Better early than late, my thoughts.

[StartingOver]

I am in the better early than late camp. I believe in the Grammar stage, getting the basics of Math, Reading, and Writing down while children are receptive to memorizing lists of things. ( I include Latin memorization in this too. ) We do other subjects, but our foundation is the 3 R's.

 

Why on earth would I worry about this with my little ones? So many say to relax, to let them play. In my opinion that might work for others, but not for me. This is my second time around and I still think it works for mine.

 

1. I want them to have a strong foundation.

2. I want them to follow their interests in later stages.

3. I know how hard preteens and teens can be to work with.

 

I have realized that they are easier to mold when they are young and not in the argumentative stage. ;-) I know it won't work for everyone, but it works for mine. I am not a slave driver, they do get tons of time to play outside. Time for imaginative play. But we do work longer than most at this stage. Letting the kids work at their own pace with tons of memorization and review added in. Luckily I have found tons of songs to memorize the bits, and the kids love to sing.

 

It all boils down to doing what you think is right for your individual children.

[MistyMountain]

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[La Texican]

I agree with the general thought. It's like I want to train my kids better now so that I can trust them with more freedom when they are older. How can I be lax now then become real strict when they're teenagers? That wouldn't work. Everything I do I keep in mind that it's with the goal that they're going to make their own choices when they're older, and that "older" might be younger than I think. I need them to grow into making their own decisions and getting their own education and making their own path. The sooner they get a knowledge and skill base, the more the can practice making their own decisions and ideas (with skill). You're right, it does not take much time, 15 minutes daily the first year, 30 minutes daily the second year, an hour daily the third year, and it stratches their attention and focus, gives their learning muscle a good workout, and creates a family culture that says, "we study, we learn, that's something we do."

When mine was a toddler I debated the whole anti-hothouse sentiment (big online topic just before tigermom) and watching my neighbor pulling teeth to get her 2nd grader to do a few short worksheets of homework without wasting the whole afternoon, partially because his writing was not automatic, partially I think because he obviously thought maybe the homework doesn't have to be done today. Why go through that, for years, if penmanship lessons early enough can "relieve the suffering"? I mean, we still got suffering, but less (so far).

The hubs and I agreed (his words) I should keep teaching my kid as long as he wants to keep learning. I suspect it has a snowball effect and teaching makes more things accessable, which in turn lights the fire for learning.

[Mommy to monkeys]

Me sentiments are as follows:

 

Better early than late, but better late than never.

 

 

My kids have been relatively early readers, and I'm going to pursue that for babies when they get there as well, but I do accept that it is futile to push if they're not ready. (I'm thinking 3 or 4 not 6 or 7)

Early is so relative! I can't imagine doing a curriculum for my 3 year old. . .but the idea of having a 7 year old that I'm NOT using anything with wouldn't jive well with me either.

 

If a kid isn't really reading by 5, I'd focus on that primarily until they are and then add on from there.

[StartingOver]

Children all progress at different ages, meeting your child where they are isn't pushing. I don't demand anything from my daughter. Now my son is 6 and that is another story, I do expect things from him daily. When my daughter asked to read like her brother at 3, we started OPGTR very slowly. When she decided she wanted to do Math like her big brother, we started Singapore EB, later Miquon too. When she could hold a pencil, we started copywork. Nothing is required of her daily. She loves it.

 

I have an adult son now that still can't write worth a toot, I taught him to type. He writes the most beautiful poetry. Another son wanted to read but just didn't click until he was 10, that about killed me. But we continued at his pace, and the first book he read once it clicked was Moby Dick. ( I still haven't finished Moby Dick and I am 44. )

 

Anyone that pushes is causing more harm than good, when talking about little ones. IMO But feeding their desire to learn in small bits, with tons of time for play in between has benefited my family.

[MistyMountain]

Anyone that pushes is causing more harm than good, when talking about little ones. IMO But feeding their desire to learn in small bits, with tons of time for play in between has benefited my family.

 

Same here.

[newbieoftwo]

I am definitely in the better early than late camp and have felt a little out of place at times on this board. I miss reading your blog StartingOver! I have been torn on purchasing more curriculum for my DC after hearing "just let them play" and "just read books" from most people on this board. However, we are all really excited to be adding in Nancy Larson Science and Story of the World next week!

[alisoncooks]

I do wish I'd started reading instruction with my oldest when she was younger. She's so doggone argumentative now! And she has no confidence, now that many kids her age are reading well and she's still just beginning.

 

(We didn't mean to start late, time just slipped away and we weren't intentional.... and it has taken us a year to get to where we are now, which isn't far at all. :( )

[StartingOver]

I am definitely in the better early than late camp and have felt a little out of place at times on this board. I miss reading your blog StartingOver! I have been torn on purchasing more curriculum for my DC after hearing "just let them play" and "just read books" from most people on this board. However, we are all really excited to be adding in Nancy Larson Science and Story of the World next week!

I am sorry, the blog has to come down, for the safety of my little ones. I am still around though. Mostly I share on Facebook now, where I have set strict privacy settings. I never thought I would have to do that. SIGH

[SorrelZG]

A lot of our day does look just like letting them play and reading a lot of books. Giving good solid attention to the 3Rs and memory work from early on doesn't actually take up a lot of time.

[StartingOver]

I do wish I'd started reading instruction with my oldest when she was younger. She's so doggone argumentative now! And she has no confidence, now that many kids her age are reading well and she's still just beginning.

