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[boscopup]

To me, PreSchool workbooks are a bit of a waste of time. (Not yours per se, the childs.) As someone was kind enough to remind us, early learning is very important, so I guess I felt that training kids to focus on a paper that is filled with 'pointless' or 'fluff' learning is unfair to them.

 

You've obviously never HAD a preschooler. A lot of preschoolers like doing those little workbooks. Are they necessary? Nope. But they're often FUN for the preschooler. Most moms who use them are just using them as busywork (on purpose!) to keep the preschooler busy while older children get "real school". They're not usually using them to actually teach a preschooler. It is supposed to be stuff they already know so the mom doesn't have to sit there with them.

 

There's nothing wrong with a preschooler doing easy stuff. It gets them excited about learning! If you give them things that are hard, they will shut down at that age and big time resist. In first grade, you can give them things that challenge their minds, but in preschool, you're asking for trouble if you push too hard with the challenge stuff. You could turn them off school completely.

 

I'm still wondering where you are seeing people obsess over those workbooks for teaching basic skills like that? :confused: I haven't seen it here on WTM. People here usually stress over phonics and math programs, or trying to get arts and crafts in.

 

My oldest had a K workbook from Sam's (one of those big workbooks) when he was 4. He LOVED doing that workbook. It was all stuff he knew already. He just wanted some way to practice the things he knew. He really enjoyed it. Now as a first grader, I don't use workbooks to TEACH him, except math, and it's certainly not the workbooks you see in the grocery store. He is challenged now. But at age 4? No, I didn't want to challenge him. There's such a huge difference in maturity and ability to handle a challenge between a 4 year old and a 6 year old. Huge difference.

[Kuovonne]

You are exactly right. Thats exactly the presumption that I have about *homeschoolers*.

...

I made a sweeping generalization based on the few HS PreSchool/Kindergarten Curriculum and the TONS of Preschool skills workbooks and "activity books" that I see in Borders, Walmart, KMart, Target, and Teacher Supply Stores.

 

Ah, but those preschool workbooks in those big block stores are *not* marketed to homeschoolers. Homeschoolers don't obssess about those workbooks.

[Sherry in OH]

I use those workbooks as carrots. My son dislikes his therapy exercises. He does not like coloring. He does like mazes and dot-to-dots. He loves the Kumon Cutting book. So, if he does his therapy exercises, one page of handwriting, and his math lesson (he likes this one) he gets to do a cutting page or a maze or a dot-to-dot. Sometimes I even let him choose a second one. :lol:

[RoundAbout]

You've obviously never HAD a preschooler. A lot of preschoolers like doing those little workbooks. Are they necessary? Nope. But they're often FUN for the preschooler. Most moms who use them are just using them as busywork (on purpose!) to keep the preschooler busy while older children get "real school". They're not usually using them to actually teach a preschooler. It is supposed to be stuff they already know so the mom doesn't have to sit there with them.

 

There's nothing wrong with a preschooler doing easy stuff. It gets them excited about learning!

 

 

:iagree: Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

We don't normally use them but we took one of those chunky preschool workbooks on our 10 day vacation with us. I didn't have time or space to pack a ton of toys, games, books, manipulatives or lovingly handcrafted Montessori materials, so it was ideal really. And Boy did it keep him occupied in the hotel and at restaurants.

 

DS loved it and kept begging to do more! BTW, he's not a kid who naturally loves to do "school" or begs for it like some kids with older siblings, but something about those easy little pages really got him going. I recently found some Richard Scarry workbooks in the Target dollar aisle and he loves those too. For that matter, I remember liking workbooks as a kid.

[Guest AbbyL]

I started my son a few months ago an Kindergarten since he was asking me to help him write letters. This is the only worksheet work we do right now. He also started trying to read and I needed to correct improper phonics. I plan on starting math in the fall. However, I will probably start much earlier with my twin daughters who are almost 3 because they want to do "school" like their big brother. Also, I find that the girls don't know many of the things their big brother did at their age because it is just harder to focus one on one when extra kids enter the picture. Planning some of the shapes, colors, and alphabet recognition will help me to be sure that they are prepared. I have personally found that it is much easier to naturally teach so many things when you have one on one focus with a child than when you have more kids added to the family and my focus becomes divided. I have another on the way due in June and I feel that being more intentional about some of those areas will help me to be sure that they are as prepared as their brother was.

[Crimson Wife]

It's possible you have some misconceptions about pre-K curricula. I don't believe I've ever seen, let alone seen others even discussing on this board, a curriculum that teaches things like shapes and colors and calendars and what you are referring to as "bare bones." The only curricula I've seen discussed are on your list of allowed academics - phonics, math, etc.

 

The Core Knowledge What Your Preschooler Needs to Know Activity Book does cover shapes, colors, opposites, etc. I used it with my 2nd in his pre-k year because he had a speech & language delay and one of the areas where he tested low was "basic concepts". I wanted to use something systematic to make sure that I did not accidentally overlook something he ought to learn. But the CK activity book was fairly "hands-on" and took maybe 5-10 minutes per day.

[Plagefille]

Now, I did not read EVERYTHING everyone else replied but I get the impression most do not agree with the op? I actually totally agree! The WTM also agrees with the OP. Basically it says to just work on reading. We do not do school at all before 1st grade. We have a very educational enviroment and there are workbooks availible if they want to do any, but I do not require anything. We work on reading, but somehow they picked that all up through play also. I use no curriculum we just have some phonics readers and that is all. It worked for my first 2 kids and they are both above grade level by 1 or 2 grades. I guess we will see with the 3rd kid she is different from the others.

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

Someday, you will have an active, energetic, lively, curious four-year-old in the house demanding to be entertained all day every day.

 

Then you will understand why people do structured learning activities with children of this age. Really.

 

 

This is a good point, and if I had a child that liked those PreK/K workbooks sold at the stores and would occupy themselves with one I would totally utilize them. :D

 

That said, I don't have a child who does. I'm not sure if it was clear in my earlier post but we don't actually have any workbook type stuff going on here as we "do" K.

 

I DID do a workbook pre-K with my oldest (regardless of whether he especially wanted to or not) but I knew nothing about what I was doing at the time (as far as what concepts to be teaching my child) and my new "preKer" isn't doing that kind of work (or any specific work) and yet knows the same stuff. Even for stuff she doesn't know, I'm not nearly as concerned about when she learns it because I know she will learn it in her own time but the first time around I felt very tied to a checklist and more inclined to compare my firstborn to others his age and felt like I needed to keep up with others or be ahead. Now, not so much. Things are so much easier this time around, take a lot less time, and we're wasting a lot less paper. :D

 

The curriculum we're following right now helps me to do things like picture and nature study (I need the instruction to get outside and really look at nature or to stop and really appreciate any beauty and detail - hopefully I will grow out of this need ;) ), include a variety of good literature and music and movement into our day and things such as these. It also teaches me fun ways of incorporating learning experiences related to math and science concepts like little games I wouldn't come up with on my own. We "do" history by reading history stories because reality often makes for most interesting stories and some of these will be remembered, creating hooks for later learning when I'm actually "teaching" history.

