Would it be possible to request a "preschooling" subforum?

[Walking-Iris]

Amazing to think that some homeschooling moms who only have pre schoolers wanting to talk about the special challenges etc that those ages offer would get so much backlash. :glare:

[Jen500]

Amazing to think that some homeschooling moms who only have pre schoolers wanting to talk about the special challenges etc that those ages offer would get so much backlash. :glare:

 

I think people are just giving opinions, pros and cons,

 

Personally I don't care one way or the other, it's SWB's board. I hope everyone gets their needs met.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Jen3boys

[zoo_keeper]

I think a better analogy of

Academic Preschool Homeschooling vs. Just Being a Mom

would be Rigourous Full Day Homeschooling vs. Relaxed Homeschooling

 

Would it be healthy to have a seperate K-8 forum for people who hate to hear, "You are doing too much. That is overkill." No, I don't think that would be healthy.

 

I guess SWB gets to deside what is healthy. Judging from The Well Trained Mind preschool chapter, I doubt she will go for a preschool forum. But if you do get a pro-academic preschool forum, I won't be on there bothering you. I won't even read it.

 

Well, it appears that my pointing out the illogic of posting on a themed forum that the very nature of a themed forum is not "healthy" hasn't registered. I propose that your negative feelings regarding the proposed sub-forum stem not from its being an arena where potentially homogeneous viewpoints aggregate but instead from your disagreement with said homogeneous viewpoints. Unfortunately (and pretty much strengthening my argument), you dismiss my original analogy (which is quite appropriate but perhaps makes you uncomfortable because your argument no longer works) and instead cherry-pick another viewpoint with which you disagree and deem it unhealthy as well. However, based on my previous failure at elucidation, I fear this post will also fall on deaf ears.

[Maverick_Mom]

Then why do we have an Afterschoolers forum? Are you against that too?

 

Apples and oranges, IMHO. Someone who does preschool at home and *then* enrolls her kids in school without looking back is doing one and then the other, exclusive of each other. Someone who afterschools is integrating the two -- utilizing the school during the day but in effect homeschooling in the after hours to supplement.

[A home for their hearts]

By the same token, creating *this* space (i.e., a pro-HSing board with very few naysayers) could be viewed as not "healthy" by those who view HSing as an inferior and even perhaps detrimental educational choice. Should this board also be shot down? Who gets to decide which themed forums are "healthy"?

 

:iagree:

 

I guess SWB gets to deside what is healthy. Judging from The Well Trained Mind preschool chapter, I doubt she will go for a preschool forum. But if you do get a pro-academic preschool forum, I won't be on there bothering you. I won't even read it.

 

Who said it was necessarily going to be a pro-academic preschool forum? There is a broad range of needs for those with preschoolers who are homeschooling. It would be nice to have a place where we could exchange our ideas whether it be on which box curriculum to use, to how in the world to a keep my ds3 out of everything while I teach my older dc? Not everyone who would post on a preschool sub-forum would be wanting suggestions for a strict preschool experience.

 

Amazing to think that some homeschooling moms who only have pre schoolers wanting to talk about the special challenges etc that those ages offer would get so much backlash. :glare:

 

:iagree: :iagree:

[A home for their hearts]

Maybe instead of it being a 'preschool' sub-forum, it could be 'The 0-5 years', or 'The Early Year Challenges'?

[Jen500]

Maybe instead of it being a 'preschool' sub-forum, it could be 'The 0-5 years', or 'The Early Year Challenges'?

 

I think that's a great idea. It would cover al the topics mentioned.

[Farrar]

Amazing to think that some homeschooling moms who only have pre schoolers wanting to talk about the special challenges etc that those ages offer would get so much backlash. :glare:

 

:iagree:

 

Some of the comments here against the forum seem determined to prove how needed it is.

 

I'm against academic preschooling. We didn't even use much "real" curriculum for kindy. But the dismissive attitude toward taking preschool education (not academics, education) seriously, especially when we know how much vital brain development goes on during those years, is just bizarre to me.

Edited April 29, 2012 by farrarwilliams

[Chris in VA]

I taught preschool for quite a few years, so I know there's a ton you can do with kiddos from ages 2-5 or so, stuff that isn't workbook-oriented. But I do think you can get that information on the K-8 board already, so I don't see a need for a new board.

