# What age to start schooling at home?



## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

I am raising my grandson and his mother would like him homeschooled. Having seen the degeneration of public schooling, I tend to agree with her. At what age should we really start shopping for curricula, etc? He is 14 months old and we are just working on language skills, and starting to explore the outdoors a bit more. I want to provide him with a structured atmosphere that encourages learning. Any suggestions? If I get started now, it should be a habit by the time he is school aged.


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## ozarkcat (Sep 8, 2004)

We're just starting to work on some things with DD, 3. We're starting to do a workbook page or two together & working on concepts, and trying to get to know some of the other homeschooling families in the area & go on age-appropriate "field trips" - the local nature center, an art experience workshop, etc. We figure we might figure out what works & what doesn't for her by the time we're legally supposed to start keeping track of things.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Don't get "structured" too early. Early childhood learning should be spontaneous and fun. 

And really, think about the environment that _you_ like that fosters learning. 
Is it structured? Or is it spontaneous and catches your curiosity?


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## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

Good Point. I want him to really enjoy learning and get something out of it. Right now, I'd be thrilled to pieces if he just learned to say a few words instead of AAHHHT all the time. It's very hard to understand what he is after. I am wondering if he might have hearing damage due to a long ear infection. He has an appt soon to find out. In the meantime, we are trying to teach him some baby sign to facilitate communication.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

And definately give him some signs. It might be that he _wants _to put labels on things but he doesn't have the fine motor control to run his tongue/mouth/teeth just right, yet. (Boys are known to be slower than girls in fine motor)

My son didn't speak very well until he was over three. But he signed. The desire to communicate was there, but the motor control wasn't.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Ninn: Technically you're homeschooling already at 14 months. Probably the most difficult subjects too, like using the toilet, feeding yourself, and not unlocking the back door and running around in the backyard while the adults are taking a nap.  The time to start looking at curriculum is probably next year. In my experience (11+ years of homeschooling multiple children), you never really stop shopping for curriculum once you start, and what worked great for one kid doesn't always work so good for the next one. We've also thrown out curriculum in the middle of the school year after we found it wasn't meeting our needs. 


Erin: A hearing check is good, but don't worry about slow talkers. I've got one kid who is almost two and still prefers to grunt out his demands. My oldest seemed like he was talking before we'd wiped him off at birth, but the others came in at various stages between 1 and 2. A lot of kids go from a series of sounds to sentences seemingly overnight.


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## roncarla (Oct 17, 2002)

I think it definitely depends on the child. My oldest started A Beka's nursery curriculum at age 3 and he loved it. My youngest would not have liked it.

I just read, read, read to them when they're little. When they start asking more questions, that's when I start teaching, although not in an overly structured way.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I think it is very hard to keep a 14 mo old from learning! 

Don't push it. Let him be a baby and then a child and especially a little boy! he will let you know when he wants to learn more.


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## Beaners (Feb 23, 2005)

I am glad to hear that you are looking into the hearing. My sister had bad ear infections and needed tubes put in her ears when she was 4. She had a lot of trouble hearing as a young child, and she never really caught up. Her vocabulary, her grammar, and her comprehension all suffered. Nothing was done sooner because she would react to sound, even though she couldn't understand anything.

Kayleigh


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## christij (Mar 5, 2006)

Nursery Rhymes are a great beginning literacy tool and they are fun too!


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## LynninTX (Jun 23, 2004)

*Most* of mine are slow talkers then they start and don't stop!

read aloud
count things
say the alphabet with him
Leap Frog dvds are great! "the A says ah, the A says ah, every letter makes a sound the A says ah"
sing
explore
show him colors & name them, same with body parts
give him crayons & paper
sidewalk chalk
foam letters & numbers we have big & small ones
plastic letters & numbers

make it fun then let him lead a bit... and relax parents (grandparents) are often more *intense* with the first one


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## Ninn (Oct 28, 2006)

Lynn, he's number 5 out of 7!!! With another due any day now.


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## BlueberryChick (May 12, 2008)

What a wonderful grandmother you are! This little man is blessed to have you. I don't think I can add much to the suggestions you've already gotten; the ideas are right on target--reading to him, blocks, play-dough, singing. 

I can add (though with 7 grandchildren you probably already know this) expect a very short attention span. I used to co-teach a preschool music and movement class. We changed activities every five minutes; the idea was their attention span was as many minutes as their age (5 years old= 5 minute attention span). If you can keep him focused for more than 2 minutes, you are doing well. 

As to the talking, my oldest could speak in complete sentences at 18 months. The younger two children, however, said hardly a word before age two. If it helps, I tell my now 2 1/2 year old to look at me when she's learning a new word. It may backfire on me,though. Now when she wants to tell me something, she points to her mouth and says, "Wook at me." We'll have to keep working on those L's.


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## LynninTX (Jun 23, 2004)

> Lynn, he's number 5 out of 7!!! With another due any day now.


LOL sorry!!! I should not have assumed. Blame it on sleep deprivation... my #10 is sleeping on my chest right now.

but I still an a proponent of relaxing a bit... they constantly amaze me what they learn on their own if given lots of resources.


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