The “4 R’s” for Early Learners (Preschoolers)

We’ve all heard of the “Three R’s”:  Reading, writing, and arithmetic. Most people believe that these are the basic building blocks of education for all children—even preschoolers.

But have you heard of the “Four R’s”?  The four R’s are not only for preschoolers; they are for children of all ages. They are the real building blocks of education–especially for preschoolers. The four R’s include:  Relationship, routine, readiness, and reading aloud.

Relationship is the first and most important part of any child’s education. Our first responsibility as parents is building a relationship of love and trust with our little ones. Once our children learn to love and trust us–ideally during infancy–we can begin to teach them how to have loving relationships with others. The most important relationship we can help our children develop is their relationship with God. (For more, see my tab on Relationship.)

Routine is the second building block.  Preschoolers need a regular daily routine that they can rely on. They need to have regular times for meals, snacks, naps, and learning activities. Even older children rely on that sense of “what comes next”; it keeps them on an even keel emotionally. I’m not talking about a down-to-the-minute, oppressive routine; just a simple plan for the day that gives children security and regularity. (For example routines for children ages 2-3 and ages 4-5, see my tab on routine.)

Readiness: Children of all ages need to develop readiness before they tackle any new task.  “Readiness” simply means that the child is physically, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually ready for the experience.  Readiness has everything to do with maturity…and since children mature in their own, God-given time-table, parents must learn to be patient and wait until their child is ready…no matter what their neighbor’s child is capable of.

Parents who wait for signs of readiness, interest, and even natural learning to take place will save themselves and their children hours of frustration.

Readiness is especially important during the first eight years of life.  During this time, there is a vast range of “normal” development.  That’s why homepreschooling/homeschooling works so well:  Parents can individualize their children’s learning.  Where their children are “ahead”, they can let them move them along without holding them back.  In areas where their children struggle, they can slow down, relax, and give their children time to develop readiness.

Reading aloud:  Reading aloud to your children is the single most important thing that you can do to help them learn.  Reading aloud, and the discussion that goes with it, does more than teach the content of the book you’re reading:  It also teaches pre-reading skills such as learning that letters make words, learning that print moves from left to right, learning to value and enjoy reading/language, learning the basics of grammar, learning correct pronounciation, and so on.  It also is a great relationship builder!

I believe that these “4R’s” should be the foundation upon which homepreschooling/homeschooling rests. If these priorities are kept in perspective, everything else naturally falls into place. You may ask, “but what about the traditional 3R’s: Aren’t they important?!” Sure they are…once your child is developmentally ready for them. Most preschoolers aren’t. We have to remember that the curriculum in the public schools has been pushed down to the point that what used to be taught in Kindergarten is now taught in preschool, and what used to be taught in the first or even the second grade is now taught in Kindergarten. No wonder so many children are struggling in school! Preschoolers haven’t changed, but the curriculum has…drastically. Yet many parents expect their children to master it.

I take a different approach: I believe we should give the kids an old-fashioned, relaxed, play-based preschool/Kindergarten, and then slowly, over the years, notch those expectations up. You might say: Expect LESS of them when they are little, but MORE of them when they are older. Most public schools have it the opposite way: Expect MORE of them when they are little, but LESS of them when they are older.

This isn’t to say that preschoolers can’t learn. Preschoolers can (and do!) learn so much. In fact, if you take a look at the “skills lists” in Homepreschool and Beyond, you will probably discover a lot of things that you would never think that preschoolers could or should learn (especially about the Lord, or about nature, science, and the world around them.) In these areas especially, I think many parents underestimate their preschoolers. However,we need to remember that the way preschoolers learn is unique (they learn primarily through play,hands-on experiences, and through being read to and talked to) and the things they should learn are not simply their colors, numbers, and alphabet. There is a whole, vast world to explore, and preschoolers are very curious.

By using the foundation of the 4R’s, we can keep our priorities in order (make the main thing the main thing–relationships), and we can lay down a firm foundation for our children’s later years.

In my next post, I will briefly talk about specifics: What specific things do preschoolers need to be learning or doing, if not early formal academics?

© 2010, 2012 Susan Lemons all rights reserved.

The Truth About Early Formal Academics (revisited, with lots of new research links)

We’ve all heard these sayings about education: “the earlier the better.” “Let’s start our kids early, and give them an advantage.” “Early readers do better in school,” and so on. But are any of these widely held ideas true? Is there any proof to back up these sayings? The truth is, not one single study that has shown that early formal academics are beneficial to normal young children from loving homes. No study has shown any long-term benefit to early formal academics, and there is no proof that learning to read earlier is better than learning later. However, there is considerable proof that early academics can cause harm.

Consider this: Until the last 30-40 years or so, most children weren’t introduced to the alphabet in a formal lesson type of way until Kindergarten–and even then, often only the upper case letters! Nowadays, many children are taught the alphabet in preschool—or even before (as toddlers.) The results have not been encouraging. In fact, the more the public schools demand of young children, the worse America’s children do—academically and behaviorally. I don’t think this is a coincidence. Look at the evidence for yourself:

-More and more children are being diagnosed with learning disorders. Many developmental experts believe this is due to the recent “push down” in preschool/school curriculum, combined with a lack of time for play and other more traditional preschool-type activities.  On average, 1 in 6 children are diagnosed with some type of  developmental disability, a 15% increase between 1997-2008 (this is mostly due to attention deficit disorder.)

–School/academic  preschool often presents unique problems for boys:  Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder  than girls are, probably because boys naturally have higher activity levels than girls do, and thus have a harder time sitting still (or listening, or being quiet, etc…). Additionally, in general, boys mature later than girls, and often are not ready for formal academics.

-Literacy and literary knowledge continues to decline. The web is abuzz with commentators questioning/lamenting: “Is reading dead?”  Even Steve Jobs is quoted as saying, “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don’t read anymore. Forty percent of the people in the U.S. read one book or less last year.”

