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mooreboyz
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| Posted: July 09 2011 at 3:26pm | IP Logged
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I have taught all my boys from little on and while they are each unique, they all had the same learning style. My first 4 were all really quick with math and did puzzles when they were 2 (the ones that have 24 pieces). They are all very typical "boys" when it comes to learning...very logic centered.
My 4 year old is the opposite. He loves to do artsy stuff. He's very dramatic...puts on Lorance Welk performances, etc. He comes up to me when I'm cooking and tells me we should go dance and sing in stead. He adds joy to my every day. However, he hates to count - unless we're singing and then he skips certain numbers because they don't sing well. He also hates puzzles. I've learned over the years that when a child "hates" something that generally means that it is difficult for him and after sitting with him it seems that he doesn't "see" puzzles like my other boys did.
So, I know you all have much experience teaching different learning styles and I'd like to here your recommendations for teaching this son. I'd like to learn how to reach him now while he is still young. Keep in mind that I have 4 older children to teach and a one year old. I'd like to be putting on plays with him everyday and so forth; but, I just don't have the time.
Thanks in advance!
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Jackie
7 boys - 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17 years
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Mackfam
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| Posted: July 12 2011 at 11:46am | IP Logged
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mooreboyz wrote:
My 4 year old >>snip<< loves to do artsy stuff. He's very dramatic |
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mooreboyz wrote:
| I'd like to be putting on plays with him everyday and so forth; but, I just don't have the time. |
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I think there are some ways you can work with this little fella in the ways he enjoys without sinking all of your time into stage performances (which it sounds like he'd love!)
Right off the bat, I'd say investing in some really great children's music would be fantastic for this child. I'm thinking of music that is a vehicle for communicating ideas or learning. I'm sure you've probably already done this, Jackie, but I'll mention a few favorites:
Wee Sing - pick a topic and they sing about it in catchy ways! Learn the days of the week, Mother Goose rhymes, etc! Especially wanted to mention Children's Songs and Fingerplays!!
Making Music Praying Twice - I don't have this program, but there are so many fantastic reviews for it on this board that I wanted to recommend looking into it! If I were in the market for a music program, this would be at the top of my list!
Catholic Heritage Curricula selections of Catholic music for children - I've always enjoyed CHC's selection of music for children.
Another suggestion I have is finger puppets! For a child with a flair for the dramatic, finger puppets are a great vehicle for narrating (for an older child...or the spontaneous *acting out of a story* that a younger child does naturally), teaching virtues through imaginative stories, etc. We really enjoy our Folkmanis Finger Puppets. You don't need anything elaborate and they don't take up a ton of space. Just drop a collection in a basket and set them out!
Fingerplays for Nursery and Kindergarten by Emilie Poulson. This is a delightfully charming little book I've just recently discovered. The one I linked is an affordable (albeit oop) Dover reprint of Ms. Poulson's original 1898 book. The finger plays are just adorable and my 3 yo and 6 yo just love them!!
I'm going to take a chance with this next suggestion, but it's another book I've recently discovered and it works so great for the little person that really wants some of his/her own *schoolwork* - a book of their own!! Readywriter by Edwin C. Myers is a simple little book for the little person who is not yet writing and serves to assist them in laying the groundwork of future writing by offering simple and fun little pages in which the child practices stylus strokes through activities that don't look at all like handwriting practice...they're more like neat little connect the dots or make-the-line-to-finish-this-picture type practice activities. It's not necessary or essential, but my little people really enjoy it and it's a book that they can have in their basket! I bought a used copy and mine offers family copyright permission so I can make copies.
I think at 4, baskets of playsilks and open ended *things* that naturally lend themselves to a child with a flair for the dramatic might be helpful. Is it possible for you to corral some of this stuff which you probably already have around your home into a special place for this child?
At 4, Jackie, I'd probably be completely content with fingerplays and wee sings and (hopefully ??) picture books on the couch. Does he enjoy reading picture books with mom/big brothers? If so, I'd go with that and see what further development brings for his learning style preferences as he grows.
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Dove
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| Posted: July 12 2011 at 6:33pm | IP Logged
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Perhaps his musicality is the form his numbers development is going to take. I think the suggestion of more music for him is a good one. Another idea is to consider an instrument. I gave mine a keyboard as toddlers and this proved to be a good choice being smaller than a piano but with the keyboard which any child can manipulate, and it had several options so they could "play" it as more than just a piano. We also did some violin but that didn't work as well with mine as the keyboard. In the end, one stuck with piano and expanded to other instruments, the other dropped piano but became an amazing whistler.
I'd make sure to share classics like Bach. My husband says as a kid he enjoyed classical lullabies and waltzes. He and one of his brothers are quite strong musically.
Counting music can be fun. "This old man..." is a fun counting song. Then there is "Children go where I send thee..." an old camp song but also counting. I would think that perhaps the old School House Rock videos might be useful here too. Music, action, and numbers?
I wouldn't be too worried though, he is different but clearly very bright and experience would say that he will eventually move into math and learn it. Perhaps not as soon as you might like, but he'll do it. At four I think it is too soon to know if there is a learning problem. His brain may be too busy with the skills it is learning doing plays to be bothered with the abstraction of numbers and puzzles at this time.
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Ann Seeton
hg2au.com
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mooreboyz
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| Posted: July 13 2011 at 7:17am | IP Logged
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Thank you for your suggestions! We have been getting the various Wee Sing cds from the library and he does love them. I am considering buying our favorite for the school year and starting the day out with this. My four older boys take piano lessons and are doing fabulously (oldest placed first at the state competition this year!). My four year I can tell just doesn't have the attention span yet for lessons. I was able to sit with my now 6 year old since he was 3 and teach him and he started formal lessons this past year; but, he is a different child. My 4 year old plays his own songs on the piano; but, if I try to show him notes or whatnot he has no interest. He holds his hands properly and doesn't bang the keys and he enjoys what he's doing and so that is plenty for now.
Finger puppets are a great idea! That is just the simple idea I was looking for. He can count using maybe a monster puppet and use that type of voice and so forth. I have some of those hand cover washcloth with different animals on each finger...I could probably use those and maybe make some by cutting the fingers off of old gloves. Great idea!
Last year I had a shelf/box/basket for "imaginative play" each month. We did circus, doctor, car wash etc and I would have costumes and props to go along and would fitting books from the library as well...even videos. He loved this part of the day. I even made his closet into a space shuttle by hanging a sheet where his door goes and we drew a space shuttle on the front. I'll continue with this type of thing this year.
I always start out my yearly goal sheet for this child "X is a very dramatic child and my goal is to not stifle his personality". I tell myself to relax about all the "school" and with him being our 5th it is relatively easy for me to do this. I love seeing how joyful he is in all his creative play. He smiles non-stop I swear. DH has started to question though..."when are you going to teach him to read? why can't he count to 20 yet". Well, I just have to do it his way I think.
Thank you!
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Jackie
7 boys - 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 15, 17 years
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: How to teach this child?
