Toddler progress report

I’ve written many a progress report in my decade of being a teacher.  Recently, however, I received my first one.  For my child, that is.  Theo’s not even one and a half and only goes to Montessori two days a week, but his teacher dutifully marked out what he can and can’t do so far this year. 

Mostly he isn’t doing anything on their list yet because the class begins with 15-month-olds and goes up to age 3.  He’s also a bit of a late bloomer.  However, I think that a report that shows that he doesn’t have many skills is inherently flawed, so being an expert progress-report-writer, I decided to do my own.

The Key:

x = beginning
xx = improving
xxx = mastered

The Progress Report

Large Motor skills:

Stands up on his own in the middle of a room – xx
Pushes large objects into new locations, causing parents to trip – xxx
Sits down at snack table – xx
Opens cupboard, removes snack, and carries it to snack table – xxx
Climbs up any step within walking distance – xxx
Breaks through the gate to get to stairs as quickly as possible – x

Fine Motor skills:

Successfully uses a spoon and fork – xx
Picks small bits of food off the floor and eats them – xxx
Uses a shape sorter – xx
Stacks blocks – xx
Puts shapes and blocks into random containers – xxx
Opens tops of toothpaste tubes – xx
Makes a mess with toothpaste – xxx
Puts toys into a bin to clean up – xx
Takes them out again immediately – xxx

Language Development:

Knows his own name – xxx
Uses words to communicate needs – x
Signs frantically expecting all adults to understand – xxx
Follows simple directions – xx
Understands words related to food – xxx
Screeches like a pterodactyl to show displeasure – xxx

Social/Emotional:

Finds alternatives to pushing or biting his brother when angry – x
Laughs off brother’s negative reaction – xxx
Pets the cats gently – xx
Pulls the cats’ tails – xxx
Blows kisses to say goodbye or good night – xxx
Gives hugs randomly throughout the day – xxx
Dances to music – xxx
Smiles at strangers, charming them into doing his bidding – xxx

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Clearly I should send this progress report back to his teacher.  I mean, I think it’s obvious that Theo is well on his way to acing Toddlerhood, don’t you?