5Yr Old Bored at Preschool

I agree - don't switch now. I would ask the teachers what else can be done. Maybe make him a class helper to give him that extra responsibility to help others? Maybe projects that will challenge him a bit more? Good luck! He'll love Kindergarten - right around the corner!!!

Hello.
Off-hand I would not take him out of his school. Reason is because Kinder is coming up and to transition to 2 different schools in 8 months sounds potentially difficult even if he is a very outgoing kid.

I read a few and I agree with someone that suggested discovering what can challenge him. He may indeed be repeating what he's already learned. See if the teacher can provide some individual attention to him or a few. There may be other kids like him. Another thought is to ask the teacher if he can bring in workbooks from outside for him to learn from.

Another thought is see if he can mentor the 3 year olds. He's be learning leadership and patience which could be challenging and likely fun for him too. Idea is to create some variety in his days. If he has some variety he won't be bored.

Good luck. You're doing the right thing by talking with his teachers. Great step!

If you have the ability to move him somewhere he can be with other five-year-olds only, I would do that. It will prepare him for K. And you're right -- teachers cannot provide enough for the oldest kids to do in a mixed class of 3s, 4s and 5s; they are automatically simply going to have to cater to the lowest age and keep the younger kids busy, which precludes doing the kinds of more interesting -- and more involved -- things that the oldest kids should be doing. A preschool that is JUST a preschool and not a daycare might be a better bet, because any good preschool should have the ability to have classes just for one age level - the 3s class, the 4s class, the 5s class, even a "pre-K" class at some preschools that is for the 5s who are bound for K in the fall. Maybe there are daycare/preschools out there that can do this if they're large enough but I haven't seen it around here.

If you need daycare to fit your work schedule, you might have a harder time finding that kind of setup but it sounds as if he would benefit from no longer being in a mixed class. Of course he's bored and acting out at times -- he's with kids up to two years younger than he is, alll day long, and two years at these ages is a VERY big gap in what is engaging and educational.

Yes, it would be a transition, but kids cope with transition better than we adults tend to think they will. Unless he has issues with other kinds of change in his life, he could do fine with a change. The problem might be if he enters a 5s preschool class where they've already been working (in a preschool-appropriate way, not hard academics!) on letters, numbers, writing etc. if he has not done that already at his current preschool. You can work that out, though, with any decent preschool teacher and director.

He might do better in a non-daycare preschool, in a 5s-only class, that is three or four hours a day, four or five days a week, and not all day long. Is that an option, or do you have a work schedule that precludes that and requires that it be a daycare setting as well?

If he does move at this point in the year, I'd seek a place where he could also continue to attend through at least some of the summer months, either as preschool or in a summer "camp" setting, so he stays with the new place a bit longer.

While I like the Reggio model and some aspects of it for my own preschool( I was more emergent curriculum based, which is what I might call Reggio Lite) there is a reason that these preschools in Reggio-Emilia Italy are only offered through the preschool level: at some point, kids need something more.

Your son may be one of those kids; he may be ready to learn more and go deeper than what this preschool offers.

But first, is this struggle with self-regulation new? To me, that would be an indicator that something needs to change, but if it isn't, then I would look at the behavior first.

I am also wondering why the R-E based preschool isn't offering more academic extensions if your son is ready for them or asking for them. By academic, I mean practicing writing by making a sign or figuring out 'how many X will we need to make this project?" instead of the more open-ended 'how do you want to make this?'. Sometimes, the R-E process is more collectively realized, and that may not be a good personal fit with the more independent five year old who might like to do things his own way or work independently to try out his own ideas. And while you can't change how the preschool runs the projects, if similar opportunities are presented repeatedly and feel 'stale', then that's a problem too.

