Toddler education

Started by Perpetua, August 17, 2017, 10:42:48 AM

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Perpetua

Does anyone "homeschool" their toddlers, and what does that consist of? I'd like to get some ideas of what to do, and how much of it per day.

I mostly sit and read books aloud in my native languages, repeat colors and shapes and show them, play with blocks, goof around, sing songs, and when the weather allows it we go out and look at animals.

JubilateDeo

#1
I'm not homeschooling right now, but when I was looking at preschools, academics were at the bottom of the list of priorities.  I was primarily looking for socialization, structure, and 2.5 hours to myself :)  Many of them bragged about how they get children writing their names before Kindergarten, and do sit-down work copying letters.  As soon as the director started talking about how "prepared" their students are for Kindergarten, that's when I knew it was not the school for me. 

I ended up putting my children in a preschool that is all-play, all the time. They do outdoor time regardless of weather, no worksheets, just a little circle time, finger painting and activities.  My oldest was well prepared for Kindergarten without all the worksheets and sit down time.  The only kind of sit down teaching I did at home was catechism stuff a few times a week, and even then, we usually just sat down together and read a book and talked about it. 

MundaCorMeum

honestly, what you are already doing sounds perfectly adequate to me.  I'm not a huge fan of formal, structured learning for toddlers.  They just need to play, learn obedience/right behavior, and be loved by their parents.  That's pretty much it, in my opinion.  They will be in formal school before you know it, and you don't want them burned out before they start.  Their little minds can only handle so much (which is not very much at all) before it becomes too stressful for them.  I personally think that children today are pushed too hard, too soon when it comes to academics.  I prefer a slow and steady pace with children, so they can grow up well and grow up slowly, giving them adequate time to just enjoy the wonder of the world through the innocence only a child can have, without too much focus on formal schooling.  I don't require mine to do "proper" schoolwork until first grade.  I start them in pre-K around 4-ish, K around 5-ish, but at those ages, if they aren't interested, I don't make them do it.  If they want to just play, read, go outside to swing or explore nature, whatever, that's what we do.  Because I have older kids, my toddler does ask to "do school" sometimes, so I just color with him, give him paper and child scissors for cutting, teach colors, paint or craft, playdough,  let him have some of our old workbooks and let him do whatever he wants in them.  I might get a solid 15 minutes of interest, if that.  Otherwise, he just plays.  When I have time with him (I rotate my time through each of my children during school hours), we usually go swing, look at bugs, blow bubbles, I sit on the porch and watch him ride his tricycle, read books, wrestle, rock in the rocking chair....just anything that shows him I love him and like being with him; give him a sense of security in our relationship; build trust.

Heinrich

Surround the Children with beauty.
Schaff Recht mir Gott und führe meine Sache gegen ein unheiliges Volk . . .   .                          
Lex Orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi.
"Die Welt sucht nach Ehre, Ansehen, Reichtum, Vergnügen; die Heiligen aber suchen Demütigung, Verachtung, Armut, Abtötung und Buße." --Ausschnitt von der Geschichte des Lebens St. Bennos.

Greg

#4
Flashcards, they can sound out all 26 letters and read several hundred words by aged 4.

Adding single digit numbers and counting to 100.

Swimming 25 yards competently (without struggling, spluttering or panicking). We go to lots of waterparks and diving pools as a family and I can't keep an eye on all 6 at the same time.  Off to Lake Annecy and Aix-le-Bains next week, so they need to be able to go off boards and down large slides and swim to the steps, climb out and do it again without me worrying about them drowning or getting saved by a French lifeguard.

Throwing, catching, balancing, jumping and ball control skills.  After much reading and research, I came to the conclusion that building blocks for sporting and physical ability should be learned early and you can turn a sporting dunce into a normal person and a normal person into someone who will make the team for most school sports, lift them past 30-40% of their peer group.  But you need to begin this early while their nervous system is developing.

Their running and walking gait, for example, can be drilled and practiced with games.  It's astonishing how you can turn a clumsy 4-5 year old runner into a 6-7 year old that will attract comments of "natural talent" from athletics coaches.  Provided they continue the drills by the age of 8-10 it is "baked in" in my experience.

http://www.crec.co.uk/announcements/the-importance-of-physical-development

Two of my boys were cry babies, so I've had to "teach" that out of them.  Breaking into tears after your 4th birthday is unseemly, unless you have lost more than a half-cup of blood or broken a bone.  My girls are total hard-asses.  The never cry.  They could be tortured by Nazis and they wouldn't cry.  Never seen anything like it.
Contentment is knowing that you're right. Happiness is knowing that someone else is wrong.

Carleendiane

Perpetua, I think my toddlesr benefitted most by my talking incessantly with them. Didn't  really matter if they understood completely or not. When baking they were right there, everything I did I would consult them about, like....does this look right....or is this too much...or now how many eggs go in this. You'd be surprised by how much they learn, and how much they already know. Sometimes I would say ridiculous things so they could correct me and they would...like....how much applesauce goes into the meatloaf? Well they knew it didn't belong in the meatloaf, but they would laugh while correcting me, we all would. Then of course, read to them. And play, but teach them during play truthfulness  kindness and sharing. They'll be ready for school when it's time. No need to stress over it.
To board the struggle bus: no whining, board with a smile, a fake one will be found out and put off at next stop, no maps, no directions, going only one way, one destination. Follow all rules and you will arrive. Drop off at pearly gate. Bring nothing.