Manhattan_Mom Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I'm researching home schooling as a serious alternative to our preschool options for my 3 year old. I work 30 hours per week, Mon-Thurs mornings (I'm home by 1pm). I was thinking of hiring a private teacher for part of the time I'm at work. Has anyone had experience with this? I live in New York. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraQ Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I'm researching home schooling as a serious alternative to our preschool options for my 3 year old. I work 30 hours per week, Mon-Thurs mornings (I'm home by 1pm). I was thinking of hiring a private teacher for part of the time I'm at work. Has anyone had experience with this? I live in New York. Thanks! With a 3 year old, sounds like you need a nanny for 30 hours a week, not a private teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 With a 3 year old, sounds like you need a nanny for 30 hours a week, not a private teacher. :iagree:Exactly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyfulMama Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I would look into hiring a nanny with experience in early childhood education. Make your expectations more specific when you interview. Don't look for someone who will occupy them and play with them, but one who will encourage specific skills that you feel are important. (Cutting, gluing, coloring, reading aloud, etc.) SIL did find some families who had advertised at the community college she had attended. If you want to do more prep work yourself, you could certainly have projects ready for them to work on/explore while you are at work. Or, you could offer a rate to include $x for supplies. Also, a membership to a favorite location might be something you could consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manhattan_Mom Posted November 23, 2010 Author Share Posted November 23, 2010 Sorry I did not clarify... I already have a nanny for 20 hour a week (my husband watches the boys - almost 3 and 11 months for part of the time I'm at work). My thinking is that I would hire an extra person for part of the time my husband and I are both at work so that the 3 year old could get some focused one-on-one time. I rejected the idea of having a helper when I'm home with them. I just love being with both of them together. But I figure that if I'm at work anyway, why not fortify their time with the nanny? Wondering if anyone has done this and what curriculum to use, how to find a private teacher, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smrtmama Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 With a 3 year old, sounds like you need a nanny for 30 hours a week, not a private teacher. :iagree: Your kid is three. Your kid doesn't need intensive schooling. S/he needs supervision and interaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manhattan_Mom Posted November 23, 2010 Author Share Posted November 23, 2010 Thanks, JoyfulMama. Our current nanny has a undergrad degree in early childhood education and is terrific: creative, takes initiative, etc. As I type this, I'm actually realizing I could just hire a 'helper' nanny and let my current nanny focus with the 3 year old. Do you have any curriculum suggestions?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 WTM recommends "Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready" for a preschool book. I have also had great luck in going to the library and going through art project and science project books for preschoolers, such as "Mudpies and Magnets" and so on. You really don't need much for a 3-4yo--a library card and a park are your two main supplies. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 http://www.amazon.ca/Slow-Steady-Get-Me-Ready/dp/0962232211 along with lots of cuddles, colouring, etc. from mom. That should do it. :001_smile: Really, until the child is in 4-6th grade, "schooling" can take an hour a day. Seriously. That is an advanced 1-to-1 education tailored to a unique child. Due to that fact, you can accomplish so much more than any school and in way less time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manhattan_Mom Posted November 23, 2010 Author Share Posted November 23, 2010 Thanks everyone for the great replies! I'm _completely_ new to the world of home schooling but have been very impressed, blown away really, with WTM. I have no idea where to go for support. Is there a WTM network in Manhattan? As for school for a 3 year old, it would be very simple with the aim of giving him some experience. We do lots of playground trips, reading, art classes, playdates, gym classes and wandering around Central Park looking at acorns and flipping rocks as our main activities. How can I connect with WTM home schoolers in Manhattan? Everyone here seems to equate home schooling with 'unschooling'... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 NYCHEA (nychea.org) is the main homeschooling organization in NYC, and it is a great resource. There are hundreds of member households, all over the city, with kids of all ages. I don't know of any WTM-specific groups, but there are folks here doing everything. My children are also still young, but I have actually met very few unschoolers here so far -- if anything, it's the opposite. As I'm sure you know, this is a very competitive place, and I think that the homeschooling scene reflects that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I'm researching home schooling as a serious alternative to our preschool options for my 3 year old. I work 30 hours per week, Mon-Thurs mornings (I'm home by 1pm). I was thinking of hiring a private teacher for part of the time I'm at work. Has anyone had experience with this? I live in New York. Thanks! I work from home, but I just hired my niece to be my personal assisstant, and that includes helping with schooling. She was homeschooled all the way through High School and is now a college student. This was the best thing I have ever done! I can work a few hours, I am in the next room and school is still getting done. She is mostly tutoring my 6 & 8 year olds and checking my 12 y/o's work as she completes her assignments. Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halcyon Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 If you PM me, Manhattan Mom, I can help you out with NYC resources. I moved from there last year and was active in the homeschool community there. HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 We do lots of playground trips, reading, art classes, playdates, gym classes and wandering around Central Park looking at acorns and flipping rocks as our main activities. Sounds like you're already home schooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeneralMom Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 Everyone here seems to equate home schooling with 'unschooling'... We are not unschoolers, nor do I start formal lessons until my child wants to. For my boys we mostly did play/learning and didn't do formal schooling until 5 or 6. They really loved the Leap Frog videos (alphabet, words, math) so we would watch those and go over them. My daughter also loved those, but she requested alphabet flash cards and wanted more "formal" lessons because she saw her brothers getting it when she was 3.5yo. In terms of curriculum, you should look into Before Five in a Row and Five in a Row. Basically, they are activities for well known literature in history, geography, crafts, etc. Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpidarkomama Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 With a 3 year old, sounds like you need a nanny for 30 hours a week, not a private teacher. :iagree: Really it's not "schooling" until they're a good bit older... Just reading stories, singing songs, hanging out, going for walks... all the regular stuff. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 You'll want to look into the laws on this, too. In WA the parent has to be the teacher. But you wouldn't need to worry about that until the legal age for compulsory education, which is probably between 6 and 8. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyfulMama Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 ... As for school for a 3 year old, it would be very simple with the aim of giving him some experience. We do lots of playground trips, reading, art classes, playdates, gym classes and wandering around Central Park looking at acorns and flipping rocks as our main activities. How can I connect with WTM home schoolers in Manhattan? Everyone here seems to equate home schooling with 'unschooling'... I'm not trying to be flippant, but if you already have a nanny, and you already do so many wonderful things with the kids, I'm not sure.... how do I say this... Why do you feel you need to bump this up a step because he is 3? Are you feeling compelled to give him a devoted preschool teacher in lieu of enrolling in preschool? Do you feel that you need to provide a "higher level" of learning than to the younger? I understand the desire to give your children "the best", however often many would want to offer what you are already saying you do. They offer those things by enrolling their children in preschool. TWTM is awesome. Yes. We here all pretty much agree with that. :D However I don't remember reading a section stating that 3 and 4 year olds need devoted 1:1 time by a "professional teacher" to learn pre-reading & pre-writing skills. Read the preschool years section over again, and look to see how what you are already doing fits into those recommendations. "Learning time" doesn't have to be sitting down in a seat for 30 minutes each day, but it can be. It works easier to put 20 preschoolers in their seats and to have them all count aloud, together, than it does to have the same 20 children each count individual items they are throwing away, or putting away. But you can have your child count things 15 times a day in the normal course of your day, and not add but a minute here or there. 4 napkins on the table for dinner. 4 forks. 2 knives. 10 steps. 3 books. 2 songs. 12 trees. 3 cups. 7 birds. 15 rocks. 3 pieces of paper. 1 glue stick. 3 circles to make a snowman. 6 legs on an ant. 0 legs on a worm. If you are looking for guidance, you have been given two great recommendations in "Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready" and "Before Five in a Row." If you are looking for help in choosing books to read aloud, there are lots of books to help with that, too. :001_smile: But honestly, I would like for you to look at all the wonderful things you are already doing, and give yourself credit for that. Oh, and local homeschoolers might look at you a bit sideways if you say you are homeschooling your 3 year old. Many folks don't feel that you are homeschooling until the child reaches at least 5 or 6. Before that? You're parenting. There are so many ways to parent. Open yourself up to the homeschooling community, to learn from them. But don't shut yourself out of playgroups, as they can offer a wide variety of experiences for both yourself and your children, even if all the parents don't subscribe to all of the same educational philosophies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathmom Posted November 24, 2010 Share Posted November 24, 2010 Hey, Manhattan Mom, why not hire somebody to speak another language with your dc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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