Why do homeschoolers seem to start kindergarten early? - Page 2

[mtbmomma]

Sorry for the late reply, we are on vacation. A lot of good points ladies, I do understand following your child's lead and that some children really are interested in starting at 4 or whatever age. I guess I am specifically curious about whether I am making the right choice for our daughter when she seems cognitively ready for a curriculum, but lacks an interest. And I am sure I could create a way to make it interesting but I don't know whether it is needed at this age, if that makes sense. I think she will likely pick up this information on her own before she needs to anyways.

I can see how in bigger families the littlest would want to be doing work like their siblings, that makes a lot of sense. I also wonder about the schedules and if that would be helpful to us. Everytime I try to implement one, it only lasts a day or two.

Thank you all for your responses, it gives me reassurance that early academics isn't a necessity.

[justthinkn]

Here's my n=1 experience... A big reason homeschooling appeals to me is that I love learning and am excited to share that with my kids. My personal experience as a child was being a frustrated, under-challenged precocious learner, and I sensed that potential in DD. So I would say I dabbled with being more intentional early, and learned a lot about making things more complicated than necessary . I made a lot of mistakes, but learned through them. Baby DS will benefit greatly! I will say,I never stuck with anything that wasn't working. I also learned a lot about what did seem to feel good, fun and helpful, for both of us, what made our days more enjoyable. So now even though my loose plan for young 5yo DD looks rather structured, I have a lot of confidence that it's a good fit for both of us, leaves plenty of time for free play, and adds great food for imagination! If the fit starts chafing, we'll change it. I hope every homeschooling family feels that freedom!

[meetoo]

There are a ton of ways to "challenge" your child without using a curriculum. Many children are not ready at 4 for formal reading lessons or worksheets. Some aren't ready academically and others just aren't mature enough. That's why formal schooling really shouldn't begin until kids are 6+ IMO.  There are so many ways to engage her with out curriculum/work sheets. 

Read read read!! then go read some more. 

Do projects based off books

Talk about the books your reading and draw connections to her life.

Sensory activities

Art projects

Take the money you would spend on the curriculum and buy some new interesting toys

go lots of places

join play groups/story times

nature walks

games!!! Some of our favorites are Candy Land, Hi-Ho Cherries, zingo, Mancala, hungry hungry hippos.......

Encourage her to keep a journal of her drawings.  Write down either what she drew or any story she might have come up with to go with the pictures. 

I do believe it's important for parents to engage their kids and do things with them. I don't think just telling them to "go play" all day is  a good dynamic. But at the same time doing advanced school work even with an advanced child is OFTEN times not really the best use of time either. Preschool is a developmental phase in life not a "grade" to be skipped through. :) 

[kathymuggle]

I think some parents are excited by the idea of doing HSing with their kid, so they are eager to get started!

I do not think there is anything wrong with this, as long as the child is thriving, and it is kept in moderation (the job of young children is play and exploration).

I suspect some parents start early lessons out of worry.  Reading, in particular, is something many people want kids to get under their belts.

I am a hybrid of eclectic, USing and "better late than early" 

I think if you did a poll on MDC you would find most people do not do structured academics with K's or if they do, it it is on a small, non rigid scale, or because the child seems to want it.

Edited by kathymuggle - 8/17/12 at 8:34am

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by mtbmomma 

 I guess I am specifically curious about whether I am making the right choice for our daughter when she seems cognitively ready for a curriculum, but lacks an interest. And I am sure I could create a way to make it interesting but I don't know whether it is needed at this age, if that makes sense. I think she will likely pick up this information on her own before she needs to anyways.
 

Short answer: yes.  

One thing that putting off academics has done for our family is that it has given the girls enough time to start discovering things on their own, which I think is a good thing in and of itself.  (They are still doing this, and we are pretty much just "riding the wave" of exploration.  For some, it can work far beyond the preschool/kindy years, and I like that I am able to give them that chance.)

