Why are academics so important right now? He's 3 years old, developmentally, children process academics differently. More important than being able to "recite" ABC's and 123's, (which is all they are really doing at this age, anyway), manipulative and creative play can be incredibly rewarding for you and your son. My 2nd daughter and I attended a co-operative preschool when she was 3. No academics, just socialization w/peers, ( which is more than enough to try to master at 3!)gardening, cooking, imaginative play, dolls, blocks, dirt, bubbles, ice, food coloring, water, and paint. It is amazing how much, they, and you can get out of sitting on the sidewalk with a bucket of water and some paintbrushes! Or a mortar and pestle and some lavender,sage, nutmeg, etc. They love to smash the herbs to release the scent. At least my daughter did! The boys in class loved the trains and wooden blocks and of course dirt! Nothing better than a sandbox, shovels, buckets and a garden hose for learning cause and affect and even engineering! Having had 1 child go through the elementary school system already, and another in kindergarten, I can honestly say that the time we spent in the "non-academic" preschool has taught my 6 year things that my 12 year old, who went to the highly academic Carden School ( I thought it was "better"),is still trying to master. Simply put,children learn valuable lessons through creative play. Sharing, empathy, teamwork, responsibility, the list goes on. Our children are pushed beyond belief once they enter the school system. Kindergarteners are required to read a list of 40 sight words and write their numbers to 30 WITHOUT flipping them backwards, (which by the way is COMPLETELY normal!) and to recognize a title page, author, spine and illustrator on a book, BEFORE passing on to 1st grade, where homework can take up to an hour and a half of their time, at 6 YEARS old! They will forced into the competitive,stressful world soon enough, don't they deserve a chance to just play? Something to think about.