Having Qualms About Sending Your Son to Pre-School

Recently a friend asked me, “Would you send a young four year old boy to a public pre-school who has  very delayed speech and who is emotionally and socially immature, but very bright?”

Since he has a summer birthday he would be one of the youngest in his class. Currently he is in a two day private pre-school program. He has made some progress in his speech but is still quite delayed.

Every situation is different, but in Pre-K it is often the youngest boys in particular who struggle to adapt to school routines and procedures.

They lack adequate social skills and often have shorter attention spans. This makes it more difficult for them to learn and retain concepts as compared with children who are chronologically older.

Even though this bright little boy will make gains in maturity in the coming year, it is possible that he will not overcome his speech problems or his immature emotional reactions by the time he is four. Unfortunately at times developmentally young children like the little boy in question can become targets for the more aggressive boys in the class who annoy them just  to be able to see their emotional reactions when they become frustrated.

So as you might expect I suggested giving him another year in the private school that he currently attends which has a low teacher-pupil ratio and would allow him more time and opportunity to develop the tools he needs to be successful and enjoy his first year in a public school environment.

I would also recommend that his parents apply for a speech evaluation in the school district where they live so that he can begin receiving speech services while he is yet three years of age if he qualifies. Many people are not aware that our school taxes pay for this service. It is certainly worth the effort to get him the help he needs and deserves as soon as possible.