 

I think I understood your question better this time. It's been a little confusing reading through the thread. :)

[TheAutumnOak]

Now, I did not read EVERYTHING everyone else replied but I get the impression most do not agree with the op? I actually totally agree! The WTM also agrees with the OP. Basically it says to just work on reading. We do not do school at all before 1st grade. We have a very educational enviroment and there are workbooks availible if they want to do any, but I do not require anything. We work on reading, but somehow they picked that all up through play also. I use no curriculum we just have some phonics readers and that is all. It worked for my first 2 kids and they are both above grade level by 1 or 2 grades. I guess we will see with the 3rd kid she is different from the others.

 

This makes sense to me...I regret having a laid back attitude about my oldest son's early learning years, but I wish we did more in the first three grades of school, not necessarily preschool stuff...I don't think you have to do anything besides working on phonics and reading with a kid under six, but if you want to then that is fine...I have some R&S workbooks for my 4 year old because he wants to do school like his older brothers...But the OP asked was it necessary, and it is not...

[RoundAbout]

T.But the OP asked was it necessary, and it is not...

 

I think there's a difference between asking a) whether preschool is necessary and b) what is the point of doing preschool at home? I definitely don't think formal preschool is at all necessary, but I don't think intentionally working with a preschool aged child or using a formal curriculum is pointless either for those who have the time/budget/inclination.

 

In the OP she specifically asked "So, I just have to ask those who are doing or have done PreK/Kindergarten WHY they did it?" I think people gave lots of good reasons for doing pre-k and K, though I doubt many think its a must-do.

[littleWMN]

:iagree:

 

What someone means by "no schooling before 5 or 6 " can sound different depending on the audience, and also mean very different things. The things I do with my young children, without calling it school or being part of a curriculum, are very intentional.

 

Another comment on the OP, though, is that once you have children and have mom friends with young children, you will discover that kindergarten in any school is no longer just learning shapes, colors, and counting to 10. A lot more is expected of kindergarteners in the past 10-15 years in public schools.

 

:iagree:

 

My third child (out of four) is in public preK because she isn't one of the NORMAL kids you speak of. (That bolding really gets to me, BTW). She's already far "behind" and won't be able to function in a regular Kindergarten classroom next year. We are trying to decide b/t a special needs classroom in ps, two different private special needs schools, and homeschool. She hasn't gotten anything through osmosis. Granted, my older two neurotypical children I never had to teach shapes or colors b/c they just learned it. My oldest learned her letters on her own and practically taught herself to read. My second daughter is different, while my third is different from her. Children are individuals. I thought parenting would be easy. I was everyone's "favorite babysitter". All of my teen years I heard what a great mom I would be. I do think I'm a good mom, but it's way, way harder in reality than I ever expected. I had better answers before I had kids. ;)

[LittleIzumi]

You are exactly right. Thats exactly the presumption that I have about *homeschoolers*. I just felt a PreSchool curriculum that teaches those 'barebones' topics and skills was redundant in that situation, and not worth doing. In my heart, it makes more sense to just go to the 1st and 2nd grade grade and spread it out if need be.

 

I can honestly say that I never looked too deeply into Home School Preschool Curriculums, We did notice ;) so I will apologize because I think its clear that I made a sweeping generalization based on the few HS PreSchool/Kindergarten Curriculum There is a HUGE difference between Pre-k & K work & curricula & goals, so I think a large problem her is how you're lumping them together. No K curricula worth its salt would be teaching colors & shapes. There would be reading/phonics, basic science, math, arts/crafts, social studies, etc. That is completely different from Pre-K curricula, that usually guide parents in doing preschool activities in some sort of regular routine, which is something some of us stink at. They are worlds apart from each other. and the TONS of Preschool skills workbooks and "activity books" that I see in Borders, Walmart, KMart, Target, and Teacher Supply Stores... Those are just to distract dd3 while dd5 is doing K work that dd3 wants to do too :lol:. She adores those workbooks & literally demands to do them, or to have worksheets printed out, or to do her "more official" Explode the Code primers or MEP Reception Pre-K math.

 

I know that My Fathers World does a PreSchool that starts with what I consider 'barebones' skills but it does it in a much more hands on way than a workbook. However, its still not teaching much to a child who lives in a very engaging environment and whose parents live a life style that is filled with intentionally enriching, educational activities. Not all of us have enrichment oozing out of our pores ;). I have 3 kids 5 and under including a new baby. I'm lucky if I remember to take a shower today, much less to show them how the ants are burrowing in the dirt or whatnot.

 

To me, PreSchool workbooks are a bit of a waste of time. (Not yours per se, the childs.) As someone was kind enough to remind us, early learning is very important, so I guess I felt that training kids to focus on a paper that is filled with 'pointless' or 'fluff' learning is unfair to them. Tell that to dd3 who jumps up & down begging for "workbook" or "worksheet." (Her older sister loved a few workbooks too at that age.) Having a "school" that she can DO & be GOOD at already isn't unfair to her--it's FUN. To her school is FUN, and if I pushed her to do a lot of new & challenging things at her age it wouldn't be fun, it would be work, & soon she would hate it. That would indeed be unfair.

 

Teaching them to read, do math or any SUBJECT is one thing, having them 'fill in the pages' of workbooks of worksheets on stuff that they KNOW, is there any benefit to it? It's usually called "practice" or "mastery" ;) and if they KNOW it, they can show you on that paper that they know it. Preschool kids LOVE to "do it myself," "I can do it!!" etc. Easy work lets them do just that and builds their confidence.

 

Isn't it a detrimental to train a child with 'easy' and 'pointless' work that they just breeze through? What happens when you come to more trying skills? When they've mastered one skill (like tracing letters) they naturally move on to a harder skill (like writing solo). I don't see how it's detrimental to let a child succeed at something before moving on to something harder/more challenging.

Naturally children with a more amicable and confident spirit will at least give it a try, but it seems like many kids would flip. Every child has to learn things they don't know eventually, and most of them don't "flip." I don't see how a preschool workbook changes that. If school was only hard new things & there was never an easy moment, then I think kids might flip or hate school.

Does giving children 'easy, non-challenging' work the beginning stages defeat the purpose of having the learn how to work with page and pen? No. They aren't born knowing how to work with page & pen. Easy work lets them practice & have fun & learn it with no pressure on them. We're not grading their letter formation at three ;).

 

I've always wondered if children weren't annoyed by PreSchool/PreK "workbooks" all the time. I guess the majority of responders on this board wouldn't know. :). If my kids are annoyed, they certainly let me know, LOL. If dd is done for the moment, she tells me. I let the younger one stop whenever she wants. I make the older one finish the section or page she's on, since she's K level & ready for more responsibility in her work. As they love school & often ask to do their books, I doubt they're hiding annoyance about it.

 

However, I think some posters were right. "Being a good, involved [parent]" doesn't exactly mean what it used to, (or else, it doesn't mean what I always took it to mean...)

 

I'm sorry to everyone who was offended. I guess my original question was roughly worded or crudely put and the fault was mine. I didn't mean to insult anyone.

 

Answers in pink!

[littleWMN]

You are exactly right. Thats exactly the presumption that I have about *homeschoolers*. I just felt a PreSchool curriculum that teaches those 'barebones' topics and skills was redundant in that situation, and not worth doing. In my heart, it makes more sense to just go to the 1st and 2nd grade grade and spread it out if need be.

