Kids likes workbooks

[HillbillyJohn]

My soon to be 4 year old likes work books. I homeschool my older 2 and he wants work too. I have always planned natural learning for my kids but they all seem to feel the need to look at something on paper and for it to be completed. I actually got him workbooks for his birthday next week. They are the dry erase kind. I feel rotten about it but he keeps asking for stuff like that. My soon to be 8 year old made a list of things she wants for her birthday and one of the items was a math workbook.

I am just confused. We got a Wii for christmas and I actually wanted to buy more games for it.

[rsps]

some kids like workboks. My youngest does. I did when I was a kid (not necassarily the ones required for school -- but one I chose to use on my own)

[PumpkinSeeds]

My just turned 4yo loves kumon workbooks.

[tankgirl73]

Heh... the whole point of 'natural learning' is to follow the child's natural ways of learning.

Some kids are book learners.

I know I was. I wasn't homeschooled, but I can remember being 5 or 6 years old and working my way through a series of spelling/grammar schoolbooks that my parents had for some reason... their old schoolbooks or something. They were far above my level, but I wanted the challenge, it was all my own idea, I worked entirely independently and loved every tidbit out of them that I figured out.

A few years later, maybe grade 2, I found a grade 6 math textbook at a used book sale. I'd pull it out every so often to see if I could figure out something more from it. I was always so pleased with myself when I actually managed to understand a new concept. I loved that book.

If I *had* been homeschooled, I would have reveled and delighted in tons of workbooks. I liked working by myself, figuring the instructions out by myself, etc, and loved spending the time alone in my room doing it. I was a solitary type heh...

If that's what your kids LIKE and what they ASK for, rather than something you insist (or even SUGGEST) that they do, then by all means indulge them. That *is* natural learning for them. Natural learning doesn't mean that you can only ever learn from being out in nature, for instance. Learning from books and practicing in workbooks isn't antithetical to learning -- it's just not the only way to learn (and often not the best way). But it can certainly be part of it.

[carmel23]

look at Miquon Math.

[numericmama]

My son loves workbooks too. I feel like it's a dirty secret. I loved them too though when I was a kid.

[spruce]

My 4yo loves workbooks, too.

We love "The Never Bored Kids Book" series (they go by grade), dot-to-dots, DK math books, and any book that helps him with his writing. (He is determined to master penmanship, and as my first lefty, I'm learning with him).

You can also use the pages in Highlights with the "hidden pictures," and I Spy pages-- those books are awesome!

Go with what they want, Mama. There's nothing evil about workbooks. I promise. (I have a whole ROOM filled with shelves of workbooks).

love, penelope

[akwifeandmomma]

My 4 y/o is a workbook nut. Page after page.

[nathansmum]

My almost 5yo has liked workbooks since he was 3. We unschool, but I figure it's just what gets him going. He doesn't see it as learning or doing work, he's just having fun.

[Jessy1019]

My daughter likes workbooks, too, and even though I'm more inclined toward unschooling, I kind of like having a concrete way to visualize her progress. Besides, if that's what the child likes, it's still child-directed learning.

[HillbillyJohn]

Thanks for all the replies!!!! I feel relieved to know that some kids actually ask for this stuff. When i started the homeschool journey, I just imagined (and kind of looking forward to) it like being a hippy almost. I wanted to plant all these gardens and tons of hands on field trip type things. While they do like having a worm compost bin, they asked for workbooks for their birthdays.

Anyway, thanks so much!!!!!

[heatherdeg]

Not long ago, I called home from running about 2 hours of errands. Dh put ds (4yo) on the phone and I told him I had a big surprise for him because he was such a good listener for Daddy.

"Is it a MATH BOOK??"

Needless to say I turned around, went back to the store and bought a math workbook. He went through 20 pages in about a half hour. Stupid me bought him a preschool level book with no clue what he was capable of. He was reading the instructions and finishing the page before I could get through reading the directions aloud.

Singapore Math has math workbooks. The K level actually looks like a lot of the preschool level books. We also have the Spectrum books.

I was one of those parents who thought workbooks were the enemy and didn't encourage "higher order learning". (I'm a former ps teacher). I have learned that he can work on the workbooks and I can expand his mind in countless other areas. He's happy and he's thinking... s'all gooood.

[mommy68]

Originally Posted by tankgirl73

Heh... the whole point of 'natural learning' is to follow the child's natural ways of learning.

I agree.

My oldest child used to love workbooks. He has gone back and forth over the years. But now that he's a teen he would definitely pick the Wii games hence the reason why we have no video game system in our house. He'd never get any school work done if we did. It's kind of like people who don't have cable t.v., we can't have any type of t.v. video game system.

[AnnaLaughs]

DD loves workbooks, too. I chalk it up to her learning style and go with it. Like previously said, it is natural to some people to learn in this way.
I remember erasing my school workbooks and redoing them over summer breaks.....I can't believe I just admitted that....:

[BeanyMama]

Mine too!! I thought we were weird. 4 yo ds loves nothing more than to sit at the table and do worksheets.

[nancy926]

There's nothing wrong with liking workbooks, IMHO! They can be fun, like doing puzzles.

My older DD will do some pages every once in awhile, but she does them *her* way. and she will skip some pages because "I already know how to do that" (usually it's tracing letters or numbers). I got her one book that I thought would be good, but I agree with her that it gets boring - it's basically the same two exercises over and over, just with different numbers. And all of the dot-to-dot pictures are glaringly obvious without even connecting the dots.