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ShawnaB
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| Posted: Sept 01 2006 at 8:10pm | IP Logged
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while your older dc are doing their lessons? I'm new to h-schooling with toddlers...and I have 2 of them this fall. It is probably my favorite developmental stage...the 12-30 month range. They are learning so fast and really becoming their own little people. They also speak little English, enjoy creating chaos from order, would rather eat books that read them, and would rather use my body as a jungle gym than a comfy lap to sit in.
Just wondering what YOUR toddler will be doing this fall? And for those of you with more experience than me, what is your best advice for a great experience homeschooling with toddlers?
BTW...just looked over at the babies in their highchairs...they are learning over giving each other gooey kisses...soooooo cute!
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Shawna, wife of Jacob, mom to Abraham 8 Amelia 5 and Jillian & Jonathan age 3 years http://www.psalm121family.com
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rivendellmom
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| Posted: Sept 02 2006 at 6:54am | IP Logged
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This is our first time homeschooling with a toddler. My next youngest was already 2 when I started Homeschooling. So, my little guy is 13 months old and he is scheduled to be with an older sibling at all times. He's a real character, gets into a lot more than the others did at his age. For example while I do Math with MaryKatherine the baby is with my 12 year old playing with Duplos. I have his whole day scheduled so that I can work with the big kids with minimal interruptions. I can give the whole schedule if anyone is interested. Its a order of the day type more than a Math from 9-9:30.
Jen
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Jen in suburban Chicagoland Mom to Connor(91), Garrett(93), Reilly (95), Mary Katherine (98), Declan (05), Ronan in ^i^ 6/28/08
visit our new blog: http://recreationalscholar.blogspot.com/
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ShawnaB
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| Posted: Sept 02 2006 at 9:46am | IP Logged
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I'd love to see your schedule. I was just working on my own last night. I have also scheduled time for toddlers to be with older siblings...but I do have fewer older siblings that you do! I'm hoping that by teaching 6 year old ds and 3.5 year old dd to have "purposeful" play with the little ones...that is, with only a few specific toys in a confined space...that playtime will be more harmonious.
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Shawna, wife of Jacob, mom to Abraham 8 Amelia 5 and Jillian & Jonathan age 3 years http://www.psalm121family.com
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rivendellmom
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| Posted: Sept 02 2006 at 11:59am | IP Logged
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I resisted scheduling for a long time, it goes against my "whatever" philosophy. I have to admit the house has been cleaner, we've actually all started eating meals at the same time and everyones school work got done last week- so I think its working!
I have times listed but we really just go in order of the schedule, so I don't have a stop watch out-redirecting kids because of the time.
After breakfast:
Mary math with Mom
Reilly Math with Connor
Garrett with Declan in lv rm (duplos)
Connor-kitchen counters
Mary- empty dish drainer
Reilly-sweep stairs
Garrett-switch laundry loads
Reilly -Reading
Mary-phonics,reading with Mom
Connor-english
Garrett-Reading/vocab
Declan-listening to reading
Connor- clean a bathroom
Garrett-English with Mom
Reilly- play with Declan in basement
Mary-copywork
Connor- Biology
Garrett-science
Reilly-Science
Mary-play with Declan (signing time)
Lunch
Mom-put Declan down for nap
Mary-History
Garrett- sweep/vacuum floors
Reilly-History
Connor-yard work
Declan-sleep
Connor-Reading
Garrett-HW/spelling history with Mom
Reilly-empty garbage cans
Reilly-hw,spell,memory work
Declan-sleep
Mary-empty laundry hampers
spell,hw,memory work
Connor-Algebra with Mom
Garrett- copywork,memory work,typing
Garrett-Math with Mom
Connor-Declan in yard
Mary-clean room
Reilly-clean room
Family Rosary
Get ready for soccer, start dinner etc.
We have a nightly schedule too but it is different every week night. I'd rather do morning Mass, but I compromise with the Rosary in the afternoon. We are too tired after sports to do it at night.
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Jen in suburban Chicagoland Mom to Connor(91), Garrett(93), Reilly (95), Mary Katherine (98), Declan (05), Ronan in ^i^ 6/28/08
visit our new blog: http://recreationalscholar.blogspot.com/
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Rachel May
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| Posted: Sept 02 2006 at 1:46pm | IP Logged
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So far we're continuing with what we did last year--little ones wandering in, sitting on mom's lap, playing with puzzles, tangrams etc. Both Cecilia and Charles like to try to memorize poetry because they get to stand in front of an audience and ham it up so we include them in that. Your guys are younger and "twins" are their own challenge so I don't know how those things will work.
Playdough and gluing ripped colored paper to paper plates and non spilling bubbles are big hits here too.
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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saintanneshs
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| Posted: Sept 02 2006 at 3:03pm | IP Logged
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We do "centers" for the 3yo (basically just Montessori-type learning stations) and with the our 22mo, we do a lot of "going with the flow." 
I don't have a big kid that i can leave totally in charge of her yet, so this is a tough issue for us also. She doesn't like being in the Pack N Play for too long now, although we've sort-of set up learning centers in there for her. She'll usually stay for about 30 min-1hr in there, happily playing with her baby things and then she demands to get out and the chaos begins...I try to keep her in a defined space where I can watch her while I supervise the 6 and 5yo boys. Our living room area is blocked off so she can't get out and rearrange the whole house while we're working. Lots of times the 3yo will play with her and keep her busy. When things get too chaotic, she has a morning snack in her highchair or colors at the table with us, sitting in a booster seat (trying to eat the crayons). She likes to sort the little plastic bears into cups, too. If she gets cranky, I'll usually lay her down for a short morning nap in her crib.