 

As far as workbook/structured curricula, and the whole debate over the advice stuff, I'd just say it is much more likely, ime, to find preschool parents who are really chomping at the bit to incorporate what used to be K-level activities. Again and again, I see parents who decide to homeschool the elementary years lack the patience to wait for those years--they are just so stinkin' excited to get started that they jump the gun a bit. It's really nice, imo, when they are told to be patient yet are still given activity ideas that can meet their needs to interact in intentional ways with their kids to foster learning, but not in ways that are too structured to offer the maximum benefit to their littles.

 

I know we all look for support for our opinions. :001_smile: No one wants to hear "just PLAY!" when they are looking for ideas for their preschooler. But I really don't hear JUST play in that advice, I hear PLAY INTENTIONALLY, BUT DO PLAY! The reminder not to rush, to savor the preschool years, to RELAX, is one that really can't be overemphasized, again, imo. It doesn't mean don't do anything but legos. It means relax, and if your kid wants a workbook sheet, fine, just don't stress about the sloppiness of their handwriting, or force them to complete it, or worry incessantly because they can't yet hold a pencil correctly.

 

Just my 2 cents, and you know what that's worth! :001_smile:

Edited April 30, 2012 by Chris in VA

[Caribbean Queen]

Well, it appears that my pointing out the illogic of posting on a themed forum that the very nature of a themed forum is not "healthy" hasn't registered.

I didn't say themed forums are unhealthy. I said a preschool homeschool forum where advice to relax is unwelcome is unhealthy. I do not have to agree with every possible forum theme because I post on a message board.

[txhomemom]

I have not read this entire thread to protect my sanity...too much arguing about nothing honestly. I would prefer a separate preschool subforum because I am in a unique situation. My older dd is about to go into 9th grade so I am mostly posting on the high school section and then I have a 2 year old. Almost 90% of what is posted on the K-8 board does not apply to me so I read it very infrequently. I would love to have an area where I could go right to what I want to find for my toddler. I hate having to weed through all the other posts. It does not really bother me whether someone is going to continue to homeschool in the future. I usually don't worry about what other people are doing. I just want good information I can find quickly. I am pretty sure that despite the negative turn this post has taken, many of us on this board would post regularly on a preschool subforum. I seem to remember a similar debate about the logic stage section as well...it has been going strong ever since.

[zoo_keeper]

I didn't say themed forums are unhealthy. I said a preschool homeschool forum where advice to relax is unwelcome is unhealthy. I do not have to agree with every possible forum theme because I post on a message board.

 

Perhaps our disagreement comes from a misinterpretation of your post:

 

Creating a place with no naysayers is not going to be healthy.

 

I took your statement (and subsequent reply) to indicate your belief that any forum without naysayers would be unhealthy. But perhaps you meant only this specific forum would be unhealthy?

 

If our conflict comes from such a misunderstanding, I apologize for any derailment my posts may have caused.

[Tanikit]

I think a better analogy of

Academic Preschool Homeschooling vs. Just Being a Mom

would be Rigourous Full Day Homeschooling vs. Relaxed Homeschooling

 

Would it be healthy to have a seperate K-8 forum for people who hate to hear, "You are doing too much. That is overkill." No, I don't think that would be healthy.

 

I guess SWB gets to deside what is healthy. Judging from The Well Trained Mind preschool chapter, I doubt she will go for a preschool forum. But if you do get a pro-academic preschool forum, I won't be on there bothering you. I won't even read it.

 

I don't think any forum will be rid of people who disagree - it is human nature to disagree and to have our own opinions and to express them. I don't think it would be wise to tell people that they could only go to forum if they said a specific thing about preschool education - freedom of expression should be maintained and it seems to be on every other board here so why not on a preschool board?

 

I am not sure that SWB will be getting to decide what is healthy - she'll just be getting to decide what happens which is a different thing entirely.

