new homeschooling mama here

[~*SugarMama*~]

Just was looking for some advice/support. My son is enrolled in K currently but I am homeschooling my 3.5 yr old. I don't want to enroll her in preschool or anything of the like and she is pretty intelligent, so we decided that this was our best course of action.

Now with summer coming up here in a few short weeks, I want to take a more active role in homeschooling our son this summer. But I have no idea where to begin with an older child. With our daughter, its easier for me since I am working on all the bare basics right now. But are there any good sites or books that would help me prepare lessons for both a beginner and a novice schooler?

[Lillian J]

I can recommend a few books that would be a help - these are the descriptions from the HomeSchool Assn. of California's resource pages, and you can find more there.

--The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child: Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start, by Linda Dobson. The synthesis of countless years of educational inquiry and experiment, from many contributing homeschoolers.

--Homeschooling, the Early Years, by Linda Dobson. Although these years, 3-8, are early for formal study, the book offers encouragement and inspiration about the ways in which young children continually learn naturally.

Lillian

[guest^]

So, you have a son who will be finishing Kinder this Spring? And a 3.5yo that you are HSing. And you want to HS your son also? If you feel the need to do academics, only do it Tuesday/Thursday for about 45 mins. If they aren't up to it, *no big deal*.

Since spring is here, and summer and fall are ahead, I personally focus on letting the dc get outside as much as possible. We have a book called "The KIds Nature Book"...365 indoor /outdoor activities and Experiences.

Summer at your dc's ages should be all about playiing outside,having rolly-polly races,digging in the dirt,taking frequent nature walks and trips to a zoo or just to the park.

You should lurk and/or post on the HSer Pre-k threads. Reading to them, letting them have *hours* outside to play, and frerquent seasonal trips to places around your area should be enough!

If you feel pressured to do *something* schooly, check out Five In A Row. FIAR.com. www.FIAR.com

Sorry if I sound preachy!

mp

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by mamapoppins

Summer at your dc's ages should be all about playiing outside,having rolly-polly races,digging in the dirt,taking frequent nature walks and trips to a zoo or just to the park.

Yes, the thing is that a child just coming out of year of kindergarten needs and has earned the summer off, uh...in my own humble opinion...

And any child coming out of school needs a decompression/deschooling period anyway - which should, strange but true, extend into the fall. Here's a whole thread of info on that here in MDC:
decompression/deschooling

It takes no time at all for the few things a child that age usually learns - and the later you begin, the faster and easier it is for them. Lillian

[mamacitarisa]

Hi I don't homeschool yet but am looking into it and I was checking out a website lately called www.christopherushomeschool.org & it has alot of information & some of the books look like they might have some nice ideas.

good luck have fun!

Lisa

[genifer]

We are just starting out ourselves. I have a five yo boy as well and almost 7yo twin girls. I took them out and we have just finished week one. . Ive felt pressure to do 'school type' work some of the time myself but Im working on breaking us out of all that too. Part of me wants to practice what theyve already learned but keep it relaxed and low key. Ive found myself pushing them a few times. Like I said, we just finished week one. Im bound to make some mistakes but I have all the time in the world to learn from them. We are spending alot of time outside, exploring and adventuring, kicking the soccer ball around doing whatever. Going to the library, reading to them, letting them read to me when they want to. Doing a bit of math problems, making it funny sometimes, getting the pennies out and playing shop, adding money, taking away. They are learning thru it all. We play music alot, visit friends. We've even met one other homeschooling family who live 5 minutes walk away. So we are making new friends too.

I wouldnt stress about it at first. Its quite liberating just taking the plunge and seeing what happens. As long as you are attentive and seize learning opportunities when they arise, thats all you really need. Take time to find your own teaching style. Im finding that I have to unlearn alot of rubbish Ive carried around since my 'schooling' days.

[~*SugarMama*~]

Thanks so much! The outside time, nature studies, etc are all what I am doing with him when he gets home from school now. Our homeschooling lately has been tons of time at the local parks, exploring the wildlife native to our area and discussing the weather, astronomy, etc.

