksheet instead of checker board then she can. I am so grateful that they are excited to go to school each morning. E drags her feet sometimes but you can tell that she likes it.
Also real quick. D might have problems with dyslexia. I am so glad that he is in school and that he has an amazing teacher. A teacher that can tell me how he is doing and not just tell me that he is "a joy to have in class." So, we will be able to help him. We are going to wait until the next school year so he can be evaluated a little more and then he will be tested. His new teacher was shocked that other teachers haven't said anything about this. A's preschool teacher mentioned something to me, but it was kind of in passing about the way he held his scissors and that he wanted to learn how. She was really good to teach him. I think subconsciously I think all scissors went up when D was about two because once he was using a pair of scissors and he stabbed his hand, I almost had him get stitches but opted out.