However based on the definition of "academic" it is HIGHLY unlikely that such a board would become pro-academic for the simple fact that we CANNOT make preschoolers anything other than preschoolers no matter how many (or how few) worksheets we may try to throw at them. Unless they are ready they will resist and will not learn and no one likes dealing with a crying preschooler when it is unnecessary. However education of preschoolers begins at birth and this is what can and should be discussed on these forums - we teach them to brush their teeth, we play with them, we talk to them, we give them paper to draw on (and sometimes pictures to colour and worksheets to draw lines on)

 

The problem I have with preschool questions only relating to how to keep them out of the way of the older children is that they are humans in their own right and deserve the attention and time of their parents as much as the older ones do - they long to be like their older brothers and sisters and they can be incorporated into learning activities without being just in the way. I would like to see on a forum ways to include younger children with older ones - not just ways to get them out the way.

[Mynyel]

Well good gravy. What a spirited discussion over something as simmple as a board for those below K.

 

If we can have a High School board, Afterschool board, K-8 board (with a Logic subforum) then what is the big deal in asking for a 0-5 (as another poster said) or Pre-School of whatever you want to call it.

 

Jeez, no one is forcing anyone to go there are read it or post. The OP just thought it was a good idea. I think it is an excellent one.

 

If you don't like it then who cares? It doesn't effect (affect? I always get those backwards) you. Why say we don't need one if you don't want one. Maybe you don't want one. OK good. If there is enough want then there should be one (Well as long as SWB says so :)) Whether or not there is one should be based off how many want one and the not the reasons that others think there doesn't need to be one.

[momma2three]

Amazing to think that some homeschooling moms who only have pre schoolers wanting to talk about the special challenges etc that those ages offer would get so much backlash. :glare:

 

Right? Getting told to just stay off the internet was really a bit much. :confused:

[WeeBeaks]

I like the idea of a preschool or 0-5 forum. These forums move very fast, and posts are buried quickly. Anything that helps someone find topics relevant to their situation IMHO is a good thing.

 

I'm just finishing up a preschool year for the 3rd time, but each child is a bit different so new things come up each time. I've got at least one more to get through the preschool years. Who knows what new and exciting challenges she might present to me. :D

[slackermom]

I like the idea of a preschool or 0-5 forum. These forums move very fast, and posts are buried quickly. Anything that helps someone find topics relevant to their situation IMHO is a good thing.

 

My impression is that there are actually already a significant number of posts on the k-8 curriculum board related to this age group. I think it would be great if those folks had a sub-forum. Great for them, and maybe even great for the folks who'd rather not see those topics. :)

 

I have a 7 year old, but I might browse an "early years" forum anyway, trying to share what has worked for us. I wish I had found these boards a few years ago. I think I first read WTM when DD was 3 or 4. It was a big influence, and it would have been great to bounce ideas off like-minded folks back then too.

[sewingmama]

The reminder not to rush, to savor the preschool years, to RELAX, is one that really can't be overemphasized, again, imo. It doesn't mean don't do anything but legos. It means relax, and if your kid wants a workbook sheet, fine, just don't stress about the sloppiness of their handwriting, or force them to complete it, or worry incessantly because they can't yet hold a pencil correctly.

 

 

See and this is the type of answer I would expect to get and why I haven't posted asking how to encourage my almost 3 yo's pencil grip.

 

People assume if you ask a question like this you are "forcing your child to do developmentally inappropriate things". That may be true in some cases but in general I find the group tends to jump to the conclusion that the OP is "pushing" their kid.

 

My almost 3 yo cannot hold a crayon in his fist and make a mark on the paper. He cannot figure it out. I don't want to ask about his pencil grip and be told by 50 different posters that I need to relax and he will get it and all children develop differently. Yes I know that -but every developmental list I have ever read says a 3 yo should be able to scribble with a crayon held in their fist.

 

I'm not going to relax and then find myself asking when he is 6 years old -why can't my 6yo scribble with a crayon :001_huh:

 

I'm against academic preschooling. We didn't even use much "real" curriculum for kindy. But the dismissive attitude toward taking preschool education (not academics, education) seriously, especially when we know how much vital brain development goes on during those years, is just bizarre to me.

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

 

I belong to a couple of other homeschooling boards -they all have 0-5 boards and they are fairly popular.

 

As for not having a board with naysayers - I'm pretty sure if someone posted they were looking for a boxed curriculum for their 18 month old there would be quite a few people telling them to relax - me included :001_smile:

 

Just because I want a preschool board doesn't mean I am looking to sit my 3yo down with a bunch of workbooks for a couple hours a day - I'd like to see me try:lol::lol:

[A.Balaban]

I would love a Preschool subforum or 0-5 board! I think that would be a perfect edition. I don't think it would necessarily be "academic" or whatever.

