Littles Archives - Simple Homeschool

Read your way to a love of math: 75+ titles for ages 4-12 (UPDATED!)

Jamie C. Martin — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 18:10:58 +0000

Read your way to a love of math (UPDATED!) ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool

I’m currently updating a series I published over ten(!) years ago about math, explaining how our family decided to approach the subject in a non-traditional way, particularly in the early years.

Now you’ll get to hear my perspective looking back as a veteran homeschool mom to see if it matches what my young, naive homeschool self thought!

In these posts, we’ve explored math study from a different perspective, asking two important questions: Why do we do what we do when it comes to this subject? Are there any other valid approaches to consider?

Other updates in this math series:
* A different way to look at math
* Out of the box math inspiration

An alternative to workbook pages in the early years is the simple sharing of a book spread open across your lap. It’s one of the easiest ways to create a blossoming love of numbers and patterns in a child’s heart and mind.

Back in the day when I was an insecure homeschool mom, I would have loved a list of well-chosen math titles, recommended by someone I trusted.

I’ve tried to provide that for you here, highlighting the resources we found most enjoyable in our own family – as well as including an updated list of other popular books you may want to check out.

Enjoy the journey as you read your way to a love of math!

Read your way to a love of math: 75+ titles for ages 4-12

Bedtime Math

Who is it for? Ages 4-12

What a fun addition (get it?!) this resource is for your math-learning littles.

Check out their website or app for easy access to a daily math question, or check out one of their three published Bedtime Math books(afflinks) for an offline option.

The beauty of bedtime math is that there are questions geared to a variety of learning-levels, making it something you can use for your preschoolers all the way to your pre-teens!

Life of Fred

Who is it for? Ages 6 – High School

Since I first wrote this series, I’ve been asked the same question several times: “I’d like to approach math differently, but what can I do if I have to provide documentation for my state and/or my kids have to take a standardized test?”

My top recommendation for those in the above situation would be to explore Life of Fred Math, a curriculum that goes from early elementary all the way through high school – but in a very different way to the norm!

Used in a structured or formal way, you’d be able to approach math creatively but still be able to provide the documentation you need to meet your local requirements.

Like any resource, Life of Fred isn’t for everyone. But my kids loved it, and I loved that I could read math aloud at the lunch table!

Mathemagic

Who is it for? Ages 4-12

Mathemagic is Volume 13 of a kids’ encyclopedia series that used to be produced by Childcraft and is now out of print.

It is full of inspiring math stories, clever puzzles, riddles, and games – perfect for reading aloud or putting on the shelf for your kiddos to flip through.

Math study aside, we have always had a used set of several Childcraft volumes on our shelves, and still do!

I can’t get of rid them, because hardly a homeschool day went by in our house that I didn’t see a child with one of these tucked under their arm. Keeping them for the grandchildren, perhaps one day?!

No longer in print, check for them on Amazon or Ebay.

Mathematicians Are People, Too

Who is it for? Ages 8-12

This is a fascinating collection of short stories about the lives of the great mathematicians throughout history – often including the details about how they developed their groundbreaking theories and discoveries.

A perfect way to show our kids what passion for math looks like, this series contains two volumes.

Sir Cumference Series

Who is it for? Ages 7-11 (give or take)

The Sir Cumference books introduce foundational geometry concepts through adventurous stories – radius and diameter, data collection, perimeter, area, and pi all make an appearance in this series of 12 titles.

*****

Other titles to explore for ages 4-8 (Updated!)

Other titles to explore for ages 8-12 (Updated!)

“Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty.”
~ Bertrand Russell

Do you know of any more inspiring titles to help read your way to a love of math?

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

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Sarah’s homeschool day in the life (w/ twin toddlers & a 3-, 10-, 12-, & 14-year old)

Sarah Mackenzie — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 17:45:28 +0000

Sarah’s homeschool day in the life ~
Written by Sarah Mackenzie of Read-Aloud Revival

A note from Jamie: Did all of you out there homeschooling littles think I forgot about you? Never! Even though many of our contributing writers currently have older kids, I wanted to reshare a post from our day in the life archives that might help some of you in the trenches with littles.

Enjoy this snapshot from Sarah Mackenzie’s homeschool – did you know Sarah was a contributing writer on SH for three years? Find all her posts here.

*****

This year we’ve got quite the crew:

14-year-old (8th grade) girl
12-year-old (6th grade) girl
10-year-old (5th grade) boy
3-year-old girl
2-year-old twin tornado boys … or as I’ve seen referenced elsewhere: twinados

5:38 am

My two little identical alarms run into my bedroom and wake me up. I miss the days of rising before my crew and having just a few minutes to myself, but this is not the season for it. The twins keep me running hard and long most days, so I sleep until they wake me.