But there is hope…Most commentators  conclude that reading is not dead–it’s just changing. Less people are reading the great literary works, and more are reading in short snippets–tweets, texts, and blogs versus reading real literature. If that is true,  reading is in its death throes as far as I’m concerned. Thank-goodness homeschooolers are still keeping it alive! (For more, read the Literary Crisis  or read the shocking statistics about reading in the U.S.)

-Studies have shown that children whose preschool experience was child-initiated did better in elementary school. From Moving up the Grades: Relationship between Preschool Model and Later School Success, by Rebecca A. Marcon, University of North Florida: “.….By the end of their sixth year in school, children whose preschool experiences had been academically directed earned significantly lower grades compared to children who had attended child-initiated preschool classes. Children’s later school success appears to have been enhanced by more active, child-initiated early learning experiences. Their progress may have been slowed by overly academic preschool experiences that introduced formalized learning experiences too early for most children’s developmental status” (emphasis added; read the entire article HERE.)

-Many parents/schools are “miseducating” young children. From “Academics, Literacy, and Young Children,” Childhood Education, Spring 2000, by Elizabeth M. Nel: Important points: “Miseducation…(It) puts a child at risk for psychological damage (Werner & Strother, 1987); what is worse, it is apparently for no good reason, since the benefits of early reading instruction are relatively insignificant. …Therefore, with respect to literacy, developmentally appropriate preschool academics do not involve formal reading instruction, but rather they promote print awareness (Kontos, 1986) by exposing young children to letters, words, and numbers in meaningful contexts (Lesiak, 1997).…Reading to children is one of the best ways to model literacy skills (Bus, Van Ijzendoorn, & Pellegrini, 1995). Reading should not be limited to a set story-time, but rather should be shared with children throughout the day.”

-There is no advantage to learning to read early: From Rush Little Baby: How the Push for Infant Academics Might Actually be a Waste of Time-or Worse, by By Neil Swidey, October 28, 2007, The Boston Globe: (Watch the video, then scroll down for the article. It’s long, but worth the time; and it’s not only about infants.) Quote: “A classic study in the 1930s by noted researcher and Illinois educator Carleton Washburne compared the trajectories of children who had begun reading at several ages, up to 7. Washburne concluded that, in general, a child could best learn to read beginning around the age of 6. By middle school, he found no appreciable difference in reading levels between the kids who had started young versus the kids who had started later, except the earlier readers appeared to be less motivated and less excited about reading. …”Many efforts to teach a child to read before 4 or 5 years of age are biologically precipitate and potentially counterproductive for many children. ‘The danger in pushing reading too early, Wolf says, is that, for many children, we may be asking them to do something for which their brains are not ready. You run the risk of making a child feel like a failure before they’ve even begun,’ she says. And while the gains from early reading may fade away, the damage from being tagged a slow kid at a young age has the potential to be permanent.’” …..”Study after study shows the best thing parents can do for their children is give them a nurturing, rich, vibrant environment, reading to them often and exposing them to lots of language in organic ways. Reading books out loud is most effective when the parent uses the words on the page to help the child make connections to his or her own world.” …”As long as parents are exposing their children to a nurturing, vibrant environment, reading to them regularly, and speaking with them intelligently, they should feel free to put the flash cards away.”

. -Harm is the result when children enter an academic first-grade program too soon: This is from a surprising source–The Longevity Project,  a twenty year project at the University of Riverside: (My summary):  According to the study, these children had adolescent problems, problems later in life, and “an earlier DEATH!” Now THAT’S scary!! (NOTE: The study results regarding early learning are toward the end of the video, linked above.)

My conclusion: We should relax and enjoy the preschool years! Following your children’s lead when it comes to early academics is the wisest choice. Watch your children for signs of interest and natural learning, so that you neither push your children, nor hold them back. Remember, our goal should be to find “balance”….we do this by addressing the needs of the whole child (spirit, mind, and body) and by using an individualized, developmentally appropriate approach. This is more than just a “good idea”; it is a necessity, since every child is different and develops at his/her own, God-given time-table.

Finally: It’s important to know that most, if not all of the studies that are highly promoted as showing  the “benefits” to early formal education have been done on “at risk” or “disadvantaged” children, NOT children from average American homes. Furthermore, the studies showed that any “advantage” the children gained was short-lived, and disappeared altogether by the third grade. Furthermore, the studies ignored the negative effects of early formal education, such as those listed above (and more.) Still not convinced? Check out the links below, and the following books:

 Links About Readiness:

Best Homeschooling (ALL these articles are great!)

Preschooling at Home: My article, What Your Preschooler Really Needs (lots of good resources on this site.)

Is Five Too Soon to Start School? (from the U.K.)

Should Preschools be all work and no play? (This highlights a lot of the research I mention above in a practical way. Remember, as homeschoolers, we don’t have to get our children ready for Kindergarten; we can make our Kindergarten ready for them, instead.)

Paula’s Archives (another great collection of articles)

Books about Readiness/Early Learning:

Endangered Minds: Why Children Don’t Think-and What We Can Do About It, Jane M. Healy, PH.D., Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 1990.

Home Grown Kids, Raymond and Dorothy Moore*

Miseducation: Preschoolers At Risk, David Elkind*

Einstein Never Used Flashcards, Kathy Hirsh-Paskek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff

The Three R’s by Ruth Beechick*

(Remember, there is a whole chapter on the issue of readiness in Homepreschool and Beyond.)

 © 2010, 2012  Susan Lemons all rights reserved.

Preschool at Home for Gifted Children

NOTE: I hate the word “average”, because all children are blessed and gifted in their own ways! I just can’t think of another word to replace it…

         My advice to parents of gifted children is basically the same as my advice for parents of “average” children. These are the things I recommend:

-Provide a rich, stimulating but calm home environment. Follow the general guidelines for homepreschooling, emphasizing the 4 R’s (see tabs); remember, routine is especially important for emotionally sensitive, easily over-stimulated children.

