• Blog
  • Contact
  • About
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

1+1+1=1 logo

Never planned to homeschool, now wouldn't trade it for the world

  • 1+1+1=1 logo
  • HOME
  • FREE PRINTABLES
    • MONTESSORI
    • READ FOR A REASON
    • THEME BASED
    • JUST COLOR!
    • CALENDAR CONNECTIONS
    • ALPHABET
    • NUMBERS
    • SCIENCE
  • CURRICULUM BY 1+1+1=1
    • COUNTRY BY COUNTRY
    • ANIMAL ABCS
    • TOT SCHOOL PRINTABLES
    • KINDERGARTEN @ HOME
    • KINDERGARTEN LITERATURE UNITS
    • YOU CAN READ SIGHT WORDS
    • YOU CAN READ WORD FAMILIES
    • RAISING ROCK STARS PRESCHOOL
    • RAISING ROCK STARS KINDERGARTEN
    • RAISING LIL’ ROCK STARS THROUGH THE BIBLE A-Z
  • Homeschool Curriculum Reviews

The Advanced Tot

The Advanced Tot

Let me begin this post by saying that I have {so far} 2 completely “typical” children.  I don’t believe either are academically gifted, although they are not challenged academically either.  I have good ol’ normal school boys, and I love them just the way they are!

So, what is an advanced tot?

Recently I have noticed a few and they sparked my desire to share some insight about this {along with a few emails I have received about this topic}.  As always, these are just my opinions and are in no way correct in the grand scheme of things, just my opinions…feel free to completely ignore me!

I have watched little Nathan grow up through Tot School since he was 15 months old.  Here is his very first Tot School post.  Nathan is now 2 1/2 and is blowing my mind with what he is able to do.  Nathan is what I would call, an advanced tot.  You’ll see why below!

I don’t believe there are guarantees that advanced tots will always be advanced academically, it is often too early to tell.  Many children will all catch up to about the same level academically by about 2nd or 3rd grade {when taught well}.

I am NOT a fan of comparing children, but I do think it is beneficial to notice differences if it can help us better adapt our own homeschools for our young children.  What was right for Krash, certainly would not be right for Nathan at this point.  I say this to help you feel OK with the fact that your tot will probably not be mastering skills at the same rate as any other tot, they are all different.  This is why I say STAGES are much more important than AGES with the younger ones.  Exposure is key, not mastery…but what do you do if your tot masters things earlier than the rest?

 

So, why do I believe Nathan is an advanced tot?  Check out these photos below, and I will also share what I believe is a bit more typical for the same age {based on my experience as a mother and as an early childhood educator}

  • Here Nathan drew specific items with chalk {age 29 months}, which his Mom labels for you here on her blog,

image

More typically I believe this stage occurs closer to age 3.  Not a huge difference, but if I just compare my boys to Nathan, Pac Man didn’t begin drawing with purpose until over 3, and Krash didn’t begin until closer to age 4!  Obviously there is a wide range of what would be considered normal, and they all fall in that range.

  • Nathan also writes letters {age 29 months also}…

image More typically, this is a late preschool, early Kindergarten skill.  Krash at age 4 is just now beginning to learn to write letters and still doesn’t write any on his own.

 

  • Here Nathan {age 29 months} drew and A for Apple inside of his apple on a coloring worksheet ;-).  You can read more here.

imageI’d be lucky to get Krash to even color the apple, let alone identify a beginning sound and write the letter on his own!!!!

 

  • Here Nathan {at age 27 months} is sorting by shape and sequencing by size, using the exact toy we own!

image Krash didn’t master this toy until closer to age 4, this is one that most children would probably master younger than Krash did, but probably not quite as early as Nathan did {unless you also have an advanced tot}.

Those are just a few examples, if you browse through all of his Tot School posts, you’ll see different examples also.  Now, it is common for girls to be a bit more advanced than boys {typically, not always}, so many of you with girls may be at or even beyond Nathan’s abilities!  Nathan is a very advanced tot in general, another example I know of is Alyssa from Tot Play.  Rocker Tot from The Linton Academy is a bit older now, but he has always been advanced for his age too.  I am sure there are many more out there.  Those are just a few I have noticed.

So what should you do with an advanced tot, if you have one?

  • Go with the flow!!!!
  • Keep doing exactly what you have been doing, following your child’s lead.
  • You don’t necessarily need to do anything differently regarding the format of Tot School, just keep things engaging, fun, and reasonably challenging.

If you need a refresher about what I believe regarding teaching tots, you can read a portion of an eBook I am writing here.  I don’t plan to release this book for a long time {lack of time to actually finish it is the problem}, but will release portions if I feel it would be helpful along the way.

I think it’s important to move along with the academic growth of your child, while also being sure to not push too hard.  It is a beautiful thing when a young tot enjoys learning {those of us with more resistant tots are really jealous, just so you know}, the worst thing we as parents can do is to squash their zeal for learning.  It is a delicate balance ~ challenging our young children, while not pushing them to the point of frustration.

PBS Kids Child Development Tracker-is a great site for information regarding child development.  I compared Nathan to many of their stats and found that he is indeed, advanced for his age ;-).  I think it is the best site that I have found-meaning it’s both concise, helpful, and easy to read/navigate.

A special thanks to Nathan’s mom Katie for allowing me to use her precious son as my example for this post! You can visit her blog, Wilson Ramblings, here.

Edited to Add ~ Here are two other posts that might be helpful {these were written after this post, about my daughter, Ladybug who ended up being a bit more of an advanced tot than my boys were}

Following the Lead of the Child Following the Lead of Your Preschooler at Home

 

 

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin
0 Shares

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged with: Personal Thoughts, Tot School

Newer Post
Raising Rock Stars ~ Gideon
Older Post
Tot School

Primary Sidebar

oneplusone300x150
ABC Crafts for Uppercase Letters-300x250

Recent Posts

Black History Flashcards

Peek & Find Heart Theme Game for Kids

Christmas Theme Kindergarten No-Prep Activity Pack

8th Grade Homeschool Curriculum Picks, Round 3

Thanksgiving Theme Kindergarten No-Prep Activity Pack

Ivy Kids Kit Review – Love From Giraffes Can’t Dance

Footer

1plus1plus1

Carisa Hinson
My Fern is so beautiful. Still my favorite cat eve My Fern is so beautiful. Still my favorite cat ever. And that’s saying a lot!

I’m not very active on this account anymore mostly because my older kids don’t like to be photographed. I am passionate about fostering kittens and my foster kitten account @crazy_foster_kitten_lady is where I spend most of my Instagram time now.

I’ll share here every now and then, but I’m on the kitten account daily!
Have you ever seen Ivy Kids Kits? There are SO man Have you ever seen Ivy Kids Kits? There are SO many monthly kits for kids on the market now, but this one remains my favorite! We have partnered with @ivykidskits for many years and although my kids are now too old for them, I still spread the word!

This video shows a peek inside of a recent kit they sent us, Kermit the Hermit. You can buy individual kits or buy a monthly subscription!

#homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolingmama #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolfun #homeschoolkids #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed #homeschoollifestyle #thisishomeschool
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolideas #homeschoolinspiration #homeschooladventures
It was an awesome day of gymnastics! We are in Tex It was an awesome day of gymnastics! We are in Texas for a big meet. We have been here many times but this is the first time he won! 1st All Around, and 1st on floor, pommel, and high bar! He was a part of the NC Elite Team, they won 1st place team also. He hit all time high scores for all around and floor! We head to state championships in a few weeks for his next meet!

#krashthegymnast #region8mensgymnastics #ncmensgymnastics
Homeschool writing class with Fern. Always a fabul Homeschool writing class with Fern. Always a fabulous teacher. Not distracting at all. 

#homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolingmama #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolfun #homeschoolkids #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed #homeschoollifestyle #thisishomeschool
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolideas #homeschoolinspiration #homeschooladventures #iew
Yes, we still walk our cat in a stroller. Mabel ev Yes, we still walk our cat in a stroller. Mabel even posed for the picture. Our other cats go in the stroller sometimes too, Mabel is the frequent stroller-er.

#calicocats #fluffycalico #catsinstrollers
Swipe to see the books I read this year! Lots of m Swipe to see the books I read this year! Lots of middle grade books last summer (many reviews are on my blog, I linked them in the “2022 Books” highlight above). Did you read any of these? See my ratings on my goodreads profile! I will link in my stories, I am Carisa Hinson on goodreads.

#middlegradebooks #middleschoolbooks #mglit #middlegradebooksuggestions #readinginthemiddlegrades #2022goodreadschallenge #2022yearinbooks
It was a Christmas filled with many emotions. Joy, It was a Christmas filled with many emotions. Joy, happiness, excitement, surprise, sadness, longing, and a bit of emptiness. 

We celebrated with my parents on the 24th, and that was a very joyous celebration. We enjoyed church, gifts, food, and mostly one another. 

On the 25th we celebrated with my husband’s family and sadly we are missing our beloved Nana who went to be with Jesus a few weeks ago. We all did our best to honor her love for fun last night. We played games, we laughed, we ate well, but it was all mixed with a longing sadness, wishing we had her with us. 

The next to last photo is it Kyler and my father in law, who lost his very best friend. We just love him so much and pray for his continued healing as he grieves this horrible loss and emptiness. 

The final photo is of Nana’s grandkids each holding their collage of photos of them and their Nana. This gift brought some tears, but we can tell will be treasured by each of them. She was one of a kind, and so special to all six of them.
Paxton won the gift award this year. Swipe to see Paxton won the gift award this year. Swipe to see what he bought his little sis! She was SO surprised! He loves giving gifts and having a job the enables him to do surprises like this is a gift to him. Sweet moments. ❤️
Not posed. Our foster kitten Jolly posed herself i Not posed. Our foster kitten Jolly posed herself in the perfect spot! See more of her and her sister Holly here: @crazy_foster_kitten_lady Merry Christmas Eve! 

