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Cindy Mac
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| Posted: May 10 2005 at 3:50pm | IP Logged
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I'm very new to this whole process and not quite sure where or when to start "formally" teaching my children. I have an almost 2 year old ds and a 7 month old ds. I know we are "learning" on a daily basis (letters, numbers, colors, manners, etc), but am not sure at what point I need to start thinking about "formally" teaching. Should it be when my oldest is 5 or should/could I start earlier? And if so, does anyone have any advice on what to begin with? Thanks for any wisdom you can share. 
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Cindy - wife to Chris, mommy to my 4 sons!
Kellys Klassroom Korner
St. Anne's Academy
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teachingmom
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Virginia Bluebells
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I started to do simple lessons when my oldest was 3. We used Five in a Row and played around with numbers and letters. Now I've relaxed to the point that my 5yo, who will start kindergarten in our homeschool next fall, plays most of the time and only does school-ish stuff when the mood hits her. I've found that either way, they end up in about the same place academically around first grade.
If you would like to start early, I would recommend something like Before Five in a Row at around age 3. Hope that helps.
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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Molly Smith
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| Posted: May 11 2005 at 5:49am | IP Logged
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teachingmom wrote:
| Now I've relaxed to the point that my 5yo, who will start kindergarten in our homeschool next fall, plays most of the time and only does school-ish stuff when the mood hits her. |
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We've had the exact same experience as you describe. The funny thing, too, is that of course the 5yo has been listening to our read alouds, going on the field trips, watching the educational videos, watching his older siblings, listening to us do oral math drills, and he sort of picked up reading on his own. He messes around with the Turbo Extreme math games and thumbs through Ranger Ricks and Big Backyards. I guess he's "unschooled"! I'm not planning on doing a formal kindergarten for him. He'll continue to just hang out and participate with the olders if he wants to or just play with the littles.
Cindy, I'd say something like Before Five in a Row would be terrific for your little one. At the very least you'd be reading some great books. Then, as everyone here usually says, spend a lot of time outdoors exploring your world! I have a 2 3/4 year old and an 8 month old baby and the baby has just discovered that there is a world outside of mommy. He loves to sit in the grass (a month ago he hated it!), swing in the baby swing, get pulled in the wagon, go for walks, etc. It's fun for my 2yo, too, because she can do all of these things for/with him.
Have fun!
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Molly Smith in VA
Mom to seven beautiful children, ages 1-14
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: May 11 2005 at 6:50am | IP Logged
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Dear Cindy,
When my eldest was little, I was blessed to live near one of the only homeschooling lending libraries of the time (this was the dark ages--no internet). I borrowed every book in that church's library. What a feast it was! We've since moved. And now, we live down the street from you  .
And, lucky for you, I have a huge library right here at home. I even have two copies of the Before Five in a Row that Irene mentioned  . YOu are welcome to come and borrow and read.
You also have the benefit of forums like this one, where you can just soak up the experiences of other moms and get a feel for what is much more than an educational choice--it's really a lifestyle. Spend time here and ask lots of questions.
Also, I know there are at least four other moms in our parish who are seriously considering homeschooling as their children reach school age. They have spoken to Mary Chris and to me and they are asking the same questions you are. I can't encourage you enough to begin to network now. Why not invite them to do a book study with you over the next year? (I could suggest a book if you like  .) While you moms build strong friendships, your children will, too. And then, when other children get on the bus in early September, the whole group of you goes on a nature hike instead!
I don't think this advice is specific to Cindy. When I joined this parish three years ago, there was only one other family who homeschooled. Now, we are looking at many who are considering it. When Mary chris moved into the parish, I wasn't alone anymore. It really only takes two families to begin to build a community of homeschoolers. And when other families see that "something special" that sets homeschooling families apart from the rest, they ask questions. And the movement grows.
It amazes me how it's grown since I was in Cindy's shoes! There is so much support to be had and so many resources to help. I was never overwhelmed by choices; I can imagine that someone new today might be.
