I'm trying to homeschool my preschooler and...?

Question

He does fine for his 20 min. a day that we do "school". Today, I taught him the letter I, and it says i. We even did a cute little poem to remember it. Anyway, he did just fine, but when I went to show my husband how well he did earlier today, his mind went blank, and couldn't remember the letter, or the sound it made. What am I doing wrong? How can I enhance his memory skills? Any suggestions mommys?

mcmommy- Thanks, I think that is probably the answer since it was just the first day.

e- I don't have the $ to put him in a preschool at this time. He will go to regular kindergarton next year- don't worry.

Answer 1

Don't worry about not knowing how to teach him just because you don't have a degree in it. I've often felt that it is better if the kid is taught at home up to the foruth-sixth grade. It should not tax the parents' knowledge to teach them that long. The schools today seems more like a waist of time than it is really learning. Even if the teacher has a degree, it doesn't mean she is any good. I've heard of some really bad teachers.

Whle I was experiencing something of a regular school once, a few years back, I felt that the time in school was mostly fiddling and gabbing, and playing. Only when the teacher is talking for the quarter of the class did we learn anything different.

I'm 16 and homeschooled since five. You have nice kids, just looking at the photos in the 360.

Answer 2

It may take your child to learn it a while, he may need to know other letters and understand them but don't overwhelm him of course, that's the last thing you want to do. Just practice with him and if he continues to go blank then have his father teach him some. If he still goes blank after learning from both of you I'm not sure what to say, maybe short term memory loss but then gets it back later.

Answer 3

I have a two year old daughter, and usually, when you put a child/toddler on the spot like that, they get nervous and forget.
If you want a little help, try buying some baby einstein dvd's and watch them with your child. These have taught our little girl so much. We also use bath letters and numbers. They come in all different colors and can stick to the walls in your bathtub. Eeverytime we pick one up, we tell her what letter/number it is. (you can buy these at wal-mart) Now, she knows all of her numbers by counting 1-10, by pointing and naming, and knows 1-3 in spanish. Also knows all of her colors and two colors in spanish.
Just an idea!:)

Answer 4

Terrific about you guys homeschooling.

Structured Preschool isn't good for kids and it's unnecessary. Relax. Just live and he will learn sooooo much. There is no need to give him workbooks or any structured teaching at all. In fact, the structure is bad for him.

One way to teach letters is you read read read read to him. While reading, you point out a letter, just every so often, and mention the sound it makes. Like it's the most natural thing in the world. Don't quiz him. Get many Alphabet books in all themes and designs. Then you can linger over the letters, looking at them, talking about them, making their sound, learning about things that start with that letter.

Now - you should NOT be trying to get him to letter's names and sounds. You teach him over years by exposing him to this. It is absolutely bad education technique to teach it the structured way. Read, point out letters, make signs that label every item in your house, tape them up where he can see them.

Read him real things. He won't be telling daddy he knows the name or sound of a letter = he'll be telling daddy about dinosaurs or ancient cities or flowers or whatever grabs his imagination. Read him myths, fairy tales - yes even most Grimm - watch good tv with him (Find Little Bear, Richard Scarry from a few years back.)

This is the time to expose him to the wide world. Go to museums, plays, playgrounds, forests, beaches, rivers, farms, pumpkim patches, park days with other homeschoolers.

Sit down and play games with him - this is the best way to learn. Chutes and ladders teaches the numbers 1 - 100. When you play, you count aloud when you move. Monopoly is all about teaching counting and adding. Yahtzee is about counting and patterns. Play games. PLay games.

You cook with him and teach him fractions that way. DON'T QUIZ HIM. DON'T MAKE HIM PERFORM. HE'S NOT A TRAINED SEAL.

You are just living and learning. You are passing on your knowledge. He will absorb it like crazy.

He is too young to do what you are trying to do - so, don't enhance his memory skills, just give him an enriched, child-friend atmosphere. Other children can have their spirits beaten out of them and recite silly poems and draw letters. Let your child's spirit, imagination, and intellect soar. You want him hearing Greek Myths, not coloring inside little boxes.

He learns what a triangle is because you point them out wherever you see them - make a game of finding them - not because he colors little work sheets. You've gone a great thing by keeping him out of institutionalized schools. Now, get the institutionalized schooling way of doing things out of your brain! Let him really be free and you and your husband will be dazzled where his mind goes.

I know, I've been unschooling two boys for 13.5 years now.

Answer 5

Maybe you should do school for more than 20 min a day. Also let him sleep on what he learned and then ask him to repeat it the next day. Peoples brains need time to digest things and usually a good nights sleep will help. GOOD LUCK.

Answer 6

this will always happen..when something good happens and u want to show someone else, it NEVER works..its bad luck that happens to all of us..like a great basketball shot u make.. when ur friends come over u can never do it right again... get him into an actual school.. im not saying that ur a bad teacher or nething, but in school he may learn better study skills and have an easier time remembering things..plus he will meet many new friends.. i dont believe its right to shield a child from an education with other students

Answer 7

If you were excited and the first thing you did when hubby got home was to have your kid perform, maybe son was excited too and momentarily forgot. Once he calmed down, did he remember the lesson :) ?

Answer 8

How old is he?
Just try to keep it fun. Follow his lead and see what he is interested in learning about.
Sometimes it takes repititon to get things to stick.

Answer 9

Repetition, repetition, repetition!!!! Kids have a short attention span, you will have to continue to go over it!! He'll get it, just don't get frustrated, and remember, repetition!!!

Answer 10

This is normal - he'll catch on soon.