Hi moms! I'm new to the whole idea of homeschooling my girls, I have two lil ones, 20 and 4 months ... but i'm starting on thinking and preparing myself and my home now... any suggestions for newbies? I'm sure there is a post similar to this somewhere, but... I'm starting out at square one... my girls have never been to school, will never go to school if i can help it, and i have NO idea where to start. Oh, I'm in WI so if any of you out there are neighbors of mine... that would be great!
tot school When I look at your kid age I would say...go to tot-school! w w w . lapbooksbycarisa . homestead . com / TotSchool.html
At their age, love on them, read them lots of books (even to your 4 month old). With the older one, count things, sort things, do puzzles, take field trips, talk about things you observe in the world, play rhyming games... That's homeschooling, and you are doing it now. Meanwhile, research and read all you can about what to do as they get older.
My only advice is to READ to them lots and love them up. "Official" school need not be a concern until your oldest is about 5 or 6. And by official school I mean no more than 1 hour TOTAL sitting down and actually doing organized school stuff. That is 1 hr for the whole day. I really liked Five in a Row (curriculum). Do a lot of reading about different methods of homeschooling and see what might fit your personality. Don't pick something just because your neighbor does it that way. There should be general homeschool books in the library that will give you an overview of different methods. But beware of those too. I read one book once that said only really organized mothers could homeschool. Don't listen to that sort of advice because it is not true. Lurk on some homschool message boards to get an idea of what other new homeschools feel are challenges and how they worked through it (or didn't and sent them to school). That will help when you face the same thing. The worst thing you can do is stress about keeping up with the schooled kids and the "my kids is the smartest" contest you find at playgroups for the tot set. Just smile, nod and say "I;m sure you must be so proud", and go about your business of loving your babies:love:.
Welcome. I love the leapfrog products for the young ones..... I have some books that I want to get the exact title before I mention it because I don't want to screw it up..... but if anyone knows what I'm talking about its ..... something to do with todlers..... a chunky book with all kinds of ideas..
Sing songs like ABC or nursery rhymes. My kids loved those "Silly Songs" tapes they had (seems like decades ago - LOL it was!). Or buy educational dvd's for them to watch. And of course read to them! You could also start sign language or another foreign language if you know one. Do hands on stuff like gardening or baking. Good Luck!
You have some very good advice so far, nothing more I can add at this time. Have fun with those little ones. They can be a joy, write things down, what and when they accomplish each task. It is fun to look back on. Keep a journal, too.
Very good advice and "yeah" to you for wanting to prepare your home and self early on. My suggestion would be read, read, read. This is what I did. I looked up everything I could that had to do with homeschooling! I still do. I read all the books I can get my hands on about homeschooling, the different types/ways, the different curriculum, all kinds of stuff. Also watch boards like this one and well trained mind, to hear from others about all the different curriculums out there. If you end up reading enough you will hear pros and cons of so many out there and what sound like a good fit for yours. Also remember what sounds like a good fit sometimes is not, but it is all about trial and error. So, don't get discouraged when the "perfect curriculum" doesn't work for you and yours. As far as your home goes it is all up to you. Some make a "school" room, others make the learning items spread through the house. Also welcome to the board!
I just read an interesting article that applies to this topic. (Warning, it might be a bit "crunchy granola" for some...but I thought it had good advice.) http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/26/baby-essentials-that-arent-part-6-baby-brain-boosters/
Thanks ladies! I know that I'm okay for now, reading and working on the "small" stuff and enjoying EVERY moment of it. I'm just worried about what is to come when we really have to start "school", and what to do when I get there! I know that it's years off, but yet I think I had better get started now... I'm one of those moms that took 5 days to name my second daughter because we couldn't decide on a name! LOL! So, I'm hoping to read as much as I can now, browse websites, and have a good list of information on hand when we are ready to roll!
ekim - you sound a lot like me...I know I'm starting early, but I like to really get my mind around a subject before I go! We do a lot of reading and just talking about stuff around us - today it was the clouds and why they were moving. It is fun!
Read read read!!!! All about homeschooling, get as prepared as you can! Read about the different kind of styles, read about the different ways a child learns, figure out (by watching your kids) which ways they learn best. Some of my favorite early reads were: "So you want to Homeschool" by Lisa Whelchel (yes, Blair from The Facts of Life) "Top 100 Homeschooling Picks" by Cathy Duffy The Unofficial Guide to homeschooling. BIGGEST THING TO REMEMBER: Preschool, Kinder, and even First Grade can be done mostly for free, online, etc. And using the library. As for now with the kids, READ READ READ TO THEM. Let them color, expore, use stickers, playdough (okay, not the 4 month old!!!), etc. (make you're own type of playdough so it's safe if it gets eaten). Let them paint, and get messy! Some of the greatest learning adventures leave a mark, somewhere! Did I mention Read to them??? GOOD LUCK! You're on a wonderful journey!!!!