All that to say, I don't know that changing preschools is the absolute answer, but it may be something to consider. It is really hard for kids at this age to articulate distinct aspects of their discontent. I do know, though, that this is common that if the group is held together (not separated by age) that sometimes, the activity is limited to what the youngers are capable of. My girlfriend's preschool (also a 3-5 mixed group) does have a more or less 'set' curriculum which spans *two* school years; she feels that although they do have lovely yearly traditions and alternate other activities every other year, the kids really do become bored after those two years and need to go elsewhere if they aren't ready for Kindergarten. And while I like R-E a lot, I do believe that, at some point, kids do need some direction in what/how they explore. "They need to know what to taste", my friend says, and I agree. It's a little like being at a buffet and not even being told "there are the forks and plates, you might like to try the carrots and wow, that pasta looks good"... it's a silly metaphor, but kids do need our guidance in that regard. If they knew what to do all on their own, they wouldn't need us!

ETA: Mamazita, I think HighScope is actually more structured (in a good way) than R-E is, just in a very child-respectful way. And I agree with your affirmation of 'down time'... kids should have a little bit of direct instruction (ie circle times, art demos, staging plays/group games) and big chunks of unstructured playtime too. Balance!

Here's the thing. Child care facilities just don't have as good of a program as the public school Pre-K program. There job is to provide day care for children of various ages. Not actually hire elementary school teachers who are under the jurisdiction of the local school district. They may use a pre-school program but it's likely not the same level as the local elementary school pre-K program. Most parents don't know this.

Ladies who work in child care do have education so it's not a waste of time, not at all. I have over 13 years in child care and have owned my own center so I KNOW the programs out there. Yes, they're good but they're bound by the child care state regulations. They have to follow a day care center schedule and do so many things that a regular school doesn't have to. My 3 year old kids could only have 20-30 minutes of class time in the morning and if we had time then some class time again in the afternoon but it usually didn't happen.

We started the day with circle time, reviewing the day of the week, the temp outside and weather, the color of the month, topic of the week, letter of the week, etc... We'd do some activity at the tables after snack time but it was usually a craft or something. Then we'd play outside and not come in until time to get ready for lunch. Then nap time until abut 2:30. By then parents are starting to get off work and pick up. We had snacks and played the rest of the day. SO in actuality we had about a half hour of actual class time.

He's still learning things that he'll use but seriously, he's learning 3 year old level stuff. They're probably doing colors, shapes, and letters. When he could actually be learning to put letters together and start sight reading.

If you did find an opening in the local elementary school district you'd still have to find a child care setting for your child after school. To prove my point look at the class he's in...it's like it's a home day care of something. He should NOT be in a class with kids other than his own age so they can be at the same level.

You'd be hunting for a new child care facility in a couple of months for summer anyway so there is literally no reason to move him. His teachers should have enough experience to deal with this. Tell them he's supposed to mind them and that they need to figure this out. Simply telling you he's acting up but not trying to figure out why is just not very responsible of them. They spend tons of time with him, they should know him well and be able to talk to him.

I think he does sound ready to move on. When he starts kindergarten he'll be fine. You might want to keep him here if they pick up kids from the elementary school your kiddo goes to so he can still be around his friends but if your school isn't in their area to pick up then use the schools after care program.

Kids his age need to be active both mentally/cognitively and physically. It's freezing outside and he can't go out and run like he needs to. They need to find things to engage him mentally. They need to find gross motor activities for their whole facility. They need to challenge him.

I would have put him in Pre-K through the regular school system and had child care pick him up if at all possible, I do know that's almost nonexistent though due to pre-K letting out some much earlier than the regular school classes.

If you have the chance to put him in a regular school classroom do it and keep him in child care the rest of the day. You'd also have set in stone child care on the days school is out and for summer. If you don't want to do this then please know he's fine where he is. He is full of energy and needs to have more challenges.

Dear Agent M-

Not sure if the advise I am about to offer is age appropriate for your child. I was bored throughout school. It just came easily for me. I was fast tracked and part of TAG, and allowed to do extra work on my own if I accomplished classwork early. I was still bored, and consequently disruptive (chatty).

I don't remember if I was taught to do this, or if I discovered it on my own, but I found devices to pass the time. I would practice piano in my mind's eye, I would memorize the presidents that were at the top of the chalkboard, then I would memorize them backwards, then I would try to recall all the girls in the class in size order, then in alphabetical order, then I would make up a story about she-rah and skeletor etc etc.

