Hello there! I'm new to this forum and could sure use some advice. I am homeschooling a kindergartener and have a three year old and 14 month old! :shock: My kindergartener has a hard time concentrating on her schoolwork when her sisters are around playing or doing their own "schoolwork". Today, for instance, it took her 1 full hour to complete three worksheets (and that was just phonics). So, I guess I need ideas on how to get my kindergartener to concentrate (as best as a 5 year old can) despite her other sisters around her. At this rate, we'll be giong all day! Any ideas?
matching card game, sorting buttons, glueing beans to a piece of tag board, coloring pages, movies, nap time, glueing pieces of colored paper to a dark paper, lacing cards, lacing chereos on a licorice string, ripping pieces of paper to glue on other paper, chalk board or dry erase board, magnetic paper dolls, sorting fruit loops, sharpen pencils or grate crayons on wax paper (for pressing with iron between 2 sheets), tub of sand-rice-dry beans-small pebbles-small pasta, play dough, clay, kid music with head phones. Hope some of these ideas are useful.
All such wonderful ideas for the three year old. Can't wait to use some of them. Any ideas on how to keep my kindergartener focused on her work while the three year old does these fun things?
ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO SURVIVE...:lol: Welcome, Welcome Angie...So nice to have you! Sounds like how my journey began, except I had a newborn, 3yo and 5 yo reading... Yes, I absolutely have tons of ideas. There are some things you can control and then of course others you cannot. For one thing, take advantage of nap time. It doesn't matter if one or both of them do. If your 3yo has dropped naps, then save some of the *brain work* your 5yo does when the 14month old is asleep. One kid is less distracting than two. Try reading aloud time when they are all awake. Don't do the school work in the order your curriculum sets out. You might one day, but the next you won't. Also, when I first started homeschooling, I found out that if I took a few hours on Saturday morning when DH was home, I got sooo much done. My dh was very cooperative and the time is soooo well spent. We still had the whole day to enjoy as a family. It just called for a little more commitment on my part to give the oldest that 1:1 he needed. DH always enjoined playing with the oldest two and took them to get donuts and brought some back for us.. WE GOT SO MUCH DONE! This allowed me some rest time during the week, like on Friday or Monday.. I steadily did that every Saturday for the first two years of my homeschooling.. All righty...now some tricks.. I know this is hard, it was for me, because I'm an organizational freak and clean freak BUT let the house go at that time. The kids made the mess, they can help clean it up even if done half right. The older they get, BELIEVE me you will be glad you trained them. Too, I made tons of ziploc bags for the 3yo..Here is the website that gave me lots of ideas for preschoolers. http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/preschool_activities.htm#Dolly I PROMISE you that are well worth the time invested. I used my scrapbook supplies and all kinds of junk around the house to make the ziploc bags as interesting as opening a gift each day.:lol: The rule about the ziploc bags is that EACH one has to be *self sufficient*. It has to have everything in it, so you don't have to get her anything. If you don't get enough ideas from this site, please ask me. I have several more! I save junk mail for my son to open and gave him a calculator to mess with. He also had his own drawer of old photos, paper and neat pencils and crayons.. Believe me, I even lowered to the level of putting on a good vidoe or DVD.. It had to be learning, but let me tell you once in a while it doesn't hurt when you don't have the wherewithall to deal with them. STICKER, STICKERS, STICKERS....all over everything. They could show their masterpieces.. Finally, get on your *Mary Poppins* hat. Always keep something back in case you are really having a bad day, you can pull it out. I did this regularly and it kept their day lively. Just one thing to remember, your oldest is still so very young..And you are starting early enough that a year or two of not doing everything perfectly is not going to mess her up for life. I PROMISE If you don't get anything else done for the day, READ, READ, READ.....that is the best thing you can give to your daughters... So Mom, you take care of yourself, enjoy this time...when hsers use to tell me *it will pass quickly* WOW...they weren't kidding. I cry now to think my newborn is 5yo and ready for Kindergarten.... Hang in there Mom! You can do it! Does that help?
