Are there any homeschooling parents (or 4yo and 5yos) on this forum? - Page 2

[Katwoman]

I am.  My girls are 5 and 7.  We "use" the Thomas Jefferson Education philosophy.  (I say "use" because they're not old enough to really use the philosophy, but we read, read, read.  The TJE just really resonates with our family.) 

[kgianforti]

My big girl is 5.5!!

[marimara]

Here too.  I'm homeschooling my 5yo dd, she has a late bday and was eligible for Pre-k this year instead of Kindergarten.  I'm fairly confident she's gifted and she is working on many different levels mostly under her own direction and motivation.  I provide a wild mishmash of materials from HWOT, Miquon, etc.  But my Main Plan is:

• Read to her everyday  (we're working our way through the Magic Tree House and Magic School Bus series)
• She reads to me everyday from her book of choice
• Independent Reading, usually related to the human body and health since she is obsessed with that.
• Some copywork writing occasionally using quality literature
• Math (Miquon or one of the public school texts I picked up at a thrift store)

However, she doesn't always follow my plan and some days are spent building cities and trains, playing at the beach or park, digging in the backyard, or drawing and painting.

She also enjoys storytime at our local library, nature hikes, playing with her friends, gymnastics class, science class for hsers, and riding her bike :)

[Jackielyn]

I lurk...I've been a member here a long time but don't post much.  I have a 4.5 yr old DD who just kinda goes with the flow.  She really likes me to read aloud, we take a lot of walks together and she is full of questions right now.  She occasionally likes to get out a workbook but I try to keep lots of stuff around for her to do.  Her and my middle son who is 6 are kind of unschooling right now.  My oldest is 9 and we are a little more rigorous with the schoolwork. 

[MomtoDandJ]

Yeah - I'm so glad I posted!  I had second thoughts after posting my original message because I was worried maybe it really was all parents of older kids -- but here everyone is! :)

Maybe now that we've found each other we can share some resources we're using.  My oldest is in preschool now so I'm not following a formal homeschool program right now.  Just online worksheets and such.  I use these alphabet worksheets for teaching alphabet letters and these kindergarten math worksheets.  And mainly we're just focusing on math and reading so I guess those are my two go-to things.  Can't wait to hear what everyone else uses!

[SweetSilver]

Like I mentioned in my post, we don't use a curriculum or even worksheets.  (Both girls love their "puzzle books" offered by Highlights magazine however.  They are expensive but we enjoy them very, very much.)  We do have an alphabet puzzle.   Alphabet-oriented books can be fun (Dr. Seuss' ABC, Chicka Chicka..., and Ogres Ogres Ogres, but we get them because they are fun.  Mainly we read a lot, about nearly everything.  

Math at this age is mainly about counting, and I just can't stop them from counting.  We also play a lot of board games together, some "educational", others not, but all are useful, either because of counting dice, money, or graphs (Battleship).  Baking provides familiarity with measuring cups.  I don't make a point of "teaching" her the measurements, but simply use the vocabulary.  My 5yo especially loves her jigsaw puzzles and wooden "picture" blocks.  Those are just the wooden shape blocks which they lay out on the yoga mats so they don't slip.  Those are a great intuitive way to learn about shapes and their relationship to each other, even if you don't teach the names or the names simply don't "stick".

For science, well that's easy.  We just explore.  If they ask and I can answer, then I do, but exploring and wondering is the name of the game.  I give them some tools to play with, binoculars, measuring tape, etc, and let them loose.  And of course, more books-- hopefully in something of a story format, but they have enjoyed the "science" books as well, if they are done nicely and worth reading simply for their own sake.  My 5yo loves her guide books.  She'll pore over them for hours, telling herself little stories as she goes (though she doesn't want me to hear!)  Last bath time my oldest (almost 7yo) discovered that a wet washcloth held tightly over a yogurt tub full of water will hold in the water.  No one asked why.  I'm still researching that myself.  It's the wonder and the thrill of the discovery (on their very own!) that I value.  Pure joy!  And lots of giggles....

[tankgirl73]

Well, if we're sharing.

My daughter turns 5 next week and is counting down the days.  That's math practice!  ;)

In all seriousness though, she does seem to be 'gifted', at least in a couple of areas.  She's mathy, for sure (apple, tree, all that stuff).  We 'unschool' in the sense that I don't require or expect any particular schedule or commitment or routine or "school day" from her in any way, shape or form.  And in fact, I had planned to UTTERLY unschool until at least age 7... but then she started *asking* for worksheets when she was 2.  Still, 99% of her time is spent in self-directed creative imaginative play.

Most days, we do something or other that's "schooley" but far from all days.  When we "do school" we do:

RightStart math (she's about 1/2 way through level B)

Dreambox learning (online math)

Reading Eggs online, or Progressive Phonics, for reading practice

A Beka 4 Cursive

That's really it right now in terms of 'curriculum'.  We've also done some lapbooks from Teacher's Book Bag and other sources, she really enjoyed those.  She's also really on a writing kick right now -- I love watching and following her natural, unprompted drives.  We did a very Montessori-inspired toddlerhood so I'm all about how their natural drives reflect their developmental readiness.  Anyway, I had always planned to do 'cursive first' but when she started spontaneously writing at age 3, it was all block letters -- just imitating what she saw in books and her games, I think.  So at this point, we're working on learning cursive, but since we only have a few letters so far, she still writes in block letters.  What she's just started recently is invented phonetic writing -- completely unprompted, she has just started doing this ALL THE TIME.  She wrote on her blackboard the other day "clozd tday becuz ufu thu snstom!"  That sort of thing.  So cute!