-Provide lots of opportunities for hands-on exploration, including nature walks, simple science experiments, “field trips”, etc to make learning “real” to preschoolers.

-Provide quality, traditional toys that encourage creative thinking (Dr. Drew’s Blocks, Citi Blocks, Tegu magnetic blocks, Duplos, pattern blocks and cards  etc.)  When they get older, switch to Legos , Magnetix and Geomags, etc. Timberdoodle and Hearthsong carry good selections of creative, educational toys and puzzles for children of all ages and abilities.

-Introduce your preschooler to the best in art and music (looking, listening and doing.)

-Keep the amount of “seat work” short and sweet, even for gifted children. Better yet, let it be child-initiated only until age 4-5, depending on the abilities of your children. Remember that writing skills often lag behind verbal skills, so be patient.

– If your child is truly advanced academically, consider trying learning games and Montessori-style (hands-on) learning experiences to replace seat-work, or at least to supplement it.

-Consider yourself a “facilitator” of your child’s learning. Provide your children with the materials they need to learn independently.  

-When you do start formally “teaching” your preschooler, remember that you don’t have to teach the things that s/he already knows, even if your child is several grade levels above his/her age level. BUT…. you may want to check and make sure s/he has fully mastered concepts (phonics, etc) before moving on.  Fill in any holes, and then let them move ahead.

-Be careful to find the balance between encouraging/facilitating advanced abilities and pushing, which often results in burnout.

-Even if your child is several grade levels ahead of his/her peers, remember that it doesn’t automatically follow that you should treat him/her like an older child in every way, or that you should get frustrated if s/he doesn’t want to keep advancing academically at the moment. He’s already ahead!! Relax and enjoy the journey; learning may come in spurts.

-Remember that some preschoolers have the tendency to temporarily SLOW DOWN/almost stop practicing other skills while new skills are emerging. They seem to concentrate on one major skill at a time. Just think of babies; many previously verbal babies will become less talkative while learning to walk. Once they master walking, the babbling picks up again to its previous level. Some preschoolers tend to be like this, too, concentrating on one skill at a time. The new skill seems to consume their every thought. Even so, be sure to contact your pediatrician immediately if your child SUDDENLY loses skills altogether, dramatically regresses, or if your heart tells you “something’s wrong.”

-Encourage curiosity and a love of learning.

-Allow lots of time for creative play.

-Continue to read aloud, even to readers.

Remember that:

-Preschoolers can learn more than just those traditional “academic” facts (colors, letters, numbers, learning to read, math) we associate with the early years.  In fact, all preschoolers, included gifted preschoolers, can learn a lot about science/nature, people and how they live (or lived in the past), holidays and traditions, art, music, poetry, love of literature, and so much more. Work on building that simple base of knowledge about the world, and the vocabulary to go with it. This is done through conversation, real-life experiences, and reading aloud.

-Remember that building vocabulary is vital for young readers; it is necessary for reading comprehension.Reading has no value to your child if he/she doesn’t understand what he reads.

-Preschoolers are capable of memorizing many facts. Many parents make the mistake of thinking this means their children are gifted. This may or may not be so. Truly gifted children differ from “average” children because they tend to understand the meaning of the facts they memorize (and often how to use those facts). Remember that knowing the facts (alphabet, letter sounds, numbers) doesn’t automatically mean children are ready for the next step. Be careful not to push your child too far ahead.

-Follow his/her lead. The goal is not to push our preschoolers, but not to hold them back, either. One of the marks of a truly gifted child, in my opinion, is that they will not allow themselves to be held back. They will push and push to learn, and often teach themselves to read, do math, etc. They will spend a lot of their free time pursuing academics. Our job is to facilitate this learning/exploration without demanding that they sit down and do hours of work sheets, just because they can.

-If your child is begging to be taught to read and you’re sure s/he is ready, go ahead and try a few short, play-based lessons. If your child enjoys the lessons and seems capable of learning to read, let him. But if your child resists or is disinterested, back off.

-Remember that there is no proven academic advantage to learning to read early, or having an academically based preschool/Kindergarten. To the contrary, studies have shown that children who are provided with a play/exploration-based preschool/Kindergarten actually do better academically throughout their lives. 

Advice for Parents of Young Readers

-If your child has taught himself to read, be sure he doesn’t strain his eyes by reading for too long at a time. Give him/her frequent breaks to look away at the horizon. This can help prevent nearsightedness.

-Make sure the books you allow your child to read are not only appropriate to his/her reading ability, but to his/her social/emotional/spiritual maturity; double-check the content. Early readers should start by reading picture books, and then move up to longer picture books and short chapter books that focus on animals and family life. The goal should be to avoid mature content (too intense, scary, or complex.) See my “book list” category for ideas, as well as chapter 7 in Homepreschool and Beyond.   

        Finally, I’d like to remind parents of gifted children that:

-Sadly, parents of “average” children often feel threatened by gifted children. So when you share with other parents about your child, be sensitive to the fact that some of them might feel that you are bragging or implying that their child should have the same abilities as yours…even if that is not your intent. Bear this in mind and try to be especially tactful and understanding of others.

-Don’t assume that ALL your children will be gifted in the same areas/ways

-Don’t assume that because your child is gifted, everything will come easily to him/her. As I stated in my previous post, some children are gifted in only one area; others are gifted in one or more areas but have learning problems in others, and so on. Each child is unique and so the variations are endless.

-Don’t assume that because your child is advanced now, s/he will always be advanced.

-Be sure to teach your children that their abilities and talents are a gift from God. Remind your children hat God has a plan for their lives.

-Especially gifted children may have tendencies towards arguing with adults or correcting them. Each family will have to deal with this in their own way (it may be a discipline issue.)

