Common sense for homeschool families

Whether we like it or not the way children are now having to learn is a challenge for them, a strain on caregivers, and a worry for all on the quality of education going forward.

Yes, all of the above is true, but let me assure you that preparing a child for adulthood has always involved more than attending school. Actually, many professionals believe that "real world" experiences can offer as much, or more, value to brain development and learning.

School is an isolated environment where students are grouped almost exclusively into peer groups based on age. In my work I interact with people from age 9 to 90. Each generational group has a unique set of knowledge, values, and curiosity about the world around them. To schoolchildren school IS the world. Your goal is to broaden their horizons and extend their life experiences.

How to begin? I'm going to use standard "school" groupings to discuss alternative learning ideas and cover each in turn.

The first is what would be termed "preschool." When should learning (or cognitive development) begin? Playing music to a child in utero? Why not? What harm could it do? What else could be important for infants? Small motor coordination for one. Blocks, puzzles, pots and pans, virtually anything that they can play with and not swallow.

Music and dance. Develop the ability to distinguish sounds and learn coordinated body movement. The varieties are endless and the movement helps burn off some of that boundless energy.

Above all, reading. Just like a mother's heartbeat has a soothing influence so does the sound of the caregiver's voice. Being read to out loud is a very relaxing experience for the reader and the listener. It's a time to cuddle up and enjoy a shared experience. The variety of books is amazing. From soft cover and board books for infants towards the whole range of children's literature. In these books children can learn of hope, joy, loss, grief, disappointment, love, devotion, and a plethora of other emotions and experiences. Getting your child interested in books and reading will pay many dividends, the most significant to me is that it provides a healthy alternative to their overexposure to "screen time." This is going to be a challenge forever so it's better to prepare early. Something that takes up time and requires some effort to master provides an opportunity for a child to learn how to "self entertain."

Learning to play an instrument could be an option, learning the alphabet at an early age another. If you have a bilingual caregiver have him/her speak to the child in the alternative language. Others will, of course, use English. I have several friends who have done this and had bilingual children by age 8. Most popular were Spanish and French.

By the time a child is 4 or 5, "kindergarten age" they should be able to read simple stories, know numbers with the ability to add and subtract simple sums. They can learn fractions by a "half an apple" or being taught our monetary system. They can know the sounds of different instruments, understand the geography of the U.S. and the world, and know something of the natural world. Need a break and desperately need alone time? We used the "Life on Earth" series and it was a delight for all...sure, "Little Mermaid" is going to get some play. Go for it...

These are critical years where being "active" can be made far superior to "passive" behavior. Visit friends, parks, museums, food festivals, concerts, children's plays, story hours, and any other safe activities. Weekends give you a perfect opportunity. Probably a good idea to teach them how to run, throw, kick a ball. Somersaults, handstands, leapfrog are helpful in physical development.

Our children were also assigned age appropriate chores. It was the way that they could feel to be a contributing member of the family. I taught them how to use tools and let them have supervised play in the shop. All of them developed a mechanical ability as a result of this exposure. I wasn't thrilled when they reduced the lawnmower to a big pile of parts but getting it back together was a learning experience for all of us.

We also experimented with standard school workbooks. If there was interest we let them get as far as possible into texts designed for 1st and 2nd grade children. They liked the challenge and we worked hard to handle the inevitable frustrations.

Just remember, your children are sponges. Their ability to observe, process, and retain are as clear as they will ever be...take advantage of it. You'll face some bigger challenges as the years go on. Enjoy!