The 'plan' for the next couple of years or so, is to continue RightStart math, do Christopherus grade 1, we've got some K-2 Intellego unit studies, NOEO science, a few other things along those lines.  Maybe start History Odyssey 1 in another year or so... whenever her writing skills are up to it.  

She's also started violin lesson, is in 3 different dance classes, and does a little piano with me. What she really wants, though, is to play the bagpipes.

[katielin317]

My ds is 5 and we also have 3yo, but he basically just sits around with us and traces and cuts stuff:)

[meetoo]

I have a preschooler who I have no plans to send to preschool, but I will not be homeschooling k-12, so I don't really post here. We do a lot of fun play things.  I don't use worksheets/lesson plans or follow any type of premade curriculum.  :) 

[DiannaK]

Waving ....

I lurk, mostly because what little I see written here about smaller children makes me feel woefully inadequate, like I'm not teaching my daughter enough. 

I have 4 children, with Baby 5.0 on the way. My oldest daughter is 17, in public school. With my younger daughter, age 5, we were planning on sending her to the local (fabulous) Latin school. When she didn't get in, we switched to Plan B -- we bought the school's curriculum, and I really like it. My twin boys are 3.5, and I'm not doing anything formal with them. 

[ilovemygirl]

I'm here with my dd who is 4 and a half. No official curriculum yet. We do a lot of reading. Mostly I read to her but she's starting to do the very basic little readers herself now and I am having her practice writing/tracing letters. She goes to swimming classes. That's pretty much it for school type stuff at the moment.

[phathui5]

Our kids are 4, 6, 8, and 11.

[splendiferous]

We have a 5YO. Loving home education so far! Thanks for starting this thread.

[mamaupupup]

Ok, my favorite:  "she wants to play the bagpipes" !!!  Super cute! 

[Heidi74]

Raising my hand. I have two boys-age 4 and 2. I am a former elementary school teacher/literacy specialist, and children's literature has always been a focus of mine. Naturally, a literature based focus has followed me into this season of homeschooling. With older DS, I started out the year doing Core P 4/5 from Sonlight, but as time has passed I have found myself pretty much abandoning that core and repeating Core P 3/4 from last year, while throwing in lots and lots of library books (as well as portions of P 4/5-like Science.) We'll repeat P 4/5 next year for Kindergarten--I feel that is more age appropriate for my son. He can follow it now, but will get so much more out of that core when he is a little older. Also, ever since DS2 gave up his naps, it became easier when I could also throw in books that he can follow along with somewhat.

As far as other homeschooling materials, we use HWT Pre-K for handwriting, and I also encourage him to sometimes write letters/label pictures he draws-that kind of thing. He does sometimes do the DEL books from the P 4/5 core; they really are great for working with perceptual issues. We aren't doing formal math, but he plays with math manipulatives and watches Mathtacular a fair bit. We also talk about numbers and math at times when it feels natural, for example when we are at the store. He has recently started reading (something he started doing fairly naturally), so he does read to one of us for about 10 minutes at bedtime--usually books like Biscuit, Henry & Mudge Puppy Books, the easiest Dr. Seuss books...that kind of thing. So, in other words, not doing a whole lot of formal stuff yet--but definitely capitalizing on the teachable moments.

Nice to meet all of you!

[KaliShanti]

Hello! I am homeschooling my DS, age 4. Have been unofficially but wanted to do more curriculum starting this August. We do HWT, Math U See (He breezed through Primer in 2 months is in Alpha), Click n Spell, and some Abeka 1st Grade History & Science. DS is likely gifted, so learning is always interesting with him. He does a lot of reading- mainly chess tactics books (his obsession) and then books I bring home from the librabry.

I'm a pretty bad homeschooling mom right now though with a just-turned 2 yr-old live wire DD and a 3 week old newborn. So I'm glad he reads and we just do a lot of talking about all sorts of topics because I'm lucky if I do any sort of curriculum twice a week these days!! I need organization!

[Coco_Hikes]

Since summer ended we have been meandering along on a Charlotte Mason-ish path with 5.5yo DD. It's been a good fit with her personality and learning style. AmblesideOnline.

[OkiMom]

My oldest turns 5 next month, my middle is 3 and the baby is 10 months.. I have slowly started to set aside time each day for "school" and will start a Kindergarten curriculum in the Fall. Technically we don't have to register for the school district until 7 but my husband is very vocal about wanting her to be at the grade level everyone her age is at. Hes not 100 percent sold on homeschooling and is getting shaker the older our daughters get and the more family pressure we get to put them in school.

[onyxravnos]

me ! :wave: I have a almost 5 yr old (offically pre-k this year) and a 2 1/2 year old. I started with Little Acorn learning when DS1 was itty bitty and moving withing the waldorf spectrum. :) I've tried and tested out basically EVERY pre-k / kindy program out there. lol

[Fillyjonk]

I have a 6 year old who I guess will be homeschooled come easter. At the moment she is at a waldorf kindergarten 3 half days a week. I don't start academic work with mine until they leave kindergarten, though with her it is tricky because she REALLY wants to do it, so she does some stuff when her older brother is working. I also have a nearly 4 year old-I won't be doing anything formal with her for about 3 years though!