 

I can honestly say that I never looked too deeply into Home School Preschool Curriculums, so I will apologize because I think its clear that I made a sweeping generalization based on the few HS PreSchool/Kindergarten Curriculum and the TONS of Preschool skills workbooks and "activity books" that I see in Borders, Walmart, KMart, Target, and Teacher Supply Stores...

 

I know that My Fathers World does a PreSchool that starts with what I consider 'barebones' skills but it does it in a much more hands on way than a workbook. However, its still not teaching much to a child who lives in a very engaging environment and whose parents live a life style that is filled with intentionally enriching, educational activities.

 

To me, PreSchool workbooks are a bit of a waste of time. (Not yours per se, the childs.) As someone was kind enough to remind us, early learning is very important, so I guess I felt that training kids to focus on a paper that is filled with 'pointless' or 'fluff' learning is unfair to them.

Teaching them to read, do math or any SUBJECT is one thing, having them 'fill in the pages' of workbooks of worksheets on stuff that they KNOW, is there any benefit to it?

Isn't it a detrimental to train a child with 'easy' and 'pointless' work that they just breeze through? What happens when you come to more trying skills?

Naturally children with a more amicable and confident spirit will at least give it a try, but it seems like many kids would flip.

Does giving children 'easy, non-challenging' work the beginning stages defeat the purpose of having the learn how to work with page and pen?

I've always wondered if children weren't annoyed by PreSchool/PreK "workbooks" all the time. I guess the majority of responders on this board wouldn't know. :).

 

However, I think some posters were right. "Being a good, involved [parent]" doesn't exactly mean what it used to, (or else, it doesn't mean what I always took it to mean...)

 

I'm sorry to everyone who was offended. I guess my original question was roughly worded or crudely put and the fault was mine. I didn't mean to insult anyone.

 

I don't know anyone that does this? Who gives their kid pages and pages of worksheets of stuff they already know? :confused: I think you are assuming way too much.

[Sue G in PA]

I'm not sure that PreK or K, done in a "formal" way is necessary but it can be useful...especially to homeschoolers. Many have already mentioned routine and structure. Moms of many will agree that when you are teaching older kids, it is very helpful to have something for the 4 and 5yo to do (otherwise they will watch TV :glare:). I don't call PreK and K "school" around here. But, my Ker does! She LOVES learning...everything and anything she can get her hands on and eyes on and ears on. She is naturally inquisitive and curious about everything around here. I let her interests lead. My 8yo is like this too. We have used "formal" curriculum b/c she was READY and WILLING...handwriting, math, reading. She ASKED to be taught. If she hadn't, I likely would not have pushed her. When my olders were in PreK and K, some were like my dd5 and others were completely opposite. My boys especially much preferred exploring, building, being read to, playing, drawing, etc. than writing and reading and math (done formally). I think that once you have your dc you will probably just KNOW how to proceed with PreK and K, kwim? You will get a "feel" for which child is ready and willing and which need a bit more "down time" before formal schooling begins. I have a 9yo who still isn't really "ready" for formal schooling but is very bright and learns a TON just from exploring, listening, building, creating, etc. Every child is different.

[Zoo Keeper]

I use many worksheets/cratfy books with my five year old (and some with the three year old). It is mostly to help him with eye/hand coordination. He has been slow to develop this (he and his little sister are mostly on the same level), and he needs the extra practice in an easy, approachable way for him to build his confidence. He knows the content of the papers, he needs the physical and motor development those workbooks give him.

 

Just throwing out there another reason for some to use workbooks. It is not just about mental development. Learning to sit still, hold a pencil properly, cut with scissors, etc. is a necessary part of any child's development. Some can accomplish this easily (without any prepackaged stuff), others need extra help.

[Shellydon]

Wow, I get the feeling that I have trampled a few toes with my Original post. :oops:. Sorry to all.

 

 

 

 

Many of those same "bare bones" type skills are still taught/reviewed in the beginning of first grade ANYWAY, so I'm just curious why a lot of Home schoolers--especially those who engaged their kids in so many of the ways I specified above--seem to obsess, really, obsess over PreK/Kindergarten CURRICULUM (printed materials/program purchased by a publisher) that is focused on "bare bones" type topics.

 

Anyway, seeking an answer to these questions is why I asked. If you have a child who wanted to learn to read or learn more about science or God or history or knights or turtles or the world and you did something to feed that, fine. But t'was only a question...

 

The "bare bones" type of skills you are referring too are NOT taught in first grade. In our homeschool, first grade math starts with addition and subtraction. My kids are reading by first grade, though we do continue with phonics lessons. The same is true for local public schools as well. Children are adding and subtracting at the end of kinder and reading CVC words by March of their kinder year, or they are held back. The idea that colors and shapes are taught, even in review, in 1st grade is laughable. My kids are done with colors/shapes by their 3rd birthday.

[Georgiana Daniels]

Why do K with my 5 yo? Because it's better than having her play DSI all day :D

 

To the OP: you may find that once your little ones come along, you will be excited to do PK and K with your kids. If you're already cruising a homeschooling forum even before your tots are born, it sounds like you will be excited about starting too! More education, formal or informal, for children is a happy thing. :)

Edited February 24, 2011 by Georgiana D
because my reply sounded repetitious. I do that often.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

.So, I just have to ask those who are doing or have done PreK/Kindergarten WHY they did it?

Wow, I'm a bit thrown back by this whole thread. Alot of assumptions going on and your not a parent yet.

 

Why waste money or time actually doing "PreSchool" "PreKindergarten" and "Kindergarten?" did your kids ask for it?

Wow- I honestly never though I would hear somebody call pre-school, pre-k (arent prek and preschool the same anyways??) and kindergarten a waste of time or money. I believe that early education is a must for a solid foundation to begin 1st grade. My oldest two children we were not able to homeschool until 1st and 4th grade. My boys have been begging to "do school like the girls" since they realized what the girls were doing. My ds's absolutely LOVE doing workbook activities. They beg for more. The love the "nonsense" work you are talking about. They love activities such as matching opposites, big/small, counting, shapes. We still do the daily reading (we are currently reading James and the Giant Peach and Mummys In the Morning) They play with pattern blocks, legos, they color, we do "science experiments" (they made rasins out of grapes and thought that was the coolest thing ever) So if that is what they love and ask for more of why wouldnt I get them a program? Pre-K and Kindergarten curriculum is made to teach children to love school. (Yes, we do that with out a program as well but why stop the love for learning?)

 

Are you the sort of person who unless you have "a program" nothing gets done?

Absolutely not. I think thats a very unfair assumption. School is fun. Its an all day occurance at our house. Sometimes we (ds's 5 & 6) use our MFW curriculum sometimes we use our brainquest workbooks, our pattern blocks, cooking, folding clothes (you know how much math you can teach simply folding clothes??? fractions, symmetry, sorting, classification, bigger/smaller, lighter/darker- so much more.)base 10 blocks, Measuring, science inside the house/outside the hous-in the cupboards. Looking at bugs. Playing with legos. Reading, reading (did I mention that?) telling time, its all school. Why would I limit my kids learning to non-workbook activities? Ofcourse they need alot of non-workbook school, but I have met very few kids who do not like workbooks (I am solely basing this on people I know in real life). Mine for one love them. They would feel deprived if they could not circle the bigger lion or color the triangle red. They love cutting out and tracing from patterns in their tracing workbooks then they create pictures with them on construction paper and come up with a story to go with the picture (or tell me whats happening in the picture) Its endless. I could not imagine feeling like a bad mom for providing them the workbook opportunities.