The 3-year-old is not usually too far behind them. They pile on the couch under blankets and we do the early-morning-snuggle routine before getting started with first breakfast.

7:00
It’s time to wake the big kids. They have breakfast, and the toddlers settle in for second breakfast. Then I sneak off to shower while bigs entertain littles.

Big kids get ready for the day and do a morning job each (like emptying the dishwasher or taking out the trash), and I try to kinda-sorta tidy the kitchen in preparation for the day ahead.

Sarah’s homeschool day in the life (with twin 2-year-olds & a 3-, 10-, 12-, & 14-year old)

9:00
Time for school! I used to start our school day at 8. I’ve found my stress level has decreased significantly since I took the pressure off myself to start that early.

It seemed we could start 8 if (and only if) I was a drill sergeant, so now we start at 9 and I try not to bark orders.

We begin our day with morning time. In many ways, it’s the bread and butter of our school day. It’s where I immerse my kids in truth, goodness, and beauty. We all sit together to read literature, memorize scripture, and take a dip in the liberal arts – Shakespeare, composer study, picture study, or something of that nature.

This isn’t a picture from today, but lest you think our morning time is quiet, tame and orderly — well, I can’t have that. This is what morning time looks like at our house most days.

We read, memorize, and discuss, and the toddlers cause general ruckus and mayhem. Morning time is short, important, slightly stressful, and the best part of everyone’s day.

9:45

Twenty to thirty minutes later, we move into the next chunk of our day- something we call Morning Rotations.

Getting one-on-one time with each of my school-age kids can be tricky with so many toddlers mucking about. Morning rotations are how I make sure to get some good quality time with each child every day.

Each term, I choose a subject that my kids need focused 1-on-1 time for, and we do it during this time block (right now it’s writing for all three of my school-agers).

I simply take the child I’m working with into a separate room and we close the door. One of the remaining big kids is left to supervise and entertain the twins; the other reads and does preschooly things with the 3 year old. Every 30-45 minutes for the rest of the morning, we rotate.

One big kid works with me while the others watch the littles.

It’s a great system, if I do say so myself.

By noon, we’ve completed morning time and each big kid has had 30-45 minutes with me 1-on-1. #win!

12:00
Lunch. Then the big kids clean the kitchen, and I take the littles up for rest time. Naptime boycotts are in full force, so there’s not usually any real sleeping being done these days.

Regardless, the toddlers have to stay in their bedroom to play (and make a huge mess) to give the rest of us some peace to relax and read.

1:30
What happens now depends on which day it is. Most days, it’s time set aside for the big kids to work on their spiral notebooks.

The kids more or less do the work listed in their spiral notebooks on their own. These are co-op homework assignments and anything else they can do on their own, like practicing piano or typing, listening to their history audio book, or completing a notebooking page for science.

Basically, if it’s not part of our morning time and we aren’t doing it during our 1-on-1 time, it gets listed in the spiral notebook.

Two days each week, our math tutor comes during this time and teaches the kids their new lessons.

This has been a tremendous help as I am, quite frankly, not a great math teacher. He assigns their work for the rest of the week while he’s here.

On Tuesdays, friends come over to do a socratic-style history and humanities class. My brilliant friend Angela teaches this, and it is easily one of the best parts of our homeschool curriculum. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

(They’re having tea and conversation about the Boston Tea Party in this picture).

3:00-ish

Late afternoons afford the kids a bit of free time. They almost always spend it reading, though I do try to convince them that there are other worthy pursuits … like listening to audio books.

Actually, when the weather is nicer, I’ll often kick them outdoors, or load them all into the 12-passenger van and head to a nearby park. If it’s a day our friends come over for humanities class, we just hang out and play with them.

4:00

Around 4, it’s time to rally. The house is usually a disaster zone by now, so we start tackling it together, and then I pair toddlers up with big kids to play while I make dinner.

5:00
My husband comes home, and we eat early. Big kids have assigned after-dinner chores, my husband takes over the whole crew, and I head to my corner bedroom office to work.

I run a podcast and community for parents who want their kids to fall in love with books. It’s nearly a full-time job, and I do most of that work during evenings and weekends.

I’m always a bit giddy to get started.

I posted this picture last week on Instagram right after working for a couple of hours. You know what I’ve discovered this last year? That as an extrovert, working outside of my homeschool is a really, really important way to take care of myself and feed my joy- it gives me so much energy!