Keep talking! Keep asking! We love to hear what you're thinking and we love to discuss answers to your questions.
(Oh, and incidentally, the two wise women who answered you before I did, Cindy, are local as well. Irene is in the neighborhood and Molly is just a lovely half hour drive away  .)
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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alicegunther
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| Posted: May 11 2005 at 8:47am | IP Logged
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Elizabeth wrote:
It amazes me how it's grown since I was in Cindy's shoes! There is so much support to be had and so many resources to help. I was never overwhelmed by choices; I can imagine that someone new today might be.
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Oh, Elizabeth, how true. I remember when my two eldest were two and six months, and I thought I was the only homeschooler in the universe. Then I met Lissa and was glad that there were at least two of us! What fun we had in those baby days pouring over books, buying craft supplies, doing nature study, and teaching sounds, music, and simple math. (My current three and one year old get none of that, I'm afraid.)
You are absolutely right about the importance of networking with other homeschooling moms. We now have an enormous homeschooling group, but just six years ago, other than Lissa, we did not know a single homeschooling family on Long Island.
By the way, for very young children, I would warmly second the recommendation of "Before Five in a Row" as a starting point.
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Love, Alice
mother of seven!
   
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Brew yourself a cup of tea, and come for a visit!
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Genevieve
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Hi Cindy,
I'm exactly in your shoes except I haven't found much homeschooling support group. My sons are 2.5 yr and 5 mth. What I would suggest that makes the most sense is to educate yourself. Two year olds are pretty creative so you can rest assured that they will learn even without formal instruction. Take up Elizabeth's offer and read, read, read. Discuss books. One philosophy might appeal to you today, yet another on another day. Slowly try to incorporate different ideas at a time. I am currently trying to concentrate on establishing habits and atmosphere. I was inspired by a so-called Montessori environment and have worked on establishing that these past few months. I bought many bookcases, lined them up a wall, carefully selected some toys, displayed them nicely, then got out of the way. It's amazing what a calming effect it has on me and my son! I have also worked on getting some habits more fully ingrained in my life, like daily prayer, daily exposure to nature... anything that sounds like something you want to incorporate but for some reason or another isn't natural for you and your family.
As for "formal" instruction, there are some people who start at birth, some at kindergarden, some who never do... these are all based on individual philosophies. In terms of active participation, with the 5 mth old, I read to him; We both lie on the floor and I hold the book above his head. Simple board books work fine and I only do it for five minutes at a time. I also pulled out some toys that would be appropriate for him to grab at, batt at, chew at. For the two year old, I read a lot, introduce some Montessori-type activities, do simple art and go out and play. I have this particular link for great inspiration. If you go to the curriculum link to the left and scroll to the bottom, there are even more links to more fun activities.
Last, but not least, I'm getting into the habit of actively observing my children. I try to keep a running journal of things they do on their own. I jot it down quickly point-form. It's amazing what you can learn about them. For example, if I look in my journal now, you would see that Christian spends some time everyday to play with this tracks, and recently tried to hatch eggs on my kitchen floor , and looks forward to catching bunnies around the common area behind my house. He's also started to pretend to read. So I continue to borrow books on trains, animal eggs, bunnies and some wordless books. We are probably also going to go visit a train musuem. Journals just help me remember what interest he is currently persuing. It also helps to make you more aware of when he is showing signs that he is developmentally ready and interested in reading, writing etc etc or in my 5 mth old, crawling.
Genevieve
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Marybeth
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We started to listening to books on tape in the car with our son when he was two. It was such a great way to pass the time for him since we travel by car during all our vacations. I am unable to fly due to ear problems.
Now, we always get chapter books on tape and just listen to them driving around town for errands and going to playdates. The only drawback is many books are now only being put on CD, and we don't have a CD player in our van. ugh!
Marybeth
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: When to start?
