Home School Resource - Homeschooling the Preschool Age Child
Each child is unique. All children have their own interests, learning patterns and attention spans. Parents who are considering the option of homeschooling would be wise to do an initial evaluation of their preschool child to see if the homeschooling atmosphere would give their child the maximum educational benefit.
There are a number of online resources that can provide activity suggestions for preschool age children. Although these resources can be helpful, they should only serve as guides to give parents and tutors lesson plan direction. The advice given on some of the most popular homeschooling websites is to be aware of the child's natural interests and abilities. This may be a natural talent for writing, math, sports, media arts, performing arts or any other subject. Take the time to learn about your child's natural talents and then incorporate their interests into the child's lesson plan. Your child will be more responsive if you make learning fun and build their interests into the things they should know.
Parents and tutors should use different methods and techniques of homeschooling for children of different age groups. The following list may help learn which methods and activities are suited to children of a specific age group.
1. The 2 Year Old: Children at two years old can be the most difficult to teach. They often grow bored and frustrated when being taught for more than a few minutes at a time. Short bouts of interesting stimuli are needed in order to retain their attention. Two-year olds are generally eager to learn but are also mastering motor skills and will spend much of their time walking, running or climbing around. Self-centeredness and possessiveness are common at this age, so activities related to improving acceptable social skills are important. The sense of humor is developing, so activities a child would find humorous hold the child's attention well. Keep the activities short and don't try to extend the learning session beyond the attention span of the child.
2. The 3 Year Old: Homeschooling at age 3 can also test a parent or tutor's patience. Three-year olds tend to be very physical at play time and in affections. This is the time to begin to teach appropriate responses to others in play. Three year olds adapt to change well, enjoy playing with friends, and respond to verbal instructions. Since they are already capable of communicating their needs, use their natural curiosity and adaptability as the core of the homeschooling lesson plans.
3. The 4 Year Old: Four-year olds have the manual dexterity to with scissors, crayons, pencils and paper. Craft activities will entertain them as they learn. Four-year olds also have a tremendous amount of physical energy to burn off each day, so structured physical play is a necessity. Children at this age love to try new things and activities centered around learning something new will give them maximum stimulation. Four-year olds are creative and imaginative in their play. Give them ample opportunity to express themselves as they learn.
Children grow at different rates and in different ways. What is easy for one child to comprehend may be difficult for another. The home schooled preschooler must have enough freedom to explore, inquire and learn at their own unique rate in order to achieve the maximum educational benefit.
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Rebecca Welch is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Home-School-Resource.blogspot.com. She provides researched information on
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