I used to feel guilty about that, but I’m learning not to.

On evenings like this one, I head upstairs until about 9 p.m. On the day I’m documenting this post, I spent my work time preparing talks for the four conferences I’m speaking at this year. Those’ll be here before I know it, and I want to be ready!

Usually when I’m working, I’m recording podcasts, creating master classes and resources, and working with my team to line up award-winning authors like David Macaulay and Avi for our membership families to meet at live online events.

That’s John Erickson of Hank the Cowdog fame at one of our Live Author Access events, answering the kids’ questions from the chatbox. How could I not love work like this?

It can be a real challenge to juggle the demands of a career with homeschooling, homemaking, and raising my passel of peeps, but I’ve found so much energy and joy in making it happen.

9:00
Before making some tea and grabbing a book, I’ll try to look over spiral notebooks one last time, draft the kids’ school lists for the next day, and then spend some time hanging out with Andy.

It’s very likely I’ll stay up too late.

And then it’s another day.

How the days have changed:

2015: Sarah’s homeschool day in the life (with twin 1-year-olds & a 2-, 9-, 11- and 13-year-old)

Do we depend too much on our kids?

Kari Patterson — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 10:00:46 +0000

Do we depend too much on our kids? ~ Written by Kari Patterson

The wording might sound weird, but the idea resonates with me deeply: Once your child’s a teen, you’re no longer the star of the show.

You might be thinking, Star of the show? What show?

My daughter Heidi (15) is in youth theater and we have a running joke that I keep waiting for the artistic team to call and ask me to play some lead role. Come on, I can totally be Elsa! Give me a chance!

Yeah not happening. I had my season on the stage. I now work backstage, and I love it! It’s my children’s time to shine.

Most moms I know aren’t looking for a spotlight (and I’m not saying parents literally shouldn’t be on stages), I just mean that life really isn’t about me anymore.

Of course this starts from day one as parents. We mamas give up our bodies, time, sleep, energy, we set ourselves aside over and over as our little ones grow up.

But sometimes, we might miss the memo that this not-about-me aspect of parenthood only increases as they grow older.

And if we don’t wrap our minds around this and establish our own well-being, secure identity, and mental health, we can dangerously depend on our children or inadvertently make their journeys too much our own.

Do we depend too much on our kids?

Let’s consider how this can play out in our lives and our children’s.

Do we depend too much on our kids for SIGNIFICANCE?

For those hungry for significance, we can easily look to our children’s world to establish our own worth.

This begins early! If our toddler tantrums in public we’re wrecked emotionally, angry and embarrassed. A healthy pride over our child’s accomplishments can grow into increasing pressure placed on them to perform, because we see their success as ours.

As they grow, we can make their endeavors about our own pursuits.

Do we lean on our kids for SECURITY?

For those hungry for security, we can subtly use our children to give us emotional comfort and support.

Perhaps all introverts can identify with how helpful it is to have a child to “hide behind” in social settings. No shame in that, it can certainly make parties easier.

But as they grow, we can become unhealthily dependent on them, especially if our adult relationships are problematic.

Both of these place a pressure on children they were never meant to bear. Children were never intended to be our source of significance or security, and though they might never be able to articulate it, the result of having to shoulder that ill-fitting burden often ends in resentment.

So how do we avoid this? Asking ourselves a few questions can help.

For the little years:

Do I get angry and resentful when my child’s behavior interrupts my day or causes me discomfort?
Do I display these feelings in such a way that my child feels responsible for my own emotional state?
Am I modeling emotional regulation or am I sending the message that my child has the power to make or break my day?
Do I overly depend on having my child with me as a sort of social security blanket?

For the middle years:

Have I over-booked my child’s life with activities that he or she may not actually want to do?
Are there any ways that I’m demanding my child go a certain route because it’s what pleases me most?
If I am involved in coaching or leading these activities, am I making the activity too much about me?

For the teen years:

Am I pushing my child OR holding back my child because of my own emotional needs?
Am I pushing them out of panic that they might not be doing as well as I wish?
Or am I holding them back because “I’m not ready” for whatever is next in their life?
Do I have an unhealthy emotional dependence on them?
Am I expecting them to meet a relational need that should be met through a spouse or friend?

While I’m not to the grown years yet, all of these things pave the way for a healthy launch into independence and adulthood for our kids. Our children should feel the freedom to fly the coop and establish their own lives in adulthood without worrying about whether we’ll be okay without them.

Simply put: They cannot fly freely with the weight of our needs around their necks.