 

(We didn't mean to start late, time just slipped away and we weren't intentional.... and it has taken us a year to get to where we are now, which isn't far at all. :( )

No matter where they are, we can only meet them and take one step at a time. Even with all the stuff that got in the way the first time around, we still made it through. :-)

 

180 days in the average year X 12 years for K - 12 = 2160 / 365 days in a year = 5.9 years to educate a child.

 

You have plenty of time. The first time around we took days, weeks, and even a whole year off before my mother passed. I still credit that year off with two of my children being in the medical field.

[Arboreal TJ]

I agree with you. Kids are capable of almost anything if we just give them the chance. My K'ers are doing 2nd grade Math but they can't read fluently. I pottied my kids as infants, like moms did before the invention of diapers. All of my kids, even my "developmentally delayed" preemies, were potty trained before the age most pediatricians tell mom's to watch for "readiness."

 

If a child is interested in something, has fun exploring something and the parent is willing to provide the experience why hold a kid back because of their age? Their little brains are sponges and they are so curious I can't not fill their heads with knowledge. I also enjoy the look on the dentist's face when my 4 year old explains that X-rays are shadows of his bones :)

 

 

 

[Chelli]

I do quite a bit in the younger years as well, but it's mainly because if my kids don't stay busy with school, then they get into all kinds of trouble. They love doing school too, of course. But an idle mind is the devil's workshop is definitely true around here. They do come up with all kinds of imaginative things to play, create, and do, but too much free time and they lose it. :smash:

[newbieoftwo]

 

I am sorry, the blog has to come down, for the safety of my little ones. I am still around though. Mostly I share on Facebook now, where I have set strict privacy settings. I never thought I would have to do that. SIGH

 

 

I understand. I am sad that sharing the joys of raising two wonderful children threatened their safety :(

[newbieoftwo]

I do quite a bit in the younger years as well, but it's mainly because if my kids don't stay busy with school, then they get into all kinds of trouble. They love doing school too, of course. But an idle mind is the devil's workshop is definitely true around here. They do come up with all kinds of imaginative things to play, create, and do, but too much free time and they lose it. :smash:

 

 

My DS is the same. He loves his free time, but we need structure or free time turns in to destruction of everything in sight time. We also have more meltdowns on days with a lot of down time.

[Mandylubug]

I agree to this thought, naturally, but have to point out an important fact. Just because a child isn't reading at age 7 or 8 doesn't mean they weren't given an early start. The only reason I want to bring this to attention is because all of my kids started their educational journeys formally at age 4. They had many opportunities prior to age 4 but were all held to an educational journey. However, maturity doesn't present itself when parents are necessarily ready for it to. I am STILL struggling with my 7 year old girl twins that have been instructed on phonics and sight words, etc. since age 4. So, while I understand you are stating what works for you is an early start and you feel your kids have a great foundation to learning because they were early readers, etc... just note that if you see a child that is age 7 and still an emergent reader; don't assume they weren't given an early start as well.

[StartingOver]

I agree to this thought, naturally, but have to point out an important fact. Just because a child isn't reading at age 7 or 8 doesn't mean they weren't given an early start. The only reason I want to bring this to attention is because all of my kids started their educational journeys formally at age 4. They had many opportunities prior to age 4 but were all held to an educational journey. However, maturity doesn't present itself when parents are necessarily ready for it to. I am STILL struggling with my 7 year old girl twins that have been instructed on phonics and sight words, etc. since age 4. So, while I understand you are stating what works for you is an early start and you feel your kids have a great foundation to learning because they were early readers, etc... just note that if you see a child that is age 7 and still an emergent reader; don't assume they weren't given an early start as well.

 

I had a son who couldn't have read the first Bob book till he was 10. When it clicked, all was well, all in his own time. My 1st DD read at 6, 1st DS at 10 , 2nd DS at 5, 3rd DS at 4, and 2nd DD at 3' They were all taught in basically the same way. Children are individuals. Reading is one of the hardest things we will ever learn.

[plansrme]

I am in this camp as well, though I joke (sort of joke) that the philosophy in our home is, "If it is worth doing, it is worth doing to excess." I freely admit that one of the reasons we did a lot of school when they were little is that that is Mom's favorite way to interact with them. I do not like to play games; I am not creative, so I am not out there putting on plays with them or making puppets. School is what I do best with them, and it built a lot of pleasant memories without having to pull out a Monopoly board. I would rather be strung up by my toes than play Monopoly. Or dolls. Or Legos. But let me suggest that my 9 yo build a model of a snowshoe with Legos to go along with his literature study about a sled dog? THAT I can do. Make up funny songs to remember all of the helping verbs? Check. Science experiments? Yep.

 

Besides, I needed to cram in all of the school I could when they were little and had lots of free time, before sports took over our lives (see above re. "it's worth doing to excess").

 

Terri

[StartingOver]

LOL How dare they want to be out of the house playing sports and socializing, as they get older.

 

:coolgleamA:

[Dory]

I am definitely in this camp. I have never pushed or drilled my kids before they were 6 or 7 but I am big on gently introducing concepts. We read A LOT in this house. To the point where house keeping suffers. The kids were taught to count and skip count going up and down stairs and playing with blocks when they were toddlers (they loved being swung up the stairs for 3's). I was constantly pointing out letters. Just one or two until they would start finding those letters themselves and then I would add a couple new ones. We drew pictures together outside and I would talk and try and give a much as I knew about what we were looking at in a vocabulary they would understand. We played hard in those early years, but much of it was play that I utilized to the best of my ability.

Their minds are like little sponges at that point. I wanted to make the most of it. Seems to have paid off thus far.