Teaching your young elementary kids can be overwhelming. There are so many scary thoughts going through your mind. This is the start. You are setting them on a trajectory that will determine the rest of their lives. How do you get a kid that won’t stay still for five minutes to sit down and learn reading, writing, math, science, and social studies?
YOU DON’T.
Relax, and have fun. When kids are young, they learn through play. Get some bright colored letters and shapes, and go over them with your child. Make it a game. Play in the garden, ask them to describe how the grass feels and looks. Talk to your children about how everything in nature interacts with each other. Introduce them to different music. Find out what they like and why. Don’t worry about tests. Don’t worry about grades. Don’t worry if they’re learning enough. Children are always learning. The world is your classroom.
Don’t worry about making mistakes and messing up your kids. Your child does not need to be reading books by himself by five, six, or even seven. Resist the temptation to compare your child or children to other kids. God has made each of us different, and we all learn at a different pace. Parents, you have what it takes to teach your children. No one else has your child’s best interest at heart as much as you do. If something doesn’t seem to be working, change it. This is the beauty of home education and your children at this age. You can adapt it to your specific child’s needs and interests. If they are into dinosaurs, use dinosaur toys to learn to count. Read them Dinosaur books. If they are into butterflies, read to them about butterflies, make a butterfly craft, visit a butterfly garden. The possibilities are endless, and no one knows your child like you.
Lastly, do not force them into an 8 hour school day. Did you know that children entering kindergarten should be able to concentrate for at least 15 minutes? Children will learn more when you sit with them, read with them and, most importantly, PLAY with them.
You can homeschool.