Friends, I’m working on this too. Let’s enjoy our children thoroughly without depending on them for our significance and security. For their good. And our own.

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

SH #110: When Your Kid Refuses to Do Something

Jamie C. Martin — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 14:29:46 +0000

SH #110: When Your Kid Refuses to Do Something ~
Written by Jamie C. Martin of Simple Homeschool and Introverted Moms

Welcome to a new episode of the Simple Homeschool podcast, continuing this year’s series with my 18-year-old son Jonathan!

Jonathan was homeschooled from K-12th grade/graduation and today we are answering a question we get a LOT: What do you do when your homeschooled child doesn’t want to do an assignment, chore, etc?

When Your Kid Refuses to Do Something

In Episode 110, you’ll hear us discuss:

How to handle pushback depending on the age of your child (littles, tweens, teens)
Thoughts on separating academics from household duties
Why you should go to Thailand and not Bogota (listen in for more context, LOL, it’s a helpful analogy!)
How Jamie forced Jonathan to take the SAT twice (and what he thinks about that now looking back #meanmom)

Click here to stream/download Episode 110! Find it wherever you listen to podcasts and subscribe so you’ll be notified when we release another in a couple of weeks.

Links and Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Thanks to our sponsors: Outschool and Ivy Kids!
Are our voices an encouragement? Buy us a tea!
Leadership Education
Children are not adults
Core Phase: Creating a Solid Foundation for Ages 0-8
SH Episode 103: In which we chat “bribery”
SH Episode 107: Jonathan’s Chemistry/Biology experience
Great Homeschool Conventions
College Prep Genius
Khan Academy SAT prep
Follow Jonathan on Instagram
Follow Jamie on Instagram and Facebook
Take our new homeschooling quiz here!

Do you have a homeschooling question for Jonathan or me to answer in an upcoming episode? If so, leave it in a comment on this post or email it to me at jamie@simplehomeschool.net with the subject line “Podcast Question” and we’ll see what we can do!

* Listen to more episodes of the Simple Homeschool podcast here.

* Click here for the auto-generated transcript of this episode.

Are you a GOOD or BAD homeschool mom? Take Jamie’s NEW LOL QUIZ now to find out!

6 (surprising) ways to prepare your littles for learning

Kari Patterson — Tue, 04 May 2021 14:26:34 +0000

6 (surprising) ways to prepare your littles for learning ~
Written by Kari Patterson of Sacred Mundane

My current stage–juggling a baby and a toddler along with a teen and tween–has its challenges, to be sure, but one great aspect is the daily reminder of this important concept:

Begin with the end in mind.

It’s one of Stephen Covey’s seven habits, and can be applied widely. Grand scale: The Psalmist’s prayer: “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Envisioning what it will be like at the end of our lives (and after!) certainly helps bring perspective.

Prefer to listen instead?

But on a smaller scale, through the lens of education, these words can give us extraordinary insight into how we teach and train our toddlers, in order to set them up for successful learning later in life.

Having a 14-year-old helps me connect the dots: This toddler behavior becomes this teen behavior.

The first time around, I focused primarily on preparing my preschoolers academically. Counting. Letters. Colors. All good stuff.

But now, more than a decade later, I think these six things stand out as preschool essentials!

6 (surprising) ways to prepare your littles for learning

1. Self-control

Ways to teach it young: Little ones can’t comprehend abstract concepts, but this one small practice can help immensely: Teaching our toddlers to clasp their hands together and hold them in their lap. In our house we say, “Get self-control,” and this cues the clasped hands. It gives them something to do to get their bodies under control, rather than just focusing on what they aren’t supposed to do.

What it looks like later: What a gift to a teen and tween when they have already developed a healthy measure of self-control! Rather than relying on outward rules and regulations, they’ve learned (to some extent) to govern their time, appetites, and decisions. Even our 12-year-old daughter, when she’s having a particularly emotional and difficult day, will clasp her hands and remind herself to “get self-control” in order to stay calm. It might sound silly, but it helps!

2. Initiative

Ways to teach it young: Of course we aren’t expecting our two-year-olds to notice needs around the house, but we can intentionally ask them questions and encourage them to take initiative. If something is spilled: “What should we do to clean that up so it doesn’t get yucky?” Or, “The kitty is hungry, what should we do about that?” Or, “We can’t eat dinner until the table is set, what could you do to help make that happen?” This is another reason to relax a bit and not push our children toward academics too young. What a joy to have a young child begging to learn to read rather than us forcing them before they’re ready.

