Hi tammydwy,

I agree with you, I think that 3 is too young for them to really understand and although each student will eventually receive a certificate, the others will feel 'left out' each time one is presented.  However, since there is nothing- to little you can do about it, just take this opportunity to explain to him that there will be many times through the school years that one student will receive an award or prize or recognition for something and he will not.  Explain to him that this is okay and for him to do his best and be proud of his performance and happy for the others when this happens.

Hi there,
There's no right or wrong here, and I can see why your child might be upset. We had a similar thing at our preschool when my son was young. While it can be hard for kids to understand why someone else received recognition and they didn't, preschool is also paving the way for kindergarten. One of the skills kids learn is to wait patiently for their turn. Another is to celebrate a classmate. Preschool is for many kids the first time that they have to learn to deal with another person being spotlighted-- learning to be happy for a friend or classmate is a big step. You will likely notice that your school works on these skills throughout the year-- whether it's which kid gets to be the calendar helper, which kid is celebrating a birthday, or which kid gets the most coveted job this week-- for example, plant watering helper vs. line leader (which every kid, preschool or kindergarten wants desperately!) Preschool is about so much more than learning the alphabet or learning how to write one's name-- it's about developing social skills that prepare kids for kindergarten success. Delayed gratification, as hard as it is to explain to a 3 year old, is one of those skills.

Good luck!
Danielle