Kindergarttn Readieness

have him screened by your public school district for KG readiness. & my biggest concern is that if you let him drop from his current school....to me that just sets the stage for him to be able to emotionally & physically walk away from whatever doesn't suit him in life. That's a huge issue for me!

My next concern is "why" he thinks he's dumb.....where did he hear this? Why does he think this? In other words, who's responsible for saying this horribly damaging phrase to him?

If the next door neighbors are sooo abusive, then I do understand your concerns about the public school.....but they are just a few kids....& there's a whole school full of other kids who may be more acceptable. & your neighbors are not a true reflection of what his education & possible extra help could be vs. the Catholic school he's in.

Lots to think about, but I truly believe that the new baby is factoring into the mix. OH, & now that I think about it, one of my friends just went thru something similar with her daughter. The child was miserable & very vocal about being unhappy with her new teacher. After several emails, mom & teacher met. It turns out that the child "wanted to just stay home with Mommy & didn't want to go to school". Things are much better now that the truth is out.....& the child knows that Mommy & teacher are on the same page as to her education. Hope all of this helps!

i completely understand your concern with your public school district. However without knowing what if any issues your son is having at school I have little advice, if you want to keep him in the current school.

I do homeschool my children though, we use an online charter school called OHVA, and LOVE it. My daughter has never been in public school, just private preschool, and home with me, she's in second grade and well ahead in reading and math. My son who started in public school has a lot harder time, but really does well with the program and is catching up to where he needs to be. Actually even though he is a grade level behind in reading, he is passing his state tests for his actual grade, so he's passing 4th grade state tests, even though he's only doing 3rd grade work at home. Pretty amazing IMO.
And while I do have a couple years under my belt, this is year number 3, I have a 5th grader in public school, two homeschooled and a baby due in 8 weeks, it's not easy, but the program is flexible, and there is a half day kinder program option, so it would be doable with a baby.

If I can give you any other info please let me know, otherwise good luck, hopefully you can figure things out so he can love learning and love school!

Stop fretting. The school is asking for this conference with you so you can be informed and so that they might get more insight on your child. Dont look at it like something is wrong look at it like you have a concerned educator that wants to work with you to do what is best for your son.
After the meeting you will be better at drawing conclusions.
Don't go in with a negative chip on your shoulder. You are concerned that your child is not responding well this year, so it will be a chance for you and the teacher to discuss the current issues. Give them that chance to help your child. I know you feel like they are pulling YOU into the principals office huh? It's funny how we get intimidated that way. But the school is being very responsible by reaching out for this discussion..... so listen and learn.

We had a similar problem with out daughter. She loved pre-school (all-day at a lutheran school) Then we moved her to a Catholic School for Kindergarden (we are Catholic). She was miserable, we finally figured out it was just a bad fit, so we went back to the Lutheran school, and she is doing great. Just remember public is not your only option, look at other private schools out there. It just may be that the current school he is in is just not the best fit for his learning style.

Don't fret too much. This shows that the school is concerned which is a good step because some schools don't care. they may have some suggestions to help you. I have been to many school meetings and all have been good. Go into this with an open mind. Maybe he is not ready for all day kindergarten. Someone has to be telling your boy hes dumb which is not good at all. I wouldn't keep him there if he is miserable, it could make for some problems later. forget about your neighbors kids. Hopefully he wont be in the same class as them. just treat bullies with kindness because bullies are usually jealous of something.

There is a great book by Leonard Sax about boys. (Boys Adrift) Other countries do not start school until 6. There have been studies that say boys are not ready for school until age 6. Girls are more social so they can can handle it better at 5. I would not force your son to go back there. DO you really want him to feel "stupid" for the entire school year. You will then end up with behavioral issues that you do not want to deal with. I think pre-k programs are great. They are better at preparing for kindergarten than preschool programs. Home schooling is really not that difficult at kindergarten level. But that said a newborn baby can be very unpredictable. I remember being sleep deprived. for years. From a mother of 3 boys and one girl. My youngest I kept back and it was the best thing I ever did. Good luck to you.