Thank you so much for that! A little encouragement goes a long way! How could you tell that I'm an organizational/clean freak? That obvious, eh? Very hard for me to just let the house go! Am getting better! I just want to do right by my girls, ya know? Love all the ideas! Can't wait to use some of them! Also, we're starting a new curriculum soon. Hopefully that will lighten things up some and Marlie (5yo) and I will start having more fun. Isn't that part of the reason we do this, to have a little fun!? Pray for us! Angie
Hi, Angie! I'm Jackie. In case you haven't noticed, Tina is ALWAYS full of great ideas! My kids are currently 11, 9, and 6, but I've been blessed with an oldest that is very self-sufficient. It's my middle one that's highly distractable! She's gotten to the place where she prefers to do her math upstairs on her bed, listening to the radio. We bought her a personal CD player for Christmas; I'm hoping to get her some quiet instrumental music for her to listen to while doing school work. Tina mentioned napping. This has nothing to do with your question, but it's something I feel strongly about. I insisted on napping kids every afternoon. They took good naps until about age four. Then I would make them lie down for a half-hour. If they were still awake after a half-hour, they were permitted to look at books for the next half-hour. After napping stopped altogether, they STILL went to their rooms for a half-hour of silent reading. We STILL do that! This is my "Mommy Time". The goal (yeah, right!) is for me to actually sit down with a cup of tea and do NOTHING related to school or housework. I set the timer, and they don't bother me AT ALL during this time. My youngest, who is still essentially a pre-reader, will either look at books or sometimes listen to a book on tape. I usually follow this time by reading aloud to them. I try to read books that are more "classical" in nature, ones that they might not pick out on their own. Also bibliographies. Though sometimes I will pick a "lighter" read.
Thanks Jackie! I've tried sending Marlie upstairs to the kitchen table for her worksheets (we homeschool in the basement in our "homeschool" area) but she doesn't like to be alone while doing school. Don't ask me why, she doesn't mind it any other time. May be a little manipulation going on, I don't know. But, maybe if I offered to turn on the radio quietly or some of her favorite memory verse CD's... As for the naps, I totally agree. I still have Marlie go lay down for a while. Nine times out of ten, she doesn't actually sleep but loves to "read" her books then too. Our 3yo, Hannah, naps about 1/3 of the time and is content to be by herself for that time. And then there is Danielle, our 14mo. She is deciding to give up her morning nap which really throws a monkey wrench in the school time. Which would be fine if she were happy. But I think she still needs the morning quickie if nothing else. As they say, this too shall pass! Am looking forward to things quieting down some, or at least some routine and sanity. Thanks ladies! It's nice to have "older" (older in terms of hsing) to train up us younger ones! Love the encouragement! Angie
ediable playdough: 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup honey 1 cup powdered milk (dry or instant) Mix together. The milk will make it feel a little grainy, but that's ok. It shouldn't be sticky or so dry that it won't form a ball. If it is sticky, just add a bit more milk. Too dry add a little more honey or peanut butter, which ever is need for flavor. I make little balls for my 18mo and he likes to smash them then eat. It is a great snack too. My older kids (5y and 7y) love the stuff too.
Hi Angie. What about letting your 3 year old join in on the fun with your kindergartener? My 3 year olds do a lot of K related work so maybe it would be easier for you if they both could do it. Your younger one obviously wouldn't be on the same level, but it may help if you had them both doing it together, even if your 3 year old is just "pretending" to do it. Just a thought.
Tina, love that website, thanks! Those will make great learning center activities when my preschoolers are over!
Hannah does her "schoolwork" with us everyday. She has her own workbooks, homeschool tote with things that are just for her and only during school time. In fact, she is the one who is most excited to be doing school. To be honest with you, she is the least of my troubles these days. It's more of an issue keeping by 5yo focused and my 14mo happy all at the same time. These have all been great ideas and I am excited to use some of them. Love the website, Tina. Had to pass it along to all of my friends with little ones. Such great ideas! Thanks again ladies!