-Remember that academics are only a small part of life. Relationships (with God and family) are the most important thing in the life of your child; keep them the main thing.  Don’t “overlook the forest for the trees.” Don’t concentrate so much on academics that you over look activities that are important/developmentally appropriate for your child’s age. Even gifted preschoolers need lots of time to play and explore, make messy art, sing, do finger plays, dress-up, play games, etc, etc. See “Goals of Homepreschool” for more.  

~Susan

© 2011 Susan Lemons all rights reserved.  Copyrighted materials may not be re-distributed or re-posted without express permission from the author.

 

Generations Radio Interview

      Ever wonder what I sound like?  I’m sure it won’t be what you imagine.  But if you’d like to know, you can listen to me on Generations Radio. 

    I was blessed to be interviewed this week by Kevin Swanson, a Pastor, author, leader in the homeschool community, and a homeschooling dad. 

    We talk about my book, the advantages of homepreschool versus institutional preschool, building relationships, the importance of conversation, music, and lots more.  You can listen HERE.

     Live the 4R’s!

                     ~Susan

Why I’m so Adamant About the Importance of Readiness

        I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the issue of readiness, and why I’m so adamant about its importance.  It’s surprising to me that so many parents seem to believe it is a non-issue. 

Here’s my list of reasons:

 ~Tradition:  Yeah, I’m a bit of a traditionalist.  Formal academics have traditionally been saved until children reach the age of 5 or 6.  The preschool years were considered to be a unique, set-aside time that was special to both parents and children.  It was marked by close relationships between parent and child, real life experiences and lots of time for play, art, music and reading aloud (the epitome of a “traditional childhood”.) 

       In the last thirty years or so, there has been an incredible “pushdown” in curriculum.  What used to be reserved for Kindergarten or First Grade is now routinely taught to preschoolers—either outside the home or in.  The powers that be promised that this pushdown would result in higher test scores, higher IQ’s, higher graduation rates and greater overall academic success for the children throughout their lives.  However, this has not been proved true.  Instead of the expected boost in test scores, the result has been stressed children, an unprecedented increase in learning disabilities and attention disorders, as well as lower test scores than ever. 

       Is it any wonder?  Preschoolers haven’t changed, and yet what is expected of them has changed drastically.  This “experiment” has gone on long enough.  It’s time to return to the tried and true methods.  It’s time to give our children the time they need to be little, and the time they need to mature before they are introduced to formal academic lessons.

 ~Research: The issue of readiness has been studied for many, many years now.   All of the evidence coming out of the world of academia (college research) as well as the brain and sensory research being conducted by doctors and developmental psychologists support the importance of readiness.  The few contrary opinions come from those who are in the government school camp.  They commission studies to “prove” the benefit of early academics, early “intervention”, and early out-of-the-home care, especially in the lives of disadvantaged preschoolers (but make no mistake–their ultimate aim is mandatory government preschool for all preschoolers.)  The most famous of these studies, The Perry Preschool Project, seems to prove their point—that is, until their methods and conclusions are examined carefully.  For instance, the Perry Project studies disadvantaged children, comparing them to other disadvantaged children.  Even so, they apply their outcomes to all children (even children from normal, loving homes.)  This misapplication of the results is equal to doing research without a “control” group.  (Remember, according to Dr. Raymond Moore, author of Home Grown Kids, No study of normal children from loving homes has ever proved that there is any benefit to out-of-the-home preschool programs or early academics.) 

       This is just the beginning of the flaws.  A home-visit component was included in the study, but not considered in the results.  Teachers visited the home and family, working with the children and working with the parents, teaching them how to take better care of their children and how to provide an enriching home environment for them (a learning environment.) They even supplied appropriate books and toys, and taught the parents how to play with and read to their children.  However, they neglected to account for the home visits or include any of the changes made in the home and family when they reported the results of the study.  Instead, they credit any gains the children made to the preschool program only, even though home-life is well known to be one of the greatest predictors of school success: “…many studies indicate that parents are the biggest factor in academic success, particularly at the early ages. A 1999 study by Parker, Boak, Griffin, Ripple, and Peay examined the way that parent-child relationships affect school readiness. According to a report titled “Supporting Young Children as They Enter School,” this study concluded: “Main findings were that children have better school readiness outcomes when parents spent more time helping them at home. Parents that had a better understanding of the importance of play in child development also contributed to better cognitive outcomes for children.””  I believe that it is obvious that if gains were made, the changes in the home were the reason, not the children’s preschool attendance.

       Finally, when promoting the results of the Perry Preschool Project, they neglect to reveal that the study showed that the “gains” the children in the study made were short-lived, disappearing all together by the second grade.  For more information about these flawed studies, their exaggerations, and the truth about developmental research, read THIS wonderful article.  For another important article about early academics, click HERE; also investigate the tab, “Important Links.”

~The most important and famous experts in the field of child development believe in the importance of waiting for readiness; people such as Charlotte Mason, Dr. Jean Piaget, Dr. Raymond Moore, Dr. Ruth Beechick, Dr. Jane Healy, Dr. David Elkind, Dr. Lillian Katz, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, P.H.D., and many, many more.   

 ~Personal experience:  I taught preschool for more than eight years, in every type of setting:  Private daycares, a parent participation program, a college center where we trained college students who wanted to become preschool teachers, and later on, I provided home daycare.  In many of these settings the preschools had several different classes—sometimes more than one per age group.  In some centers I worked in one smaller classroom with one “set” of children, and in others, I worked in one large classroom where the children rotated through “stations” (80 or more children.)  In all those years, in all those schools, working with all those different children from many different types of families, I never came across a preschooler (age 4 or younger) who was ready for formal academics, and I never met a 3 or 4 year old who could read phonetically. 

