Starting My Son in Homeschool Preschool in a Couple weeks...quick Question

Mom _of_2 is right on. You are on the right track. I think the assumption is that a boy will not stay focused for more than about 20 minutes. It just depends on the child--some will, some won't. You seem flexible so either way, it shouldn't be a problem. My daughter did great at age 4 with 3 days a week 1-1/2 hours of individual time while my then under 2 yr old napped. Home preschool was fun for both of us. As a result, my daughter quickly learned to read and now reads several grade levels above her peers. What a treat it is to see her grab a chapter book instead of beg for TV or movies. Best wishes!

I have not done home preschool but just wanted to say that I think having some sort of structured daily routine would be good, so what you described of doing preschool while the baby naps for 1.5 hours a few times a week sounds good. I think making it fun for him is important, which it sounds like you've got lots of "hands-on" activities planned that he'll love. He probably won't even think of it as school. It seems like you will be able to reinforce what you're teaching him throughout the day as well. If 1.5-2 hours is too long for him, try breaking it up into shorter sessions, maybe 20-min, 5-6X week. I would think it just depends on how much he can handle.

honestly, your MIL is right to some extent....the important part of teaching kids is to not make it like school (for the preschool age group) & make it a part of everyday living. Repetitious letters, numbers....will simply bore your child after a very short time!

With my daycare, we sing the ABCs & do #s ALL DAY LONG! The kids aren't even aware of this....& it's great! While I'm prepping meals, we sing. While we're picking up blocks/balls/etc, we're doing so many learning activities - colors, counting, sorting, patterns, etc. I use art projects to teach new concepts & to reinforce past experiences. We use nature to teach basic concepts....even for counting! Kids like finding rocks, nuts ....& then using them for math concepts. It makes life so much more entertaining!

One of my favorite classes was Project Construct. It is an educational tool based on the premise that kids "construct" their knowledge, level to level. They use simple learning tools to build to the next level of knowledge...thru outside resources & thru their peers. I have found this to be soooo true! With my daycare, the 2yos are learning their ABCs from the 4yo...& so on. It works, it makes life fun....& the kids are unaware that they are actively learning!

I use several different means for teaching the ABCs & #s. We use dry erase books & magnetic pen boards. ABC puzzles are also great! Rarely do we use worksheets or lined paper. Kids love using markers on cardboard boxes....tell a kid to write his name on his castle & he'll be jumping to do it! We use dried grasses to make name collages. We use beans to make art projects. It's a complete mishmash of supplies vs. needs ...& it works!

Oh, & to start the ABCs....I begin with the child's name. We make a book using poster board or cardstock & yarn to hold it together thru hole punches. Each page of the book has a letter on it. Once the child learns his name, then we move on to the names in the family. & that's where the Project Construct comes in....we are building knowledge upon knowledge!

You are correct in that homeschooling is all about doing what it best for your child. At 4, children learn a LOT through play so do not discount the time you are building blocks with him or painting or looking at bugs. He is learning even then. However, don't make the "first time homeschooling I must make every moment teachable and ask open ended questions all the time!" rookie mistake. It's really OK if he just paints and isn't quizzed on what happens when you mix yellow and blue together! (not that I am speaking from expereince mind you, I um, heard that from OTHER moms.....) I would start with 20 minutes a day of structured "work" for 3 days and 30 minutes of play- building blocks and asking him to count them with you, make a smiley face out of a cracker and raisins and tell him he can eat it if he makes one just like yours. Give him the crackers and raisins, but make him figure out how to arrange them. That kind of thing. One of the best things I ever purchased was a set of 50 plastic bears the size of my thumb. They came in five different colors with matching cups. I got them at WalMart, but I believe Office Max or Office Depot also carries them (Eurkea counting bears). We put bears in the cups, next to the cups, behind, beside in a straight line. We made patterns, yellow bear, green bear, two read bears one blue bear, etc. We used them even in 2nd grade for multiplication and third grade with word problems. Well worth the then $5 I paid for them when she was 4. Lastly, please remember, and I'm not trying to step on any toes or discount preschool teachers, but preschool is NOT the end all be all. Your child will still get into college! I have a friend who is a Kindergarten teacher in public school who told me she can always tell who came from preschool and who came from home. The kids that were in preschool know how to line up at the door the first time she asks!! It had nothing to do with reading, knowing colors etc. You will do fine. You want your child to LOVE learning and his mom, not dread it. And lastly, for real this time!!, remember, at this age there is nothing you can't teach him and you are his best teacher! You go girl, you can do it!!!!

I would advise you to start slowly and observe your child. Homeschooling means you can really teach to the way your child learns. My ds did not do well with a fluctuating loosely-organized schedule. I had to create more of a school-day atmosphere with him, with a starting time and a set schedule. Some kids do well with a short school day every day, and some do well with an every-other-day kind of thing. Some need more structure, some need more freedom. Think about your family situation and meals schedule and give yourself a couple of weeks to try different scenarios and make some adjustments as necessary.

I think that teaching your child that this is actually school, and that there will be certain expectations as to performance and attitude and behavior, sets a good precedent. If you plan to homeschool long-term, I think it's best to establish your boundaries and expectations early (although certainly at an age-appropriate level when it's pre-school), so that you will have a good student when he's in 6th grade or 10 grade someday.

I homeschooled when my ds was in kindergarten, and I had a toddler at that point. My ds enjoyed knowing that he was the "big boy" in school. I found certain activities that both kids could do, at different levels, but at the same time. Cuisinaire rods had math activities for my kindergartener, and had shape activities for my toddler. When it was reading time for kindergarten, it was picture book time for the toddler. When my ds was writing, I'd give the toddler crayons and coloring books, etc. She thought she was in school too!

Have a wonderful time watching your child learn!

Hi J.,
I wouldn't be so structured with the 4 year old. Read, teach letters, etc., do crafts, paint, etc. But, it doesn't have to be a particular block of time. Just enjoy each other and go with it. Do you plan to keep homeschooling? What you will probably find is that homeschooling is all of life, not just a certain time of day. Yes, as they get older, they will have subjects, books, math problems to work, etc., but you will see applications to what they are learning all over the place! I never had that when our oldest was in public school (K). Once we brought him home, I was astonished at what I didn't know about his education. I had very little idea of what they were learning on a daily basis. What did they talk about? What books did they read? I loved driving through Italy with my son 3 years later and having him be able to read the sign in Italian because we had been learning Latin. He recognized the derivative. So cool! Enjoy him. No stress, no pressure. Make it a natural part of your day.

I just did all that kind of stuff with my kids anyway. Not sure I would stress about it that much. With that age you do whatever you can with their attention span. You might not be able to hold their attention that long. With children small chunks of time on a daily basis might be best, but whatever works.