If used appropriately, daydreaming, is like self-soothing. It's a good skill to have and staves off boredom. Don't just instruct your kid to apy attention, and to behave, but offer him some things that he might do for himself when he is bored to occupy himself, which won't prove disruptive.

Best,
F. B.

I'm not sure that he's bored so much as that maybe it's too structured? My kids went to a play based preschool, with a High Scope/Emergent curriculum. While there was plenty of "learning" going on (letters, numbers, fine/gross motor skills, etc.) it was never presented in a structured way. There were several zones, art, science, pretend play, reading, building, etc. and the kids were free to come and go in and and of each area as they pleased. Some kids spent all day playing dress up for example, or working/playing in the art or science area, while others did a little of everything. I never saw any kids looking bored! Beyond the morning and pre lunch circle/clean up time there weren't really any directions to follow. Of course kids were expected to share, take turns and use their words to solve conflicts, but that's more of a maturity thing.
I might look for a different school, one that is play based. Sure there will be a transition and that could be a little hard, but I hate to see kids turned off by the structure of school before they have even started K. He's got 13+ years ahead of him to sit in a classroom, let him enjoy these last several months learning how young children learn best: through unstructured play.

I wouldn't change schools.
I would not expect that changing schools will make a big difference in his not being able to stop himself doing things he already knows he's not suppose to be doing.
I think it's less about being bored but more about a lack of impulse control.
This can be pretty typical at his age and a little more maturity between now and Sept might make a big difference.
He probably needs more running around and unstructured playing than he's getting if his current program is very structured and has him sitting all day.
How much attention does he get when he's acting up?
It might be he enjoys the attention he gets regardless of whether it's negative attention or not.
Try really praising him when he has a good day.

I would discuss with them whether this is just being bored or not and work with the teachers to see if there are any additional levels to an activity he can do. Example, if they do patterns, can he do ABC patterns vs just AB? I am not familiar with the particular program he is in. Our play based preschool did include activities like name writing, numbers, simple math, etc. If they cannot also cater to the needs of older children, IMO, they should not offer to teach them. A varied age range means varied abilities.

And it may be that if he was guided more (especially since the K will probably expect him to follow a class routine) he would be happier. Not all children like not having guidelines. You can look around to see what is offered in your area. Many preschools are under-enrolled and may be able to take him even this late. Try for a preschool in a community center or church and ask about childcare options. Ours was only half days, but many families had a PT caregiver for the afternoons who picked up the child.

I think that also if he's having problems keeping his hands to himself, that isn't something that will be resolved by changing schools. That may also be a problem with his age. My DD has to be reminded to use her words. Can he be reminded to use his words?

While many areas do have public pre-K, as we do, sometimes that is only offered for those who cannot afford private preschool. She may not qualify. She can certainly ask, but it is not always an option.

It is probably an impulse control thing.
Which many young kids, and even older kids, have a 'problem' with.
Even if they know what is right/wrong, they have impulses.
And this is a maturity thing.
I work at a school, and even see 5th graders with this problem.

I don't think it is "boredom."

It could be... just too much free... play and/or unstructured-ness.
Meaning, some kids, just don't ALWAYS do well, with a child-led atmosphere. Because, some kids, just do not... know what to do with themselves. They are young, and cannot or do not, lead themselves. MANY young kids, need, structure... to know what is coming next, to have a routine, and have things lead and instructed. And even a child-led atmosphere, can become "stale" or "boring" for a kid, because, they do not always know what to do... with themselves, and then hence, they start to bother other kids or do things they should not be doing.
Your son is also NOW, 5 years old. He is no longer 2. Even if he has been going to the same place for years. Developmentally, he is now, 5.
And maybe he simply has 'outgrown' the atmosphere and learning approach there. So, this is also a flip side, to "boredom." But is not boredom per say.
And at a certain age, some kids just need more structure... and more 'teaching' to... instead of the kid leading it. Some kids just do not do well in a child-led learning environment. There are pro's and con's to it... and per your child, and how he is, and his age.
Even in elementary and middle school and high school, there are some school programs... like the "I.B." school curriculum that emphasizes kid lead, learning. Not the Teacher "teaching." But some kids just don't do well in that... because, they need more structure and being taught, to. Just as an example.

