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With Covid-19 making the school year uncertain, SDE is an option.

With Covid-19 making the school year uncertain, SDE is an option. | CONSIDERING HOMESCHOOLING, UNSCHOOLING, OR SOME OTHER SELF-DIRECTED/NON-TRADITIONAL EDUCATION THIS YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME? GOT ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT? | made w/ Imgflip meme maker
665 views 14 upvotes Made by NonDescript 4 years ago in The_Think_Tank
4 Comments
3 ups, 4y,
2 replies
Our daughter is entering 3k-preschool age group, we had her in school last year and are really considering skipping reenrollment. Any tips on good at-home school activity resources for that age group? We started her early, and she'll be fine without formal materials but we're also trying to start introducing some school structure into her daily routine.
2 ups, 4y,
1 reply
For one thing definitely get her started in activities like puzzles and activity books. This is great for quiet times (girls can usually adapt to this pretty easily). Structure your day, but don't forget to play. Media is a great tool, use it in moderation. Have her love learning. That's the key element here. You're not forcing her to level up, you're teaching her that learning is a part of life.

Mathematics: counting with tactile objects like large buttons. Very basic addition to start. Schoolhouse rock is fun for math as well. She doesn't need to multiply off the bat, she just needs to listen, dance and play.

Language arts: learning the alphabets, small words, and sentences. Basic picture books are great here. Something my mother did with me at a young age: she recorded herself reading books on tape, and played it back while I slept.

Social studies / science: museums and science centers. Zoo and aquarium trips. Remember: learning is best experienced through fun. (Schoolhouse Rock works here too!) Do basic science experiments at home (ice melting/freezing, mixing water with food coloring).

Music and the Arts: NEVER NEGLECT THESE. They are impertinent to anybody's learning and education, as they connect left and right brains. Increases activity and fun. Sing songs. Color and paint (great for increasing motor skills). Make collages and scrapbooks. This is good for tactile memory keeping. Toy instruments are good, even if your little girl doesn't necessarily show prowess in an instrument. Play dress up. Play with dolls or other toys. Play pretend. These are an equivalent of theater.

Etiquette and Home economics: Basic manners. If you're Christian, basic Bible stories -- actually these are good for any kind of moral types of stories. As for home economics, have her shadow a chore -- make her think she's helping! Also have her start understanding the concepts of money - give her a few dollars and have her "shop" for things. She'll learn basic adding and subtracting, teach her taxes - multiply total by 1.0(whatever your state tax percentage is). She can do this on a calculator. This is definitely more of rote learning, as she'll need to learn this for the rest of her life. Example: I learned a little bit about tithing and percentages this way. I didn't know decimal points, but I learned money values and moving a period one space to the left. Btw, if you don't tithe, consider it giving to someone in need. It's a good practice for community outreach.
2 ups, 4y
Technology: Definitely learn how to type, it's really useful. Just find some kiddie games online. If you wish to introduce programming, I highly recommend Turtle. You can find it somewhere online, and it's free. Moderate technology time, as we all know it can be addictive as all get-out. Also, if you get (or have) a retro computer, have some fun games to play, as well as educational games. Goodwill and other thrift stores have tons of these for very cheap, plus you can get them in age brackets older than your daughter -- she won't be 3 forever, and she can learn a little ahead of her grade if she wants.

Okay, that was a lot, and it can be overwhelming, but these are just suggestions. It's best to do a little bit of everything at this age. Your daughter may display an incredible skill in one or more areas, and she may struggle in others. That's perfectly normal. Display patience, and guidance, and don't discount the value of breaks.

Good luck! I wish you all the best!
2 ups, 4y
Forgot physical education: lots of playtime. Kiddie versions of baseball, football, soccer, etc. are nice. Prep indoor activities, too, like basic board games or card games, those ages good for less-than-ideal weather days. If you live near a park, use that to your advantage.
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CONSIDERING HOMESCHOOLING, UNSCHOOLING, OR SOME OTHER SELF-DIRECTED/NON-TRADITIONAL EDUCATION THIS YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME? GOT ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT?