Miss Priss's Parent/Teacher Conference

I met with Miss Priss's teachers on Tuesday. I wasn't sure that I would be able to because my father-in-law was in the hospital Monday with chest pain (and he was there through Tuesday), so my regular child care (my mother-in-law) understandably had bigger things to worry about than whether or not I had someone to watch the girls while I met with Miss Priss's teachers. As it was, my sister-in-law kept an eye on the for me.

So, they started by going through their little assessment of Miss Priss. She is the youngest in the class (which I alrady suspected), so they weren't surprised that she's a typical 3 year old as far as social/emotional development go. When she started last fall, she would be really sleepy in the mornings (and would even lay down during circle time). However, she hasn't done that in months, so they figure she's just not a morning person. She is still a little hesitant in the morning, but by lunch, she's come around and is more talkative. They have 12 kids in the class: the four oldest are already 4 (I know Miss Priss got invited to a birthday party for the oldest in September) and most have big sisters, so they are advanced socially; then there are the 4 middle ones; and finally, the four youngest. Miss Priss falls into this category. And of the 12, how many does she play with? 1. Yep, just one. She will play with the others once in a while, but she primarily plays with one of the little girls in the class whose family is from Finland, so English is her second language. This explains why, on rare occasions, Miss Priss starts spitting out words that I've never heard -- they're not English or Spanish. I think she's cursing me in Finnish. LOL As it is, for some reason the two of the have bonded and play almost exclusively with each other. Looks like the social anxiety genes got passed on.

As far as her language development goes, she's right on track for a 3-year-old. That's good to know since I've been concerned about her speech. She seems to have trouble with the "j" sound (i.e. -- gelly sandwiches, gumping around, etc.). She also seems to have trouble with the "ch" sound. Her teachers showed me a chart that shows that "ch" is something most kids have down by age 7. So I have a few more years before I need to worry about that. They are impressed with Miss Priss's vocabulary (and I didn't inquire if they quizzed her on her knowledge of 4 letter words). Apparently, she can express herself very well if she chooses to do so. Her ability to use her words instead of lashing out is coming along. Again, it's the bad genetics. LOL

What they were most impressed with are her motor skills (especially fine motor skills). She is very good at cutting straight lines (I was impressed), and her drawing is improving. At the beginning of the year, they had them all draw a self-portrait, and Miss Priss's was somewhat human stick-figure form. A circle, some straight lines, etc. However, her recent stick figures have fingers, toes, eyes, hair, etc.

Her writing skills are some of the best in the class. Apparently, most of the class can kind of write their names, but most leave out a letter or two or get them in the wrong order. Miss Priss can write her name correctly and legibly (for a 3 year old). She can also write Baby Boo's name correctly and legibly. She actually drew me a picture of Baby Boo and then put Baby Boo's name at the top. I keep forgetting to bring it to work to hang on my bulletin board.

Overall, she's doing great, and I couldn't be prouder. She seems to be very smart, but lacks the social skills. She'll probably be the youngest in her class again next year, but I hope she branches out a little more. We'll have to make the big decision next year of whether or not she's ready for kindergarten, but I'm no longer worried about whether or not she'll be good to go academically. I think she'll be fine. The question will be her emotional/social behavior.