Training toddlers: Incorporating learning with life
This post was originally published near the beginning of 2007, when I was pregnant with Kaitlynn and Kathrynne was only two years old. I've received many questions recently on homeschooling/training toddlers that I thought it might be helpful to re-post this again.
With that in mind, we've tried to make our home a forum for learning good things, without it taking enormous effort on our part. Most of this just involves having a routine (We believe chaos is not a healthy environment to be raised in, though we're not certainly perfectly organized by any means!), giving your children good choices in things to play with (We prefer creative play as opposed to sitting your child down in front of a entertainment machine--whether that be the TV, computer, etc.), and instilling in them a love for learning through real-life.
Real-life is one of the greatest ways to learn most things and I'd rather have my child learn something from practical, hands-on experience, than just read about it in a textbook. That doesn't mean there isn't a time and a place for textbooks, I just think they need to be balanced with learning from life.
Since Kathrynne is so young, we don't have any set "curriculum" we do with her, but she spends much of her day learning things. Here's an idea of our usual routine and how learning from everyday life works for us:
We usually read a simple, short chapter in the Bible in the morning at breakfast. I explain to her what it means in the best way I can at her level. We also pray together, with her praying a simple prayer (Usually, "Dear God, help mama and baby, amen."). We talk about why we pray, why we read the Bible, how important it is to love the Lord, and how we want her to grow up to love the Lord with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength.
After breakfast, she spends a few hours every morning by my side--helping me with cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. As I go about doing these simple tasks, I try to explain to her what I am doing and why. We incorporate much learning as we go, without it ever feeling like "school."
When we're cooking, we talk about measurements, we count the number of cups of flour we need to put in, we talk about fractions, we do simple addition and subtraction. Now obviously, at two years old, not all of this is making complete sense to Kathrynne, but I'm amazed at how much of it is. And she is seeing how it is practically used.
When we do laundry, we'll talk about matching things, about colors, about whose clothes are whose, where things are put away, and so on. Not only is she learning academics through practical life, but she is also learning the basics of running a home. At the same time, she's having fun and spending quality time with Mama. What could be better?
After lunch and before her nap, we usually cuddle on our bed and read her Bible verse book, talk about a few of the verses and Bible stories, review her verses she is learning, and then read a book--often one from the library on some subject she's interested in. We just spent the last few weeks talking about painting and art and we read parts of a book on Monet everyday. Now we're going to move onto trains, another subject she is fascinated with. Without even realizing it, she is learning so much through this and we're having so much fun at the same time!
When she gets up from her nap, she often will help me, play with her Legos, sit at her desk and draw, read books, or we'll sit on the couch (if Mama's not feeling too well!) and sing together. Sometimes we'll just run around and have fun together--dancing, playing hide-and-seek--laughing and giggling the whole time. I'm all for enjoying my children and some of my best memories growing up were when my parents just got down on our level and had fun with us.
In whatever we are doing, I'm constantly talking to her, explaining things to her, asking her questions, and seeking to make all of life a learning experience. If she's drawing, I'll ask her what she is drawing, ask her to draw something specific, ask her what color she is using, show her how to draw a shape or letter. If she is playing with Legos, I'll ask her what she is building or ask her to build a tower. If we're listening to Classical music while we're working, we'll talk about what instruments are playing. I'll ask her to pick out the violin or tell me when she hears a piano.
I've never sat down and done any "formal school" with her, but just through teaching her as she is by my side, she has learned to count to ten (we're still working on counting objects correctly), she is learning her colors, she is learning her ABC's, she knows a few Bible verses, she can hold her pencil correctly (I decided instead of having to break a bad habit when she is four or five, let's just learn the right way from the beginning!), she can draw circles, and is working on drawing letters. No, it's not anything astounding, but she is learning and she's loving it at the same time.
I know some people would read all of this and say, "Well, that's easy, you only have one child." You're right, I do only have one child not in utero. I'm sure it's much different with two or three or five. However, I don't think that means that learning from life has to stop just because there are more littles around. Nor does that mean that learning has to stop being enjoyable.
When my children are grown and gone, if they love the Lord with all their hearts, love to learn, and have happy memories of their childhood, I will be fulfilled. I'd rather enjoy them and teach them to love Jesus, than have brilliant children with all kinds of academic honors. Wisdom in man's eyes can never compare to the Wisdom from Above.
Please note: I'm not any expert on homeschooling or curriculum. Ask me in another 20 years and I'll probably have a lot more to say. :)
Originally published February 2007.
I was just wondering if you would consider bringing up the topic of homeschooling/Christian Education on your blog. Christian education and homeschooling is now almost unheard of in the United Kingdom. However, there is a small group of Christians in my local area looking to set up a Christian school in Glasgow, Scotland by seeking God's help and leading. We are just in the preliminary stages at present and would like to ask for your prayers that children in our city would have a school in which children would be taught in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ.Hi, Karen! I would be glad to share what we are doing with Kathrynne, though it isn't anything earth-shattering! I'm all for simplicity. You mentioned educating from birth and you are exactly right that that is something I believe in. However, I believe that every child is educated from birth--that is, every child is educated in something. Whether or not it is good education is the question!
