Montessori Learning Center runs year-round. So Oakley graduated from Deerfield Elementary Kindergarten on Friday, May 30th and started Montessori on Monday, June 2nd. Although resistant to the idea of going to summer school in the beginning, Oakley is resistant to any change actually, he runs right in every morning. There is the occasional grumbling, but I have no doubt this is the best situation for him and I am amazed at all that he is learning and he’s finally being challenged after a year of coasting along in kindergarten. Montessori teaches cursive before print, so Oakley has been working really hard on his penmanship. I can’t believe the improvement in just a couple of weeks! Writing has always been a huge challenge for Oakley- most fine-motor things are for him. But with all of the one-on-one he’s getting, the improvements are amazing.
Their system of teaching reading and writing is so completely different from anything that I ever learned, I’m learning right along with Oakley. Scott and I love reading on the back of the flash cards and learning all these things about the English language that we never knew. We’re starting to read the Chronicles of Narnia together. I don’t know that I’ve ever read ‘the Magician Nephew” before and am loving it as much as Oakley. Reading is my one-on-one activity I try to do each day with the boys. For Eli and Asher, I read to them individually before they take their nap. With Oakley, I read to him at night before he goes to bed.
I thought that I was going to be so relieved when Oakley was in school and occupied all day. I was exhausted and guilt-ridden that I wasn’t doing enough with him during the day, so I thought it would be a huge relief when school was keeping his brain engaged for most of the day. Now that Oakley is in school from 9:00 – 3:30 every day what I’ve discovered is the huge change it is. I feel like I have hardly any time with him now. We went from one extreme to the other. I, surprisingly, really miss having Oakley home more. I promise you no one is more shocked than I. I thought this was the situation I have been dreaming of for years. The house with the golden windows really isn’t all that I thought it would be. Lesson learned! I will not wish Eli and Asher in school any sooner than they’re going to be. It will come soon enough….
Now I spend time thinking how Oakley is under the influence of ‘the world’ more hours of the day than he is with me and I wonder, “What should I have taught him that I haven’t already?” “Is he going to choose good friends?” “Is he standing up for what he knows is right?” In motherhood there are no “re-do’s” so I’m trying to take confidence in my attempts to teach my children to make good choices and choose the right. If I’m this concerned about my six-year-old, I can only imagine how many sleepless nights are in my future as Oakley actually starts driving a car, dating, etc. sigh… there is no bigger incentive for weekly Family Home Evening and daily family scripture reading that having your oldest child start attending school all day…..
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