Getting Started

by R. Proffitt

So you have decided to homeschool... and your child is still a baby or preschooler?  CONGRATULATIONS!!  You have arrived at a decision early enough to prepare!

Prepare? This is not your A,B,C, kind of prepare, nor yet the 1,2,3 version either.  It is about growing and instilling habits and foundations upon which you will build your homeschool.

Many people mistakenly think that preparation for homeschool means that you can get started early.  (Read IS LATE BETTER THAN EARLY?)

The truth is, you should start when your child is ready and not before.  But you can build a strong foundation for learning with your child!

There are many pre-school and kindergarten curriculums out there you can work through, but the simplest one of all, is giving your children a good home-start.

Follow the steps below and your child will be ready for homeschool long before you are ;)

1.  READ, read, read.  Read aloud to your children.  Read to yourself.  Read daily to them.  A child is never too old for picture books... and I still love them as an adult.  Find quality books which you can borrow from your library or buy for your home school.  We have a READING LIST on the site, and there are many more!  Most of all, you should let them 'read' for themselves... and let the books be accessible.  Tidy shelves do not attract a young child to access the books... let the lower shelves be messy and piled high with books just for them.  To read more about this philosophy, check out A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Demille.

4.  Let the children WATCH you work.  In fact... let them help you work.  There are so many things we do around the house and garden that the children can help with... no need to keep it to ourselves!  Let them sort laundry, wash cars and mowers, feed and groom the pets, bake and cook.  These are life skills that will help your child in the future.

5.  SING with them.  Teach them nursery rhymes and the A,B,C song.  Play music for them... classical, country, rock... whatever your favourite, play it and the rest.  A well rounded child will know and love all kinds of music!  NOT just Barney!

6.  RESTRICT TV viewing.  I am not telling you to cut it out entirely... I realise there are advantages to allowing them to watch at certain times of day ;).  However, it is to your advantage if they only watch pre-approved (by YOU) shows.  To put it in perspective, a comment from my son on a rather innocuous show:

"Why do they have to tell us that stuff?  We already know that stuff... why do they have to put it in a show?"

Yes, there is twaddle on TV too!  try using your DVD or VCR a lot or work out the times of your favourite kid's shows and work around them.  Do not assume that a previously good show will stay that way!

7.  TAKE them places... to the grocery store, the park, the zoo, the museum, the restaurant and yes, the antique store.  Train them in the appropriate behaviour in each place... 'training' is as simple as setting rules and making sure they are obeyed.  Be prepared to leave if behaviour is not as expected.  Small children can and will learn.  As soon as they can comprehend you, you should expect them to listen!

8.  TRAIN them in the habits and rules you expect from them.  Table manners are not just a thing for adults and older children.  Two year olds and even one year olds know what is appropriate.  They may not be able to handle a fork with ease yet, but they do realise that screaming and leaving the table are not appropriate!  If you have ground rules, then your job at being parent is made much easier... because you'll know what to enforce.  If it isn't in your rules... then it is not to be enforced until it is!

9. PLAY is important in a child.  OUTDOOR PLAY is best, but not always possible.  Charlotte believed a young child should spend all day outside, and in truth it is indeed best for development.  That being said, it is not always possible with the vagaries of the weather and the temperature, and you should endeavour to make the best possible learning environment for children inside the house.  Playdough, paints, pencils, paper, play tents, sand boxes, bubbles are all good toys.  If you wish to branch out more, something like building toys (i.e. Lego™, wooden blocks or K'Nex™) or imaginative toys (castles or doll houses) where the child can interact with the toy and their imagination are best.

10.  LEARNING is never at a stand still in the young child's mind.  Making things available to them is a step in helping them to learn, and in getting ready to learn.  By putting out musical instruments, construction toys, and interactive toys, you make them think and learn.  By letting them use playdough and pencils, you help their motor skills develop.  By singing and reading to them, you help their imaginations take flight.  And I'd be willing to bet you were already doing most of it yourself anyway!

The truth about homeschooling, is that we are just continuing the job we have already done thus far.  We know when our kids have had too much, when they need down-time, or an extended break in the garden.  We know best when they are most receptive, as well as how.  You already have all the skills you need to homeschool... and while your child is laying the foundation, you can be exploring all the options out there and educating yourself... it is an exhilarating ride, and a fascinating one too.

HAPPY LEARNING!

Mrs. Proffitt is a mother of two, one six year old son and a two year old daughter, happily homeschooling them both in Virginia USA.  Her daughter is modeling in the photos above.