#hollyandjolly2022fosterkittens #orphankittens
#kittenseason2022 #fosterkittens #fosterkittens4thehinsons #fosterkittensofinstagram #fosterkittenlove #kittenfostering #kittenfostermom #kittenfoster #fosterkittenlove #kittenseason #tinybutmighty #fostercatsandkittens
Tree decorating night! Goodness I love my kids. Tree decorating night! Goodness I love my kids.
I know many of you don’t know many of the people I know many of you don’t know many of the people in this photo, but I know many of you pray. The beautiful woman on the far left of the couch is my bonus-momma, my husband’s mom. She has stopped all treatment for her cancer and is going home to be with Jesus soon. We prayed for her to feel well enough to be with us at Thanksgiving, and though she felt pretty crappy, she was there. 

If you know her, you know what I mean when I say this is one of the kindest, most joyful, selfless people I have ever known. The world won’t be the same without her. We are devastated and hurting. We pray for her peace, her comfort, her pain, and for God to relieve her of the suffering. 

Last night was a huge mixture of pure joy and devastating sadness. We celebrated and hugged, and laughed, and we cried. It’s just so hard. Thanks for praying for our family. ❤️
We decided to decorate with a polar bear this year We decided to decorate with a polar bear this year. ❤️ 

#🐶baxter❤️ #pitmix #pitmixes #sleepydogs #marshmellie🐶 #greatpyrenees  #greatpyreneesofinstagram  #greatpyr  #greatpyreneeslovers #greatpyreneesfamily #doggo #rescuedog #adoptdontshop #doglife #pyreneesofinstagram #dogsofinsta #doglover #instadog #gentlegiant
Webby and the lizard. Swipe for the video version Webby and the lizard. Swipe for  the video version. 🐱 🦎
I love my Christmas birds. We love having the deco I love my Christmas birds. We love having the decorations complete before Thanksgiving so we can relax and enjoy our home with our favorite decor of the year! I got started today, not close to done, but enjoying my adorable birds. A lot. Do you decorate early?
Mabel has turned out to be the most entertaining c Mabel has turned out to be the most entertaining cat we have ever had. She is sweet and sassy, mischievous and marvelous. Equal parts of each. She annoys all of our other animals just like a little sister should and keeps the humans on our toes too. She LOVES Lili, and is still BFF with Pebbles (Lili’s cat). So glad we decided to add this rambunctious ball of fluff to our crew!
Fun night celebrating my momma’s birthday and tr Fun night celebrating my momma’s birthday and trick or treating in her neighborhood with Lili and her friends! The gum ball machine costume made it back for another year!
My amazing bonus-momma, my husband’s momma, is f My amazing bonus-momma, my husband’s momma, is feeling good today so we met for lunch. She hasn’t had many good days lately so we take the moments when they come!

She has cancer and chemo is making her sick, it’s been a long hard road as any of you who have dealt with there horrible C word know. We don’t know what the future holds, so we cling to today! I loved sitting by her and laughing together. I am so blessed to have her as my mother in law! ❤️

Sadly since it was last minute, my boys couldn’t make it to lunch.
Every year they drive up to the mountains for the Every year they drive up to the mountains for the day and just spend time together. It’s their thing and I love it. Today they hiked, that’s Lili laying on the rock! She’s not much of a hiker but she loves the mountains, the leaves and her Daddy!
Goodness they are cute. Love them so much! 🧡🧡🧡
Totally thought I would hate it. It’s not that b Totally thought I would hate it. It’s not that bad. Reading it for chemistry this year, and I have to admit I am learning a LOT, and it is interesting! 

We are using @guesthollow Chemistry in the Kitchen, this is one of the many books we are reading and will read.

#homeschoolchemistry #napoleonsbuttons #guesthollowchemistry #homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed #homeschoollifestyle #thisishomeschool
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolideas #homeschoolinspiration #homeschooladventures #homeschoolhighschool
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Terms of Use & Copyright Info

The content (including photos) within this blog are not to be used without my permission. You ARE allowed to pin photos on Pinterest with a link back to the post. I appreciate pins!

I am honored when others post about my blog with links back to it, please leave a comment and link back to where you did this, I'd love to see your blog or website!

If you have questions about copyright in terms of my printables, please see a more detailed Terms of Use here!

Disclaimer & Privacy Policy

Some posts on this blog contain affiliate links.

1+1+1=1 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Occasionally I receive products in exchange for a review or giveaway post. These posts are always labeled as reviews and/or giveaways. I never feature a product we don't use and enjoy ourselves.

Any advertisers I feature as sponsors are also only companies I stand behind.

All opinions expressed on 1+1+1=1 are solely mine.

Please see our Privacy Policy here!

Copyright © 2023 · Darling theme by Restored 316

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT