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domchurch3
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| Posted: Aug 06 2008 at 10:23am | IP Logged
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My sister-in-law emailed me with a question that I think can be answered by many of you who are more experienced with their situation. (I changed the names when necessary)
The question is:
"OK, my first question is how many hours per day are you teaching sitting down at a table, on the couch, etc? Do you have any friends who homeschool their schoolage and have a toddler running around, how do they do it? I'm asking b/c Sally and I are thinking about homeschooling together, however, as of right now her husband is telling her no, b/c he doesn't think she can mentally handle it."
The children will be 4 and 2 in October. I'm thinking her friend's children are the same ages. Currently I'm not in their situation homeschooling our only child so I think they'd appreciate an answer from someone who has experience with this. They are completely new to this. They don't know anything about philosophies, materials, etc. I'd like to present them with a sweet, manageable plan. Can anybody help?
Also, they mention their concern about doing it themselves which is why they want to do it together. They think I can do it because my mom lives down the street if I need help.
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folklaur
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| Posted: Aug 06 2008 at 10:34am | IP Logged
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I have given Elizabeth's book to many people when they have asked me questions about homeschooling.
That was my first thought.
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Bethany
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| Posted: Aug 06 2008 at 12:49pm | IP Logged
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Well, my girls are 6, almost 5, almost 3, and 7 months. Last year was very loose because she was only 5 and I had the baby in December. We started more formal work on Monday and I would say the actual sit at the table time has been no more than 30 -45 minutes total. We have been breaking it up some because she still has swimming lessons in the morning. I read aloud at different times throughout the day (somedays more than others) and we still have plenty of free time. The main problem is reading aloud with the 2 yo and baby around, they both can be disruptive in their own way.
I'm not as experienced as some mothers here and maybe they will answer with some wisdom I'm lacking, but most people think since children are at school 6 - 8 hours a day, that is what it takes at home. But I remember all too well the amount of time wasted at school.
Taking roll, passing out papers, grading each others quizzes, notices over the intercom, etc...
Hopefully, we will be moving to the Dallas area soon (Plano/Frisco) and I could meet them at a park or something since we all have small children.
Hope this helps some
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Bethany
Wife to Mike, Mommy to Amelia (6/02), Sarah (10/03), Martha Grace (10/05), Rebecca Anne (12/07), Laura Catherine (3/10) and Reed Michael 7/4/14.
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Elena
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| Posted: Aug 06 2008 at 1:01pm | IP Logged
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Ages 4 and 2 should be a piece of cake! She could spend as much or as little time as she likes, but I think I would do something like Before 5 In a Row and probably a hour or so a day, or maybe a couple of hours a few times a week. It really doesn't have to be that big of a time commitment at that age.
i did do Before 5 in a Row with my son when he was 4 or 5 with his best friend and they had a blast! The friend's mom and I took turns planning the curriculum and the projects. It was really a nice year.
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Elena
Wife to Peter, mom of many!
My Domestic Church
One Day at a Time
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cathhomeschool
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Texas Bluebonnets
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| Posted: Aug 07 2008 at 6:52pm | IP Logged
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I immediately thought of Five in a Row too. (Or Before FIAR). Their board (and this one to a lesser degree) has lots of ideas for extending the books. If you register you can see the archives and search. Catholic Mosaic is a great option for adding the liturgical year to FIAR.
I think that homeschooling that age should not "require" any sit down time at all. I would not worry about how much you get done in a day or if you are making "progress" with "school." I wouldn't keep track of hours. What I *would* do is focus on crafts, maybe lapbooking, tracing/coloring, manipulative work, read alouds, art. That could take an hour a day (or less) or 3 or 4 hours depending on interest and time available. With a toddler, it won't be uninterrupted or focused. When I had toddlers, they sat on my lap while I read to the others. They participated as much as possible by playing with the things we were using. If I really needed to focus on something with the older ones, I waited until naptime. With two moms and 4 littles, one mom could play with the younger two while the other mom worked on cutting/whatever with the older two. We've done that lots of times in our groups too.
Elizabeth's book gives a *great* picture of what this can look like in a home. I second the recommendation. 
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Interested In Homeschooling but...