 

Were you just trying to get your feet wet with HomeSchooling?

Im lost with this. Read my above replies I guess. I think this is a rather judgmental statement also

 

For those of us who have more than one child, if you did Kindergarten with the first child, did you feel it neccessary for the others? Absolutely

 

 

To my mind, PreK and Kindergarten are more about "paper training" kids than anything.

Again- this is judgemental. Some kids really like workbooks. Some kids like the mix of workbooks and "life". The workbooks and life is how I see pre-k and kindergarten being done. Kids need structure and routine. Workbooks provide them practice for older grades. They offer fun activities. They offer opportunities you sometimes can not get without the workbooks.

 

 

It seems more logical to me to just start out slowly in Grades 1 and 2 than actually do 'workbooks' or 'programs' for PreSchool and Kindergarten...

Then by all means do that with your children and let us know how it goes. Maybe it will go great, but maybe you will be doing so much foundational stuff that you will not get much 1st grade in. Its all about foundations for me. My kids need a foundation of what school is before being thrown into 1st or 2nd grade.

 

Even if you have a child that age that wants to start school, why not start with a 1st grade workbook, and live a more engaging and stimulating lifestyle with your kids and cover the concepts from first grade? Again you say to live a more engaging and stimulating lifestyle and cover concepts from 1st grade. I don't know of any homeschoolers that do not have engaging and stimulating lifestyles. But as you have more kids you need more structure (and that does not mean no engaging or stimulating lifestyle-it simply means you need order when you have more than 1-2 kids. It means live an engaging and stimulating lifestlye with order) 1st grade (as all other grades) start with a little review then they go into deeper (1st grade work) most 3-5 year olds I know are not ready for that. They need age appropriate (or atleast to be able to work their way up to first grade) Did you skip 12th grade before entering college? No, you finished that foundational year then started college. Did you not date the man you knew you were going to marry? No, you had that dating foundation, had fun before marriage and then got married.

 

Am I the only one who is put off/confused as to the point of this?

I think this is a non-mom just not understanding. I think once you have kids, you will better understand. :001_smile:

 

I have been lead to believe that in PS it is more of a cushion/safety net because kids come with all levels of abilities and skills, but is there really a need for PreSchool and Kindergarten in the HOMESCHOOL? Again, for me it all goes back to foundations. You can not build a house with out a solid foundation, you can not have a good homeschool without a solid foundation.

 

 

 

The red are my feelings on this. I know it comes across differently in type sometimes so please know Im not trying to be mean, or anything. I am just truly confused by this LOL. :001_smile:

[Sevilla]

I find it humorous that you are equating 'workbooks at Walmart/Cosco' with 'Kindergarten Curriculum'. They are wildly WILDLY different. PreK and K curriculum comes with tons of activities, manipulatives, and hands-on things to do with each subject, along with many books and read aloud stories.

[susankenny]

What ever happened to first grade being, well...I don't know...FIRST?!

 

I'm always a little baffled by how many homeschoolers seem to actually do PreK/Kindergarten...and obsess over it!!!

 

I don't know, in my mind, HS'ers just spend more time with their kids and engaging them by nature, so kids learn the "Bare bones basics" such as Shapes, colors, opposites, L-R reading, sequencing, same and different, expand their vocabulary and do fun activities that are good for their emotional, intellectual, and moral development...

 

To my mind, it's safe to assume that a healthy, normal 6yo or 7yo whose grown up in even a mildly engaging environment, even if they hadn't naturally assimilated typical Pre-K and K, skills could EASILY learn them in a month. 45 days tops...So, I just have to ask those who are doing or have done PreK/Kindergarten WHY they did it?

 

I'm not talking about advanced kids who are ripped and raring to go, the sort of kids who beg for work, or delayed kids whose parents may have felt needed extra stimulation to make the "jump" from [sTART] to [Point A] or anything...I mean typically kids, normal, healthy, children ALL OF WHOM are naturally bright...

 

Why waste money or time actually doing "PreSchool" "PreKindergarten" and "Kindergarten?" did your kids ask for it?

 

Are you the sort of person who unless you have "a program" nothing gets done?

 

Were you just trying to get your feet wet with HomeSchooling?

 

For those of us who have more than one child, if you did Kindergarten with the first child, did you feel it neccessary for the others?

 

 

To my mind, PreK and Kindergarten are more about "paper training" kids than anything.

 

It seems more logical to me to just start out slowly in Grades 1 and 2 than actually do 'workbooks' or 'programs' for PreSchool and Kindergarten...

 

 

Even if you have a child that age that wants to start school, why not start with a 1st grade workbook, and live a more engaging and stimulating lifestyle with your kids and cover the concepts from first grade?

 

Am I the only one who is put off/confused as to the point of this?

 

I have been lead to believe that in PS it is more of a cushion/safety net because kids come with all levels of abilities and skills, but is there really a need for PreSchool and Kindergarten in the HOMESCHOOL?

 

Edited to Add: CLEARLY this isn't a matter "socialization" or "adjustment" or anything since it's being taught in "home" by the parents....it IS Home school after all.

 

 

(You'll find me on this vein of conversation a lot, in the days to come.)

 

 

Before I even read beyond your post, I wanted to say I totally agree with you 100%. Seriously. I couldn't agree more.

 

Susan

[Flux]

Why waste money or time actually doing "PreSchool" "PreKindergarten" and "Kindergarten?" did your kids ask for it?

 

I haven't finished reading through all the posts yet, sorry if I repeat someone else.

 

Because when you have kids it doesn't feel nearly so much like a waste of money and time:) I feel like I've been trying to keep up with my kids since they were born!

 

I suppose you are talking mostly about workbooks... Kumon and the like? Like nearly everything else, it depends on the kid. I do a lot of following their lead. My daughter did request some Kumon when she saw it at the bookstore. She enjoyed it and it made her feel good about herself. The only curriculum I bought was OPGTR when she was almost 4. I felt very unschooly about the early years and didn't start penmanship because I thought I would just start with cursive in first. My kids are so young, I don't know if this is a standard phase or if it's just my daughter, or just my not-so-awesome parenting skills, but man, her know-it-all 5 year old self is quite argumentative! Please let this be a phase? Please? So now I have the penmanship workbooks, but she is most interested in debate! I do wish I had started that sooner. At the very least, feed their enthusiasm whenever it presents itself (and while they are agreeable!). My daughter figured out cvc words at 2, but I held back. Why? Because of some theory I had about her being too young? I wouldn't have been a Tiger Mom by reading with her, she enjoyed it. I know I've rambled horribly... Today, I'll blame it on being sick with a fever:tongue_smilie:

[Flux]

...Not all of us have enrichment oozing out of our pores . I have 3 kids 5 and under including a new baby. I'm lucky if I remember to take a shower today, much less to show them how the ants are burrowing in the dirt or whatnot...

 

Teaching them to read, do math or any SUBJECT is one thing, having them 'fill in the pages' of workbooks of worksheets on stuff that they KNOW, is there any benefit to it? It's usually called "practice" or "mastery" and if they KNOW it, they can show you on that paper that they know it. Preschool kids LOVE to "do it myself," "I can do it!!" etc. Easy work lets them do just that and builds their confidence.

