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When do you start with little ones?
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I have a questions regarding my little ones. I’m getting a lot more comfortable as I research all this for my 8 year old. But With my 3 year old and my 18 month old….How and when do you start? I mean for example, aside from letting them listen in on stories and participate in the Nature walks and all that, when do you actively start teaching them?
How’s this for a non-helpful answer – when they’re ready. My now 5-yr-old sat in on all the books and math lessons, everything. Right on my lap, usually getting his back scratched. Somewhere around 4 he learned how to read on his own and picked up addition and subtraction. When he started asking to do school we started very slowly with things that interested him. He’s 5 and he does handwriting (at his request), reading and math, about 10-15 minutes each. He still sits in on science, history and literature with the older boys (and can narrate with the best of them!). But he’s also free to leave if he wants to. In another year I’ll probably ask a little more of him, or maybe he’ll ask for it. He’s been very vocal about what he thinks he should be doing for school.
My 3-yr-old sits in on whatever he wants. Or sits on our books. I read to him and we talk about shapes and colors and numbers and other stuff, but we don’t have a time set or whatever. Sometime around 4 or 5 we’ll start more formal lessons, but still very casual and slow. Maybe some phonics and simple science (he loves animals). Possibly some math.
I’m interested to hear what others have to say because I always worry I’m “not doing it right”.
Heather
I have a 6 yr old in K, 4 yr old, and 20 mo old. With the 2 younger girls I don’t do formal school yet. My 4 yr old has an interest in letters so I let her color letters and tell her their sounds. For math we just count things. That’s about it. Otherwise I just read to them and let them sit near us when we do K work.
CM wanted those under 6 to play outside most of the time and not do anything formal. I’m reading Better Late Than Early by the Moores and they say not to do formal work under age 8. It seems the later you introduce things the faster they pick up/catch up.
Tara
I just want to remeind you that you ARE actively teaching them! I know what you meant, though and you know that deep down, but it’s very important not to underestimate how much they’re learning now.
Just a few things that come to mind:
First…habits, habits, habits! Obedience, attention and what’s the other one?? 😕
Blocks, some have letters and numbers on them. There’s many opportunities to have unorganized math.
puzzles (the wooden kind)with the alphabet and numbers; my son learned from them and loved those; we would talk about the letters while he was doing them.
wooden toys from Melissa and Doug, found at Target
wooden magnets (M and D again) and an easel to use them on.
foam/cloth letters fom Lauri toys for both ages
http://www.liveandlearn.com/lauri/index.html
when your doing you’re nature walks you’re talking about colors and shapes
art and music
The Charlotte Mason Companion Karen Andreola is very inspirational. If I think of anything else I’ll chime in. YOur 3 yr. old will let you know by his/her interest shown. My son started early (4) on reading but we took the writing slower.
Keep reading good books/nursery rhymes/songs/books on cd with great exuberance versions of Winnie the Pooh and Beatrix Potter. Jim Weiss has some wonderful dramatized stories:
http://www.greathall.com/onlinebro.html#storytelling
Just don’t push the organized “learning”. I have a 7 and 8 yr. old and I still do much orally, even if it “tells” me to have them write it.
Rachel
Rachel
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