Kye's First Progress Report
Friday, December 30, 2011
Kye started preschool this past August and I'm SO glad we made the choice to go ahead and start this year. He goes three days a week for half a day and it's the perfect amount. We debated which class to put him in as based on his birthday he should have been in the two year old class, not the two and a half year old one. However, we discussed it with the principal and she agreed that he was fine to be in the older class. Typically boys are behind girls in school and he's the youngest in the class so I didn't expect him to surpass his peers or anything like that. His bff, Kailyn, is the oldest in the class as she turned three soon after school started. I taught her in Bible Class at church and the girl is beyond smart. Knows all of her colors while Kye doesn't know any! It doesn't bother me that he may be "behind" his peers. I think it's a good thing to have kids like Kailyn in class with him as it helps him learn!
We got his progress report the day after we came home from the hospital with Brittlynn. It couldn't have been better timing. For two reasons: 1) It gave Kye a chance to have LOTS of attention and praise, which he probably was needing and 2) It reminded Zach and I that we are good parents. When you add another child to the mix, there is a LOT of guilt involved for Mom and Dad. It's hard to give attention to them both, it's tough to feel like you're equally good parents to each child. This progress report helped boost our confidence that we are doing a good job and our kids will be raised up right in our home :)
Since it's a half-way through the year report, lots of the items on the list the class hasn't yet even touched on so I'm not going to include them all here. In each section he could get a N/I (for not yet introduced), B (for beginning), D (for developing) and M (for mastered).
He is developing the ability to identify all of his colors and shapes, but has mastered singing the alphabet (don't we know it!). They are just starting to work on identifying numbers but he can count up to 13. He has mastered counting objects all the way from 1 - 10. He has mastered showing both the numbers 1 and 2 on his fingers, is developing showing 3, 4, and 5 and hasn't yet learned 6 - 10.
All of that was wonderful to see, but it isn't really stuff we work on at home. It's the type of things they learn at school ya know? So I don't feel like I can take too much credit for it all (sure, we touch on all of them at home but we don't hardcore work on them the way I'm sure they do there). It WAS great to know what he's learning at school so I can do a better job working on it at home. I didn't know they were starting to identify numbers so that's great!
The rest of the progress report is what really mattered to me. It's the things we DO work on at home and that are a reflection, in my opinion, on us as parents. In the fine motor skills category he has mastered holding his crayon correctly, following directions, building a tower of cubes, and stringing beads. He's still developing the ability to color in the lines. In the large motor skills category he has mastered all of them including: running without falling, walking up steps, kicking ball forward, jumping with both feet off the ground, jumping forward, and balancing on one foot (who knew he could do that?!?!).
The best part of the progress report was at the end :) Don't get me wrong, I think education is very important. However, both Zach and I agree that social skills and the ability to self-help are much more valuable. If you can do well in social settings and are an independent person then the sky is really the limit...being smart doesn't open nearly as many doors as being likeable does!!!
Kye has mastered every social skill and language milestone including: follows directions the first time he's asked (HUGE to us!), shares and takes turns, works quietly, accepts responsibility for behavior (another biggie in my book), knows name, knows birth month, uses complex speech when playing with friends, knows the first name of a friend. He has mastered all but ONE self help category. He removes his jacket, pulls down pants without help, pulls up pants without help, hangs jacket on hook, and hangs bookbag on correct hook. The only thing he's developing in the self help section is kinda embarrassing to admit...he is still working on washing his hands by himself. I KNOW it's gross but neither Zach or I do a great job in the hand washing department...this was a good wake up call for us to do better in that area!!!
I was BEAMING with pride when I finished reading the progress report, but then I read the teacher comment section and I about cried. His teacher said "Kye has the best manners I have ever experienced as a teacher. He has a kind heart; always ready to help. He is my little artist and loves to paint and color (I need to get paint stuff for the house!!!!). We love him.
I have tears in my eyes just re-reading that now. Is that not the BEST compliment you can get as a parent?!?! Sure, we think Kye's great, but having someone else say it is even better. Especially someone who does spend SO much time with him. When strangers give you a compliment about your child it's wonderful, but his teachers see his good and bad moments. They experience the full, whole Kye that we know and to hear that report about him couldn't make me more happy as his mother.
I know, reading this blog, it may seem like I brag on my kid (now kids!) a lot, but really I only keep this blog to remember everything they do. If you know me in real life, I don't brag at all. I've been around plenty of parents who do brag and it's beyond annoying. I typically don't really talk about Kye at all when with friends. I know other people don't find little stories about my child that interesting since, let's be honest, I don't really typically find cutesy stories about other people's kids interesting either! It still surprises me how many people read this blog everyday since it's mostly stories about Kye!!! Isn't that boring to read to anyone else other than Zach and I (well and his Gramma)? Anyway, back to the point. I don't typically brag. However, when this progress report came home I have showed it to EVERY single person who has come by the house (which has been a good bit with a new baby at home). I've made a HUGE deal about it and it is the FIRST thing to ever be placed on our fridge (I'm not that kind of mom with artwork all over the fridge...).