My son went to a preschool with mixed ages. Some older and some younger than him. But he really loved it and was not "bored" or beside himself. It was not a problem. And it was a play-based preschool.

There are many preschools, at least here in my city, that accept children year round. So a kid can go to a different preschool at any time of the year. And per research that you do, you... can find a preschool that is more age, specific. Not mixed ages in a room.

Anyway just some thoughts.

Have you asked... your son, if he is, "bored?"
See what he says.

Mix of three, fours and fives is a big span. He probably is bored. I don't think I would switch schools this late in the game. Maybe work with the teachers so that he can be challenged a bit more.

When my son was in the same type of situation, he kept telling me he was bored and hated going. I talked to his teacher and she talked to him asking him why he didn't come to her. She sat him down and found out where the boredom was the highest and then set up a seperate lesson plan for him. Turns out he had been looking over his brother's shoulder while he did homework and had taught himself more math and science that we knew. Once she started challenging him, there were no more issues. Sounds to me that may be what you need. Unless he is displaying the same behavior at home, ADHD is not the issue. (I am against medicating unless it is the last resort). Good luck!

Hi, Agent M:

Sounds like he has Attention Deficit disorder. Have you asked questions about his experience with school and/or the other students?

I don't mean making judgment statements. Ask him things as if you are a reporter for a newspaper.

Ask him questions like:

1. What's happening at your school?
2. What do you think about?
3. Who are you affected by? In what way?
4. What do you need in your class?

Other questions that might come up with the answers he gives.

Good luck.
D.

What about looking for a private kindergarden that he could attend for the remainder of the school year. Im not sure if he would be high enough academically but it might be a good idea if you found one that had availability. Then you could start him next year in public or whatever school you were intending.
I have heard of people with kids just past or before the cut off date doing this and then going with kinder a second year. It could potentially work well as many private schools do not follow the same curriculum so he will likely still have plenty of new things to learn next year.

I personally wouldn't switch schools this late in the game. Have you asked your son why he is "bored"? Ask specific questions. I know that with my son he would say he was bored just because they weren't doing what he wanted to do at the moment. He could be playing and all of a sudden he would say he was bored. He always wanted to be entertained by someone or something. He being my first kid I tried to find new ways to entertain him. I think it's good for kids to be bored a little bit, it makes them think. I think it's good to learn age appropriately that excitement won't come at you 24/7. It's real life. I don't necessarily think this applies to school work all the time and that is a totally other issue but this is Preschool so I think it's a little different, for me anyway. He may or may not have ADHD. It's not bad to look into it and if need be the diagnosis (it does NOT mean you have to medicate just that you can help the teachers know better how to work with him). Can you talk to the teacher and see what her recommendations are? My son has an Oct 21 b-day so he just missed the cutoff too. Good luck.

I don't see anyone saying to teach him how to behave, whether he's bored or not. Life is not going to entertain your son 24/7. He needs to learn how to behave even if he's not being personally engaged.

the RE model sounds great, so are they walking their talk? IF it's an interactive and creative process with a flowing open environment, what exactly is boring him?
if it's boredom, i'd move him. but if it's impulse control, he needs MORE structure, not less. since the teachers know him well, what do they suggest?
khairete
S.

Is this a daycare (kindercare type) place or a preschool for 2 hours a morning? If it is the first they should have him in a classroom with only 5 year olds. it is weird to have a big mix like that of 3,4 and 5 year olds. I would myself if it is a daycare type program like kindercare, goddard school etc ask why the big mix of ages. If it is a preschool thru a church etc then yes I would move him. There is a huge difference in the program a 5 year old should be in vs the program for a 3 year old. 3 year olds are learning to socialize and should be mostly play based. but a 5 year old should be in a much more structured program. learning the kinds of things they will need to transition to kindergarten. So it depends on what he is in. I would suggest if you have it in your budget to seek out something like the goddard school it is amazing. And you will definitly not have 3,4 and 5's in the same classroom.