 

I would really like discussions with other preschool parents about what books they are reading aloud with their DC, recommendations for other books, and so much more! I love reading the K-8 forum, but my oldest is 3. When I do the search, I end up reading through a bunch of posts that are not really relevant to find a bit of what I wanted.

 

It would be really nice to have this forum-- even if a parent just wants to homeschool preschool and not homeschool the elementary years! Honestly I think preschool learning is the MOST important and by helping a parent become involved (doing "preschool activities" like going to the Zoo, drawing, and reading books) you can make such a difference in the parent/child relationship even if the child goes to PS! Parental involvement is SUCH an issue in the public school environment I would think that helping a parent regardless of their goal the goal is not about the parent but the child!!

 

On this forum, I always preface my posts asking about preschool with: "Well, I know I'm not really homeschooling yet..." and I have to start off on the defensive. That's not cool. We should be like, all warm and fuzzy. Yeah, there are other sites, and I guess the downside would be I'd lose the homeschoolers who preschool'd before, but that's teh wonder of the search feature, the tag feature, etc. So it works out in the end.

 

Aaaand... I'm stopping my random rant. Sorry guys, it's late. :hat:

[Mergath]

I would love to see a preschool forum. When you have a three-year-old doing K-level and up work, it's hard to know just where the heck you fit in. Do I ask my questions in K-8? Accelerated? If we had a preschool forum, I'd feel a lot more comfortable discussing my dd's academic stuff.

[ALB]

I think its a great idea! Good suggestion!

[MomtoCandJ]

I also think it's a wonderful idea, I'm always wanting to ask questions about fun things to do with dd, but feel intimidated or my post gets lost and I don't get any answers.

[srs]

Personally I feel like I'm moving beyond the need for it with my oldest getting to K age and skills, but I know I would have loved a preschool subforum when my oldest was 3 years old, because that was the year that 99% of the kids we knew went to preschool, and it was a lonely, lonely time to have the oldest kid at the playground, the grocery store, etc., in the morning, and she was only 3! It would have been nice to have a welcoming, busy, online community of people in the same situation (and this probably does exist somewhere online, I'm sure, but I never found it). I know I got a very much "come back when you are really homeschooling" vibe from our local hs group, which honestly makes me not want to go back anyway, even when we are officially homeschooling next school year.

 

And the backlash to this thread reminds me of when parents of more than one say things like "Well, xyz thing is just because you have an only child." Just like almost all of us started out with an only child (parents of multiples excepted), we almost all started out with our oldest in the 0-5 age range (adoption excepted). It can really make a difference to the parent of a young child if those with older children aren't automatically dismissive.

[Ritsumei]

:iagree:

Sometimes from comments I read on this board I get the feeling that it's only acceptable for the under 5's to spend their time running naked and free and not have their tiny minds corrupted by even the sight of a workbook :tongue_smilie:

 

I ran into this more than a little, and it was soooo frustrating! Monkey is 5. He's flying through a 1st grade mathbook and Miquan. He's about 1/2 way through OPGTR, and handling SOTW just fine. Basically, we're doing 1st grade work except for phonics. And he handles it fine.

 

At 2 he knew all his letters and all his sounds with almost no effort on my part, and it just made sense to me to teach him what came next. He was counting, and I again, I started showing him what came next. It's completely possible to do that and not interfere with play - we did "school" in about 30 minutes, maybe an hour if he was having a good time at it, a couple times a week. I needed ideas for how to adapt things so that he could have ideas he was ready for in ways that were age appropriate. I also needed exposure to successful homeschoolers so that I could glean tips and tricks and build confidence so that when we get to the point where it "counts" (next fall) I'll have the tools to do it successfully.

 

The "wisdom" of the hive was usually to let him be little, don't give him anything that looks like school, but there's no way that I'm going to let a hungry mind sit there and be idle! A preschool board, which would be largely uninteresting to those hostile commenters (I eventually started hiding his age so that I could post without drawing flames) would have been so useful!