 

:iagree:I had to pull this out of LittleIzumi's post. I meant to mention the confidence part. When I'm in the thick of diapers, dinner, & assorted messes, the stench of my own unwashed armpits can over-power my faculties! It is good for me to at least look into some pre-k activities from time to time, lest I forget what playdoh is!

 

I also wanted to say that I think you'll do fine. I've met quite a few people who don't even give the matter any thought. We've all had parenting philosophies put to the test as our babies molded us like playdoh.

[Rosie_0801]

Teaching them to read, do math or any SUBJECT is one thing, having them 'fill in the pages' of workbooks of worksheets on stuff that they KNOW, is there any benefit to it? Isn't it a detrimental to train a child with 'easy' and 'pointless' work that they just breeze through? What happens when you come to more trying skills?

 

 

Filling the pages of workbooks on stuff they already know might be busywork for someone a little older. For a preK kid who likes that sort of thing, it's fun. My kid isn't the workbooky type as yet, but I don't think dot to dots are any more damaging to her than rolling the second and subsequent chickpeas down the inside of a pool noodle was to my boy the other day. Sometimes they do stuff because they already know how. Besides, you've got to do something with them. They are awake and in your house needing to occupy themselves for 14 hours a day. If workbooks could save all my vinegar bottles being tipped out on the lawn while I'm not looking, workbooks would be happening!

 

As for training a child with what is easy and pointless, well I hope I've answered the "pointless" aspect, but easy stuff that isn't offending them as "baby stuff" builds their confidence. You'll hear people talking of their kids who can read such and such a level of book regressing back to earlier levels. And everyone will say "That's fine, they're building fluency. They need time to relax with the skills they have before they'll be ready for another challenge." I've seen the same with my girl and her puzzles. I expect the same thing happens with everything else.

 

What happens when they have to move onto more challenging stuff? Well they've been moving on to more challenging stuff on and off for their whole life. Either they decide to take the next leap, or they are encouraged to try to take the next leap and eventually do.

 

Rosie

[LittleIzumi]

I would perhaps look at a lot of K curricula before asking the point of it. :) From your subsequent post you seem to think those using Pre-K or K curricula are simply forcing our children to trace shapes & color name pages all day, every day, against their will or something similar? At least that is what it sounded like, sorry if I'm wrong. Most Pre-K & K curricula are all about enrichment & learning & fun, reading & art & basic math & science around us, designed to be fun & yet with a basic routine that is beneficial to the children.

[Alice]

I didn't read all the posts.

 

I did preschool and K with my oldest for two main reasons. One, I am the kind of Mom who needs a schedule or program. I'd love to be the kind of Mom who just whips out the art materials and goes on nature walks and plays games and thinks of fun projects without it being part of school but I'm not. I knew I'd do more fun stuff if I thought about it intentionally. For my own sanity, I felt less batty at home with little ones and some kind of structure than just doing whatever. That's not necessarily something to be proud of, but it's who I am. The second reason is that he was my oldest and like many other Moms, I knew I wanted to homeschool and I was really ready even if he wasn't. It's one thing to say over and over to someone that there is plenty of time and to take it slow and it's another thing to experience that for yourself.

 

For my oldest for preschool I just did a letter of the week kind of thing I made up myself and then Five in a Row. For Kindergarten we did FIAR and did some OPGTR and Singapore EB Math. It was mostly fun. In retrospect I probably worried too much and pushed too hard, but it's hard to see that in the thick of it. Also in retrospect, I feel like it was fine. He didn't lose any love of learning, he started first grade as an ok reader and by the end of first grade was reading well, he's always loved math. So yes, it was more than necessary but I don't feel like it was too much.

 

With my second, I'm doing less just because I have less time and I also have the experience now I didn't have with the first one. I'm following the same pattern: Letter of the Week and FIAR now with preschool and the same general plans for K but we do less with it. Part of it with him is to make sure I have planned special time and activities with him, otherwise as the middle child he'd get lost between the oldest's needs for school and the baby's needs. I do have some workbooks which we do as an optional thing occasionally. Mostly that's for when he wants to say he's doing school too.

 

Over the years, I've seen a lot of posts like the OP post. I'd say there are multi-factorial reasons why people start with pre-k and K. There seems to be a school of thought that thinks that anyone doing anything formal in these years is pushing their kids too hard or overly structured. My experience is that's rarely the case and more often it's just moms who are excited about the idea of home eduation, wanting to start and needing some structure to their day/week/month.

Edited February 24, 2011 by Alice

[TheAutumnOak]

I think there's a difference between asking a) whether preschool is necessary and b) what is the point of doing preschool at home? I definitely don't think formal preschool is at all necessary, but I don't think intentionally working with a preschool aged child or using a formal curriculum is pointless either for those who have the time/budget/inclination.

 

In the OP she specifically asked "So, I just have to ask those who are doing or have done PreK/Kindergarten WHY they did it?" I think people gave lots of good reasons for doing pre-k and K, though I doubt many think its a must-do.

 

:iagree: Totally understand your point...

[Ginevra]

I'm always a little baffled by how many homeschoolers seem to actually do PreK/Kindergarten...and obsess over it!!!

<snip>

 

To my mind, it's safe to assume that a healthy, normal 6yo or 7yo whose grown up in even a mildly engaging environment, even if they hadn't naturally assimilated typical Pre-K and K, skills could EASILY learn them in a month. 45 days tops...So, I just have to ask those who are doing or have done PreK/Kindergarten WHY they did it?

<snip>

 

Why waste money or time actually doing "PreSchool" "PreKindergarten" and "Kindergarten?" did your kids ask for it?

<snip>

 

For those of us who have more than one child, if you did Kindergarten with the first child, did you feel it neccessary for the others?

<snip>

 

(You'll find me on this vein of conversation a lot, in the days to come.)

 

I haven't read all the replies.

 

First, I can't say I know many homeschoolers who obsess over Pre-K or Kindergarten. If anything, I would tend to think there are too many who do nothing foundational or are too unstructured in my eyes.

 

Second, I have found that for myself, it is more satisfying to me to systematically work on, say, the days of the week, the months of the year, how to tell time, how to follow a recipe, what "1/2 cup" means, what a dime is worth, how to form a letter correctly, what "the tens place" means, what "ck" and "sh" say, and so on, then to just have the open-stimulation view that they'll get it eventually sooner or later. I did think more along the open-stimulation lines when I only had one child, but it is a lot different once you're on your third child and you need to see that they are actually learning the days of the week while you are also in the midst of making sure that your 13-year-old is learning how to solve quadratic equations. :p No doubt, there are mothers who are great at that mental juggling without benefit of an actual plan or program(s), but I am not one of them. Later-born children can easily continue to be stuck into last place and then you find they're 8 and don't even know that January is the first month. :tongue_smilie:

 

Thirdly, I've found in my 9 years of homeschooling that the number-one thing that children do well to learn early is the discipline of chipping away at knowledge every day. This is how you achieve mastery in any subject. So, while I do have a specific learning goal in the things I work on with my Kindergartner, my meta-goal is that I want him to learn the discipline of working in a focused way each day towards math, reading and handwriting. I'm less structured about the other content areas at this point, but I want him to know that, just like brushing his teeth and making his bed, we will work on these essential subjects systematically just about every day.