What it looks like later: Ultimately, we want our children to take responsibility for their own education. They won’t really learn something unless they want to, until they’re motivated. Students who sit back and expect someone else to “educate them” probably won’t flourish in life. As I type these words Heidi is working through a Creative Writing curriculum she picked up on her own, because she wants to improve her writing. I never told her to do it, she took the initiative. She’ll grow because she wants to!

3. Memorization that matters

Ways to teach it young: We all know young children are masters of memorization. There are a lot of great things to memorize. I started pretty hard-core with certain memory work, but soon simply focused on memorizing Scripture. We did “Letter Lessons” — each week we’d learn about a letter that stood for a character trait (A — attentive, B — brave, C — compassionate). We’d learn about the character trait and memorize a verse that went with it. We had fun with it — rewording verses to rhyme or saying them with a certain cadence, with hand-motions.

What it looks like later: I’m amazed how these verses have “stuck” with us. To this day we’ll find ourselves saying a verse the way we memorized it when the kids were small. Of course we’re all going to have different educational priorities, but we decided to skip the prepositions in favor of the Proverbs. Begin with the end in mind just means we think very intentionally about what material will benefit our kids long-term.

4. Concrete Math

Ways to teach it young: Using manipulatives and, even better, real life materials to teach the concrete foundations of math will set our little ones up for success later on. Of course some math facts just need to be memorized, but nothing beats a little one comprehending concepts because she has actually seen them at work in the world.

What it looks like later: What a gift when older students can actually SEE math alive in their daily lives! Just today my 14-year-old was trying to convince his younger sister how valuable the math was that she was doing. Though she couldn’t see it, he could, because of his grasp on the ways these abstract concepts played out in daily life.

5. Excellence

Ways to teach it young: We have a children’s book called Halfway Herbert. It’s a hilarious story about a little boy who does everything only halfway. It’s fabulous! At every turn we have opportunities to teach our children to do a task with excellence, all the way, never half-heartedly, even if it’s something they don’t enjoy.

What it looks like later: Of course the ability to do things with excellence, even when you don’t want to, is HUGE later in life! We’re still working on this one as well (smile), but it’s worth the work.

6. How to ask for help

Ways to teach it young: I think every homeschool mom faces this at some point — a frustrated child who either won’t ask for help, or who too-frequently asks for help, or who over-reacts and cries. We see this in toddlers all the time. While they’re young this is the perfect opportunity to teach them to try their very best, but when faced with something they cannot figure out, to calmly (and without shame!) ask for help. Every time our children face an obstacle we have the opportunity to teach this process.

What it looks like later: I remember in college, hearing professors say that their office-hours were the most under-utilized resource on a college campus. Students would struggle, even flunk, but still not go in, in person, and ask for help. If a student has learned to take the initiative to calmly (and without shame!) ask for help, they will be lightyears ahead of so many! Some of us adults need to go back and relearn this as well.

How about you? I bet you have a wealth of wisdom on other ways to prepare your littles for learning. We’d love to hear!

What’s Your Homeschool Mom Personality? Take Jamie’s quiz now and receive a free personality report to help you organize your homeschool based on what your personality type needs most!

5 things I’ve learned in kindergarten

Amida — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 10:30:39 +0000

Written by Amida of Journey into Unschooling

When I started homeschooling, some 15 years ago, my focus was very much on academic achievement. Like many before me, I had a long list of subjects to plow through and an even longer list of concepts for my kid to master.

Not only did we closely follow the school curriculum and state standards, we added in Great Books, Classic Literature, Memorization, Art Study and Latin for good measure.

We accomplished many amazing projects (like Monet-inspired paintings), as well as shed many, many tears.

Looking back, I’m surprised we survived the grade school years, let alone continued the journey with three more kids!

Luckily, homeschooling turned out to be my calling. Despite the constant stress, the never ending housework, and the 24/7 with kids, I rather liked it.

I loved hearing my children read aloud. I relished seeing them read to themselves. I delighted in the doodles that came with every sheet of paperwork they completed and even the incomplete weather logs.

It was all good and brought purpose to my life. I was the one who taught them how to write their first letter, read their first sentence, and add their first group of plastic bear manipulatives.

This will be my fifth year repeating kindergarten, and I must say, practice does make it easier. I now know exactly how much to push and when to back off.

In fact, here are five things I’ve learned through (teaching) kindergarten to my kids:

1. The earlier they can read, the better.

My four kids have learned to read at ages three, four, five, and six. For us, the earlier the start, the higher the confidence in learning other subjects.

And for the record, I only suggest to start young — the finish line could be as close or far as necessary, depending on the child. You might be pleasantly amazed by what your 3- or 4-year-old can pick up.

