anabelneri Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Hello! I'm here, planning ahead for my younger dd. She's only 4.5yo, but she's so different from her sister or their friends that I'm looking for ideas ahead of time. If anything in my description resonates with your experience, I'd love to hear any and all anecdotes/advice. Lil'un is one of those kids who learns quickly but doesn't like being taught, and doesn't really follow directions most of the time. She's also tactile (at least compared to her sister). So, for example, I bought Miquon thinking it might suit her, but I would pull out the rods and she wouldn't touch them. I would try to play a game with them, and she won't do it. I printed out some of those fun preschool c-rod pages, and she just does her own thing. The other kids I've worked with (my older dd and the 2 kids of a friend) are all generally willing to follow instructions, and they're generally willing to do age-appropriate things on paper (color, trace letters, etc) but not Lil'un. Since she's still young I'm not pushing her to do things, but these characteristics are consistent with my experience of her for the past couple years and I'm not expecting any huge changes in personality when she turns 5 (or 6, or 7...) She also has a mischievous sense of humor. When it comes to learning, the way her mischievousness plays out is that we can be talking about a subject/skill, and it'll be clear that she doesn't "get it" yet, and then she'll suddenly understand, and I might get one right answer from her, and then she starts giving wrong answers on purpose. I can't imagine what a classroom teacher would think of her... they'd never know she had learned anything. At the same time, without any instruction she taught herself to read analog clocks just before she turned 4. She doesn't have the minute hand completely down, but overall she can tell time. She doesn't read the digital clocks yet. She's also reading at a 1st grade level, though she doesn't want us to notice. She's in a Montessori-based religious ed program, and the story is the same there. She doesn't tend to choose her own work, but will watch the lessons offered and otherwise will sit or wander around and not choose anything to do. When we go to the local library class, she won't join in any of the songs (she won't sing or do the hand motions) and she won't dance with the group. She enjoys both the rel ed program and the library class immensely, though. If I were an unschooler at heart, none of this would bother me. But I'm classical at heart, so I come looking for ideas. How do you educate a child who learns quickly but doesn't want to be taught? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Apart from the not joining in at music she sounds like my 3 year old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 She sounds like a four-year old. I would count out small snacks, sing the ABCs while brushing teeth, play music, and dance around the house with her. Right now, she just may be too wiggly for you to teach her formally. That doesn't mean she isn't learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 But I'm classical at heart, so I come looking for ideas. How do you educate a child who learns quickly but doesn't want to be taught? Thank you! I also have one like this, but she's 7 1/2. We DID unschool until this summer. I've been trying to get her into the groove of more formal schoolwork and she seems to be doing ok so far. She's actually ahead of where my older kids were at that age (and they went to ps). Your daughter is still little, but for later...I would allow her to have a say in what she uses for school. I'm actually on the computer this morning, printing out a book list for my daughter to choose books from. Other than the 3 Rs, I want her to choose things that she can read or we can read together. I have to put my foot down for a couple of subjects. I have to say, "I know you don't like to practice writing, but we have to do this." :tongue_smilie: I also have a hard time with the "I know everything and I'm not going to listen to you" mentality when it comes to math. I told my daughter yesterday that she does not know everything and she will have big gaps in her knowledge if she assumes that she does. Normally, I would never say that to one of my kids, but if I don't take care of this now, I'm going to have huge problems later. FWIW, my 7 yro and my 5th grader NEVER join in activities, etc like you mentioned. They would just stand there and watch like aliens visiting from another planet. LOL. My 5th grader went to ps for K and 1st grade and that was actually on her report card (the staring and refusal to participate in activities, not about being aliens). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 It sounds a little like my 4.5 year old. I don't do much with her yet, but most of the times I work with her I have to be the student. It is a bit challenging to play the part of the student, but it works with her. Also, sneaking academic skills into general life has been effective. I don't know what she will be like when she is older. I figure this has a lot to do with her age. Maybe starting with play-based academics would work. Maybe you can try teaching Miquon concepts while you are playing with her. Maybe it would work if you play school with her and pretend to be other people while doing the work. My daughter did try giving wrong answers on purpose. I told her to stop and explained why. She doesn't do that so much any more, but it may help that I am playing the part of the student and she is playing the part of the teacher. As a student I'm always asking for help and the teacher is very willing to "help me" or show me how to do something. When I ask questions as a student I have to teach in my questions. For instance, if I want my daughter to practice writing a letter I'll demonstrate the letter on a piece of paper and ask the teacher to watch me and ask if I did it correctly. She then proceeds to show me how to write them. If she does something incorrectly I might say - "Teacher, aren't you supposed to start at the top?" You get the idea. It works with her anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Sounds like a 4-year-old. Attention spans mature with age, as does motivation to learn. I wouldn't worry about it yet. I might practice with sitting together to read longer and longer books, but otherwise I'd unschool/relax until she's more of a school age. Learn ASL and teach her signs as you go about your day. Explain the math you're using when buying food or cooking. Play observation games. Catch bugs. All that good stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2smartones Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Both of my kids went through that stage at 3-4 y/o. It's just a phase. I freaked out when the first kid did it, thinking I was a terrible teacher or he was an idiot, but with the second one, I just left him alone to do his own thing. He prefered learning on his own. I unschool until a child is reading very well (3-4 grade level), and then hit the books pretty hard. Kids need to explore when they're little (heck, adults still need to explore sometimes!). I came to realize that my kids knew a LOT more than I thought they did... they were just excited and overwhelmed with all the new information and didn't want me giving them more and/or babying them with stuff they already knew (but didn't tell me they knew). They would zone out or purposely miss answers to questions just so I'd leave them alone, but when I would sneak up on them, both would be demonstrating a high level of knowledge/thinking when they thought no one was looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 If I were an unschooler at heart, none of this would bother me. But I'm classical at heart, so I come looking for ideas. How do you educate a child who learns quickly but doesn't want to be taught? Thank you! If you are classical at heart, you will let her enjoy her very young childhood and plan to begin formal lessons at the age of 6. :) All of this childhood stuff, this exploring the world with Mama or by herself, is education for a four-year-old. That's what she should be doing. Read to her, establish good habits in the home, and give her lots of places, things, and ideas to experience and enjoy. You might enjoy reading Charlotte Mason on children your daughter's age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 If you are classical at heart, you will let her enjoy her very young childhood and plan to begin formal lessons at the age of 6. :) All of this childhood stuff, this exploring the world with Mama or by herself, is education for a four-year-old. That's what she should be doing. Read to her, establish good habits in the home, and give her lots of places, things, and ideas to experience and enjoy. You might enjoy reading Charlotte Mason on children your daughter's age. :iagree: EVERYTHING is learning at 4! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 when i started homeschooling, my youngest was about to turn 6, and he was still rather like this. Time4Learning worked for him for almost 2 years, at which point he was more willing to work with me. Not perfect, but better lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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