Perhaps I'm crazy. Perhaps.
I'm seriously considering doing a trial of homeschooling for Montessori preschool. Do you think I'm crazy yet? I found what looks, reads and reviews to be a pretty perfect "Montessori in a box" curriculum and I'm seriously considering doing it. I already have the play area set up like a Montessori classroom, I just need to add a reading corner, a calendar and probably another bookshelf for just Montessori teaching tools/activities. I think it would be really fun, the girls would thrive and it would save us quite a bit of tuition money for our own pocket every month.
I think we do plenty of things outside the home with other children, we have playgroup, dance class, I have them registered for quite a few classes with the City, I would love to get them into gymnastics and perhaps do the Mom and Me classes at the local Waldorf school once a week. Plus we have nice things here at home, pool, garden, park, Woolly, toys, etc.
With those positive things mentioned, I am concerned about a few others like teaching writing and reading. I think I have the phonics part understood and can implement that, but taking those extra steps to do the earlier two concern me a bit. However, as I was mowing the lawn today, it dawned on me that I have two sister in laws who are teachers and a mother in law who was not only a teacher, but a kindergarten teacher and a reading teacher. So if I get really stumped I have them for resources. Plus, if the reading thing gets even more difficult, we could camp out at Granny's house for a couple weeks to get extra help every day. And my major bonus is Brian. He seriously is a genius and thinks of things in ways that I don't. So I know if I have trouble with the math sections or science stuff he will have great ideas and be able to interpret the curriculum.
I think it would be fun and a challenge for me, which would be heaven right now. Being a SAHM is great and tiring and wonderful and exhausting, but not very challenging, besides learning to maintain your patience. This would definitely give me something to think about and plan daily.
With all that, please give me your thoughts...am I crazy? If you had the time, would you do it? If you're a teacher, have you had kids in your class who went through Montessori? If so, are they more accelerated than children who went to mainstream preschool? How about home schooled children? Do you notice any difference with them? Thank you very much. (It's OK to burst my bubble, I need opinions!)
I think homeschooling is awesome if you have the resources and patience :) And you're right, your kids do a lot of outside activities.
ReplyDeleteComments from Monique:
ReplyDeleteHi Kristen,
It sounds like you have put a lot of thought into this. I don't know that much about Montessori or homeschooling, but I have noticed that many homeschooled children seem very well-behaved for the most part. Plus when your children are still so little, I don't see any harm at all at keeping them at home with you, since personally I believe that is really one of the best palces they can be instead of carting them off to some childcare facility. As far as the academics go, I am of the mind that all of the cognitive stuff that our culture wants young children to learn earlier and earlier each year is not as relevant for the young child as are stimulating their imagination and creativity through fairy tales and play/ baking, cooking, and measuring things at home, etc. I would be more concerned with teaching children at that age how to skip and tie their shoelaces. It's funny because I just subbed in a mainstream public school a few days ago while the teacher was doing first grade assessments individually with her students in the next classroom. At the end of the day we got to talking and she was like,"Whatever you do , don't put your children into this system--homeschool them." She felt really strongly that things have changed so much in the last twenty years in education for the worse. She said twenty years ago she could teach a block with an ocean theme, and then teach reading and math throught this theme. Now the curriculum is practically scripted, with little room for creativity. They are basically constantly prepping students to do well on the tests. Anyways, I shared with her that I don't think I would have the patience to homeschool my own children. For me, I am happy that someday I hope to work at the same school that my children will attend, so that I can still be there with them while they are going to school if they need me.
Comments from Shelly:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ann. Preschool is more about socializing and adapting to a school environment. Being away from parents and listening to others and taking direction. I tought preschool in my house for 10 years before I started teaching in schools and with both of my kids, i put them in 1/2 day preschools that were 3 days a week to adapt them to school life. Even though i ran a preschool. I wanted to get them use to learning from someone else. But that was my choice. I really have not seen anything negative come from montisorries or home schooling in preschool. Now as kids got older, and they were home schooled or monisorries i did see gaps and social issues but not in early years. as far as academics in preschool, writing there name, knowing the alphabet, begininng sounds, reconizing numbers to 10 and being able to count. Thats really it. Drawing, painting, listening to stories in books is what preschoolers do
Comments from Ann:
ReplyDeleteWell Kristen, since I have not officially taught in quite awhile but am on my 3rd child entering kindergarten I going to speak as a parent. If it is something that you are interested in and excited about go for it. Do not stress the reading and writing to much as long as you are reading a lot to them and having them practice writing their names and simple words with their pictures they draw you are good. I believe what preschool brings more importantly is the socialization. So I do think if you have them involved in other classes you are fine. Make sure some are without you being there. They need to be okay without you and be able to take directions from other adults. Personally as a stay at home mom I treasured the time my kids went to preschool since in 10 years this past year was my 1st to have a whole 2 1/2 hours a day without a child with me.
One of my really good friends from high school was home schooled all the way through middle school. She home schools her own children today. It seems like a lot of work, but she gets some help coordinating with other mothers that do the same thing. It sounds like you already figured out a similar support system. Plus you've got all those other traditional school/social opportunities. Good luck!
ReplyDelete