Ah yes, the power of community! I received an email recently from a mom who asked about schooling one child. Here's my response.
One of the readers of this blog (whom I now have the honour of calling "friend") ) also schools her only child and, for the love of God and her child, does an excellent job of it! So I asked if she would share some tips too!
Thanks Yee Wah for the really practical tips! Over to you...:
Hi, I just wanted to add my 2 cents to Suwei's (excellent) points.
I'm also a mother with one child, a 3 year old boy. I have started an
informal routine with him, am and enjoying this 'light start' to
homeschooling.
As moms, we may tend to question ourselves no
matter the situation. For example, moms with multiple children may
question how they can teach with children at different levels of
understanding and who are learning subjects. Teaching just one child
probably sounds idyllic to them. :)
When I first wrote down the
routine, I reflected on the areas where I wanted my son to grow. I felt
strongly that my most important goal was to pass on love for/knowledge
of God because that was the most precious and enduring gift.
Practically, that came through reading the Bible, talking about God in
every day situations, memorizing a simple Bible verse.
Then
came character development - things like being self-disciplined, having
empathy for others. Some of the character traits I knew he needed work
from my everyday interactions with him. Others would serve him well
later, e.g. not giving up easily. Practically, these can translate into
small habits (e.g. self discipline: starting with cleaning up his toys
after playing), or activities (e.g. empathy: we visit a senior home
every week where he plays with the elderly and he has started to talk
about things he can bring/do to make them happy each visit).
Then
came the more 'traditional' things we think of when schooling: physical
activity, academics (English and Chinese -reading lots of books
together, math - everyday examples, science - nature observation, art).
When
I wrote all these down, added time for him to play and an occasional
field trip, I was surprised by how quickly the timetable filled up.
I've adjusted the schedule since I made it, and it helps me to see that
he is indeed learning at home in different ways.
A curriculum
like ACE (which Suwei uses) also helps when starting out or getting
ideas. Here are some other books/blogs which I found helpful:
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Slow-
http://www.
At
the end of the day, no matter what book/schedule you use, it will
require tweaking as your daughter grows. And you can entrust it all to
God, knowing that it's not the curriculum or even we as parent or
teacher, who will 'make or break' our child's education. God is able to
accomplish great things despite us, and we can rest steady in seeking
His will.
God bless you as you ponder the next steps for you and your family!
Blessings,
Yee Wah
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