Baby Homeschool

"We shouldn't underestimate the ability of our preschoolers to learn."

"A child's brain from birth to 5 is like a sponge."

"The years prior to preschool are the most important years of a child's life in terms of brain development."

"Words are like brain food for babies and it's never too early to start reading to them."

"By the age of 2, 70 percent of a baby's brain has formed and, by the age of 3, it's 80 percent.  There is clearly no time to waste."

-All quotes from ChildUp Learning Tools

Some of you know that David and I are planning to homeschool our children until they go to college (or into career, military, etc. - whatever the Lord leads them to do).  This is not a decision we came to lightly, but one that was clearly revealed to us to be God's will for our family, and a decision that we came to through copious prayer.  At some point I will do a post on our thoughts behind homeschooling for our family. 

But in the meantime, I wanted to post about our first real homeschooling adventure.  Yes, we've started homeschooling Joseph already, because studies show that it's never too early for children to start learning.  I didn't want something too crazy formal or involved for a child that isn't even a year old.  So I searched and searched until I found a suitable curriculum for our little guy.  Right now, we spend probably 45 minutes per day on "formal" homeschooling, but countless hours teaching him in other ways throughout the day.

I am actually following the calendar of a local preschool.  I observe their start and stop dates, as well as their holidays, summer vacation, etc.  Many, many homeschooling parents of children this age simply make up their own schedule, but I like to have a little more structure for my own sanity and to keep my disciplined about homeschooling.  Our baby school year runs M-F, from late August to May, and we observe most major holidays (for example, Joseph was "off" for Labor Day).

The curriculum I chose is from Brightly Beaming Resources (www.letteroftheweek.com/).  Since Joseph is 10 months old, I started with the 10 month course in the Brightly Beaming Baby Curriculum.  When he turns a year in October we will move to the Brightly Beaming Toddler Curriculum, which we will continue until May.  Next year, I will start a new curriculum entirely which I have not yet picked out.

I've added a few things to the curriculum as well.  For one, I want the short, formal part of our school day to start out the same way each time.  So we open by saying the Lord's prayer (okay, so right now I READ it to Joseph, lol), and then we read Joseph's life verse.  Then we say the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the first verse of the National Anthem.  We have a few other little routines too.  I hope we can always continue these ways to open the school day throughout his life.  Also, I have added the practicing of certain skills to his curriculum (i.e. drinking from a sippy cup; standing alone, etc).  I have a book that breaks down skills that 90% of babies his age would be able to do, the 75% skills, then 50% skills, and finally 25% skills.  We practice 90% skills on Monday, 75% skills on Tuesday, 50% skills on Wednesday, and 25% skills on Thursday.  On Fridays, he gets a day off from the "skill practice" portion of his curriculum.

So far, the biggest thing I've noticed about Joseph is that he LOVES being read to.  Right now, we are reading the book "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" every day, and he listens to wide-eyed and intently.

I love that I've begun my life as a homeschooling mommy, and David loves to help me teach, too, when he is around for it.  Of course, at this age, MOST of this learning goes on through the rest of the day, throughout life (unschooling as some may say).  But whether formal learning time or not, I love seeing this boy discover the world around him!