First time hs-ing..but what do I do with 4 yr old??

Hi all!

We started homeschooling today, and I have to say, it was something! I actually did enjoy sitting with each of them seperately and going over what we need to do, and help them with it. I had anticipated being overwhelmed and panicky, but it all felt quite natural, as if this is the way it should have always been.
The children (8, 6, 4) were very eager and responsive, and thought it was funny that they get to call me "mom" and not Mrs. So and So.
We kept it light and simple today, being our first time ever, and I was actually done by lunch time, and had the whole afternoon to myself since I overzealously cooked meals enough for two days

There is one big thing I'm trying to figure out:

My little one is 4. Today I kept him busy with a craft (glue cereal to a trace of his name), trace the lines, connect the dots, color this and that.....but he was bored very quickly, and I finally sent him upstairs for "recess", to which he happily went, only to return 5 mins later when he realized that his playmates (brothers) were still busy. He sat sulking the rest of the time, and playing with his toys, but loud enough for us to hear.

What should I do with him? He is interested in whatever we're doing, but gets frustrated because his darling little self cannot keep up (no, I cant get over him being my baby ).

Ideas?
Thanks for reading!!

 

That happens, but just let him sit and listen and maybe use another room with an educational video (low) if he gets bored... It will take a week or so for the schedule to get down.

 

My middle daughter is 4 years old too. Last week she did great. She practiced coloring and cutting when it was not her turn to learn. Today however she had a terrible attitude and had to go to her room part of the time.

 

okay at 4 my dd was doing school work, but my ds when he was 4 we did pre k work, Ihadhim tracing numbers, for math time ( he thought he was doing more than he was) he had 'english" the kind of thing you did with the cereal. A B Cs and 123s can be done so many ways. Coloring pictures of a theme, looking at the weather. Make a circle and have him draw a picture of rain, sun, cloudy and stormy. Put it in a sheet protector. Then have him check the weather each day and mark on the outside with a dry erase marker what weather it is.
Give him "reading time" by having him sit in a special quiet time space.
Then recess will get longer as he goes and gets the hang of it.

 

I agree with the others.

I would also add that it takes a certain amount of training for the children who aren't being taught to understand that they have to find something productive and fun by themselves. And it isn't just children: I have to remind my dh not to interrupt as well

 

Our four year old started doing school when she was barely three...because she wanted to do what the big kids were doing. I gave her coloring sheets and used the Seasame Street website for playlists and games, read to her and let her play with whatever she wanted to in the schoolroom drawers(filled with all kinds of hands on manipulatives). I am using Abeka books for her this year, but I will still use games and books and fun stuff and I also use Preschool palace to fill in any gaps.

 

Congratulations on your first day of school!!!

If he wants to tag along I would give him something age-appropriate that is related to what your older kids are learning. Otherwise, it is an important skill for a child to learn to entertain himself. I don't require my little one to play quietly while we are in school. I am training my older kids to be able to learn in a noisy environment.

 

Awesome! Your 4 year old will soak up things like a SPONGE, I tell you! He can sit with your 6 year old and listen to the same read-alouds, count the same blocks with you, etc.

* Print out sheets for him to do that are similar to your 6 year old. Writing numbers to 5, printing letters, memorize a short poem or Bible verse. You are modeling learning fun at this age so play it by ear with him and what he's up to doing.

* Have a tub of things for him to do that are just for him and he can ONLY use at schooltime. Construction paper to cut and glue, multi-color beads to sort, Magic Schoolbus DVD to watch, MobiGo or Leapster with games, and read aloud books on tape or CD. Try dropper or pipette with colored water that he has to transfer from one small container to another, from left to right to mimic reading. Maybe even Playdough to work out his hand muscles.

Lucky you! Age 4 is so fun!

 

Thanks for the suggestions ladies. My 4 yr old is actually pretty good at playing by himself, which kind of makes it hard to put him in time out...he will actually sit and play a game with nothing but his own fingers.
The thing is that I want to get him started in writing and counting, but the activities I did with him today were not enough. I like the weather chart idea, and I will look into the sesame street website.
I'm looking for "school" activities to do with him that help him learn at his level. The cereal gluing was fun, he loved that, but I cant do that every day
I'm thinking maybe a trip to the dollar store for beads, and crafts stuff...?

 

This is so true. It's important for the other two to learn how to concentrate in a noisy environment. The workplace or school is full of distractions. They need to learn how to block those out so they can get something done.

I remember my oldest complaining that she couldn't get anything done because it was too noisy with my toddler around. I wasn't letting her bang pots mind you, but she was playing and babbling in the same room as us. I just kept reminding her, teaching her really, to concentrate and focus on her own task. It took a while but I'm so glad I insisted on this.

 

There are several sites you can go to and find "tot school" packs. they are theme based and include many different activities to work on early reading, writing, and math skills. 2teachingmommies.blogspot.com is one and they have links for the others. I have printed off many of them and my little guy can't wait to get his hands on them!

 

Thats a completely valid point, about the learning to concentrate in a noisy environment. I dont mind it either, really. Just worried that my lil' un isnt doing enough...

 

Our oldest is easily distracted by the noise around him. I read on a post somewhere about having one that is easily distracted use hearing protection (like what is worn to protect hearing at a gun range or construction site). I purchased two pair (look kinda like headphones) and they do help.

