Here we are with another exciting year of teaching and training our kids!
When I became a mother almost 24 years ago, my littles learned through play. I believe play and exploration of their surroundings are vital in early childhood development. With my first, I was excited about “teaching” even though I lacked the confidence. I didn’t feel I was “qualified” and I assumed I wasn’t creative enough. At that time, there were very few resources like there are today, little to nothing on the Internet (if you could imagine that!) so the concept of “learning at home” was pretty foreign to me.
A handful of my children started reading at the age of 3 and 4 years old. Those particular ones were ready for a different style of learning than say my 7 year old who is beginning to read her second set of phonics readers. Every child is different, so be careful to not set unrealistic expectations for yourself or on your child.
I do not believe that formal learning is needed for a child who is between 0-4, formal meaning, sit down bookwork.
To the mamas that teach from their home, let us wrap our minds around what learning at home actually means. We do life together and we all learn along the way. I believe that is the way God set it up. He teaches mothers many different things about ourselves while we are pouring into our children throughout the day.
I get asked a lot about what I do with my preschool children while my older ones are doing their book studies. While there are several answers to this question, the short of it is, “It is a balance, different seasons call for change, and we all learn together as a family.”
The main advice I give mothers is to create a home around a play-based learning environment for all ages. It doesn’t have to look like a conventional, one-room schoolhouse, even though that is a fun idea! 🙂 You don’t need a full curriculum for little ones to be successful in homeschooling either. I have found a lot of resources over the years that have been very helpful to me.
These include very basic things that your littles will have fun learning: reading lots of books together, doing puzzles at the table, magnet boards for letters and sentences, spending time outside exploring with the family, large and small motor activities, playing with their siblings, having supervised access to art supplies, helping mama with chores, and the list goes on and on.
Think about these things mom. When your children build blocks, they learn about shapes. When they build it too high, they learn about gravity. When they have small motor things to play with, such as puzzles, they learn that not all small pieces fit perfectly into those spaces. They learn to be more precise and deliberate. When they play with magnet letters they learn the difference between upper and lowercase. When they play with their siblings, they learn that life isn’t about them. They learn to share. They learn to love. They also learn to give up their right to be right. 🙂 But this dear mother, takes you to shape these thoughts and conversations.
Offer them the tools to play and the space to explore. It isn’t expensive if you keep it simple. Sand and water tables, sponge painting, and water colors are always good options. Legos are always a hit in my house. The game of Memory, Old Maid, Connect Four, Checkers, and singing songs together are a favorite as well. And when learning is fun, your children will absorb the concepts easily.
Above all, I take very seriously Deuteronomy 6:6-9, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
God’s Word should always be presented as we do life with our children.
I hope this was helpful and encouraging to you. Have a very blessed year of training, nurturing, and having fun with your little life-long learners.
In Christ,
Natalie