One thing that is vastly different is the order in which they pick concepts up, often *very* different from the structure of HSing curriculums (and public school ones).  So, it helps to abandon notions of what comes first and what follows directly after, because your kids will likely turn that on its head.  

For example, my oldest has always loved playing with math.  Shortly after she understood addition (like, 3 days!), she was using multiplication to add ("Three 5's make 15!")  Makes sense as multiplication is another way of adding numbers together.  However, usually subtraction is taught after addition.  Which also makes sense, being addition's opposite.  But dd didn't "get" that for another couple of years.  In some ways she understood that you had some left after you took some away, but it wasn't the immediate connection of the whole concept like her understanding of multiplication.

It doesn't mean you can't notice these differences if you use a curriculum, but I think it could make it more difficult, especially if you are just starting out HSing and focussing more on the order presented there.

[John16n33]

mtbmomma- To answer your question of  "I guess I am specifically curious about whether I am making the right choice for our daughter when she seems cognitively ready for a curriculum, but lacks an interest."

I would personally say yes, if she isn't interested then I wouldn't force her to do it.  We are starting my daughter (who is 4) with a more formal kindergarten curriculum this year but it was not originally our plan.  The only reason I am doing so is because she specifically asked for more worksheets and 'real lessons'.  I still plan to go at her own pace and the formal schooling for us will still be accomplished in well under an hour.  The rest of it will be learning through play with science projects, helping me cook, art, and the general playing and exploring.  We have a reading rhythm (I say rhythm because it isn't a full out plan, but just a rhythm we fell into) where I read shorter books to her during the day and each night before bed we read a chapter or two out  of a chapter book and she answers 1 or 2 open-ended questions about them when we are done. 

[3littlelambs]

Originally Posted by kathymuggle 

I think some parents are excited by the idea of doing HSing with their kid, so they are eager to get started!

this is me, lol :)

my oldest wouldn't even be in K until 2013, though she has a Fall birthday and has been reading since she was 3.5, as well as doing simple math now. All of this has been b/c of her own interest and initiative and to be honest what she's learned not from me, but rather starfall.com and pbskids games.

When I say I have a certain curriculum for her, it's more just some things I keep around so when she expresses an interest, I pull them out. The only really set in stone thing we do right now is I read aloud to my kids each day. A lot of our books come from Sonlight. That's what I love about Sonlight--it's all read alouds at this point, and that's the "curriculum" we use. 

[alamedamama]

My son is 4 and starting his last year of preschool next week. I have been making Montessori "jobs" for home for about a year now, and I bought the Enki kindergarten curriculum to use as a skeleton when he starts home kindergarten next year. I am always itching to start homeschooling formally, not because I think he's "advanced" (he's not) or because he has siblings he wants to follow (he doesn't).

In our case, it's just that I'm excited to start. I have to restrain myself all the time! Maybe other homeschoolers out there start early simply because Mom or Dad is amped to go?

Anyway, this is my first reply. Hello out there!

Kirsten in Alameda, SF Bay Area, CA

[Maternalove]

My daughter will be 5 in November. While she wouldn't be going to K this year if I were sending her to public school, she is ready in every capacity. She pushes us to do "school" and she soaks it all up! So we are starting an official curriculum for two reasons: First, she LOVES doing worksheets and sitting down to do school. Second, my husband and I value academics. We feel if we start now while very eager than we are setting her up for success later on in life. 

All that being said, I guess we are just blending child led learning with our teaching style. Good thing they match up. LOL I believe that's what everyone should do. If your 4 year old was asking you for something more structured would you not give it to them? Like wise, if she didn't want to sit down and learn would you just go with the flow? If you are answering "Yes" to these questions than I believe you are doing what is best for your child. 

For what it's worth, we didn't start doing any "sit down" schooling until early this summer and your daughter is about a year younger so I would just enjoy the lackadaisy days you have with her now.

