Preschool at Home: Must I Send My Child to Preschool?

In a word ... NO! Early childhood is a precious time both for the child and her parents. I believe no one can give the child better loving attention than his parents. Is preschool at home right for every parent? No, few things are right for everyone. However, I believe that it is best for most. Can most parents actually do it? I believe it comes down mostly to desire. A loving parent who enjoys being with their child and has the wish to teach them can.

All parents start out teaching their children at home.

The minute that beautiful child is born he begins to learn about his world. Hopefully, Mom and Dad begin to teach him that the world is a wonderful, loving, safe place to be. They continue this lesson and begin others as they bring the infant home from the hospital. The child learns every waking minute. They learn by the sights, sounds, and smells around them. They learn by what they touch and taste. The job of the parent is to make sure that these are positive lessons. The parent talks to her, teaching the child to speak and communicate with her world. Parents love playing with their babies, enticing them to sit, crawl and, later, walk. At some point, potty training is added to the lessons he is taught. Mom and Dad are TEACHERS!

When the child reaches 5, 4, 3 or even younger...

The parents must decide if they are ready to turn over the "teaching" of their child to another. Many parents struggle with this decision and wonder if they have another choice.

Questions to consider

1. Who loves this child more than anyone else in the world?

2. Who has the strongest desire to keep her safe?

3, Who more than any others wants to make sure he is well educated?

4. Who has the values/discipline that we wish this child to learn?

5. Who's ultimate responsibility is it for this child?

Hopefully, the answer to all these questions is US...We, the parents.

So we ask ourselves...

Can we keep our child at home? Am I able to teach him all he needs to learn? What do I teach?

YES! You can keep your child at home. While laws vary, schooling your child at home is legal in the United States. First check the laws and be in compliance. Some places require forms be filled out, certain requirements be met. However, most of this only applies to children of school age. So PREschool is still just a choice.

YES! You are able to teach her. You may need help or encouragement along the way but you CAN DO IT!

You teach the basics. If you have questions about what you child needs to learn, there are websites like:

World Book's Typical Course of Study which shows a listing of what is learned at each grade level. You can view it here:

http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?curriculum

Click on both preschool and kindergarten to see a nice list of topics to cover.

THEN teach what is fun and of interest to the child. Is he excited about trains? Does she love kittens, puppies or horses? Is he wanting to do some woodworking like Grandpa? Does she want to learn to bake? Whatever their interests take them on a journey of learning. You may learn a lot along the way too.

BUT what if I don't know anything about it?

1. Learn it together. It is not a problem to tell her you don't know much about insects, China, magnets, or whatever has caught her attention. Exploring and discovering together is a joy you won't want to miss.

2. There may be someone else that would be good to teach thing. Get her sewing with Aunt Susan or him learning carpentry with Grandpa. It is OK to enroll them in a special class like swim lessons or gymnastics if you feel unqualified in an area or two.

BUT YOU CAN TEACH!

Teach them about shapes, colors, numbers, the world and people around them. Teach them character, values and discipline.

- Use books. Visit the library often. READ, READ, READ and READ some more. Giving a child a love of books is a great gift.

- Use manipulatives. Let them play and touch things. From ordinary household objects like the can opener, a bag of beans, or Dad's screwdriver to a "pet" grasshopper, a mud puddle, an umbrella.

- Use games. The ones you make yourself are the best. You can get some ideas for home-made educational games at:

http://www.angelfire.com/wi2/GamesForLearning

Whether you plan to continue schooling your child at home longer or not, PRESCHOOL AT HOME IS A GOOD OPTION! The bonus is: It is a lot of fun!

Decision made!