As I continue to follow the lead of the child, I am back to the drawing board with Ladybug {age 4}. What worked for her last year, is no longer working and, it is time to change. I still like the current routine, curriculum, and plan I have, however, she isn’t thriving as she once was so I am back to the drawing board. I enjoyed rereading Developmentally Appropriate Practice for Homeschoolers {a guest post from Becky on my blog} to get my wheels spinning once again.
I have decided to not use any formal curriculum for Preschool or Kindergarten, and instead enroll her in Calvert 1st grade when I feel she is ready. This gives me a lot of freedom, and since she is a younger 4 {turned 4 in April 2013}. I have plenty of time, we are in no hurry! I really want to enjoy these last early childhood years, it is truly my favorite time in a child’s educational life. We aren’t planning to have anymore children, so this is my last couple of years to fully engage and enjoy this time period with my youngest!
Wait ~ does that mean I might stop using my own preschool program? Yup. Just because I made it, doesn’t mean it is right for her. All kids are different and she isn’t thriving quite as well as Krash did. It may be because I am a bit burnt out with it, since I use it for my 4-5 year old Children’s Church class too. Maybe I have lost my enthusiasm at home, I’m not sure if it’s her or me. I used RRSP in my church class all last year and am in the second round now. Plus, she just joined my class as a 4 year old, so she is getting the lessons there! So, although it is hard for me, we might be putting away most aspects of RRSP. I do plan to still use certain aspects of it, but the overall program might be taking a backseat.
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In preparation to change things up, I made a list of things about her that stand out to me…
- loves books, reading alone and being read to
- loves anything with paint {Q tip painting, finger painting, anything.}
- loves music, instruments, dancing, and being silly
- loves playing independently for long periods, once she gets going
- loves creative play {role play, dress up, etc.}
- loves bugs, dirt, worms, & being dirty {see example above}
- loves the letter of the week idea, and the abc basket collections
- loves playing with tiny toys, the phonics box items are a big hit
- does not like letter mazes, color by number, or “school” coloring anymore
- like cutting, and is getting more into bigger cutting projects
- loves anything with glue
- loves puzzles
- loves themes and most of the theme pack activities
- does not have good social/emotional skills
- loves ABC Find It, and Animal ABC letter crafts
- enjoys her All About Reading Pre lessons
- does not enjoy her workbox set up anymore
- loves displaying and admiring her completed work
- does not beg to do school anymore, will do it, but doesn’t beg like she used to
- loves playing for long periods, alone or with me
- loves crafts {mommy directed is a big hit}
- gets very frustrated with transitions
- loves feeling significant and included, longs to have responsibilities
- loves surprises and doing little things with me {games, projects, art}
- loves sensory bins, sensory play, play dough, shaving cream play, ANY messy play
- loves learning apps, especially if I cuddle up and learn with her
- is resistant to learning to read, even though she has the basic reading readiness skills. the desire isn’t there so she isn’t ready yet
- loves Montessori style activities
- loves magnets and her cookie sheet
- loves “calendar” time and the silly songs and games we play
- isn’t as interested in “doing what her big brothers are doing” as she used to be
I am currently praying about our plan, I have a few ideas in mind, but am going to think, pray and plan slowly over the next few weeks. Sadly, I already got what I thought we were going to do all printed and ready. It is very hard for my Type A self to let go of the original plan, but I simply must, I want my child to thrive and love learning. I must practice what I preach, and follow her lead.
You can see a similar post to this one, that I wrote when she was 32 months old. I revaluate often to meet her current needs. As you make your own plan, or revaluate your current plan, I recommend making a list similar to the one above, and one for yourself too! It is about finding the balance between the child, the parent-teacher and the entire family’s needs during this season of life. If it isn’t working, some simple changes might make everyone happier. Just because it looks really great on someone else’s blog, doesn’t mean it will work in your home!
Ideas in my brain spin…
- Read even more than we already do
- Art daily, or some type of messy play {we usually do, but I need to up this for her}
- Be more intentional with music play, and use our Laurie Berkner DVD more
- Montessori at Home! ideas {we use them, but I think using them more would be good for her}
- Spielgaben Educational Toys {reviewing soon, this looks like a GREAT fit for her interests}
- Keep letter of the week, she loves this, keep All About Reading Pre also
- Definitely learning app time with and without me, and online books. Use We Give Books more.
- Lots of sensory play, themed or not
- Focused social and emotional skills time {she really needs work here}
- Reorganize our learning materials and make Quiet Boxes {for her own independent school time}
I am still brainstorming and praying, stay tuned to see our plan!
