any homeschooling moms out there?

[scrappnmom]

Hi everyone! I'm just wondering if there are any homeschooling mom's out there that can give my any suggestions. I am preparing to start "unschooling" my 3-1/2 yr old. He is TOTALLY against doing his alphabet/numbers/colors/etc. i'm trying to make it fun where he doesn't realize he's learning but he says, "i don't feel very good about playing this game" or "i don't feel like doing this craft", etc.
Thank you from a desperate mom!!

 

[frustrated]

Welcome! Your little one is a bit young to be forced into learning right now, IMO. Esp. unschooled. There are no stats that I know of that state learning to read early benefits you past the 5th grade. I wouldn't stress.

There are plenty of homeschoolers here, this will bump for more opinions.

 

[Ellen aka Snow White]

Oh there are soooo many ways for your little one to learn - without him even knowing it! Get a set of letter cookie cutters and make meal time fun - you can cut letters for toast, sandwiches, cheese, bologna, pancakes, etc. I always start with the letters in the child's name. Then he can make a relationship to how letters are used.

Have a sidewalk? use chalk outside. I draw shapes on the ground and we jump on the "square", then the circle, heart, etc. - use different colors of chalk and you are doing shapes and colors -

Blocks are great for shapes, colors, directions, one step instructions. "Let's put the blue block on top of the red one".

One of the best ways for him to learn is simply to hear the information over and over. "Look at that red car" "bring me the blue towel" "do you see those 5 birds" then count them. Count steps when you are going up/down them.

Don't let on that he is learning. You will be surprised how much he retains.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

I'll be in the minority here... but I feel that by 3 1/2 a child can learn to sit down and complete a task from start to finish. Whether it be a game, a puzzle, etc.

The biggest problem, IMO, with kindergarteners is that they can't sit still and listen. If you can teach your child to do that, the rest of the learning can take care of itself.

I have two teens that live in my house who prove that early learning carries way past 5th grade.

 

[Jodi3530]

I have a 3 1/2 year old and a 5 1/2 year old. I home school and my son at 3 1/2 did not want to sit for formal training either and I did not make him. Do the fun things suggested color outside on the sidewalks, Color coloring pages with him this will help him with fine motor skills that he will need when older. My son hated coloring but I would sit at the table and color while he watched and sooner or later he did it on his own. I don't think you need to make him sit there just yet that will come with time and there are so many fun things to do with that age that are educational. My son has grown into not only sitting for hours but asking if it is time for school and being really excited about it. Do fun stuff now that is educational as they are only little once. Advice I got about getting a unwilling kid of that age to join in playing the game is to just start playing don't ask just play and they will want to join in after seeing all the fun you are having it worked for my strong willed child.

My sons favorite game at 3 was to give him a clothes basket and have a color hunt. I would say a color and we would run to see who could get five things the fastest. Hint Teaching counting and subtracting and adding when he got back with 7 I would ask which 2 he wanted to put back so he had five too!!! I played along with my basket and if he needed more we added. Also I start with just color no numbers and had an example the first few times he caught on fast and soon was able to count to 5 so then I would have him go get 3 more and then he would count to see how many he had all together. Progressively getting harder. He loved this and still does we also did this with shapes. He does this with his sister now!!

I found the simpler the game to come up with the more they want to play. You won't believe all they soak up with just playing and talking about the shapes and numbers and letters and such. Then when my son finally did want to sit and learn more he was so excited about all he already knew!!!

Good luck and I think it is great that you are teaching him!!!

 

[scrappnmom]

Thank ya'll so much for all the advice! I was so surprised today my son and i were running errands and he said "mommy, let's count trucks"! I just couldn't believe what I was hearing! I will for sure try each of the suggetions. Thank ya'll soooo much!!