Four and two are beautiful ages. Messy and tiring and unpredictable, but beautiful. It feels redundant to mention how exhausting these ages can be, because if you have been there, you know. But this is also a time of great discoveries, mental leaps, natural experiments, and eyes that are stuffed with awe and wonder. They marvel at the mundane and ordinary – things that we as adults take for granted. Each time we step into our own backyard, my girls are transformed into explorers on an expedition. They gather, collect, inspect, predict, and exclaim. This quote from John Holt sums it up wonderfully:
“Children are, by nature and from birth, very curious about the world around them, and very energetic, resourceful and competent in exploring it, finding out about it, and master it. In short, much more eager to learn, and much better at learning than most adults.”
He is exactly right.
So homeschooling with my girls is gentle, relaxed, and natural at this time. Those who may not fully grasp the idea of homeschooling or haven’t taken the time to look into it deeply may say the below doesn’t sound very much like school at all. I was there once. I was naive to what homeschooling looked like until I immersed myself in it. And that’s okay. You can unlearn what you have learned.
Now before I get into the details with Willow (4), I will just go ahead and say right off the bat that homeschooling is not an “official” thing with Fiona (2). She is here for the ride and partakes in whatever her heart desires. Most times, she wants to be involved and do the exact same thing. So I created a morning binder for her. I print out extra sheets. She does all the arts and crafts. But by no means is this required of her. On that note though, I truly do believe that life is homeschooling. Any and all parts of daily life has lessons and numbers and letters naturally woven in. So in a way, she is very much involved. She is learning how to function, how to do household chores, how to count, how to speak clearly… she is learning in her own ways every day… leaps and bounds. Right beside her sister she works on her own puzzles and builds and draws and engages in imaginary play. They act out scenarios together in their kitchen and outside. And she may or may not have already memorized the vowels based on songs we sing together. ;) Her mind is a sponge and she is picking up on all the little bits and pieces alongside her sister.
Now with Willow, we have eased into a pre-k homeschool year. I am a firm believer in “better late than early.” Her birthday falls in the latter half of the year, meaning she doesn’t need to officially start Kindergarten until she is 6. After pre-k, we will move into a transitional kindergarten year before starting her in kindergarten. We will not take this precious free time for granted. Childhood is a gift to be protected. Our days are not strict and we fill the days with play, creating, reading, singing, dancing, and simply being.
Here’s an example of a typical day at home with activities that we cycle through.
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Reading, reading, and more reading. We read picture books over breakfast. We peruse non-fiction books together. We look at I Spy books. We spot the difference. We read after lunch on the couch. I read from a chapter book while they craft or build. We always read stories before bed. W is also into verbal storytelling these days and often asks for me to make things up or recite her favorites. She has started reciting and telling me stories, too. Our life is filled to the brim with literature that will enrich and enhance their own vocabulary and love of reading. If you read, you can learn anything.
Arts and crafts. Drawing, painting, coloring, sculpting with clay or play-doh, kinetic sand… I invest in our art supplies the most. Keep a drawer or cupboard stocked with things like: crayons, markers, colored pencils, oil pastels, construction paper, cardstock, notebooks, drawing pads, toilet paper or paper towel rolls, cardboard, ribbon, washi tape, scotch tape, stamps, pipe cleaners, feathers, buttons, googly eyes, glitter pens, gel pens, loose glitter (I put on my brave face), chalk, dry erase markers, scissors, all kind of glue, sequins, popsicle sticks, clothes pins, pom poms, watercolors, paint, modeling clay, play-doh, kinetic sand, shaving cream, felt sheets, and whatever else you can get your hands on. If people need gift ideas for birthdays and holidays, art supplies are a good choice. In the past, I have shared a cheap and easy art kit that is easy to make with Dollar Tree products only.
Calendar. Every morning we review the calendar. My girls have both learned the months of the year and days of the week through song. We also talk about the weather during this time.
Beginner phonics/reading. We typically spend 15-20 minutes on phonics/reading 3x a week. I do not stress over this if it doesn’t happen. We are not rushing it, but following her lead. Most of the time, W will ask for “homeschool” and I will sit down with her during Fiona’s nap for this kind of work so she has my undivided attention and some quiet to think. We will play around with CVC words (love these loose letters) and practice sounding them out together. I love ABC See Hear Do because it incorporates sounds and movement, and if you have Kindle Unlimited, you can get it there. We read BOB books together and Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss. We are also using the Explode the Code A, B, and C books. She enjoys them. They are not overwhelming but just enough. I like how these also include a small amount of handwriting practice. Which leads me to…
Handwriting. We started with Handwriting Without Tears and I quickly pulled back on that because it was too much too soon. Instead, she works on handwriting on her own terms (which is pretty often!) She loves to free write her ABCs, write notes to me (asking me to spell every word so she can scribe), draw pictures and write letters to family members… she finds her own way everyday to write. I scatter Dollar Tree tracing books around the table and she will often make her way over to it. The letters she writes are large and in charge. They are sometimes backwards. They are wobbly. But that is okay because she is only 4 and this self-directed practice is equipping her for later.
Outdoor play. Being outdoors and playing outside is the backbone of our homeschool. I mean it. There is a science lesson right in your backyard. Being outside is not only fun and what comes natural to them, but it teaches a plethora of concepts: weather and temperature, seasons, insects, birds and wildlife, plants, lifecycles, which clothing to wear to protect themselves from elements, colors, counting. It’s a lesson in the importance of observation, movement, and patience. I could go on and on about this. Go outside and watch your children flourish.
Movement. We dance a whole lot, jumping jacks, tag, etc. But their favorite is Cosmic Kids Yoga. Willow whips out my yoga mat so fast and will do an entire lesson. It’s the sweetest.
Seasonal themes. You may have seen my past post on themes of the year. These have been a great jumping off point for our library book selections, conversations, crafts, etc. I highly recommend this. If this is all you do for preschool, that is perfectly enough.
Field trips. Field trips are not extravagant because everything is new and exciting to a 4 year old. Trips to the zoo, aquarium, park, museum, beach, library.. it all counts.
Cooking/baking. My kids are always helping me in the kitchen. Yes, it is messy. Yes, it takes three times as long. Yes, I say “no” to them sometimes if I am not in a good headspace for it (protect your mental health, mama). But when they do help, this is life school.
Number fun. Math exposure comes through naturally – sorting, counting all the things, measuring in the kitchen, playing with manipulatives and legos, and board games.
Board games. Educational games are one of the best ways to introduce or reinforce a concept. We have plenty (I find most of them at the thrift store). Here are some of our favorites.
Memory songs. YouTube is loaded with memory songs. Months of the year, days of the week, vowels, counting, solar system, continents, five oceans, skip counting. My girls love this continents song so much – Willow sings it constantly!
Educational shows. We are conscious of our screen time but when we do utilize it, we watch educational shows such as the Magic School Bus, Wild Kratts, Elinor Wonder Why, Super Why, Daniel Tiger… I love reinforcing a concept or topic with the Magic School Bus… and it is very nostalgic.
This is how homeschool looks during this season of life. It’s nothing fancy but it is nourishing, gentle, and peaceful. It is messy – but learning, creating, and experimenting is not meant to be easy and clean. Some days, we dive into all the things (usually Mondays – Wednesdays) and other days, we are more relaxed or spend time outdoors or with family and friends. It’s not perfect but it’s not about perfection. It’s living, learning, breathing, repeat.
