Back to School

As a mother of a now 14 month old, homeschooling seems like a distant and silly concept. But this is not completely true. Every possible opportunity to interact with your child is a teaching moment. However, I would like to begin exposing my daughter to certain educational themes.

We want to read books often, sing  and listen to music from around the world, look at colors and shapes with recognition, see numbers and letters as separate entities with meanings of their own, and learn to hide God's Word in our hearts while learning to please Him through complete and immediate obedience. Thus we are going to start looking at some of the materials listed in the 1 year old curriculum. I am hoping to make a flannel graph poster board, but if those attempts don't work we will simply have felt or magnet pieces to illustrate our themes.

I don't want to sit down and have "school" with my toddler. No! I want to expose her to things I want her to aspire to. I want to make learning fun and part of our everyday, even when it comes to letter memorization, etc. I'm not exactly sure where I stand on items like Baby Einstein and My Baby Can Read. Why do I need my baby to read and recognize Mozart and Van Gogh? I simply want to expose her to various elements of these "topics/subjects" so that she sees how they are beautiful and can be used to glorify God. How they can be fun and enjoyed also to the glory of God.

Remember, at one they are learning from everything. Have fun but don't neglect the little things. This is the theme of unschooling at its heart. I may not embrace unschooling later in my daughter's education, but I am whole heartedly seeking it in these early years!

Some ideas for those choosing not to use "Curriculum."

1. Let's find mommy's purple car.
2. How many steps to Aunties house?
3. Can I have the letter H magnet? Yeah, it's pink. My favorite color!
4. I need to buy 5 bananas.
5. Let's put on your left shoe!
6. Let's make a circle cookie!
7. O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E Let's sing about obeying God!
8. Where is baby Moses in the picture?
9. What color is Bob the Tomato?
10. Let's sing about God's Word. B-I-B-L-E

I hope some of these ideas help. If you ask, say similar statements to all 10 of these throughout the week your child will be exposed to colors, counting, letters, shapes, singing/music, spelling, Biblical principles, directionality, and LOVE!

Have a blessed learning experience!