[mtbmomma]

Originally Posted by alamedamama 

My son is 4 and starting his last year of preschool next week. I have been making Montessori "jobs" for home for about a year now, and I bought the Enki kindergarten curriculum to use as a skeleton when he starts home kindergarten next year. I am always itching to start homeschooling formally, not because I think he's "advanced" (he's not) or because he has siblings he wants to follow (he doesn't).

In our case, it's just that I'm excited to start. I have to restrain myself all the time! Maybe other homeschoolers out there start early simply because Mom or Dad is amped to go?

Anyway, this is my first reply. Hello out there!

Kirsten in Alameda, SF Bay Area, CA

Originally Posted by Maternalove 

My daughter will be 5 in November. While she wouldn't be going to K this year if I were sending her to public school, she is ready in every capacity. She pushes us to do "school" and she soaks it all up! So we are starting an official curriculum for two reasons: First, she LOVES doing worksheets and sitting down to do school. Second, my husband and I value academics. We feel if we start now while very eager than we are setting her up for success later on in life. 

All that being said, I guess we are just blending child led learning with our teaching style. Good thing they match up. LOL I believe that's what everyone should do. If your 4 year old was asking you for something more structured would you not give it to them? Like wise, if she didn't want to sit down and learn would you just go with the flow? If you are answering "Yes" to these questions than I believe you are doing what is best for your child. 

For what it's worth, we didn't start doing any "sit down" schooling until early this summer and your daughter is about a year younger so I would just enjoy the lackadaisy days you have with her now.

This could be DD in a year or sooner, they change so much it is hard to know.  I guess I should just see what each day/week brings, and go with what works.  Just this past week she has started doing a lot of really detailed drawings and watercolor paintings and having me write on them for her, and she added some of her own words.  This morning she actually wrote "Happy Birthday Orange" (her toy cat) all by herself (I told her how to spell it), and was trying to sound out the signs on the road while we were driving.

 

Originally Posted by SweetSilver 

Short answer: yes.  

One thing that putting off academics has done for our family is that it has given the girls enough time to start discovering things on their own, which I think is a good thing in and of itself.  (They are still doing this, and we are pretty much just "riding the wave" of exploration.  For some, it can work far beyond the preschool/kindy years, and I like that I am able to give them that chance.)

One thing that is vastly different is the order in which they pick concepts up, often *very* different from the structure of HSing curriculums (and public school ones).  So, it helps to abandon notions of what comes first and what follows directly after, because your kids will likely turn that on its head.  

For example, my oldest has always loved playing with math.  Shortly after she understood addition (like, 3 days!), she was using multiplication to add ("Three 5's make 15!")  Makes sense as multiplication is another way of adding numbers together.  However, usually subtraction is taught after addition.  Which also makes sense, being addition's opposite.  But dd didn't "get" that for another couple of years.  In some ways she understood that you had some left after you took some away, but it wasn't the immediate connection of the whole concept like her understanding of multiplication.

It doesn't mean you can't notice these differences if you use a curriculum, but I think it could make it more difficult, especially if you are just starting out HSing and focussing more on the order presented there.

I think I am drawn towards homeschooling because it can be child led, as you mentioned.  I don't really know why I am worried at all since DD is already learning so much without any real formal instruction.

 

Originally Posted by alamedamama 

My son is 4 and starting his last year of preschool next week. I have been making Montessori "jobs" for home for about a year now, and I bought the Enki kindergarten curriculum to use as a skeleton when he starts home kindergarten next year. I am always itching to start homeschooling formally, not because I think he's "advanced" (he's not) or because he has siblings he wants to follow (he doesn't).

In our case, it's just that I'm excited to start. I have to restrain myself all the time! Maybe other homeschoolers out there start early simply because Mom or Dad is amped to go?

Anyway, this is my first reply. Hello out there!

Kirsten in Alameda, SF Bay Area, CA

I can relate to this, as I love Montessori and think it would be a great fit for DD.  I was all amped for the first 2.5 years, but now I feel a little overwhelmed at the whole idea of actually starting.

