World's Finest for Archer

 I had a long and agonizing decision about whether to put Archer into kindergarten as his birthday falls just a couple months before the cutoff date (you have to be five by a certain date to start kindergarten).  So if Archer was going to start kindergarten this year he would be just barely five.  Usually boys who are a young five get held back until they are six and start kindergarten already six years old (girls often start young though).  I went back and forth on the decision.  Archer had already done two years of preschool and speech therapy.  I wanted him to continue with his speech therapy and if he waited until he was six he might miss a year of it. After many prayers I decided that starting kindergarten would be the best for Archer.  

I have noticed when kids have difficulty with speech it makes learning phonics or letter sounds much harder (all four of my boys have been in speech for varying lengths of time: Quinton six months, Declan seven years, McCoy eight months and Archer two and a half years so far).  This in turn makes reading much more difficult. ( If you have a child [three years and older] who you are not sure if they need speech therapy you can get them tested for free at any school district just call your local school district to make an appointment for testing).  I really believe in starting speech therapy as young as you can so they can overcome whatever impediments they have.  All three of my older boys speak really well and have no speech impediments at all now.  You would never guess Declan was ever in speech and he was in it for seven years.  It makes me really grateful for such wonderful speech therapy programs.

With Archer's speech challenges, I wasn't to surprised that Archer tested into Title One which is a program to help kids who struggle with reading giving them a little extra help. To my surprise he was only in Title One for eight weeks and then he tested out of it having caught up to his grade level.  Archer had a surgery on his tongue and he speech is improving greatly!  He really loves going to school.  Something though really sweetened the deal for him going to school was when he found out that the office sold the World's Finest Chocolate for only a dollar (fundraiser).  Wee Archy, loves chocolate!  Nona often leaves a dollar for each kid when she can't see them when she comes to town. Guess where Archy likes to spend his dollar?  Yep, he buys a chocolate bar.  He often hits Eddy and I up for a dollar but sadly we don't give into his demands.  When he earned two dollars from losing a tooth he took his brother, McCoy to get a chocolate bar too.  

His own chocolate bar made by the World's Finest!

Archer loves his chocolate

The World's Finest for the finest little kindergartener that I know!