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Kristine
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Dawnie
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| Posted: Sept 02 2006 at 3:53pm | IP Logged
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We have different scheduling challenges than most--my dh works 2nd shift, which means he leaves for work at 2pm and gets home around 11pm. Our school room is set up in our basement, and I also have all the kids' toys down there. I am working on getting a manipulative shelf set up for my preschooler so that she can do Montessori-type activities during school time. My toddler just plays with the toys or colors while I do schoolwork with my oldest dd, who is 7. If she gets too rowdy, I send her upstairs to be with Daddy. This works great as long as I do school in the morning. If we have a slow start, then I end up having to do some of it in the afternoon after he leaves for work, and that is more challenging.
I've been trying to "go with the flow" of my toddler's moods, watching out for quiet moments when I can give more focused attention to my oldest daughter. There was a neat thread not too long ago which addressed homeschooling w/ a toddler and the concept of "gathering in" rather than "pushing away." I have an order of the day, but I think that those of us who practice attachment parenting have to be much more flexible when it comes to homeschooling and caring for little people. I have divided up my dd's schoolwork into "core" subjects and "non-core" subjects. The core subjects are first priority and MUST be done everyday. So, I focus on getting these done first. If we don't get it done in the morning, for whatever reason, then it's the first thing we pick up after naps later in the afternoon after Daddy has gone to work. Our non-core subjects are things that are important and I would like to get done everyday, but they are second priority and it's okay if they don't get done every day. Our non-core subjects are mostly read-alouds and notebooking or hands-on projects. I've really tried this year to be more realistic about the time I have for hands-on type learning--I tend to be over-ambitious about what I can accomplish in a limited amount of time, then I feel guilty over not "getting it all done." I've found that it's much better to be realistic, recognizing that I just don't have the time or energy to do as much heavy-preparation hands-on projects with my dc when I have an active toddler and/or new baby. I can usually get the read-alouds done everyday as my dc LOVE sitting on the couch or in bed with me and listening to me read aloud. Sometimes the toddler is noisy and gets into things, but she has just recently discovered a few favorite board books, so when she starts getting antsy, I read "her" book to her (sometimes several times!), and she usually calms down a bit. I have also gathered everyone into one bedroom, piled lots of pillows on the bed, and put up a baby gate to keep my toddler contained while we read aloud. Then, I don't have to stop reading and get up to keep her out of the kitchen cabinets or the china cabinet. I have gated off our school room, too, and tried to put all the "off-limits" items up very high so that my toddler can't get them. The scissors are up high AND behind a locked door. I have found that it's easier to give one-on-one attention with the younger dc present when we are in a space that is completely baby-proof. I have also gated off and baby-proofed a room so that could lie down and nap while the toddler plays. 
We just finished up our 4th week of school, and most of the things in my lesson plan have been accomplished. I was a little over-ambitious in my lesson plan for our Tour North America project.  We are a little behind our read-aloud schedule and we'll be doing well to get ONE hands-on project done. We are keeping up with the notebook for this project, though, so that's good.
If my dh worked 1st shift, I might wait until he got home and could help me w/ the younger dc to do the one-on-one schooling with my oldest. I think I would just do lots of read-alouds and try to get all the housework done before he got home so that I could focus on those "core" subjects after he got home.
Dawn
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MarilynW
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| Posted: Sept 03 2006 at 8:34am | IP Logged
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I spent a lot of time figuring out how to include my 2.5 year old. We have had a week of school and it seems to be going very well. I do have a schedule for all the kids (MOTH) I spend the first hour of the morning with the toddler - we are using a Learning Board system (adapted from Brightly Beaming (http://www.letteroftheweek.com/index.html) but with our own plan. He does a letter, number, shape and color. We read a lot of books. (I have planned in some from the free schedules on the Sonlight Preschool list). We do a simple craft - eg painting/playdough/coloring. We spend time on scissors and cut and stick activities - I bought the Kumon books for toddlers - just so that he would have his own books -and he loves do do the simple cutting or pasting activities. We made him a "portfolio" out of posterboard and he loves to fill it with his "work" and show it to Daddy at the end of the day. We play a board game and do some easy puzzles together.
Once our hour is done - he does his own thing. He has a couple of half hour dvd and snack slots - with Signing Time or Letter Factory or Donut Man. He also sits in the school room and does some activities - I have some Montessori activities - pouring, iceballs and tongs etc which keep him occupied on his rug. He has learned to take out his tray, and then tidy up at the end.
I have also bought a Melissa and Doug tabletop easel with magnetic white board and blackboard - and he loves to sit at this and either scribble or put his magnets on.
We do have time for the older ones to spend a half hour with the toddler too - they love to do this.
He does sit down for our read aloud times and join in our religion activities. I am hoping to introduce some CGS activities later in the year.
Another website which has some nice plans for toddlers is http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/pre-kindergarten.html
I have found that having time with the toddler first thing has helped the day go well.
Blessings
Marilyn
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Sarah
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| Posted: Sept 05 2006 at 2:07am | IP Logged
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My ds is just 13 mo. and he's into everything!!!!!!!!!
But, he's part of the family, so we'll just deal with him here at our feet.
At super desperate times, I'll put him in a playpen, and a sibling crawls in there with him, and he'll be happy for 10 minutes or so.
Its tough. . .
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: What will your toddler be doing...