Edited April 30, 2012 by Ritsumei

[Murmer]

I vote for the forum too...because each child is different and has different needs. I joined when dd was 3 and had just been diagnosed with the first of several special needs. I was hoping to find a place to talk about how to teach my child things like HOW to play with toys or how to read a book with her at all. Or how to teach discipline and while some of those things were answered in the Special Needs forum it was not the same because many of them are parents of much older children dealing with much older things. Now I have my son who will be 3 in a month and he has different sets of needs. For example now I need to do more enriching play that I never did with my daughter, art and such and I have forgotten all I thought to do but couldn't so I feel back at the beginning but k-8 isn't the place for that. So I would love a forum for mama's who still have littles and doesn't have to be about academic book learning but it could be about support and thoughts on what to do to help each of our individual children to be the best they can through mommy schooling (which for me means mommy and child spending time together playing with possible learning outcomes).

[frankcassiesmom]

It would be a great place to compile great links, etc.

[ondreeuh]

My version of "preschool" is more like "intentional play" where I have some objective. This often involves DOING stuff, but also includes cuddling on the couch with a book or (gasp) workbook and talking about the pages. This is on top of all the objective-free playing and talking that we do. I love getting ideas for things to discuss and do with my kids, especially ways to work on skills to help prepare them for K. For example, someone here mentioned the Ladybug Game - my son loves it, and through it we practice math concepts. I also learned about using Saxon K in the preschool years, and we are enjoying the activities in the program, which is so play-based that it really doesn't feel "academic" at all. I would love a 0-5 forum to more easily find and share ideas!

 

The anti-preschool people on this thread seem to be using a totally different definition (maybe "developmentally inappropriate academics?"), so I'm not even worrying about whether they "approve" of what the rest of us are doing. I suspect they do many of the same things themselves.

Edited April 30, 2012 by ondreeuh

[Chris in VA]

See and this is the type of answer I would expect to get and why I haven't posted asking how to encourage my almost 3 yo's pencil grip.

 

People assume if you ask a question like this you are "forcing your child to do developmentally inappropriate things". That may be true in some cases but in general I find the group tends to jump to the conclusion that the OP is "pushing" their kid.

 

]My almost 3 yo cannot hold a crayon in his fist and make a mark on the paper. He cannot figure it out. I don't want to ask about his pencil grip and be told by 50 different posters that I need to relax and he will get it and all children develop differently. Yes I know that -but every developmental list I have ever read says a 3 yo should be able to scribble with a crayon held in their fist.

 

I'm not going to relax and then find myself asking when he is 6 years old -why can't my 6yo scribble with a crayon

 

This is not what I meant. Being able to hold a pencil in a proper writing grip is not the same as a 3yo holding a crayon in a fist. You are asking for ways of strengthening the hand--that I find is completely appropriate. What I'm saying is there are some who want to force developmentally inappropriate tasks on their child, and that's what I object to. I am speaking against those parents who's expectations are not DP. You seem to be saying you don't want to hear the advice to relax when something is WRONG. A child of 3 should be able to hold a crayon in a fist grip. That's DP. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm saying if a poster asked why her 3yo isn't able to hold a pencil in the correct WRITING grip yet and is stressing about it, then was told to strenghthen the hand using playdough, clay, sensory experiences, grip balls, etc and not worry about the pencil grip itself for a while, that would be ok. That would be the "relax" advice. Ignoring the child who isn't meeting a developmental milestone is NOT good advice. See the diff?

Edited April 30, 2012 by Chris in VA

[La Condessa]

I'd love a preschool forum, too.

[sahm99]

Yes, pleeeeease! A pre-schooler forum would be great!

[momtoamiracle]

Who is to say what is developmentally appropriate? I believe it is the child. I have been shot down a few times for the work that DS is doing, but he has decided this is what he wants to do. (Mergath also mentioned her DD is the same way).

Obviously, if a parent was trying to do work with the child, but the child was throwing tantrums or whatever, that would be the child's way of saying "No! Not appropriate!" And sometimes it helps to have outside people pointing to the clues.

But for those whose child develops at their own rate (and what child doesn't?), a Pre-K subforum could definitely be helpful, both for those looking for answers and those with experience to share.

 

(Believe it or not, there are pre-K'ers that don't fit into the "just play intentionally" category but aren't quite in the "exceptional" range).