I would be glad to hear if you had any particular views on curriculum yourself, or if any of your other readers did. On a practical note, I was wondering if any readers had attended a Christian school, and would be able to share their experiences? Or anyone who homeschools, how they structure their day, and if they use a particular curriculum?
I know that you have written on the topic of educating from birth yourself. Do you use any set pattern or curriculum yet and how do you put it into practice? I could use some ideas with my own 2-year-old daughter! - Karen
With that in mind, we've tried to make our home a forum for learning good things, without it taking enormous effort on our part. Most of this just involves having a routine (We believe chaos is not a healthy environment to be raised in, though we're not certainly perfectly organized by any means!), giving your children good choices in things to play with (We prefer creative play as opposed to sitting your child down in front of a entertainment machine--whether that be the TV, computer, etc.), and instilling in them a love for learning through real-life.
Real-life is one of the greatest ways to learn most things and I'd rather have my child learn something from practical, hands-on experience, than just read about it in a textbook. That doesn't mean there isn't a time and a place for textbooks, I just think they need to be balanced with learning from life.
Since Kathrynne is so young, we don't have any set "curriculum" we do with her, but she spends much of her day learning things. Here's an idea of our usual routine and how learning from everyday life works for us:
We usually read a simple, short chapter in the Bible in the morning at breakfast. I explain to her what it means in the best way I can at her level. We also pray together, with her praying a simple prayer (Usually, "Dear God, help mama and baby, amen."). We talk about why we pray, why we read the Bible, how important it is to love the Lord, and how we want her to grow up to love the Lord with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength.
After breakfast, she spends a few hours every morning by my side--helping me with cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. As I go about doing these simple tasks, I try to explain to her what I am doing and why. We incorporate much learning as we go, without it ever feeling like "school."
When we're cooking, we talk about measurements, we count the number of cups of flour we need to put in, we talk about fractions, we do simple addition and subtraction. Now obviously, at two years old, not all of this is making complete sense to Kathrynne, but I'm amazed at how much of it is. And she is seeing how it is practically used.
When we do laundry, we'll talk about matching things, about colors, about whose clothes are whose, where things are put away, and so on. Not only is she learning academics through practical life, but she is also learning the basics of running a home. At the same time, she's having fun and spending quality time with Mama. What could be better?
After lunch and before her nap, we usually cuddle on our bed and read her Bible verse book, talk about a few of the verses and Bible stories, review her verses she is learning, and then read a book--often one from the library on some subject she's interested in. We just spent the last few weeks talking about painting and art and we read parts of a book on Monet everyday. Now we're going to move onto trains, another subject she is fascinated with. Without even realizing it, she is learning so much through this and we're having so much fun at the same time!
When she gets up from her nap, she often will help me, play with her Legos, sit at her desk and draw, read books, or we'll sit on the couch (if Mama's not feeling too well!) and sing together. Sometimes we'll just run around and have fun together--dancing, playing hide-and-seek--laughing and giggling the whole time. I'm all for enjoying my children and some of my best memories growing up were when my parents just got down on our level and had fun with us.
In whatever we are doing, I'm constantly talking to her, explaining things to her, asking her questions, and seeking to make all of life a learning experience. If she's drawing, I'll ask her what she is drawing, ask her to draw something specific, ask her what color she is using, show her how to draw a shape or letter. If she is playing with Legos, I'll ask her what she is building or ask her to build a tower. If we're listening to Classical music while we're working, we'll talk about what instruments are playing. I'll ask her to pick out the violin or tell me when she hears a piano.
I've never sat down and done any "formal school" with her, but just through teaching her as she is by my side, she has learned to count to ten (we're still working on counting objects correctly), she is learning her colors, she is learning her ABC's, she knows a few Bible verses, she can hold her pencil correctly (I decided instead of having to break a bad habit when she is four or five, let's just learn the right way from the beginning!), she can draw circles, and is working on drawing letters. No, it's not anything astounding, but she is learning and she's loving it at the same time.
I know some people would read all of this and say, "Well, that's easy, you only have one child." You're right, I do only have one child not in utero. I'm sure it's much different with two or three or five. However, I don't think that means that learning from life has to stop just because there are more littles around. Nor does that mean that learning has to stop being enjoyable.
When my children are grown and gone, if they love the Lord with all their hearts, love to learn, and have happy memories of their childhood, I will be fulfilled. I'd rather enjoy them and teach them to love Jesus, than have brilliant children with all kinds of academic honors. Wisdom in man's eyes can never compare to the Wisdom from Above.
Please note: I'm not any expert on homeschooling or curriculum. Ask me in another 20 years and I'll probably have a lot more to say. :)
Originally published February 2007.
Labels: Homeschooling
posted by Crystal Paine at 8:00 AM
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