Back to School - Day 17

Today I am thankful for Austin's school. Creative School at First United Methodist Church in Springdale is just a great program and I can't say enough great things about his teachers, Miss Trisha and Miss Jana. Austin looks forward to school EVERY day...however, he only gets to go on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

For those who don't know, Austin was resistant to ANY learning before school. The boy didn't even want to learn the ABCs. We would start to sing and he'd tell us to stop. Sometimes it was a polite, "Please stop singing." Other times, he would yell, "I don't want to do that right now!" There was a time when he loved to sing pre-school songs, but at some point around 2 years old, he just stopped and didn't want anyone else to either.

He NEVER wanted to sing. We had started doing story time at the Springdale Library when we moved here. It was a great program, but in between all the books that were read, they would do songs. Austin hated this part and would get up from the group and come sit with me while the other kids were singing. He even started saying (before I put a stop to it), "NOT AGAIN!" and then come sit with me. I think some of this was embarrassment. I'm not sure why he was so embarrassed to sing, but he was. After a couple of months, he said he didn't want to go to story time anymore. I think he got tired of the singing...he just wasn't comfortable in that setting.

A couple of months before he started school, we saw a little change in him. He started to become a little more open to counting, a few letters (his favorite was H) and a few other things. However, it wasn't until he started going to school that he just blossomed (can you use that phrase for a boy?).

Austin now breaks out in song at the drop of a hat. He knows the Alphabet Song, can count to 30 (at least) is able to pick out the sounds of letters, and is SO happy to be learning. His school has a music class and he will actually come home and start singing some of the new songs. He loves his teachers and is just so proud of everything he is doing. Right now, he is technically ready for Kindergarten (according to the checklist). We used to worry about him being behind and how he'll respond to school. Not anymore! He's doing so well and I am so thankful for everything his school has done for him!

So, today as he went back to school after our vacation, I was thankful he was able to go and be happy to learn.