Boy Genius

The Beast started Head Start yesterday. He was apparently most impressed by the peanut butter sandwiches in the cafeteria, and "really liked peeing in the potty" at his new school. He said he also said his teacher sang a song about being happy and ya' know it, and was proud because "Mom! I already know that song!".

Head Start is a potentially good program for him socially and emotionally. Academially, I don't know how much he's going to get from it. I warned the school district that I was afraid he would be bored academically, which would lead to him creating his own activities to entertain himself. Usually, his own entertainment includes strange chemicals, the toilet bowl, and some bouncy balls. Occasionally, it will only include a pair of scissors and some cat hair, but that's only on his slower days.

The school district assured me that the Beast would do well to be placed where he's being placed. He's in a program where they're learning colors, numbers, shapes, and letters. The Beast knows all about those things, and I'm not sure how they're going to challenge him, but whatever. Perhaps they'll have him figure out the perimeter and area of each shape? Who knows? I'm just waiting for the phone call from the teacher asking me when he learned the difference between a hexagon and an octagon. Beats me. I didn't teach him, but he does know it.

As I said, yesterday was his first day of school. Most of the summer was spent watching PBS or playing on the PBS website on the internet. I didn't think it was having much impact on him, but he seemed to be enjoying it...until yesterday. Number One had a calendar with student names on it laying on my desk. The Beast came up and looked at it and said, "J-i-l-l. That spells Jill."

What??!?!?!?! Did this kid seriously just READ a word to me?? I have done NOTHING to teach him one single skill. I promise I'm the ultimate slacker mom. I turned on the computer and typed in some other simple words for him, about a dozen. He sounded out every. single. word. CORRECTLY!!!! Apparently children do learn from what they see on television.

So, now we go back to the orginal question I asked when he was first placed in this program: Will he be challenged enough this year, or will he have to devise his own creative means of entertainment? I've already made my prediction based on what I know of him. You can feel free to make your own.