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Preschool education

Get advice from other Mumsnetters to find the best nursery for your child on our Preschool forum.

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Original poster

What are my goals for my 4 year old this year?

18 replies

ghosty · 04/02/2008 11:33

That is the million dollar question on DD's questionnaire for her kindergarten.
She starts tomorrow what is called "4 Year Old Kindergarten" which is a partly funded pre school programme for, um, 4 year old children. 12 hours a week (split into 2x 6 hour sessions - some kinders do 3x 4 hours or 4x 3 hours)
Anyway, I've got to fill in this questionnaire and take it in. I hate this sort of thing. It is Kindergarten for god's sake ...
Question #1: What do you value as a family/what do you think is important to you as a family?
Question #2: What are your goals for your child this year?
Question # 3: Please give us some suggestions as to how we could work together to achieve your goals for your child this year.
Question # 4: Cultures and Languages relevan to your family
Question #5: If your child is unhappy what makes him/her happy
Question #6: Any other information you would like us to know
Question #7: What would you like your child to achieve at kindergarten
Question #8: What do you like about your child?

Is this standard for pre schools these days or is this peculiar to Australia? It could of course be peculiar to this particular kindergarten ...

This is over kill surely (although I understand they want to know a bit about her ...) I just want her to have fun that's all ...

Hmmmmm ...
Answers on a postcard

OP posts:

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frogs · 04/02/2008 11:35

Faaaaaark me.

throckenholt · 04/02/2008 11:35

I would just put - my goal is for her to have fun, enjoy herself and be happy - and maybe make some friends.

Definitely overkill - we seem to have forgotten how to let kids just be kids without formalising everything.

frogs · 04/02/2008 11:36

Sorry, that was not helpful.

TheHonEnid · 04/02/2008 11:36

I would say to learn letter sounds as part of goals

Original poster

ghosty · 04/02/2008 11:37

Enid - LOL ... they don't do that downunder ... not formally anyway ...
And am a firm believer in waiting till school ....

OP posts:

Original poster

ghosty · 04/02/2008 11:39

Frogs - that is exactly what I said under my breath when I received the letter ...

OP posts:

TheHonEnid · 04/02/2008 11:40

ghosty that explains a lot

SoupDragon · 04/02/2008 11:43

"Question #2: What are your goals for your child this year?"

Well, reaching 5 and still being part of the family was a challenging goal for DS2 and will be a similar challenge for BabyDragon I think.

Original poster

ghosty · 04/02/2008 11:45

LOL enid ... what I meant was, they don't go massively into formal letter learning until they start school ... obviously they learn sounds at school (and they cover stuff informally at this kindergarten - it is all 'child led' which I love and why I chose it)...
(FWIW DS didn't learn any letter sounds formally until he started school at 5 and now at 8 is reading fluently well above his chronological age ... )

OP posts:

Original poster

ghosty · 04/02/2008 11:46

Yes, Soupy ...
I was thinking something along the lines of "My goal for DD this year would be for her to learn to wipe her own bottom after doing a poo" ...

OP posts:

Hulababy · 04/02/2008 11:47

Have fun
Make friends
Learn to go to the toilet independently
Recognise her name written down
Fasten her own coat/shoes

Reckon that is enough at 4 isn't it?

Original poster

ghosty · 04/02/2008 11:49

That's the sort of thing Hula ... thanks heaps - forgot about the shoes and coat thing ...

Off to bed now - so will check in the morning ... night all x

OP posts:

frogs · 04/02/2008 11:50

Thing is, it's bloody bad enough having to fill in this kind of p*ssing form when you're applying for something that actually matters, like a job or grant or whatever.

Having to gear my brain up to write that sort of wnky bllocks for something pointless like a 4yo's mornings of cutting and sticking is just beyond the pale. Assuming your 4yo isn't still in nappies or randomly attacking everyone in sight they're only going to stick it in some dusty file anyway.

What a total waste of effort. Still, I guess it must enable them to tick some box somewhere.

[heavy sigh emoticon]

Hulababy · 04/02/2008 11:52

If you need anything more academic - learn to hold a pencil correctly; follow a story in a book and be able to tell you what it was about afterwards; etc.

Hulababy · 04/02/2008 11:52

Learn how to share and take turns

happystory · 04/02/2008 14:33

Am at question 8, am struggling to think what might be their reason for asking this.

Hulababy · 04/02/2008 19:02

What apeculiar question! How do you say what it is you like about your child?!

He is a funny, articulate, inquistive child who has a thirst for fun and knowing about everything about him. He is loving and caring whilst being funny and cherry.

Do they mean something like thaat?

sanae · 04/02/2008 19:12

If you just want her to have fun and make friends then i would put that down as your goals. I suppose you could put something about becoming a bit more independent, ready for school if this will be starting at the end of the year.

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