Originally Posted by meetoo 

There are a ton of ways to "challenge" your child without using a curriculum. Many children are not ready at 4 for formal reading lessons or worksheets. Some aren't ready academically and others just aren't mature enough. That's why formal schooling really shouldn't begin until kids are 6+ IMO.  There are so many ways to engage her with out curriculum/work sheets. 

Read read read!! then go read some more. 

Do projects based off books

Talk about the books your reading and draw connections to her life.

Sensory activities

Art projects

Take the money you would spend on the curriculum and buy some new interesting toys

go lots of places

join play groups/story times

nature walks

games!!! Some of our favorites are Candy Land, Hi-Ho Cherries, zingo, Mancala, hungry hungry hippos.......

Encourage her to keep a journal of her drawings.  Write down either what she drew or any story she might have come up with to go with the pictures. 

I do believe it's important for parents to engage their kids and do things with them. I don't think just telling them to "go play" all day is  a good dynamic. But at the same time doing advanced school work even with an advanced child is OFTEN times not really the best use of time either. Preschool is a developmental phase in life not a "grade" to be skipped through. :) 

We do all these things already, so I guess we'll just continue to go with it.  DD loves to listen to books and has been making little books on her own.  I will have to put together a journal for her, as this was something I had planned to do long ago.  

[tiqa]

My kids did attend preschool but I chose non-academic ones for them.  One of the reasons I'm homeschooling is because I want to delay the whole early academics thing.  DH is a little less on board - he would prefer me to mould super kids out of them and flash card them and do a real curriculum to keep up with the other kids.  That said... my 5 year old son is still not demonstrating reading readiness, and my daughter (4) could also care less.  Both DH and I were reading by this time, and a lot of kids in today's culture are expected to at least know sight words by their age.  But... I think they'll be fine waiting for a bit.  Both kids are bright, verbal, and very creative.  I think they're just where they need to be.  I did toy with the idea of having a more formal curriculum for them this year, but you know what... no.  I don't think they'll be 12 and still have no interest in reading.  They see me reading every day, they like snuggling up for story time, and when I did try to offer them sight words and the like, they had absolutely no interest nor did they just pick it up.  I think they WILL just pick it up when the time comes.  Like drawing.  Or talking.  DS was very late with both - but he skipped all the foreplay and just a) went to talking in sentences almost and b) started drawing whole figures and images instead of just scribbling.  I figure reading will be similar for him.  We are still involving them in lots of learning activities, but academics?  Mmm.... not just yet.  Not until they show more readiness for it.  Just my two cents.

[mtbmomma]

Originally Posted by tiqa 

My kids did attend preschool but I chose non-academic ones for them.  One of the reasons I'm homeschooling is because I want to delay the whole early academics thing.  DH is a little less on board - he would prefer me to mould super kids out of them and flash card them and do a real curriculum to keep up with the other kids.  That said... my 5 year old son is still not demonstrating reading readiness, and my daughter (4) could also care less.  Both DH and I were reading by this time, and a lot of kids in today's culture are expected to at least know sight words by their age.  But... I think they'll be fine waiting for a bit.  Both kids are bright, verbal, and very creative.  I think they're just where they need to be.  I did toy with the idea of having a more formal curriculum for them this year, but you know what... no.  I don't think they'll be 12 and still have no interest in reading.  They see me reading every day, they like snuggling up for story time, and when I did try to offer them sight words and the like, they had absolutely no interest nor did they just pick it up.  I think they WILL just pick it up when the time comes.  Like drawing.  Or talking.  DS was very late with both - but he skipped all the foreplay and just a) went to talking in sentences almost and b) started drawing whole figures and images instead of just scribbling.  I figure reading will be similar for him.  We are still involving them in lots of learning activities, but academics?  Mmm.... not just yet.  Not until they show more readiness for it.  Just my two cents.

Thanks for the reply, this is really how I am starting to feel.  I figure if I supply a rich learning environment and set a good example, she will do just fine.