A note from Jamie: My own family made a very different choice when it comes to the age to introduce reading and other academics. I appreciate Amida sharing her experience because I want this blog to always encourage readers to find what works for you and yours, and to recognize that will lead us all to different solutions.

2. Make friends young.

There’s nothing like having another kid your age to grow up with and take over the playground with when everyone else is in school.

Siblings are wonderful, but having a special friend to share stories or snacks with is a real treat.

3. Field trips are not an option.

Get out and explore the neighborhood park or community event or museum or even the local library.

Much can be learned by observing the world around you. Notebooks optional.

4. Art is not an option.

I love doing art. Painting, drawing, building, crafting — you name it, I’m there.

Creativity is just as important as STEM, and no doubt improves your productivity in other areas.

Photo by Eric Costello

5. Every day is not a school day.

The younger the kid, the less “school” they need.

Seriously, no child under six needs a planner. Teach them reading, writing, and simple arithmetic. Done.

And oh yeah, everything’s more fun with stickers. Even homeschooling teenagers love them–only they call them “decals.”

What are some things you’ve learned through teaching kindergarten?

Homeschooling with little ones underfoot (& keeping your sanity)

Jamerrill Stewart — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 10:30:36 +0000

The following is a post by Jamerrill Stewart of FreeHomeschoolDeals.com.

In more than ten years of homeschooling, I have yet to hit a season in which I don’t have a baby, a toddler, a baby and two toddlers, along with older children, or some non-matching age-range combination.

Recently I shared about Homeschooling with a Newborn and how we make that work in our growing family. Of course the perfectly legitimate question that follows usually is, “Yes, but what about homeschooling with a toddler?!”

I think, as moms, we get bogged down with the fact that toddler-hood is messy, and it is. My husband and I always laugh at the joke that having a toddler is like having a blender with no lid. Our lives are already messy, so when one of our children hits the toddler stage it can honestly feel like, “Oh no, not more of this!”

First let me encourage you, we’ve survived and you will too.

If you’re worried that somehow your older children are being harmed because, as Momma, you are juggling multiple ages and stages, let me calm your fears with this: we’re still here.My older kids are fine. My middle kiddos are fine. My preschooler, toddler, and baby — all okay. And me as Momma? I’m still here and wouldn’t have it any other way.

And in all honesty, none of us would trade these babes, even after they’ve been discovered to have painted their arms with blue-man-group paint (true story!), or wish away these years. There’s a certain level of surrender that we have to go through. A little more dying-to-self that motherhood slowly imposes each day.

You have to lean into it. And the “blender days” of homeschooling with little ones underfoot are no different.

Here are a few tips for staying sane:

Get outside first

As long as there is not a major snow or rain storm, one of the first orders of business in our homeschool life schedule is to get outside. During decent weather we can end up spending up to 2 hours outside playing in the mornings before the school books hit the table. Even in lousy weather we’ll bundle up and get outside for a good 30 minutes. We are all better for it.

Let them ‘do school’

In our homeschool the little ones get to “do school” with the family. Much like a one-room school house, I focus my attention on our 2nd-grader, kindergartner, preschooler, and toddler at our big table first. Our older children, who are upper elementary/middle school and high school levels, spread out on the couches with their books and independent work during this time.

No time pressures

I find that after we start our day with fresh air and outside time, the little ones are ready for a natural time of sitting down as a family at the big kitchen table. I don’t make how long they stay seated a big deal.

My 19-month-old very well may sit and “draw” (she repeats the words, “draw! draw!” excitedly when she sees the school boxes come out) for up to 20 minutes. Usually, once she’s done with her drawing, it’s time for her to go down for her nap.

The preschooler (3 1/2) and kindergartner (5) have workbooks from the dollar store and naturally are eager to work on writing their numbers, letters and names. I let them work as long as they’re interested, and then they’re free to choose from simple activities listed below.

Save a few, simple, activities just for homeschool

During our early years of homeschooling I have simple activities saved for school time. The kids are always free to pull out the bag of big wooden blocks or duplo-style blocks. I have a crate for each little child with their own selection of puzzles, books, basic craft supplies, and an inexpensive dry-erase board. If you give a 3-year-old a glue stick, stickers, 2 crayons, and a file folder, most will be engaged for quite a while.

Here are more than 134 Preschool Activity Ideas for Homeschooling Little Ones.

Once the little ones have moved onto their simple activities of choice, I’m able to help older children with their work as needed. Then as a family we roll into read-aloud time. At this point, read-aloud time includes all the children except the 19-month-old who is still napping. The little ones usually continue with their simple activities, or do Lego creations with the older children while I read.