 

 

so true! My son learned all his letter sounds at 2.5 I certainly wasn't pushing him. I was reading to him and let him play on Starfall.com. He also started doing math early just by playing with his colored blocks. He hates coloring, always has, so to try to find other things to do for him that fit his active interest in things was a bit tricky at times. We did lots of play type things that was preparation for homeschooling formally. By the time K came around he was used to learning from me and ready to start.

 

I think it'd be great for a sticky to have ideas of activities to do with little ones of different temperments and learning styles. Favorite toys, booklists, etc. On other homeschool boards I'm on they have this type of thing. No one has ever gotten ugly about it or objected.

[Rosie_0801]

(Believe it or not, there are pre-K'ers that don't fit into the "just play intentionally" category but aren't quite in the "exceptional" range).

 

Yeah, like mine. She's speech delayed by three years but likes her little girl academics. She's a bit like her mother; she has more interest than talent yet still finds "study" more like play than playing is. Maybe we are weirdies. :p

 

Rosie

[momma2three]

(Believe it or not, there are pre-K'ers that don't fit into the "just play intentionally" category but aren't quite in the "exceptional" range).

 

:iagree:

 

While I think she's bright and all that normal-parent stuff, we don't really belong on the accelerated learners forum. But, at the same time, my DD is obsessed with handwriting and math worksheets and really interested in science. It would be nice to have a place to ask about these things without the fear of being jumped for pushing her into things that she's not ready to do. Believe it or not, until she came along I was the biggest proponent of delayed academics and "in Finland they don't read until they're 7!"

[Seeking Squirrels]

I think this is a great idea! I have a preschooler who WANTS to do school. I do not push her in any way, but I'm constantly looking for new ways to keep her interested and challenged enough to be content. We do a lot of play based stuff, but she also loves and *requests* lessons and workbooks. I always prefer to search for prior threads before starting my own, but there is so much to wade through on the k-8 forum. I click on thread after thread thinking it might be applicable, but then it's about 5th grade or something. Even just browsing, it's nice to read about things that will come up later and I do lurk in some threads dealing with older issues, but most of it is just not where we are. It would be awesome to be able to go straight to a preschool sub-forum and be able to browse through threads that have a lot higher rate of being applicable to where we are right now.

 

I also like the idea of having a thread I post being seen by more people who are in the same place. The forums move so quickly that things get buried. I post about something academically related to my preschooler and chances are at least 90% of the responders are not into that. Ok, I appreciate your advice to just relax because it's just preschool, I know you are just trying to help. But I would really like to also hear from several people who are on the same page as me. But that's not very likely on a board that moves so quickly. Posting in a preschool sub-forum would ensure that you get more of the preschool people seeing it.

 

And yes, there are a lot of other places on the net for preschool helps such as blogs and things of that nature. But that's not the same as being able to ask questions, carry on discussions, and bounce ideas off each other.

[MrsBasil]

At the other end of the argument, my 3 year old isn't the least bit accelerated and I would love an Early Years area. We do a lot of play based "stuff" and I would love to be able to discuss that. Blogs and Pinterest only get me so far and I'd love to bounce *very cheap* ideas off people and hear about things that didn't work.

 

Also, discussing read alouds with people who are still in the picture book phase would be fun. He's SO not ready to listen to anything that isn't illustrated and he's the pickiest little thing about illustrations.

 

I specifically don't usually post on this board because it's K-8 and I was trying to abide by that.

[kubiac]

Since there seems to be at least some interest in a 0-5 forum or subforum, should we take the idea to SWB? And if yes, um, how do we do that? :)

[Dana]

 

While I think she's bright and all that normal-parent stuff, we don't really belong on the accelerated learners forum. But, at the same time, my DD is obsessed with handwriting and math worksheets and really interested in science. It would be nice to have a place to ask about these things without the fear of being jumped for pushing her into things that she's not ready to do. Believe it or not, until she came along I was the biggest proponent of delayed academics and "in Finland they don't read until they're 7!"

 

Yeah... 'cause we kick non-belongers out over there. ;)

 

I haven't read the whole thread... and goodness knows my son would have kicked and screamed as a rule if I tried to do school early with him (heck, he did even when it was on schedule... and I did as well...) I think the break with the logic board has been good and a preschool subforum could be good too... but also, feel free to ask questions & post on accelerated board. No test scores are required :)

[mudboots]

(Believe it or not, there are pre-K'ers that don't fit into the "just play intentionally" category but aren't quite in the "exceptional" range).