       Now I’m not in denial; I know that there are gifted children out there who are developmentally ready for formal academics.  Some of the most gifted children of all teach themselves to read, or teach themselves math at a young age.  But these children are few and far between; they are unusual.  With the advent of the internet, however, it’s easy to click on blogs that describe these children’s special abilities.  Doing so makes parents of “normal” children feel as if their children are “behind” or not “doing enough”.  Don’t feel that way.  It’s O.K. for our children to be “normal”. 

 ~It’s a waste of time.  Why spend two or three years concentrating your child’s entire learning experiences on formal academics, when there is so much to learn through play, natural learning, and reading aloud?  Why concentrate exclusively on only one aspect of your child’s development, while overlooking the needs of the whole child?  Why spend years gluing beans on the letter “B”, when you could be engaging your child in creative art, creative play and exploration?   Why make alligators shaped like the letter “A”, when you could read about real alligators, learn where and how they live, and so on?  Which type of learning is going to be the most meaningful for your child—and which type of learning ignites the fire of a life-long love for learning?  Which provides that simple base of knowledge about the world (and the vocabulary to go with it) that will help your child in all his learning later (especially reading comprehension?)

        Most children who are raised in a responsive, enriching home environment “pick up” those academic skills (colors, letters, numbers, shapes, etc) on their own—especially if they have parents who take the time to talk to them and read to them.  Why spend years trying to teach them “facts” or “skills” that they are not ready for, when they will learn them in only days or hours a year or two later?! 

       I talk with parents all the time who insist that their children are ready for academics.  Some of them have children who are gifted; others have pushed their children every step of the way; most simply do what they think is expected of them.  Here are some questions that I think these parents should consider:

By concentrating on academics, are you overlooking other, more developmentally appropriate activities that your preschooler needs and enjoys?  Some parents tend to overlook play, art, music, and reading aloud in favor of workbooks and flashcards.

Will learning academics really help your child in the long run?  Studies have shown that children who participate in play-based preschool and Kindergartens actually do better in the long run than children who concentrate on early academics.  According to research, “children subjected to overly-academic programs tend to have more behavior problems and are less likely to be enthusiastic, creative learners and thinkers.” In fact, other research states that “By the end of their sixth year in school, children whose preschool experiences had been academically directed earned significantly lower grades compared to children who had attended child-initiated preschool classes. Children’s later school success appears to have been enhanced by more active, child-initiated early learning experiences. Their progress may have been slowed by overly academic preschool experiences that introduced formalized learning experiences too early for most children’s developmental status.”  (Read the entire article HERE.)  

 Are early academics best for your child emotionally? Roberta Golinkoff, author of Einstein Never Used Flash Cards: How Our Children Really Learn and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less, says that “Research…shows that academic preschools offer children no long-term advantages academically, but makes them (children) more anxious.”

       Once again, I’d like to encourage parents who are taking an academic approach to reconsider their methods.  Refocus your homepreschool.  Learn about insects, the ocean, pets, plants, trains, etc.  Read, bake, dig, do art, sing, and play together.  Spend hours outside; take long nature walks.  Put formal academics at the periphery of your preschool time instead of the center of it. You and your children will be happier for it.

© 2010 Susan Lemons all rights reserved.

Me and the Moores: What Peaked my Interest in Homeschooling

        Way back in 1990, when my oldest was two, I heard Dr. Raymond Moore talk about homeschooling on the radio show,   Focus on the Family.  That single show started our family down a path to a major lifestyle decision–homeschooling. 

        Before my son was born, I was a huge supporter of institutional preschools.  I planned to keep teaching after our first was born.  I thought I’d find a preschool/daycare situation where I could take my baby to work with me…I was also considering starting my own home daycare.  But once I held my son in my arms, I saw preschool/daycare in an entirely new light.   I realized how much time it takes to care for a baby.   I remembered the preschoolers I worked with and saw them through new eyes…the eyes of a mother.  I realized that most of the children I worked with were lost, confused, and hungry for love and attention.  I knew I wanted better for my little boy.

        After hearing that radio show, I knew in my heart that the solution for us was homeschooling.  I’d already realized that I enjoyed the company of my then 2 year old way too much to ever send him away to preschool, but before the show I had never thought about homeschooling him.  I don’t know if I’d even heard of homeschooling.  

        I started to research homeschooling right away.  The first thing I did was to check out the book, Homegrown Kids from the library (Dr. Moore’s book).  I didn’t agree with everything in the book, but my background in Child Development told me that his emphasis on readiness and natural learning was right on the mark.  

        Dr. Raymond Moore is considered to be the “father” of the homeschool movement, and rightly so. The Moores have been at the forefront of the homeschooling movement since the early 1980’s.  The Moores emphasize developmental readiness, and introduced the idea of an “Integrated Maturity Level” or IML.   The IML includes our children’s cognitive, physical (including eye sight, eye-hand coordination, small muscle strength, and general coordination), and social maturity, which often doesn’t “come together” until age 8-10; therefore, the Moores suggest that children should learn in natural ways and not be forced into formal academic lessons until that time.   The Moore Formula encourages us to provide our children with approximately equal amounts of 1) manual work (think, life-skills!), 2) service (in the home or the community), and 3) “school” or study time (for young children, reading aloud and natural learning.)  I would add play to the list, especially for younger children. 

        Although the Moore’s method is often called “delayed learning”, it is anything but.  As I stated in my post, Preschool Myths, waiting for readiness is not the same as withholding learning.  It’s very different from un-schooling, as well.  The Moore’s advocate neither pushing children nor holding them back; they simply discourage “formal” or workbook/textbook type learning early on.  Instead, children learn through loving, consistent care and conversation (relationship),  a regular routine, lots of reading aloud, unit studies (delight directed), real life/hands-on experiences, games and oral work, and often through starting their own home business or helping their parents with theirs (a large component of their method.) Obviously the Moores have had a huge influence on me, since I am definitely a proponent of relationship, routine, readiness, reading aloud, and unit studies!

        The Moore Formula meshes well with many other methods, including Charlotte Mason (lots of lit; few if any textbooks, short lessons, oral work, etc) unit studies (lots of books and hands on/life experiences) and the Beechick method (again, lots of books and reading aloud, readiness, life experiences; emphasis on correct dating of early history), and even Montessori (life skills, hands-on activities, using real, adult-sized tools versus toys.)   

         Personally, I don’t go quite as far as the Moores do when it comes to delaying formal academics…Dr. Moore would have us wait for any type of formal academic lessons until our children are 8 years old.  Instead, I believe a more balanced approach is in order.  Having had an early reader (reading well at age 5-6) and a later reader (not reading much at all until age 10), I believe I see both sides of the issue.  I do believe in planning short, play-based lessons for the early years, but I believe they should be done carefully, with readiness and interest in mind.  Even so, I do see the good of the Moore Formula and I think their research is very comforting to parents of young children.  I recommend that parents of preschoolers and Kindergarteners (especially) read Home Grown Kids–if for no other reason than to help them relax and back off from an emphasis on formal academics during the preschool and early elementary years.  

        Reading Home Grown Kids helped me let my young children be young children, without worrying about a check-list of “facts” and “skills” they should conquer by age 4 or 5.  Their research held me together when my second born was struggling with reading.  The Moores are right–delayed readers do just as well or better than children who learn early (and I might add, there is not one study that shows that learning to read early is beneficial in the long run.)  My daughter went from struggling to read the simplest books (Boxcar children–at age 10) to reading Lord of the Rings so fast it made my head spin.  She now holds our family record for the most books read in one year, and she wants to be a Christian fiction writer. She never goes anywhere without a notebook, and she loves to read.

        I guess my point is, if you haven’t read Home Grown Kids, it’s worth your time.  If you want to get into the nitty-gritty of the Moore’s developmental research, read Better Late Than Early, too.  The book, The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook shows how the formula works in real families.

        To find out more about the Moore Formula, check out these links:

Read explanations of the Moore Formula HERE. 

Read articles about using the Moore Formula HERE. 

Read the article, Learning How to Think by the Moores (great ideas, except for the line about “the family democracy”; I don’t know about you, but our family is NOT a democracy!) 

Read the article, Unschooling and the Moore Method, by Dorothy Moore HERE.    

 © 2010 Susan Lemons all rights reserved.

Curriculum for Babies?!

         A day or two ago I got an email from a reputable homeschool supply company describing their newest product—a homeschool curriculum for babies. 

         I object.  In my opinion, babies do not need “curriculum”.

         Don’t get me wrong…I’ve often stated that I homeschooled my four children “from birth” (maybe I’ll quit saying that.) But to me, “homeschooled from birth” refers to the fact that my children were cared for at home versus being sent away for childcare–not that I actually used a  “curriculum” to “teach” them at such a tender age. 

         I have to admit, the idea of an infant curriculum makes me mad.  Perhaps it’s just me.  Perhaps it’s just semantics, but this is a personal pet peeve.  We developmentalists have enough trouble encouraging parents to relax and enjoy the preschool years without the need for curriculum (and the pressure that goes along with it) without curriculums being offered for babies and toddlers. 

         I decided to see if this was an unusual phenomenon, so I Googled “curriculum for babies” and found that this is not a new or unusual thing.  I quickly found other curriculums—for babies as young as three months old.  Additionally, our state and national governments are developing national curriculums for babies, which include “benchmarked standards” (is your baby rolling over yet?  Well, why not?!)  Can you imagine?  What’s next, the child development police? 

         Time for a reality check.  The common definition of “curriculum” is a “course of study; an integrated course of academic study”.  Do babies need academics?  No, of course not.  My definition of curriculum is very different; I say that curriculum is “anything and everything that helps your child learn.”  In this sense, I guess you could call developmentally appropriate toys and such baby’s “curriculum”.  Even so, do parents really need to spend hundreds of dollars on something like this?  Do babies really need to be “educated”? 

         Many of the “toddler curriculums” I found include workbooks. I definitely have a problem with this.  Toddlers do not need coloring books, cut and paste books, and so on.  The term “toddler” traditionally refers to babies once they are learning to walk (toddling)–until they walk with good coordination–usually children between the ages of eleven months until the age twenty-four months.  Children this age do not need any type of workbooks. 

         It certainly is true that babies and toddlers are learning and growing at an amazing rate, but I object to the idea that they need any type of pre-planned “curriculum” to “maximize” or “optimize” their development (you’ll hear lots of phrases like that if you research early curriculum or “educational” toys.)   In fact, I object to the term “curriculum” having anything to do with babies and toddlers and I can’t imagine the type of guilt and stress such “curriculums” must place on young parents. 

        The more companies carry such products…the more websites offer such “curriculums”…the more parents will feel that such “curriculums” are necessary.  The temptation for many parents will be to rely on the curriculum, making it a slave driver while turning the happy, fleeting years of babyhood into a “to do” list.

        Rest assured, your baby does not need any type of pre-planned curriculum to grow up healthy, happy, physically coordinated and intelligent.  All they need is loving, consistent care from their parents, and an enriching home environment.

        Next post:  If babies and toddlers don’t need a curriculum, what do they need?  How do we provide an enriching home environment for babies, without going overboard?

        Related posts:  Check my archives on the topics of “Babies,”  “Readiness” and the tab,  “the 4 R’s:  Readiness.”

 

© 2010 Susan Lemons all rights reserved.

Common Preschool Myths Debunked, Part 3

 Myth #5:  Waiting for children to develop “readiness” is the same as withholding academics from them.