 

Lastly, why did you say, "Those of us who have more than one child..." if that does not describe you? It's misleading.

[Jane Elliot]

 

First, I can't say I know many homeschoolers who obsess over Pre-K or Kindergarten. If anything, I would tend to think there are too many who do nothing foundational or are too unstructured in my eyes.

 

Second, I have found that for myself, it is more satisfying to me to systematically work on, say, the days of the week, the months of the year, how to tell time, how to follow a recipe, what "1/2 cup" means, what a dime is worth, how to form a letter correctly, what "the tens place" means, what "ck" and "sh" say, and so on, then to just have the open-stimulation view that they'll get it eventually sooner or later. I did think more along the open-stimulation lines when I only had one child, but it is a lot different once you're on your third child and you need to see that they are actually learning the days of the week while you are also in the midst of making sure that your 13-year-old is learning how to solve quadratic equations. :p No doubt, there are mothers who are great at that mental juggling without benefit of an actual plan or program(s), but I am not one of them. Later-born children can easily continue to be stuck into last place and then you find they're 8 and don't even know that January is the first month. :tongue_smilie:

 

Thirdly, I've found in my 9 years of homeschooling that the number-one thing that children do well to learn early is the discipline of chipping away at knowledge every day. This is how you achieve mastery in any subject. So, while I do have a specific learning goal in the things I work on with my Kindergartner, my meta-goal is that I want him to learn the discipline of working in a focused way each day towards math, reading and handwriting. I'm less structured about the other content areas at this point, but I want him to know that, just like brushing his teeth and making his bed, we will work on these essential subjects systematically just about every day.

 

 

:iagree:The biggest regret I've had over 17-18 years of homeschooling is that I was not more structured with my oldest children in their pre-k to 1st grade years. We bought into the Moore's philosophy (better late than early; let them learn alongside you in real life) and it did not serve us well at all. I see other families suffering from that same mentality, and I actually wish more homeschool moms *would* obsess over their choices in those early years.

 

ETA: The older kids are doing very well now in college, but we had several of years of painful catchup to do and they did not have the advantages my current students have had.

 

Danielle, your post is spot on. I could not have said it better.

Edited February 24, 2011 by Luann in ID

[SnowWhite]

I want to address one more concept from the OP's posts. Why not start with first grade workbooks? Because then, when first grade comes and your child needs to do that review, because now it is developmentally the right time to do it properly, the workbook is already used up with 3yo or 4yo scrawl, not new and fresh and pretty for the mature 6yo fingers to make well formed letters and words. And it will feel like "old hat", plus it is geared toward a 6yo attention span.

 

I happen to use a first grade phonics program during our K year (Pathway Readers Learning Through Sounds), but it is abundantly clear that the pace is for an older child. There needs to be more practice for a 5yo, and I supply that with Explode the Code books. Amish families wait until their children are 6 or 7 to begin school (ready to leave Mom and know a bit of the English language) and at that point the kids are ready to fly through the phonics workbooks. My kids have not been content to wait that late, and there is no reason for me to *send* them anywhere (thus no separation angst comes into play), so we start real academics when they are 5. But still, they are not ready to "fly" as a 6 year old would.

[RanchGirl]

In our situation, I started out thinking I had to do something for PK and K because my older son had done one year of preschool. I decided not to send him the second year so I wanted to replicate some of those fun and educational experiences he was having the year before. I tried Sonlight PK and MFW K and both were just not fun for the kids, so I did my own thing with library books, art projects, baking, children's museum, farm field trips, math enrichment activities, etc. Both of my kids were self-taught early readers already, so I didn't ever have that worry. Although we were not doing anything particularly academic, and no boring worksheets, I was always looking for things that would be stimulating their little brains, both because they craved that kind of stimulation and because I felt it was valuable. It was a natural extension of what I was doing when they were 1 year old, just at a higher age level.

 

 

(You'll find me on this vein of conversation a lot, in the days to come.)

 

May I ask why you are on this vein right now and what you are planning to do with the information? Are you waxing philosophically or planning ahead to future children already? Are you writing a research paper or curriculum?

[In2why]

I think the biggest difference is if they have older siblings and have tagged along on the journey. I know I do a lot more with the 4 year old then I did with the 7 y/o. He wants to do school like the olders, and it helps to have him occupied with his own fun work when I need the one on one time with the older. To give him that I have a schedule that we loosely follow so that our timing usually works out.

[In2why]

In your defense, there are times when someone local will mention that they are homeschooling their only child, age 2 or 3, but they are going to send the child to school for Kindergarten. I bite my tongue till it about bleeds so that I don't snottily tell them that they aren't homeschooling, but parenting. Same as when someone compares "afterschooling" with homeschooling. I also think of that as just good parenting. (although I understand that some do more than the very little norm).

I have finally figured out that it isn't my job to define anyone, or to offer my opinion....although sometimes my teeth are slower that my tongue and I get more sarcastic then I prefer

[lionfamily1999]

In your defense, there are times when someone local will mention that they are homeschooling their only child, age 2 or 3, but they are going to send the child to school for Kindergarten. I bite my tongue till it about bleeds so that I don't snottily tell them that they aren't homeschooling, but parenting. Same as when someone compares "afterschooling" with homeschooling. I also think of that as just good parenting. (although I understand that some do more than the very little norm).

I have finally figured out that it isn't my job to define anyone, or to offer my opinion....although sometimes my teeth are slower that my tongue and I get more sarcastic then I prefer

You've hit the nail on the head. Thank you for being so clear. This is what bothered me about the OP. Thank you.

[ByGrace3]

In your defense, there are times when someone local will mention that they are homeschooling their only child, age 2 or 3, but they are going to send the child to school for Kindergarten. I bite my tongue till it about bleeds so that I don't snottily tell them that they aren't homeschooling, but parenting. Same as when someone compares "afterschooling" with homeschooling. I also think of that as just good parenting. (although I understand that some do more than the very little norm).

I have finally figured out that it isn't my job to define anyone, or to offer my opinion....although sometimes my teeth are slower that my tongue and I get more sarcastic then I prefer

 

I considered what I did w/ dd at age 3 homeschooling, but not now with ds. I define homeschooling as making a conscious choice to school at home in the place of "going" to a school. At 3, dd was ready for school, I made a choice to keep her home to educate her. Ds is 3, but not ready for school, I still teach him but it is just parenting. Next year when he is 4, I will make a choice to educate him at home instead of going to preschool, therefore he will join the ranks of our "homeschool."

[SewLittleTime]

May I ask why you are on this vein right now and what you are planning to do with the information? Are you waxing philosophically or planning ahead to future children already? Are you writing a research paper or curriculum?

I wondered this as well. Why would a college student who has NO children (marriage hasn't been even mentioned, so I don't think she is) even circulate these boards? The only thing I can think of is that she is writing a paper and needs to do some surveying for her class. UGH!!!!!!:glare:

 

I really feel the OP posted naively. She can't possibly even have the life experience that marriage, parenting, and life with your own family can possibly give. Which, I think, may be the heart of why I find the OP is so irritating.