 

I haven't read the whole thread. I started reading it and got frustrated. The above quote pretty much sums it up for me.

 

... but also, feel free to ask questions & post on accelerated board. No test scores are required :)

 

When I first started posting here, I asked a question on the accelerated board, explaining that I don't really know where we belong. I have bright, curious kids, but not really gifted. I was received kindly, and people gave me very helpful advice that I'm still using.

 

After that, though, I saw threads on other subforums that made me feel like I shouldn't post questions like that anymore.

 

If we had a preschool board, I'm sure I'd glean from it. But it would probably be for craft ideas, etc. When it comes to anything academic for little kids, I'd probably either post on the accelerated board or, more likely, not at all.

 

It's a shame, too. IMO, the preschool years are bursting with developmental opportunities, and I think there *are* positive, child-led ways of teaching at this stage. I'm surprised that's so controversial.

Edited May 2, 2012 by mudboots

[Spy Car]

It's a shame, too. IMO, the preschool years are bursting with developmental opportunities, and I think there *are* positive, child-led ways of teaching at this stage. I'm surprised that's so controversial.

 

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

 

Bill

[boscopup]

I think it's a good idea. If looking for non-academic, preschool-appropriate things to do with young child that isn't school age, a preschool forum would fit best. K-8 is for K-8 curriculum. Accelerated Learner is for kids working above grade level (gifted or not, so feel free to post there if your kid is working a grade above level, even if you don't think your kid is gifted ;) ).

 

As far as academics in preschool go... I wish I could have heard the advice of the BTDT moms. I tried to teach my oldest to read at age 4. He resisted anything resembling school! Big time resisted. I thought I would be a bad homeschooler because of it. He went to private school for K and 1st. Thankfully, I DID back off when he was 4. Shortly thereafter, he taught himself to read, and a whole bunch of other stuff too. :tongue_smilie: When we pulled him from first grade, he was fairly easy to homeschool. I'm not a bad homeschooler. I just was trying to do formal school before my child was ready. Now I know better and can give advice to other moms when they say, "My 4 year old is being stubborn about reading." or "My 3 year old hasn't learned all his/her letter sounds yet." There is good reason the advice is given, and a lot of times, those BTDT moms have tried it and failed and are trying to prevent you and your kid from failing too - either by thinking you can't homeschool because your 4 year old resists, or by burning yourselves out by trying to do too much formal academics before the kid is even 5. And if they're gifted, it still won't hurt them to wait a year or two. It's usually the first child that gets this... We're anxious, plus we don't really have "anything to do", so we use school to fill the void. Perhaps in a preschool forum, BTDT moms can give some advice on how to fill that void and still have a structured day without 2 hours of formal reading and math lessons. :) (I personally filled the void by making afternoon "quiet time" in his room, so I only had to deal with half of a structured day :D)

[melbotoast]

I would love an "early learning" subforum.

[Mergath]

Who is to say what is developmentally appropriate? I believe it is the child. I have been shot down a few times for the work that DS is doing, but he has decided this is what he wants to do. (Mergath also mentioned her DD is the same way).

 

Yup. Have I mentioned yet that I had to download an old Anatomy and Physiology textbook a few nights ago because dd has been whining that she wants to learn all the bones in the body? Its like a lullaby for us now at night: "Humerous... radius... ulna..."

 

I would love an Early Learning subforum because, well, my dd is a weirdo. :D:tongue_smilie:

[Mergath]

Haha, why is it always at night? :) DS came out at 10:30 last night - he wrote 100,00 in his little notebook (trying to copy Blue's Clues) and asked what came after one hundred thousand and then what came after one million....

My new one-liner is "We'll talk about it in the morning."

 

I've tried that, but then dd makes me tell her about the Earth's rotation and how morning is when we turn toward the sun. Seriously. She's heard it a hundred times, but that doesn't matter. I ask her if she wants me to read her a fairy tale with a princess in it and she says (true story) "No... tell me how plows work!"