Truth:  Waiting for readiness is not the same as withholding academics/learning from your children. Don’t think that being careful not to push early academics means that you are holding your children back or not exposing them to academics at all.  (I don’t believe in holding children back if they truly are ready; nor do I believe in pushing….I believe in balance.)  Preschoolers are learning all the time, whether we are aware of it or not.  If you provide your preschoolers with a print rich, stimulating home environment and read aloud to them everyday (preferably several times a day), your children will learn.  These developmentally appropriate activities are “teaching” your child more than you can imagine.   The goal of my approach is balance.  A balanced approach addresses not only your child’s academic needs, but his spiritual, physical, and emotional needs as well. 

     The thing to do is watch your children for signs of readiness, interest, or natural learning.  When you see those signs–when your children begin to ask you about letters and numbers–-that’s the time to begin short, play based lessons in the form of hands-on activities and games.  You can use store bought or home-made games like Memory or Lotto games, High-ho Cheerio, Leap-In-A-Line or Leap Frog Letter Factory Game  and so on.  You can find all kinds of file folder games for free online, or make up your own “Bingo” games/card games.  Your children will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize they are learning.   No expensive “curriculum” required, no pressure; just have fun together and your children will learn.   For more information about early academics, be sure to see the post, “The Truth About Early Academics” for more information.  Also see the tab, “Readiness” for more links and resources.

 Myth #6:  If my preschooler/Kindergartener has learned her letters and letter sounds…so that means she is ready to learn to read, right? 

Truth:  Maybe, maybe not.  How do we decide that our children are ready for the next step?  As I said above, we need to “watch for the signs.”  There are many signs we need to look for before we decide that our children are ready for formal reading lessons.  For a detailed list of readiness skills, many of which might be new to you, read my article, “Preschool or Kindergarten?”   Just remember, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning or wisdom…NOT phonics.” (Mary Schoalfield.)  

  © 2010 Susan Lemons all rights reserved.

Call to Action: National Educational Standards

       Note:  This blog is not about politics, and I’ve avoided posting any articles or links about my personal political beliefs unless they have something to do with the state of America’s educational system or our freedom to educate our children as we see fit.  This is one of those times I can’t keep quiet.  Please read the summary below and take the appropriate action.

      No doubt you have heard about Obama’s proposed national standards for education.  Perhaps you have been concerned, as I am, about the affect these standards could have on young children (the continued pushdown of curriculum), and on homeschoolers (who often are required by state law to keep their children at state “grade level”, no matter how inappropriate that “grade level” might be.)  Even those of us not required by law to keep our children at a certain educational level will be influenced by these standards, either through changes in homeschool curriculums because of the standards or through public/peer pressure. 

       The new National Standards proposed are disturbing.  They are not developmentally appropriate, and many of the “requirements” and unclear and open to subjective judgments.  If they pass, they will put increased pressure on young children and on homeschooling families. 

       These standards will, in my opinion, lead to a national curriculum and take away public school teacher’s abilities to be innovative or creative (opportunities to improvise/individualize the content).  From what I understand, every classroom in America would be required to teach the exact same thing in the exact same way on the exact same day across America. (Not to mention–who would write our “national” curriculum?  What type of social engineering/Outcome-based garbage might it include?)

       Most of all, I worry that these standards will eventually be used as an excuse to regulate homeschools and private schools.  If they were made to apply to homeschoolers, they would take away our abilities to choose our own curriculum or individualize our curriculum in content and method–and this has been one of our greatest strengths.  Additionally, these standards would take away our ability to move our children along at their own pace…letting our little one’s maturity set the pace, instead of the curriculum.  Curriculum would become a slave driver instead of a tool. 

         There is still time to do something about this.  First, read the position statement put out by the Alliance for Childhood and Early Childhood Health and Education Professionals.

         Next, go to the Alliance for Childhood’s website and follow the step by step directions to add your own comments to the proposed standards.   I won’t lie to you; it’s a pain.  But we only have until April 2^nd to make our voices heard.  Please take the time to express your opposition to National Standards today.

© 2010 Susan Lemons all rights reserved.

The Truth About Early Academics

                Until the last 40 years or so, most children weren’t introduced to the alphabet (in a formal lesson type of way) until Kindergarten.  Nowadays, many children are taught the alphabet in preschool—or even before (as toddlers.)  The end result has not been encouraging: The more the public schools demand of young children, the worse America’s children do—academically and otherwise.  More and more children are being diagnosed with learning disorders; many developmental experts believe this is due to the “push down” in curriculum combined with a lack of time for play and other more traditional preschool-type activities.  Why would we, as homepreschoolers, want to follow that model?  

       Perhaps we’ve only heard one side of the argument. 

       The truth is, not one single study that has shown that early academics are beneficial to young children.  There is no proof that learning to read earlier is better than learning later.  However, there is considerable proof that early academics can cause harm.  But don’t take my word for it; read the articles below for yourself.  They are worth your time.

 Resources about Readiness:  

 “Moving up the Grades: Relationship between Preschool Model and Later School Success”, by Rebecca A. Marcon, University of North Florida

Important points: “Children whose preschool experience was child initiated faired better than peers in the transition from the primary to the later elementary school grades. Not only were their overall grades following the transition significantly higher, their school performance improved or held constant in all but two subject areas (music, social studies) despite increased academic demands of the next grade level.….By the end of their sixth year in school, children whose preschool experiences had been academically directed earned significantly lower grades compared to children who had attended child-initiated preschool classes. Children’s later school success appears to have been enhanced by more active, child-initiated early learning experiences. Their progress may have been slowed by overly academic preschool experiences that introduced formalized learning experiences too early for most children’s developmental status.”  Read the entire article HERE.  

 “Academics, Literacy, and Young Children,” Childhood Education, Spring 2000, by Elizabeth M. Nel:

Important points:  “According to Elkind (1987), academic learning fueled by motivation other than the child’s innate interests constitutes miseducation. It puts a child at risk for psychological damage (Werner & Strother, 1987); what is worse, it is apparently for no good reason, since the benefits of early reading instruction are relatively insignificant. 

