Homeschool Community

My son is only 2 yo, so I dont know if what we do right now is really considered "Homeschooling" I make a lesson plan with letters, numbers, colors, shapes. Each week has a theme, and then each day we do something for a subject and and the theme, like if that weeks theme is Snowman and our letter is S, we'll make a snowman art project, and maybe for dinner I'd make mashed potatoes into a snowman shape. Then to go with snowmen our color would be white, our shape is circles, I haven't come up with anything to go with 19 for it yet. That's an example of next weeks lesson. I go in order for numbers and letters, After 20 we start back at 1 and I'm thinking 20 is even to much for him right now, so I think I'm going to stick with 1-10 for a little while, atleast till maybe he picks taht up real well. He can already count to 6 by himself and I'll count with him to 10 and he says 7-10 after I do. I just wanted to know how others have started. He really likes his lessons and runs to his little talbe when I say it's time to do an art project or something. He loves to read books, we read him a book every night before bed, and then he'll sit with it in bed, saying some of what is on each page like h'es reading it. Its so cute. So what do you do or how did you start?

Dear onesassymommy,

This is so adoreable!  It makes me wish my kiddos were little again :)

You are doing so many wonderful things!  Listen to his responses and let him guide you as to whether you are doing too much or if he wants to do more.  He is one lucky little boy to have such a dedicated, loving mommy!

There is a really good book around for little ones called Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready.  In it, she gives developmentally appropriate activities for each week of development.  So at x week, your child should practice standing on one foot.  At y week, have them repeat three things you give in a list.  We used this when ours were wee (along with letters, numbers and tons of reading, just like you!) and it was a nice reminder for me to cover certain skills.  Check to see if your library has it.

You're doing an awesome job!  Isn't it fun?

christinefield

Thanks. I'll look for that book, it sounds interesting. I am having so much fun. This is what I went to school for so I'm glad to put it to good use, and with the best student ever.  I do try to go with his ques Today we made a Square Robot, he wanted to do more so we made a sq collage from scraps from his robat and sq stickers, He did great. After the collage he was done and ready to play something else. Somedays he doesn't even want to color whatever it is I give him, like we colored mittens the other day.

Like you, I don't know whether it is labeled "homeschool" when your child is under officil school age, but our home has always been a place where learning is not only encouraged, it is embraced and celebrated.  When my daughter was born, my mother's girlfriend was showing her how to count to ten on her fingers when Liana was only minutes old!  I started reading bedtime stories when Liana was 3 weeks old, and by the time she was 18 months she could "read along" with some of her favourite books.  Birthday and Christmas presents were often books, early learning workbooks and educational games and toys.  To this day, Liana loves learning (she is now 14) and is able to conceptualise and investigate new ideas, and see things from many different angles.  She loves research - which actually annoyed some of her teachers last year, since she researched the ingredients of the latex gloves used in science class and then refused to wear them becasue they contain gelatin! (Liana became a vegan last year)

Now that I had decided that homeschool is happening no matter what, Liana is showing more and more of her old excitement about the possibilities of learning.  I found that school, in the past couple of years, had oppressed that.

 Starting early is a great way to instill a fascination about learning into children.

Good luck!!