 

My dgd is 4 and loves to sit with safety scissors and an old magazine to cut out pictures and glue them on a piece of contruction paper.

 

Dollar store has books too, you can get little note books for preschool level A B Cs and 123s that have circle this and that things.. follow the dots, etc, to get his fine motors ready for school. I also recommend legos for building those fine motors up to level that he will be able to write well.

 

I have 3 boys but "school" only 2 of them right now. Bo is 4 and Pat is almost 3 and he's special needs. I have them both do the exact same thing. I know that Paddy may not do as well with whatever we are doing, and I know that some of what we do is difficult for him to even closely master (like holding a pencil and writing since he has difficulty manipulating things). I praise the work that he does, highly, and encourage him to do more, but sometimes I need some time alone with Bo to help him along. I make games for Paddy and Bo that require little involement from me (wow I sound like a terrible mom there....ick.) It's called the "Fly Game". I colored some flies I drew and put shapes on them and colored them each a different color. (For lack of wallspace) I put them on the bookshelf with tape and cleaned an old flyswatter to use. Now, from across the room I can yell a color, or a shape and tell Pat to "Smack it"! This also works vise versa when paddy is doing therapy and Bo needs something to do. The therapists also use it sometimes.

Here is a pic of teh game:http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa168/KoriTLM/Flies003.jpg
This could also be done with alphabet!!

 

I had a teacher friend who used to use this game for sight words with her second graders. Kids love this game! I think I'll have to work on that for my dd7 and ds6. Thanks for the reminder!

Also, to the OP. I love the suggestion someone made about using legos with the little one. Something that might keep him a busy a little longer is for you to build something that he has to copy. Start easy and gradually make them harder as he gets the hang of it. You can also do something similar with lacing beads (or pony beads or colored pasta, or cereal). Lace them onto a string in a pattern, then have him copy it and make his own. It would give him something to focus on and feel like he was doing "work" too.

 

Hi,

I mix some of our stuff up, with preschool and big kid stuff together.. For example, part of our morning meeting each day is the alphabet (which is also done in sign language) and then we do our exercises together and warmups that include stretching, jumping jax, other big-kid type stuff as well as father Abraham and other preschooly songs with motions.. Then we do pledges, prayer, announcements, morning read (which is sometimes news, magazines, excerpts from books, etc)...

I have a table(desk) set up for my little, right in our school room that has glue sticks, markers, crayons, safety scissors, stickers, stamps, etc... she is learning that it's also quiet spot, and after a while of having to be quiet... she goes and plays. She is allowed one video later in the school day as she is proving she is well behaved.

I also have a few "busy boxes" that I've made with themes...

one has jingle bells, beads, strips of yarn, and pipe cleaners ... wow do pipe cleaners make good entertainment for a while!!!

Another is an ocean themed box with shells, pictures of ocean animals laminated, etc... but I did make this one when she was 2... so it was more of a play with box... you can laminate a picture that has several sea animals in it for your child to circle with a washable crayon (wipes off of lamination)...

You can do an alphabet boxes... or give each letter a box...put things in them that start with that letter or sound..

Another thought is to buy some simple toys (like colorforms, special legos, etc..) that you keep up and only pull out on those more trying days...

Also, I often set up my 3 yr old to do water paints and such at the other table in the room... or other such fun stuff.

While the others are working, I have little one help with lunch and we talk about what we are learning in preschool....

Little one floats in and out for rest of school, and I actually make the big kids take her into consideration and play with her for 10-15 mins each... also let one kid read aloud to younger kid while working with them individually.

I also find time to (squeeze time) to... push my daughter on her favorite swing, get her started in playing with water and kitchen set, or sand box or whatever... when I can walk away from the others....

Otherwise, it's just discipline to repeatedly remind her of the new school rules and give her choices to obey or to be sent to her room, sit in time out, etc...

 

Preschool can be a lot of fun to homeschool! One thing I did was let my other two kids take "recess" breaks between subjects, but not at the same time. When my middle child finished math, he went and played with my youngest while I gave my oldest her spelling tests etc. Then #2 would come do spelling and I'd have #1 read a book to #3 etc.

Having older children read to younger children, or count with them, or color with them can be a great way to foster good relationships between your kids, and it makes them feel like they are contributing to the homeschooling!
When #2 was in kindergarten I would let #2 and #3 watch Leaf Frog videos. They both loved them and #3 started reading early because of them!

Also read alouds can be done with all your kids. I will let my little one play with blocks or something quiet during the reading because it's hard for her to sit still. I think she actually listens better when I let her play quietly during the reading. If I require her to sit and listen she spends so much energy trying to be still she misses half of the story!

I also made sure I spent at least a little one on one time with my youngest each day. We would read a book together, or work on counting things, or practice tracing letters. It's all good!

Good luck!
Edie

 

I loved your idea of having your 4 yo glue cereal to her name. Think we'll do that next week...and she's my fourth, I've gone thru homeschooling with a younger kid with three older kids lol. Thanks!

I also love the "noisy learning enviro" point. Except...is that learned? I've been doing a lot of reading, here and there about introverts vs extroverts. And I wonder how much learning styles connect. There are days when I'm writing an especially challenging article that I literally have to block out everything external. Which is hard in a house with four kids, lol.