Edited February 25, 2011 by SewLittleTime

[LittleIzumi]

I wondered this as well. Why would a college student who has NO children (marriage hasn't been even mentioned, so I don't think she is) even circulate these boards? The only thing I can think of is that she is writing a paper and needs to do some surveying for her class. UGH!!!!!!:glare:

 

I really feel the OP posted naively. She can't possibly even have the life experience that marriage, parenting, and life with your own family can possibly give. Which, I think, may be the heart of why I find the OP is so irritating.

 

To be fair, not everyone puts their marriage in their siggy ;). If she was, say, trying to have children & it just hasn't worked yet, she probably wouldn't put that in her siggy either. Nothing wrong with being prepared & asking questions & planning ahead.

[texasmama]

I had a pre K'er (turned 5 in October) who was begging for math and handwriting worksheets and ready to learn to read. She enjoyed it and asked for it. I don't push school at all. If she wants to do it, great. If not, great. I am letting her lead at this age. But I won't hold her back, either, because of her age. I won't tell her "I'm sorry, but you are too young to do these things." If she is developmentally ready and wants to do them, then I will work with her.

[SewLittleTime]

To be fair, not everyone puts their marriage in their siggy ;). If she was, say, trying to have children & it just hasn't worked yet, she probably wouldn't put that in her siggy either. Nothing wrong with being prepared & asking questions & planning ahead.

You're right. I don't have my dh listed in my siggy. I gathered from her siggy and the way she has posted that she is not.

[KathyBC]

I really feel the OP posted naively. She can't possibly even have the life experience that marriage, parenting, and life with your own family can possibly give. Which, I think, may be the heart of why I find the OP is so irritating.

 

A few people have mentioned the inexperience of the OP, and how annoying they find her questions. Which makes me wonder if any of you have experience parenting teenagers and older kids yet? Get used to it. :lol: Geez, I remember some of the things I asked people in my twenties... I'm glad they never let on how defensive it may have made them feel. She's asking thoughtful questions; you've all given her thoughtful replies. :thumbup1:

[justamouse]

I firmly believe that later is better.

 

THAT said, my Dd 5 sits at the table with us and does 'school'. I don't do hard academics with her, though. She is practicing her cursive a's and her phonetic sounds, but I've found through trial and error (mind you, she's the caboose) that starting later is much better for them.

[specialkmom]

wow! Just wow! Where to start?

 

First, I think perhaps the OP has some valid questions. Her problem though is in 1) presentation, 2)assumption, 3)lack of research, and 4)lack of experience.

 

In the words of the great Lady Catherine De Bourgh, "You give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person."

 

Secondly, I think some of the responses were lacking in 1 and 2 above. Just because you feel attacked or irritated doesn't mean the favor ought to be returned. And I knew plenty 2nd year college students who were married.

 

What the OP described in her first post is an ideal situation.

 

"I don't know, in my mind, HS'ers just spend more time with their kids and engaging them by nature, so kids learn the "Bare bones basics" such as Shapes, colors, opposites, L-R reading, sequencing, same and different, expand their vocabulary and do fun activities that are good for their emotional, intellectual, and moral development..."

 

Yes 1) assumption- (in your mind!). 2)Lack of experience. Before I had my 4 kids I certainly thought I knew quite a bit about children, learning, and parenting. But, I realized I didn't know everything. Could my kids learn all the bare bones without me knowing I needed to teach it? Sure, but knowing they need to learn it made me more intentional. I am not by nature an organized, talkative, "teacher" mom. I do love to read and spend time outside and with my kids, though.

 

"Why waste money or time actually doing "PreSchool" "PreKindergarten" and "Kindergarten?" did your kids ask for it?

 

Are you the sort of person who unless you have "a program" nothing gets done?

 

Were you just trying to get your feet wet with HomeSchooling?

 

For those of us who have more than one child, if you did Kindergarten with the first child, did you feel it neccessary for the others?"

 

Now, you have some legitimate questions contained within these poorly presented queries. 1)"Why waste"- hmm... that certainly is making a value judgment and setting others up to read that into your other questions. How about "What made you decide to do a Preschool/Kindergarten "program"? What were your goals? What does a Preschool/Kindergarten program/curriculum entail?"

And to answer, yes my son asked for it, yes he was ready to do academic work, yes I needed a framework, and no, I was homeschooled, so I wasn't new to it.

However!!! I will say being homeschooled and actually homeschooling are two very different things!! Trust me, I thought I knew all about homeschooling (both my dh and I were homeschooled) and I am realizing just what a big iceberg it is!

2) "For those of us who have more than one child..." Uhm... YOU don't have any children at present and although I would guess you are trying to connect yourself to others on this board that statement would in fact do the opposite. But to answer that- I don't really think it is necessary to use a curriculum with my younger children as I now understand what sort of things they should learn. However it does give me a framework and ideas which in my situation I find valuable enough to use it. It also helps to keep their minds and hands busy instead of scooping peanut butter out of the jar and smearing it all over my silverware and counters.

"Am I the only one who is put off/confused as to the point of this?

 

I have been lead to believe that in PS it is more of a cushion/safety net because kids come with all levels of abilities and skills, but is there really a need for PreSchool and Kindergarten in the HOMESCHOOL?"

 

 

I would use the word confused, not the phrase "put off" unless you really intend to put off some people. Kids really do come in all levels of abilities and skills and it doesn't matter if they come from a public school family, a private school family, a homeschool family, or the same family. You are assuming that because they are homeschooled it somehow makes them "normal"- whatever normal is.

 

"HOWEVER, I tried to be clear what sort of "concepts" and "materials" I was talking about. I'm NOT including Phonics or Reading, Counting or Math in that list or meaningful things that are actually academic. I said "bare bones basics" and mentioned "workbooks" for a reason. I don't see the point in buying a workbook/program to teach your kids about shapes, colors, opposites, "same as" etc..."

"systematic, goal oriented, parent-child bonding, child respecting, gentle handed ideology/method and I'm leaning heavily towards trying it first chance I get. I also love that Doman teaches MEANINGFUL skills and information to children from very early on"

"Many of those same "bare bones" type skills are still taught/reviewed in the beginning of first grade ANYWAY, so I'm just curious why a lot of Home schoolers--especially those who engaged their kids in so many of the ways I specified above--seem to obsess, really, obsess over PreK/Kindergarten CURRICULUM (printed materials/program purchased by a publisher) that is focused on "bare bones" type topics."

 

Ok, well what you described as "meaningful" and actually "academic" are what MOST Kindergarten (and some Preschool/K4) programs teach. That is what I did with my ds. That is what MOST of the parents OBSESS over! The "bare bones" as you describe them are usually not the main point of the curriculum and can be learned quickly with many children.

 

Now, there is nothing wrong with a parent who has difficulty finding real life ways to teach their kids "bare bones" material to get hands-on toys, an art program, puzzles, etc. and have a scheduled time that they do it to ensure that they do it and call it Preschool. It is still enriching, fun, child-parent bonding, and by nature but just not in the same way YOU would find it. But it works for them because they are different.

 

Parents are just as varied in their skills and abilities as kids and you need to be careful about making a judgment on those people because they are different than your ideal of a parent. And I would re-iterate: MOST Parents OBSESSING over programs are obsessing over MEANINGFUL and ACADEMIC materials.