*If you have children who are struggling, plus younger children, you can exercise your homeschooling freedom and flexibility by creatively working on areas of difficulty during nap-time or even in the evening. I had a season when I “only” had a 6-year-old, a busy 3-year-old, and a newborn. My 6-year-old and I worked on his math and phonics in the evenings when the house was quieter.

There is no perfect

This is truth right here.

No perfect. This is real life.

You can see Pinterest-perfect pictures of homeschool rooms and read articles on complicated toddler and preschool homeschooling systems that can quickly make a homeschool mom feel bogged down.

If you WANT to do colored rice bins, then go for it. If it adds too much pressure to what you’re already juggling, then free yourself and know that the little ones will be just as happy with something that is simple for you to pull together in your world.

No matter what, your life will not be perfect, flawless, or smooth.

Mine isn’t.

But you’re alive. You are living each messy and joy-filled day with your children. You are fully living.

Books for Homeschooling with Little Ones

Preschoolers and Peace: Homeschooling Older Kids With Success While Loving the Little Ones at Your Feet

The Early Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 3- to 8- Year-Old Child

The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook

Additional Encouragement for Homeschooling with a Toddler (or two, or three)

How to Homeschool with a Baby or Toddler (& Enjoy It!)

Ten Tips from Homeschooling Moms of Four or More from Well-Trained Mind

Homeschooling with Toddlers: Finding Your Way Without Losing Your Joy (or Mind!) by the fabulous Heidi St. John

Homeschooling with a Toddler in the House

Toddlers, Babies, and Your Homeschool – great ideas from Amy of RaisingArrows.net

How to Keep Toddlers Busy (& Out of Trouble) While You Homeschool

5 Tips to Occupy Your Toddler While Homeschooling – yes, please!

12 Tips For Keeping Toddlers Busy While Homeschooling

How Do I Homeschool with a Toddler + Free Tot School Planning Pack from Only Passionate Curiosity

What are your questions or tips on homeschooling with little ones?

Take home lessons from a Waldorf preschool

Kara Anderson — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:00:31 +0000

Written by Kara S. Anderson.

For three years I had been wondering about joining a particular local weekly homeschool co-op.

And, then, last winter, I got my sign — they were offering a Waldorf preschool class, taught by a trained Waldorf teacher.

We try to be Waldorfy, I thought, as I recalled all the failed circle times and the fact that despite following the “rules” my son started reading at 3.

As we entered that beautiful classroom on the first day, I was so excited. Finally, I will get to see all this Waldorfness in action and transfer it to our life.

While it is true that I learned a lot (I was invited to observe and at times pitch in a bit) the lessons were unexpected. But bringing what I learned home has helped us find a balance that truly works.

Lesson 1: Not everything has to be totally Waldorf every second.

I had been interested in Waldorf education from the time my son was born. I filled my head with book passages, and we filled our home with wooden toys, block crayons, and baskets of pinecones.

So I was surprised when I learned where the teacher got some of her supplies like tiny glass mugs (a restaurant supply store); aprons from Goodwill and cardboard looms from a discount art warehouse.

The goal is to find materials that are useful, real, and beautiful, and that appeal to children. Such items can certainly be found through many wonderful Waldorf sites and catalogs, but with a careful and discerning eye, some great items can be found in other places as well.

Lesson 2: Just because it is Waldorf, doesn’t mean it is right for your family. (At least not right now)

A few years ago, my wonderful Waldorf-loving friend Rebecca taught a felting class. I loved every minute of it, bought far too much roving, and spent a lot of time making tiny creatures for two impressed kiddos.
So imagine my surprise when I asked the teacher when felting is taught in Waldorf schools.

“Not for a long time,” she said kindly, glancing at my newly 4-year-old little girl.

“Oh, no!” I said. “I was thinking of my son, who is older. He always wants to try when he sees me felting, but the needles make me nervous.”

Again, with kindness, she explained that many Waldorf teachers believe it is important for a child not to even see needle felting until they are older because they can misunderstand the motion used (a needle being repeatedly poked into the felt).

Whoops.

Rebecca came to my aid later and said she was sure I hadn’t scarred my children, and reminded me that wet felting can be a wonderful (and safe!) sensory experience for little ones.

Lesson 3: Waldorf teachers are not perfect people. (And you don’t have to be either)

They seem like it, don‘t they? But they are just normal people, deep down, which I learned the first day when a little girl entered the beautiful classroom and began turning over every basket in sight.

