Little Mama Math

One of the beauties of being a homeschooling mom is you really get to understand how your children learn. And how differently they learn. A bonus of knowing each child's learning style is to be able to tailor their schooling accordingly. When Little Mama started kindergarten, I just assumed she knew her alphabet. Nature Girl did. Nature Girl was never really "taught" it she just knew it. So we were able to start reading lessons the summer before kindergarten. When Little Mama and I sat down to start reading lessons it was very frustrating. She didn't know her alphabet. Well, if she didn't know her alphabet I couldn't expect her to know the sounds the letters make. It became a problem. Then we took out the math worksheets and copywork. She had not yet developed her fine motor skills so those two subjects became a problem as well. The curriculum we follow doesn't really press for "formal" schooling until at least the age of six. Now I know why. So, back in August I decided to just read to Little Mama and let her color. Use preschool workbooks, just look at letters and numbers, do puzzles and flashcards. We practised straight lines and circles, coloring within the lines, making cards etc. Things to fine tune her fine motor skills. We took our time, no pressure. Another part of our curriculum is if you do writing etc. always take your time and do your best. It is about quality not quantity. I knew Little Mama was smart. When I would ask Nature Girl school questions, Little Mama would usually be able to answer first. She is sharp. Pays attention (when she wants to.) So, when we started school again in January we started working on "real" math. It was amazing how much she was able to develop her fine motor skill in just a couple of months. She is able to right most of her numbers with hardly any practice at all. And they look great!! She picks up math concepts with just one lesson. It has been amazing! We whip through 6-8 math lessons a week. She knows her alphabet now. We will start reading lessons soon. I wonder what would have happened to her had she been in public school. Would she have been labeled? Would she have been left behind? Would she have become frustrated? Would she have felt stupid? Would she hate school? I am so thankful we will never know . . .