I will definitely check out those books today while I am out. Hopefully something there will give me the confidence to not send him back to school come this fall.

[lisavasmom]

Hi Genifer,

I've been tirelessly been researching homeschooling, and have been scouring the message boards for info.-besides reading several books that I've gotten from the library. I have a 3 yr old, that I'm currently pre schooling, and an 8 month old that just likes to smile at this point!
I really liked your post. It's inspiring. Thanks!

Lisa

Originally Posted by genifer

We are just starting out ourselves. I have a five yo boy as well and almost 7yo twin girls. I took them out and we have just finished week one. . Ive felt pressure to do 'school type' work some of the time myself but Im working on breaking us out of all that too. Part of me wants to practice what theyve already learned but keep it relaxed and low key. Ive found myself pushing them a few times. Like I said, we just finished week one. Im bound to make some mistakes but I have all the time in the world to learn from them. We are spending alot of time outside, exploring and adventuring, kicking the soccer ball around doing whatever. Going to the library, reading to them, letting them read to me when they want to. Doing a bit of math problems, making it funny sometimes, getting the pennies out and playing shop, adding money, taking away. They are learning thru it all. We play music alot, visit friends. We've even met one other homeschooling family who live 5 minutes walk away. So we are making new friends too.

I wouldnt stress about it at first. Its quite liberating just taking the plunge and seeing what happens. As long as you are attentive and seize learning opportunities when they arise, thats all you really need. Take time to find your own teaching style. Im finding that I have to unlearn alot of rubbish Ive carried around since my 'schooling days'







oling' days.

[momof2princesses]

congrats on homeschooling. i just lurk here alot, since my girls are young but this site offers lots of support forsure

[scorch_dc]

I also have a 3.5 y.o. who I am 'homeschooling' as well as an 18 month old.

We do some workbooks, mostly because my son loves stickers - DK makes educational sticker books about insects, trains, butterflies, space, etc. We do some stickers, read a related book about the topic from the library and maybe do an art project (he loves to make dioramas). This week he was really interested in coral reefs after a nova special we watched about it, and so we got a few books from the library (juvenile lit) and made a coral reef diorama - he loves that stuff.

We also do alot of outside activities. He loves insects, so we try to identify bugs. He helped me start all my veggies and herbs from seed, so helps me take care of the plants. I put many of them in containers so he can feel the soil for each to see if they need water, and is even starting to identify most of the plants (lemon balm, basil, peppers, pumpkins, tomatoes, sage, etc.). We even planted a sunflower house. I love the book "Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots" by Sharon Lovejoy - about gardening with children, which is where we got the sunflower house idea.

We go to local arboretums and botanical gardens - they have nature trails. There are some books with fun projects that relate to going on walks or hikes. One that we like alot is "Trails, tails & tidepools in pails : over 100 fun and easy nature activities for families and teachers to share with babies and young children ".

I think most of those activities are fun and summer and not 'schoolwork' and could be used for both ages. We also have a play store, and use it to sell toys, or wooden veggies, or even setup a library some times. My sons play together then, and we have very basic money system so they can buy and pay each other, and the oldest keeps track of change!

Have a fun summer!!!!!

[~*SugarMama*~]

Thanks for the book suggestions. I read those along with Dobson's Book of Homeschooling Answers and related what I had read to dh. DS was formally pulled out of public schools last week and will not be returning. I am so much more comfortable with the idea of homeschooling him now.

[jessielove]

I've been meaning to look up the Dobson book on your rec. I'll try to remember it next time I'm at the library!

I really enjoyed the Holt book I told you about, Teach Your Children {I think that's what it was called}. I want to find How Children Fail and How Children Learn by him next. I think you would get quite a lot from his books, too.

I'm so excited for you! I know how thrilled you are about this. I think you're going to have a great time with the kids. Congrats again!!!