…Therefore, with respect to literacy, developmentally appropriate preschool academics do not involve formal reading instruction, but rather they promote print awareness (Kontos, 1986) by exposing young children to letters, words, and numbers in meaningful contexts (Lesiak, 1997).

…Reading to children is one of the best ways to model literacy skills (Bus, Van Ijzendoorn, & Pellegrini, 1995). Reading should not be limited to a set storytime, but rather should be shared with children throughout the day.”  Read the entire article HERE.   

 “Rush Little Baby: How the Push for Infant Academics Might Actually be a Waste of Time-or Worse”, by By Neil Swidey, October 28, 2007, The Boston Globe

(Watch the video, then scroll down for the article.  It’s long, but worth the time; and it’s not only about infants.)

Important points:  “A classic study in the 1930s by noted researcher and Illinois educator Carleton Washburne compared the trajectories of children who had begun reading at several ages, up to 7. Washburne concluded that, in general, a child could best learn to read beginning around the age of 6. By middle school, he found no appreciable difference in reading levels between the kids who had started young versus the kids who had started later, except the earlier readers appeared to be less motivated and less excited about reading.

…‘Many efforts to teach a child to read before 4 or 5 years of age are biologically precipitate and potentially counterproductive for many children.’ The danger in pushing reading too early, Wolf says, is that, for many children, we may be asking them to  do something for which their brains are not ready. “You run the risk of making a child feel like a failure before they’ve even begun,” she says. And while the gains from early reading may fade away, the damage from being tagged a slow kid at a young age has the potential to be permanent.

 …..Study after study shows the best thing parents can do for their children is give them a nurturing, rich, vibrant environment, reading to them often and exposing them to lots of language in organic ways. Reading books out loud is most effective when the parent uses the words on the page to help the child make connections to his or her own world.

 …As long as parents are exposing their children to a nurturing, vibrant environment, reading to them regularly, and speaking with them intelligently, they should feel free to put the flash cards away.”

Read the entire article HERE.

        Relax and enjoy the preschool years!  Follow your children’s lead when it comes to early academics!  Watch your children for signs of interest and natural learning, so that you neither push nor hold them back.  Find the balance.

© 2010 Susan Lemons all rights reserved. 

The Key Word in Homepreschool is “Home”

        I’ve been trolling the internet this weekend, looking to see what’s “out there” in the realm of homepreschool.  I’ve seen many colorful and creative blogs, with pictures of beautiful children.  I’ve seen pictures of “homeschool rooms” that look just like public schools–rooms with desks or tables lining the walls and rows and rows of bookshelves filled with books,  art supplies, puzzles, games, and other “educational” toys and materials.  I’ve seen blog after blog depicting tiny tots busily completing their “school work”.  I’ve seen a pattern.

       Isn’t it ironic? Preschools and elementary schools work hard to try to make their schools as home-like as possible…while many homepreschoolers/homeschoolers work hard to make their homes look and function like schools. 

       Don’t get me wrong.  If you have the space in your home for a school room–you are truly blessed!  If you have the money to spend on shelves full of “educational” toys and games–how wonderful!  But don’t make the mistake of thinking that those things will make your homeschool successful…and don’t think that if you DON’T have them, your homeschool is doomed to failure. 

       I’ve homeschooled for 17 years now, and we’ve never had a dedicated “school room”.  (Well, we had an office we called the “school room”-and some school did get done in there-but we’ve never had a room just for homeschool stuff.)  We do “school” all around the house.  During Bible, music, and story-time, we sit on the couch in the living room (or on the floor.)  For art, games, and manipulatives we sit in the breakfast nook.  When my children begin doing “seatwork” or written school work in Kindergarten or First grade, we did it in the breakfast nook as well (our china buffet has been repurposed to hold books, paper, and art supplies.)  Some days my older children need quiet, and so they retreat into the office or even into their bedrooms to finish their work.

         We store our games, puzzles and manipulatives in bookshelves or in the hall closet.  Art supplies have been kept in the garage, utility room, kitchen cabinets, or in roll-out carts (in the kitchen.)  And books–books line the walls of the hallways, spilling over into baskets here and there—and into the kid’s rooms, too.  There usually isn’t a room in the house without books in it–not even the bathrooms. 

          Most of our books, educational toys and manipulatives come from yard sales or thrift stores.  Some I earned as a Discovery Toys Representative, but most of our “educational” games were homemade.  And my children haven’t suffered a bit. 

        ((All this fits well with my philosophy that learning is a lifestyle, and that “school” is always in session.  I will say that I would love to have a “school room”, but I think it’d be more of a library/craft room—a place for the boys to leave out their messy projects–models, sculpting and the like. Knowing us, I think we’d still do most of our “school” at the kitchen table.)) 

          I’ve always believed that homeschool/homepreschools should be “home-y”; filled with light, plants and animals (if possible), and of course, love.  All those fancy extras are wonderful to have, but they are not necessary; you can homepreschool/homeschool successfully without them.   In fact, looking back, I think we’ve gotten the most use out of our “homemade” toys and learning materials. 

        Another way I see homepreschoolers/homeschoolers emulating the public schools is in the area of curriculum.  We are always comparing ourselves and our homeschools to the public school’s standards.  Most parents of preschoolers have fallen for the public school’s push for early academics, even though the issue has been studied (in depth) and proven to be misguided.  (See tab The 4 R’s tab on “Readiness”.)

       Homepreschoolers/homeschoolers should not hold the public schools up as our standard.  They are failing the children of America.  They overlook the most important things our children should be learning about—a personal relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ; moral and character training, and life skills.  Why would we want to copy them? 

       The simplest way to put it is this:  Don’t bring the “school” into your home. Not their strict schedules, not their emphasis on early academics, and not their educational standards.  The key word in homepreschool is “home.”

© 2010 Susan Lemons all rights reserved.