Challenged:

• Preschool has clear developmental goals for children based on "typical" timelines. While school may accept that children differ, they never "give up" on a child in any critical developmental area



• Preschool assesses each child developmentally



• Preschool monitors development often during year



• Teachers adjust materials and approach for children not making progress until method is found that works



• A longer preschool day will help your child if you have difficulty offering development at home



• If child is very extreme, seek individualized goals and life-skill teaching to extent appropriate for each child.

What do you do if a child is behind peers in cognitive areas like pre-math or pre-reading?

How do you monitor whether children are progressing cognitively during the school year?

What do you do if a child is not making enough cognitive progress?

Do you have a longer preschool day and does it include more time on cognitive activities?

See The Savvy Source web pages:

• School Philosophy and Day-in-the-Life



• Curriculum and Teaching Approach



• Quality of Teaching, all items plus comment descriptions of how teachers work with children who are behind, excelling or different from the majority



• Applications and Admissions

Gifted:

• Preschool sets higher, individualized developmental goals for (or with) children ahead of others



• School monitors development often during year



• Teachers provide more challenging materials/work when child is ready, including "academic" work



• Some work/play is with similarly advanced children



• Advanced children are encouraged to continue making progress and using their strengths, rather than being discouraged from showing skills



• Teaching thinking skills (creativity, conceptual/ comparative, and logical/analytical) is an express part of materials and activities



• If child is very extreme, look for preschool with substantial portion of children who are gifted/highly gifted, or advanced kids grouped in a classroom

What do you do if a child is advanced beyond peers in cognitive areas like pre-math or pre-reading?

Do your classrooms have advanced cognitive activities for advanced children? What do you do if a child is ready for more advanced cognitive materials than those in a classroom?

How do you monitor children's cognitive development during the school year?

Are "thinking" skills part of your curriculum? How is that done?

Do you group very advanced children together in a classroom (only for extreme children)?

See The Savvy Source web pages:

• School Philosophy and Day-in-the-Life



• Curriculum and Teaching Approach



• Quality of Teaching, all items plus comment descriptions of how teachers work with children who are behind, excelling or different from the majority



• Applications and Admissions