I used to worry whether my one-year-old is learning to appreciate books as I hope she would. If there were two things I would have wanted my girls to fall in love with, they would easily have been books and music. I practically introduced books and music to them while they were still in my womb.
We also play, read, and talk a lot.
But when my eldest became very mobile, she stopped sitting quietly on my lap and listening to my read alouds. She also enjoyed flipping the books to the very end and then playing something else after that. How can I possibly teach my child when I can not make her love books?
That was among my concerns when I attended the first "Preschool Homeschool: You can do it too!" talk delivered by Kindermusik teacher Mariel Uyquiengco and friends.
Though she did not encounter my worries with her own children who are both growing and loving books, moms who were there in attendance were everything but disappointing. They filled me with encouragement and used words such as "normal" "curious" and "phase" to ease my troubled mind and eventually gave me that confidence to be my daughters' first teacher.
My eldest is only about to turn two, and it might be too premature to tell you that we are already homeschooling. I guess what I mean to say, for now, is that I will be holding off her big school enrollment until she's at least five years old or kindegarten age. And that for the meantime, I, and most of the people around her, will be teaching her.
We're teaching her the Filipino language first, mindful of her pos and opos. We're teaching her life skills such as packing away toys, cleaning the house, brushing her teeth, undressing herself, and helping out. We're giving her small tasks such as getting her own or her sister's diapers to instill responsibility and make her feel part of the family.
Those don't sound much, right?
To get some sort of "formality" in our homeschooling, I picked up from some of the preschool homeschooling moms and bought my girls their first "curriculum:" Before Five in a Row.
We also use other books not in BFIAR though. My eldest is enjoying Madeline so much that I always stop by the second hand book shops and look for another copy. Since she loves imitating other children, I have used books to teach her manners and values. I also wrote here how I banned my toddler from using gadgets, but not how Madeline helped me teach her to return things not hers so I've been letting her use my phone again.
Books continue to play a big role in our homeschooling experience, but bigger than all the books combined is you as your child's first teacher: how keen you are at listening to your child's cues and interests and supporting her development.
Does preschool homeschooling still sound daunting? Only if you make it hard on your child and yourself.
Curious? Or, want to know more about what preschool homeschool is all about? Read below the invitation from the Learning Basket.
"The Learning Basket presents its much-requested seminar "Preschool Homeschool: You Can Do It Too!" on April 20, from 9am to 11am, at Medela House.
Listen and discuss with other parents the what, why, and how of homeschooling preschoolers.
Register
Registration is P250 but will be waived if you buy a minimum of P500 worth of books or toys from The Learning Basket's booth during the event. Great quality books and toys add to the homeschool experience.
To register for the event, kindly fill up the form on this link. For questions, don't hesitate to email Mariel at mariel (at) thelearningbasket (dot) com."
Plus, Everyday Mommy blogger Raquel Chua will be giving away treats from her kitchen. That's at least one good reason to go.
- Mommy Smiley
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| Before Five in a Row books and manual. |
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| Seminar poster. |