Zach and I have worked very hard as parents. I'm not saying we're perfect but we really do put our all into it. Parenting is my passion. I feel that it's my gift from the Lord and I take it very seriously. Having such positive feedback about my child reinforces that passion and drive. Kye is SUCH a blessing to us and has made us SO PROUD. I know this is only the first wonderful progress report of the many, many to come. I know that Kye will continue to make us prouder and prouder through the years! I'm SO appreciative to his teachers and school for continuing to instill the values and responsibilities that we teach at home!
We got his progress report the day after we came home from the hospital with Brittlynn. It couldn't have been better timing. For two reasons: 1) It gave Kye a chance to have LOTS of attention and praise, which he probably was needing and 2) It reminded Zach and I that we are good parents. When you add another child to the mix, there is a LOT of guilt involved for Mom and Dad. It's hard to give attention to them both, it's tough to feel like you're equally good parents to each child. This progress report helped boost our confidence that we are doing a good job and our kids will be raised up right in our home :)
Since it's a half-way through the year report, lots of the items on the list the class hasn't yet even touched on so I'm not going to include them all here. In each section he could get a N/I (for not yet introduced), B (for beginning), D (for developing) and M (for mastered).
He is developing the ability to identify all of his colors and shapes, but has mastered singing the alphabet (don't we know it!). They are just starting to work on identifying numbers but he can count up to 13. He has mastered counting objects all the way from 1 - 10. He has mastered showing both the numbers 1 and 2 on his fingers, is developing showing 3, 4, and 5 and hasn't yet learned 6 - 10.
All of that was wonderful to see, but it isn't really stuff we work on at home. It's the type of things they learn at school ya know? So I don't feel like I can take too much credit for it all (sure, we touch on all of them at home but we don't hardcore work on them the way I'm sure they do there). It WAS great to know what he's learning at school so I can do a better job working on it at home. I didn't know they were starting to identify numbers so that's great!
The rest of the progress report is what really mattered to me. It's the things we DO work on at home and that are a reflection, in my opinion, on us as parents. In the fine motor skills category he has mastered holding his crayon correctly, following directions, building a tower of cubes, and stringing beads. He's still developing the ability to color in the lines. In the large motor skills category he has mastered all of them including: running without falling, walking up steps, kicking ball forward, jumping with both feet off the ground, jumping forward, and balancing on one foot (who knew he could do that?!?!).
The best part of the progress report was at the end :) Don't get me wrong, I think education is very important. However, both Zach and I agree that social skills and the ability to self-help are much more valuable. If you can do well in social settings and are an independent person then the sky is really the limit...being smart doesn't open nearly as many doors as being likeable does!!!
Kye has mastered every social skill and language milestone including: follows directions the first time he's asked (HUGE to us!), shares and takes turns, works quietly, accepts responsibility for behavior (another biggie in my book), knows name, knows birth month, uses complex speech when playing with friends, knows the first name of a friend. He has mastered all but ONE self help category. He removes his jacket, pulls down pants without help, pulls up pants without help, hangs jacket on hook, and hangs bookbag on correct hook. The only thing he's developing in the self help section is kinda embarrassing to admit...he is still working on washing his hands by himself. I KNOW it's gross but neither Zach or I do a great job in the hand washing department...this was a good wake up call for us to do better in that area!!!
I was BEAMING with pride when I finished reading the progress report, but then I read the teacher comment section and I about cried. His teacher said "Kye has the best manners I have ever experienced as a teacher. He has a kind heart; always ready to help. He is my little artist and loves to paint and color (I need to get paint stuff for the house!!!!). We love him.
I have tears in my eyes just re-reading that now. Is that not the BEST compliment you can get as a parent?!?! Sure, we think Kye's great, but having someone else say it is even better. Especially someone who does spend SO much time with him. When strangers give you a compliment about your child it's wonderful, but his teachers see his good and bad moments. They experience the full, whole Kye that we know and to hear that report about him couldn't make me more happy as his mother.
I know, reading this blog, it may seem like I brag on my kid (now kids!) a lot, but really I only keep this blog to remember everything they do. If you know me in real life, I don't brag at all. I've been around plenty of parents who do brag and it's beyond annoying. I typically don't really talk about Kye at all when with friends. I know other people don't find little stories about my child that interesting since, let's be honest, I don't really typically find cutesy stories about other people's kids interesting either! It still surprises me how many people read this blog everyday since it's mostly stories about Kye!!! Isn't that boring to read to anyone else other than Zach and I (well and his Gramma)? Anyway, back to the point. I don't typically brag. However, when this progress report came home I have showed it to EVERY single person who has come by the house (which has been a good bit with a new baby at home). I've made a HUGE deal about it and it is the FIRST thing to ever be placed on our fridge (I'm not that kind of mom with artwork all over the fridge...).
Zach and I have worked very hard as parents. I'm not saying we're perfect but we really do put our all into it. Parenting is my passion. I feel that it's my gift from the Lord and I take it very seriously. Having such positive feedback about my child reinforces that passion and drive. Kye is SUCH a blessing to us and has made us SO PROUD. I know this is only the first wonderful progress report of the many, many to come. I know that Kye will continue to make us prouder and prouder through the years! I'm SO appreciative to his teachers and school for continuing to instill the values and responsibilities that we teach at home!
