Take 2: Preschool homeschool Talk

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.

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. 

We also play, read, and talk a lot.

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

Before Five in a Row books and manual.

Seminar poster.

Pre-school homeschool

To homeschool or not to homeschool my toddler in her pre-school years was relatively an easier decision to make than choosing between sleeping and eating when you are both tired and hungry looking after your kids.

Since deciding to work from home, attending a childbirth class, choosing natural childbirth, becoming a stay-at-home mom, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and baby wearing, the next "attachment parenting" course to take seemed obvious already. The question is no longer whether I should homeschool, but how do I do it and where can I find the needed support.

Luckily, I need not look further.

The moms of children attending classes at Kindermusik with Teacher Suzette and friends have organized a talk on Pre-school Homeschool (You can do it too).

Coming out of the two-hour talk, I just realized that I am already on the right track and that most of my worries are pointless.

Reading, singing, dancing, playing, teaching Caitlin manners, giving her daily routines, and even letting her help out in household chores are already teaching her life skills and developing her character. On top of that, we are bonding.

And that is what pre-school homeschooling is all about: relationship, routine, readiness, and reading aloud. At least that was how the author of a literature-based curriculum defined the four Rs in pre-school as quoted by event organizer Mariel Uyquiengco of The Learning Basket and a Kindermusik teacher.

Before the seminar, when I think of pre-school, I think of playschool and children as young as two being taught their ABCs, 123s, colors, and shapes. But those are only icings on the cake, said teacher Mariel.

What I picked up from the talk is that pre-school homeschooling is a play-based learning that centers on the child's relationship with the parent who helps develop her life skills such as helping out in the house, taking care of herself, or becoming independent and building her character to ready her for the world. It would also take lots of creativity and imagination on the part of the parent in teaching her child the love of learning whether it be in reading to her out loud or playing with her at home.

As I did with breastfeeding, or any other thing that concerns my kids, I will once again take pre-school homeschool one day at a time, rejoicing at little milestones and taking a breather when everything doesn't seem quite right.

My children will only be young once and I do not want to rush them out into the world. I want them to cherish their childhood. And I not only want to witness that, but I also want an active role in it.

To those who are considering homeschooling their children between ages 2 and 5 and are interested to hear how other moms do it, there will be another seminar on Dec. 1, from 9-11 am, at Medela House in New Manila for its customers. Limited seats are available for non-members. For more information, call Medela at 725-3723 or 738-6272.

- Mommy Smiley

Teacher Mariel answers parents' questions on home schooling.