Blue's Clue's and Brown Bear, Brown Bear vs. The Encycolpedia, National Geographic and Discovery Channel at 5?

I absolutely love Grant's kindergarten teacher. She is one of those people that brings an instant level of comfort the second you look at her. Grant loves her as well. The thing about Grant is that he doesn't instantly trust anyone. He is very hesitant and guarded. I asked him tonight "How do Mrs. Cross and Mrs. Bear compare?" He said "Completely!" Since my question was asked in a particularly odd fashion in order not to sway his response I was confused at first by his answer. He continued on to say that they are the same. To know how big of a shock that statement is you would have to know how in love Grant was with his preschool teacher, Mrs. Cross. He was so upset when he found out that she wouldn't be coming with him to kindergarten. He started preschool right before his 3rd birthday. The Y-tots program was appealing to me because it was only two days a week from 8:30-11am. They focused on socialization, play, following rules, and fun education. I say fun because I am against hard core preschool. I believe that kids should be able to play before they start school. If they ask questions, and oh, how they do... I feel we should answer every one. I didn't want him to be forced to learn the things he would be learning in kindergarten before he even got there. I wanted him to play and experience life so he would want to know all about it. I can understand those kids who don't care to learn because their parent's never answered the millions of "why's" or the kids who never got the chance to play and experience the world enough to be compelled to know more and more. To be hungry for more knowledge.
"Mommy is the sun falling?, Mommy do the people get to come out of the TV?, Mommy how does the tree in the front yard come back to life and get green again after it died when the leaves fell off of it? Mommy why are you doing that? Mommy why can't I? Mommy what's that? Mommy what's that? Mommy what's that?
WHAT'S THAT!"
Due to his thirst for knowledge Grant asked to learn many things and was ready for kindergarten. In June Grant sounded out words in a book Jake was holding and officially read his first book. We covered up the pictures so that he wasn't able to just guess by the picture. I remember getting frustrated recently when he was at his Grandmother's house and I was talking about being worried he would be bored in kindergarten, therefore getting into trouble, and I was informed that he didn't know the sounds that the letters made and didn't know how to identify some of the letters. My first thought was who cares, that's what he will learn anyway, so maybe he won't be bored , but then it hit me...No, that wasn't true. He wanted to play school all of the time so we would often work on letters at home. He repeatedly identified and sounded them out correctly. He had a wipe board that he used and every time he got all of them right we bought a littlest pet shop animal, I'm sure we did that too many times...it got pricey. I couldn't figure out why he wasn't showing his Grandma what he knew. It wasn't really all that important other than it made me look like I was a dope. I asked him why she may have thought that. He told me that he just didn't want to play school at Grandma's house, he wanted to catch toads. I figured he if he didn't care he probably appeared that he didn't know, he was probably thinking about catching toads. She wouldn't have cared if he wanted to catch toads instead of work on school stuff. He should have told her. She was a teacher for years, she certainly knew how to teach him his letters and sounds if he really didn't know them, but I really did already teach him, as bad of a Mom as I may appear to others I know in my heart I do my best.
Grant really loved me to read the children's encyclopedia to him since he was three. I have to be honest, I used to read encyclopedias at my Grandparent's house when I was little, so I was happy to read it to him. He also has developed such an amazing interest in animals, insects and nature that we often have the Discovery Channel Streaming Netflix on. The Disney channel seems to have faded into the background. He has a subscription to Kid's National Geographic, but gets irritated that it doesn't look like the adult version. I honestly thought kindergarten would continue his development upward. I'm sure socially he has things he needs to work on, anxiety in social settings is an issue, but if Ted and I never got over that, how will kindergarten improve that? I feel there will always be opportunity in all settings to learn something, even if it is as simple as, "I should not act like that kid!" However, the kindergarten program has to cover such a wide spectrum of children.....they have to make sure they don't well, leave anyone behind....
I feel a bit amazed that Mrs. Bear is able to teach children who have never read Brown Bear, Brown Bear and are 5 years old, with kids who are already reading (I'm not talking about Grant, she mentioned last year she had a girl reading at a third grade level). I don't really consider Grant to be able to read yet. Tonight Jake was watching an episode of Blue's Clues that Grant probably watched when he was right around two as well. Suddenly Grant pipes up, "Hey we watch this at school during nap time!" I said, "Are you kidding me!?" It was a sudden reaction and I shouldn't have said it, so Ted shot me a look. That look. That one that gets me every time. The "I'm so disappointed with you look". I was just amazed. Blues Clues at 5....Really? This is in no way a comment on Mrs. Bear's teaching skills, as teachers must do what is right for all of their student's right? But, if that is true, what about the kids who are forced to- wow, here comes a "Jo said it and it was totally inappropriate comment...."- dumb it down? I am smart enough even after such a dumb comment to know that there may be reasons for these things I don't know about, but I wish I could understand, I really do. .
As learning about his colors the first week, reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and the librarian telling him he couldn't check out books in the bigger kids reading sections- even though I would be reading the books to him no matter what he checked out...., I'm having a hard time telling myself to enforce the idea that he must act his age. What is it that a five year old must act like these days again? Guess I have no clue.
Disclaimer: To all parent's who have children who struggle with a learning disability or social or emotional disability: I understand that there is a struggle for us as parents to keep our children at levels that are equal to those of the typical child their age. I understand the guilt, the pressure, the anger at the school system, etc. I simply am presenting a different thought on the whole dynamic system. It appears broken. I am not the first obviously to see this, but, I want it to be clear that all children (people)  have weaknesses and I am not saying that my son is without his own. Someday when he is old enough to share his, maybe he will. Maybe I will have taught him, if nothing else, that there is no shame in expressing weakness...Until then, I will continue to speak of his strengths because I am proud of him and how far he has come.