Getz Preschool

What in the heck are they teaching my child at preschool?! My 4 and a half year old was laying on the floor just now, watching Sesame Street (because I'm a lazy mom in the morning and she likes to relax as she eats her morning yogurt), when she says,

"poh-sah-bil-luh-tees"... "how many syllables is that?" (channel 8 has a commercial that talks about possibilities)

"five" I answer with a chuckle (after counting it out on my fingers).

Who is teaching this kid to count syllables?! I teach my students about multi-syllable reading in the 3rd grade! (maybe 2nd if they are ready) I know they don't even discuss it until late 1st or 2nd grade in public school. Sheesh! My preschooler is learning it already. No, I don't think they are pushing her or anything because it is being done at a 4 year old level and it is stinking cute. Do I think it's necessary? Yes, and no. You learn rhythms and rhyming through stories, finger plays, and chants. With this comes the ability to hear sounds and syllables in words. That is the natural way to learn. Do I think every child can learn in a natural atmosphere? Absolutely not. Some children with and without disabilities need (or want?) a little more direction and explanation. My child happens to be in the want category. She is absorbing everything they give her and using it to really throw off my groove.

Tasha continues to come up with more and more words to count and does a decent job. As is typical, she has a hard time with 1 syllable words.

"ha-at...2"

This is impossible to try to teach without using a sentence. I ask her, "do you say, 'put on your ha-at', or 'put on your hat'?" She repeats it the way without an extended version of hat and we talk about how it really is only 1 syllable. But this has now opened up a whole 'nother version of this syllable counting game. It continues...

"you are gross... that's 3"

"foot and eye-ball" (Kyra answers with, "that's 4" I think Tasha was thrown off by the eyeball)

This goes on and on and on and on...