As I mentioned before, I attended a couple of workshops facilitated by Marilyn Boyer at the ICHE Conference. Below are some of the notes I took in her workshop entitled: "Home Educating Babies & Toddlers and Loving It!"
I thought some of you, like me, may be wondering how to thrive in home educating in the midst of dirty diapers, tantrums, breastfeeding, etc. Here are some tips from Mrs. Boyer, who home educated all 14 of her children:
- Babies, toddlers, and preschool can be a real challenge. This stage of life and around the time you teach your children to read is the most difficult time you have b/c they need so much of your time. it gets easier from here on.
- 0-5 years old is crucial to teaching character and scripture. Focus on this b/c the spiritual foundation layed now will make academics easier later
- Romans 12:1 - Living sacrifice activity (picture of child with bible verse for each body part-helps learn body part and scripture)
- Record yourself reading scripture and play it for children in day and before bed, so they can memorize
- her children testified that the scriptures they had memorized as toddler, preschoolers was so ingrained in them that it popped up as they got older and faced temptation.
- Start with proverbs, psalms, mattew etc
- Build a proper fear of the Lord "If you were in a dark place and mommy and daddy couldn't see you, who could still see you?" God.
- Teach them to memorize 10 commandments(on cd)
- Teach doctrine early! (Who is God? Who is Jesus? Why do we go to church?) "Leading Little Ones to God" by Eerdmans
- Use conducive teaching times to homeschool
- Flashcards with letter, character trait, and scripture (ex: H is for Humble, "God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble") you can make these and go over them every day. Make a quilt with each one or a poster board. 2 min a day can even be effective.
- Teach them to clean even at 2 or 3 years old. Give them chores (clean table, with neutral cleaner, put away toys, reward them with a sticker etc) Praise them and say "you are being so diligent, so responsible etc)
- You can't do it all and will need their help. That's okay. You can't wait until 6 years old to put work ethic in them. Start very young.
- prep activities for them to do during school time (puzzles, blocks, coloring, playdoh, peg play, dry erase boards, farm set, etc)
- have "school voices" a lower voice from normal voice
- change activities often b/c attention span is short
- have fun with them, they will remember fun projects more than anything you do
- take naps/quiet time, go for "nature walks" when they are really hyper
- make use of tapes and cds to reiterate scripture
- learn to say "no" you can't do everything.
- while your children are small the most important thing you can do with you time is spend time with your young children. time will go so fast and you will wish you had taught them more, put more of God in them.
- Some kids are more distractable than others, have to help them focus
- read to young kids alot!
- sometimes you are just in survival mode, some years are better than others. that's okay.