[Kathryn]

IMO, the preschool years are bursting with developmental opportunities, and I think there *are* positive, child-led ways of teaching at this stage. I'm surprised that's so controversial.

 

:iagree: I'd like to say I'm surprised at some of the comments here, but I can't. I can say I don't understand it. Not everyone homeschools the same. Not everyone lives the same life or has children with the same interests and abilities. Not everyone who is interested in early learning opportunities for their under-five-year-old is pushing them too hard and heading for burnout. Yes, there certainly are those, but some children are genuinely ready and chomping at the bit long before others. Some little ones want to be like their older siblings and parents don't want to find ways to just keep them out of the way but to incorporate them into the homeschool/family time.

 

I think an Early Years or 0-5 board is a great idea. I know a lot of people are reluctant to post questions for fear of the inevitable chastisement about how they should just be playing in the dirt, cooking, and reading picture books. A place where parents of 0-5 children could get advice on books, arts, crafts, incorporating siblings, and early learning ideas would probably go a long way toward making people feel more welcome when beginning the journey of educating their children.

[3peasinapod]

:iagree: I'd like to say I'm surprised at some of the comments here, but I can't. I can say I don't understand it. Not everyone homeschools the same. Not everyone lives the same life or has children with the same interests and abilities. Not everyone who is interested in early learning opportunities for their under-five-year-old is pushing them too hard and heading for burnout. Yes, there certainly are those, but some children are genuinely ready and chomping at the bit long before others. Some little ones want to be like their older siblings and parents don't want to find ways to just keep them out of the way but to incorporate them into the homeschool/family time.

 

I think an Early Years or 0-5 board is a great idea. I know a lot of people are reluctant to post questions for fear of the inevitable chastisement about how they should just be playing in the dirt, cooking, and reading picture books. A place where parents of 0-5 children could get advice on books, arts, crafts, incorporating siblings, and early learning ideas would probably go a long way toward making people feel more welcome when beginning the journey of educating their children.

 

:iagree: It's disheartening at times to see preschool parents questions being downplayed. There are so many fun things to do with preschoolers and some people need more structure in their days. The preschool years are excellent years to get the feel of homeschooling so that when you get to the bigger kid stuff, you have a flow in your home and able to get things done. Structure is excellent for preschoolers, they thrive on it.

[AngelBee]

THIS.

 

Plus, I'm optimistic that having a separate group would allow for interested moms to have deeper, more detailed discussions about developmental progressions, age-appropriate read-alouds, attention span, etc.

 

There's a Maria Montessori quote, which I really hope isn't apocryphal, that I really like in respect as general moral support on this stuff:

 

"The most important period of life is not the age of university studies, but the first one, the period from birth to the age six; for that is the time when man’s intelligence itself, his greatest implement, is being formed...But not only his intelligence; the full totality of his psychic powers...At no other age has the child greater need of intelligent help."

 

:iagree:

[AngelBee]

I've tried that, but then dd makes me tell her about the Earth's rotation and how morning is when we turn toward the sun. Seriously. She's heard it a hundred times, but that doesn't matter. I ask her if she wants me to read her a fairy tale with a princess in it and she says (true story) "No... tell me how plows work!"

 

:lol:

[6wishes]

:iagree: It's disheartening at times to see preschool parents questions being downplayed. There are so many fun things to do with preschoolers and some people need more structure in their days. The preschool years are excellent years to get the feel of homeschooling so that when you get to the bigger kid stuff, you have a flow in your home and able to get things done. Structure is excellent for preschoolers, they thrive on it.

 

I agree! I have actually come out here now looking for preschool ideas because I sent my older 2dds to ps preschool, but with my 3rd due to some special circumstances, I will probably be doing this at home. And, this scares me more then doing the elementary ages! I don't consider myself to be "crafty" and I like the idea of an open and go curriculum that tells me what to do and has the materials right there. And, this is the place I go to get all kinds of opinions-some I get a lot out of, and others I dismiss. As someone said earlier, we all come from different places, styles of learning, and have the freedom to choose our homeschooling style. Sometimes others opinions may seem negative, but they do give me some things to think about, and I appreciate that. Doesn't mean I will end up agreeing, but will cause me to stop and think.

[daughterofsarah77]

Would love to see a preschool forum!

[jen_batten]

Sounds like a good idea to me!