Homeschooling: The Early Years (2-5yrs)



There are many reasons you may choose to homeschool your children:

• A desire to take responsibility for your child's education
• A desire to provide a more well-rounded and Christ-centered education
• Dissatisfaction with the public school system and teacher/pupil ratio
• Adverse peer pressures and unsafe school environments
• A desire to give your child opportunity for individual instruction
• Medical/health concerns of your child
• High cost of private tuition
• Religious reasons- public education conflicting with Biblical values, ie. evolution, abortion, homosexuality, premarital sex, etc.

Whatever your reason for choosing to homeschool, it's a HUGE decision and it will not be easy! And if you're anything like me, you were probably overwhelmed by the whole concept thinking, "Where do I start!?!"

I started teaching both my oldest children at the age of two and I was completely confident in their education until my daughter reached Kindergarten; suddenly I was filled with the fear that I have no idea what I'm doing! What if I haven't taught her enough? What if she doesn't know what other Kindergartners know? How do they keep track of her grades and how does she pass on to 1st grade? What curriculum should I use? There are so many questions and it's a little daunting. But a sweet friend of mine who has been homeschooling for a long time gave me some great advice that I'm going to share with you...

LET THEM PLAY!

That's right folks. Play. Kids in the early years, ages 2yrs - 5yrs are very special. They're like little sponges and they can absorb so much information. They learn so quickly and they learn hands-on. They are curious about everything and the best way for them to learn is through everyday life. It's unnatural for a child at this age to sit at a desk and do bookwork for long periods of time. Their little brains aren't made that way. They want adventure, they want messes, they want to ask questions, they want to see how things work. Kids in the early years benefit greatly from learning through life experiences. So stop freaking out and take a deep breath. Your child is learning all the time and the fact that you want to homeschool shows that you are already invested in their education. You have been teaching your child since day one and he is most likely well above the curve already!

Go out in the yard and talk about how plants grow, different types of weather, season changes, how caterpillars change into butterflies, collect and compare flowers, leaves, rocks, and nuts... there are so many wonderful things to learn in nature. Have your child help you bake cookies or cook a meal and talk about following instructions carefully, using proper measurements, how different ingredients combine to make something new... and enjoy spending that special time together. Create things with play dough, put puzzles together, play hopscotch, go on scavenger hunts, draw pictures, read books as often as you can, paint, sing, dance... PLAY!

Aside from that, there's a couple staple resources that I think you should have for teaching kids in the early years. I would recommend the following:

1) A Good set of flashcards for the alphabet, colors, numbers 1-20, and shapes. You can buy them premade or you can make them yourself. I have a small laminating machine and I make my own so I can personalize them for my children. For example, my son loves Marvel superheroes so I made shapes with his favorite characters. Great motivator to learn the shape (s! Use the flashcards to play games like memory, go-fish, matching, etc.

2) Writing tablets to practice handwriting. You can buy a tablet from the Dollar Tree for $1 or you can print them off Starfall's teacher's lounge for free (other than ink and paper). A fun way to practice handwriting is to have your child get a pen-pal. Savanna has four actually and she LOVES writing them letters and receiving responses!

3) Phonics worksheets and books (for 5yr olds) to begin learning the basics of reading. You can download many of my phonics worksheets and projects here: Fun with Phonics, Short Vowels, Blends, Short & Long Vowels and other things, OO Vowel Diagraph, Phonics Booklets and Another Booklet. You can also purchase pre-reader and level 1 "I Can Read" books to read with your child. Also, Lantern Fish is an excellent resource for reading and phonics activities.

4) Computer games are a great learning resource for young children! I highly recommend Starfall for only $35/year. Your child has access to some really great games that teach letters and letter sounds, phonics, numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fraction, problem solving, and more. It's a wonderful website that is EASY for kids to navigate; even the most novice student will enjoy this website. My kids have been using this site since they were 2yrs old and they love it. It also has a "Teacher's Lounge" where you can create printable worksheets for your child. They are pre-made and customizable to suit your child's needs. Very good resource!

5) Math, spelling, and phonics workbooks from the Dollar Tree or Target dollar bin are really great resources for Kindergartners and some preschoolers (when attempting to teach them to sit quietly at a table!).

So in the end, just remember that GOD has begun a good work in you as a parent. You are taking on a huge responsibility to educate your child and God will be faithful to complete that good work through you. Don't let fear and anxiety overwhelm you or distract you from your calling. We all do it, and we all need encouragement to remember that this is an amazing privilege. YES it's the hardest thing I've ever done. It takes every second of every day to be a stay-at-home-homeschooling mommy. There are no breaks and there is no pay. But it's also the most blessed experience of my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

So enjoy your kiddos and relax.

Bye for now,
Kristina