 

I hope that helps you in answering some of your questions and understanding why some people were a bit rankled by your post. I would say if you have genuine questions, try to ask them without inserting your opinion or bias. It makes people less defensive. I would also say that the opinions and ideas I had as a college student, single person, married without kids person, a new parent, and yes even the parent I was last year is MUCH different than now.

I also remember being a college sophomore- and so does my husband! That was the year I thought I knew everything. And then my junior year came and I took Analytical Chemistry and Cell Biology and realized just how little I knew. LOL. I don't mean it to be rude so please don't take offense.:001_smile: But, really when you are in our shoes you will be able to see things from a MUCH different view than you do now.

 

So ask questions, research things, and realize that opinions change and that every parent/child is different. What you may like your future child may hate, so don't write it in stone just yet. The beauty of this board is the wealth of information and experience of those who have BTDT. Take advantage of that, but realize you have a long time to figure it all out.

 

 

[TracyP]

Because that is the whole point of homeschooling - doing what you think is best for your own kiddos. If starting at PreK/K is what you think is best, then great! If you think starting at 1st grade age (which is 6 years old in my state), then that's also great!

 

:iagree: This is worth repeating.

 

 

There have been posts in the past along the lines of 'I have $800 to spend, what curriculum should I buy for 3/4 yo'. The answers are resoundingly buy books, math manips, go on nature walks, slowly start teaching some phonics, etc. These are the things that any parent would hopefully do whether they plan to hs or not.

 

When it comes to a 5 year old, most are ready, willing and eager to start Kindergarten. This may be hands-on or workbooks depending on personality but it is very necessary. Most first grade homeschooling programs assume you know letters and their sounds, are ready to write, know numbers to 20 (not by rote). They will review these things and then move on very quickly. Most kids will not just "get" these things w/o a slow, solid, start.

 

Then there comes the point of several kids. Just yesterday I realized my 3.5 yo cannot cut. This is my fault. Scissors are messy and dangerous, I am tired. Therefore he doesn't get to play with scissors. I may very well need something in a box to make sure I don't forget the obvious. I wish it weren't so but it's my reality.

 

I think your point was a valid one. I just think you misunderstood what actually goes on with homeschoolers. There is a nice happy medium between hours of required school with a 3 yo and literally doing nothing. When the time comes it will probably be very obvious.

[Guest RecumbentHeart]

A few people have mentioned the inexperience of the OP, and how annoying they find her questions. Which makes me wonder if any of you have experience parenting teenagers and older kids yet? Get used to it. :lol: Geez, I remember some of the things I asked people in my twenties... I'm glad they never let on how defensive it may have made them feel. She's asking thoughtful questions; you've all given her thoughtful replies. :thumbup1:

 

I'm just nodding and giggling a little ... not wanting to add anything so as to not inspire more defensiveness in anyone ... trying to remember if there was any defensiveness in my first response ... can't recall ... that's something I'm trying to grow out of personally.

 

 

Then there comes the point of several kids. Just yesterday I realized my 3.5 yo cannot cut. This is my fault. Scissors are messy and dangerous, I am tired. Therefore he doesn't get to play with scissors. I may very well need something in a box to make sure I don't forget the obvious. I wish it weren't so but it's my reality.

 

 

This happens here too, which is another reason I decided on a prepackaged K curriculum and if I use it again with other children, this will probably be the sole reason why (I'm not expecting my memory to get better with time :tongue_smilie:).

[AndyJoy]

I wondered this as well. Why would a college student who has NO children (marriage hasn't been even mentioned, so I don't think she is) even circulate these boards? The only thing I can think of is that she is writing a paper and needs to do some surveying for her class. UGH!!!!!!:glare:

 

I really feel the OP posted naively. She can't possibly even have the life experience that marriage, parenting, and life with your own family can possibly give. Which, I think, may be the heart of why I find the OP is so irritating.

 

While I agree that the OP is inexperienced and her post/rant reveals that, I think it is short-sighted and harsh to discourage prospective homeschoolers from gleaning information here!

 

I've been frequenting homeschool boards since I was a 19-year-old unmarried college student and have been active on this board since before my son was born. I didn't do this for any class, but rather for my own edification. I take the education of my child (and hopefully future children) seriously and want to prepare for it now. Just as we would expect classroom teachers to spend years preparing to teach, isn't it reasonable to expect future homeschool teachers to prepare to teach their own children as well? Yes, this means that veterans will sometimes find our opinions naive and annoying, but isn't it through expressing our ideas and getting feedback that we learn and grow?

 

I also think it is foolish to be automatically dismissive of anything a childless person has to say on the subject of children and education. Childless people can bring in the perspective of a student, teacher, former teen, babysitter, etc. which I believe can add value to the discussion. I personally try to stay out of conversations that are beyond my experience, but I would hate to think that everything I've posted is worthless simply because I only have a toddler.

[kalanamak]

 

I'm always a little baffled by how many homeschoolers seem to actually do PreK/Kindergarten...and obsess over it!!!

 

I did them both and didn't obsess. My reply as to why, and many other people's comments about it, are in the "Better late than never" thread on this board posted 23 Feb 11.

[Mommee & Baba]

Your assumptions are entirely wrong, something that you may discover when you actually have a child.

 

This is a vital period in a child's development. And while there are many ways to learn, including being in nature, a rich stimulating environment (or lack thereof) is something that can not be compensated for in 45 days.

 

Hopefully you gain wisdom on your journey towards parenthood.

 

Bill

 

:iagree:

 

While I was way more relaxed with my first child when it came to schooling early....it shows! I've done things ALOT differently with my second child and will with my third as well when it comes to more structured schooling.

[Spy Car]

:iagree:

 

While I was way more relaxed with my first child when it came to schooling early....it shows! I've done things ALOT differently with my second child and will with my third as well when it comes to more structured schooling.

 

We believe in a lot of play, having fun with other children, being out in the world with adults, experiencing both human culture and the natural world.

 

We were fortunate to have a marvelous coop nursery school that was purely "developmental" where the children were encouraged to play, and paint and use their imaginations. Parents all put in one day a week in the one-room school-house and my wife (especially) and I made bonds with other parents and my son still sees his nursery school cronies. At the moment he is in a tennis class with several of them.

 

In those Pre-K years, through this forum, I discovered Miquon math and Cuisenaire rods. We started "playing with math." Soon it became a passion for us both. Everyday I tried to find new ways to make fun filled ways for him to learn. Ways that were age appropriate and gave him a role in his own learning.

 

What a fortuitous discovery that was! I am convinced his mind is wired differently today than it would have been without this time of discovery. Math to him seems so natural. Like a native language.

 

So people can claim better late than early all they want. I would say: Balderdash!

 

Meet a child on their level. Engage their minds. And they will flourish!

 

Bill

[teachmejoy]

I started teaching my ds in K4 because I was afraid he wouldn't be ready for K in a private school. They need to know their letters, numbers, etc. already. We had quite a time learning, so I kept him home. We loved kindergarten so much, we just kept homeschooling!

 

By the time my dd came along, I didn't plan on starting her early, but at 3 years she was BEGGING to do school and was picking up letters so quickly. My experience with my children led me to develop a program for youngers because I talked to so many moms who want to do things with their kids during the day and can't think of things to do. Sometimes when you have a "plan" it becomes more fun because you don't have to worry about coming up with one on your own. My time with my 3 yo is one of my favorites in the day and when we don't do school she keeps begging to!