HERO of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Homeschooling Young Children

Homeschooling young children comes with its own particular set of challenges which are widely different from those encountered when homeschooling teenagers.  Many families have children in both age groups and with some creativity have successfully managed teaching multiple ages.  Using a Unit Study approach is one that many families find to be effective, covering one topic to different degrees of depth with multiple children of varying ages.  This page focuses on the unique challenges involved when educating young children at home and aims to provide resources to help you along your journey no matter what your situation.

As we all know, most young children have a naturally short attention span. Teaching in short sessions, 15 - 30 minutes at a time is better when dealing with young children than expecting them to remain focused for half a day or longer.  Remember that learning is occurring all the time for a young child.  Take advantage of their natural curiosity and make the most of your teaching/learning moments.  Look for the spark of interest in any topic/subject and follow it up.  Learning should be fun!  If you or your child has lost sight of having fun learning, then it's time to take another look at your approach.

Depending on the age of the child, interactive play is often a great way for a child to learn about any given subject.  While taking into consideration your child's learning style, also keep in mind that most young children are kinesthetic learners and do very well when using a hands-on approach.  For instance, learning about letters and writing shouldn't mean being tied down to the kitchen table or a desk with a boring pencil and paper.  Make the letters they are learning about by gluing macaroni to paper in the proper shape.  Draw letters in sand.  Cut letters out of sand paper and glue them to wooden blocks. Make letters with molding clay or Play-Dough.  Let them use large pieces of chalk to write letters on the driveway or sidewalk.  With a little bit of thought or perhaps some inspiration from a veteran homeschooler, the basics can be incorporated into play.  Just remember to keep learning fun!

Young children need to learn new concepts in concrete ways before they can grasp abstract thinking.  Manipulatives are an excellent way of helping them to understand new concepts, to literally see and touch what you are trying to teach them.  There are many math programs that use manipulatives to help teach mathematical operations, such as Math-U-See and Miquon Math.

Engage youngsters in the topic you are covering.  Instead of relying on workbooks and textbooks to cover the topic, incorporate crafts into the project.  If you read a book about Halloween, carve a jack-o-lantern together.  If you watch a movie about Thanksgiving, bake a pumpkin pie together.  Watch a movie about pirates?  Build a ship or a paper pirate hat.  Let that lead you into discovering more about the ocean, how people traveled by ship, how they travel now, etc.  Make it interesting, incorporate crafts and activity into whatever you want to teach your child and suddenly you'll find that both of you are having fun and your child has learned more than you had planned for.

Linda Dobson, author of  several popular homeschooling books, including: "Homeschooling: The Early Years - Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 3- to 8-Year-Old Child (Prima, 1999), answers some Frequently Asked Questions About Homeschooling Young Children.  She is also the Early Years columnist for Home Education Magazine.

 

Homeschooling Young Children Recommended Reading

Many of the books recommended are available for free at your local library or may be purchased online very inexpensively.


The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas: 500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12 by Linda Dobson.  Loads and loads (400 pages) of generally inexpensive, original and fun ways to learn!


Guerrilla Learning: How to Give Your Kids a Real Education With or Without School by Grace Llewellyn.  Want your child to develop a lifelong love of learning? Grace and Amy show how parents can keep the joy in learning by respecting and encouraging natural curiosity and interests, and by removing forced learning and arbitrary learning timetables. Practical advice for incorporating fresh ideas about education.


You Can Teach Your Child Successfully: Grades 4-8 by Ruth Beechick.  A basic teaching guide for parents. Beechick lays a solid foundation for teaching grades four through eight, based upon her experience as a teacher, curriculum developer, and professor of education. The basic subjects--reading, writing, and arithmetic--are covered quite thoroughly, and several subjects "beyond the three R's" are included as well: history, social studies, science, health, music, art, and the Bible.


Homeschooling: The Early Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 3- to 8- Year-Old Child by Linda Dobson.  Here's a guide that comes direct from the experts: a mother of two homeschooled, now-grown children and 83 homeschooling families she surveyed. Their stories make reading this starter kit on teaching ages 3 to 7 worthwhile.


Homeschooling: The Middle Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 8- to 12-Year-Old Child (Prima Home Learning Library) by Shari Henry.  A general guide for first-time homeschoolers, covering basic homeschool information (some of which is applicable to all ages).


Mary Pride's Big Book of Home Learning by Mary Pride.  This book is packed with information regarding curricula and many other homeschool resources. Pride's book also contains information on ordering homeschool catalogs and how to choose among the many homeschooling resources available. Pride's other Big Books (The Big Book of Home Learning : Teen and Adult , and The Big Book of Home Learning: Afterschooling and Extras Volume 4 ) are out of print, but are available used online or you may be able to find them at your local library.