“We have a dumper,” the teacher said to me with a grin that said she would rather be screaming into a pillow.

Still, she took a deep breath and the next time the little girl dumped a basket, she handled it, calmly, gracefully … respectfully. They cleaned it up together as she explained that we want to keep the classroom neat and lovely.

What I saw was that she was not perfect — she had been momentarily irritated. But she still handled things like the adult. She set an example, and won a little girl’s trust and respect.

Lesson 4: The teacher keeps it together.

I can’t emphasize strongly enough the POWER OF THE APRON.

When the teacher tied her apron, she was in business-mode. Granted, the business was watercolor painting and fingerplays, but her whole demeanor became professional and IN CHARGE.

This is not to say that she stopped being loving. If anything, she became more so. She was focused, and her focus was 150 percent on the children in her care. This showed me the power that comes from mindfulness, and that you can bring that power to anything from playing with blocks on the floor to scrubbing a table.

This also meant that her attitude (positive, upbeat and on the task at hand) dictated how each day went.
It was remarkable how she led that classroom in a way that looked like she wasn’t even trying. It is something to aspire to — that’s for sure.

Lesson 5: Some aspects of Waldorf are easier in a group (So again, be kind to yourself)

Waldorf education was originally intended to be taught in a group setting. It wasn’t meant to be one mom, alone with 2 or 3 kids, trying to get siblings who 5 minutes ago were arguing over the last muffin to hold hands and sing like they are in a meadow of flowers.

So I have come to think that it is okay to use the ideas that work for you. Sure, there are some things that kind of make Waldorf Waldorf. But just because one or two “pieces” of Waldorf education do not work in your home, does not mean you have to give it up completely.

If Waldorf, or any educational philosophy, speaks to you, then use what works — and cut yourself a little slack. Do things well and with intention, but don’t get wrapped up in perfection.

Because the most important lesson I was reminded of in that classroom is that it all starts with caring deeply for the children you teach.

And that one, I’ve definitely got covered.

Have you learned how to embrace certain aspects of a philosophy while being able to discard other aspects that don’t work?

This post originally published on March 30, 2012.

Homeschooling preschoolers: life is the curriculum

Sarah Baldwin — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 04:01:09 +0000

Homeschooling Preschoolers: Life Is the Curriculum ~
Written by Sarah Baldwin of Bella Luna Toys

When I am asked by those who are homeschooling preschoolers to recommend a curriculum for their 3- to 6-year olds, I tell them, “Relax! Life is the curriculum for the young child.”

Young children will learn everything they need to know and be prepared for formal learning later by participating in family life, household tasks and receiving nurturing care.

Being conscious of what children need to grow in body, mind and spirit, allows you to provide them with everything they need during these early years through daily living.

Ideas for Homeschooling Preschoolers from Waldorf Education:

Domestic Arts

As homeschooling mamas, you know how challenging it can be to get dishes done, laundry washed, meals made, and the house cleaned. It’s easy to feel like these chores need to be done in addition to homeschooling, which can feel overwhelming.

Children love to imitate the work of the adults around them. By understanding the imitative need of young children, we can include them in our daily tasks.

Allow time for your preschooler to help prepare meals, wash dishes, hang laundry, sweep the floor and so on. Many parents don’t realize how capable young children are of doing real work for a real purpose.
Provide them with real child-sized cooking and cleaning tools, so they can really help, and not just pretend to.
Cook with natural, healthy whole foods. In doing so, you have the opportunity to teach them about nutrition and where food comes from.

Not only are children learning practical life skills, but they also gain self-confidence through helping. Chores like chopping vegetables help develop fine motor skills, and big jobs, like sweeping, develop large motor skills.

Realize that children are learning math when they practice measuring and counting ingredients. They are introduced to scientific concepts like substance transformation and chemistry through baking.

Imaginative Play

You’ve probably heard it said that “play is a young child’s work.” In Waldorf education, it is believed that imaginative play in early childhood leads to creative thinking later in life.

In a Waldorf early childhood classroom, ample time is allowed each day for imaginative free play, which is considered the heart of the morning.

Studies have shown that children who attend preschools where imaginative play is emphasized (think playing house, dress-up, and role-playing) actually perform better when they reach grade school – both academically and socially – than children who attended more academic preschools which emphasize reading and math.

Natural toys that are open-ended will encourage children to play imaginatively. For instance, a basket of shells or wooden tree blocks can become money, dishes, play food, and so forth.

Music

Not only does singing bring joy and lightness to our days, but learning songs also helps develop vocabulary and language skills.

Singing through the day is a wonderful way to ease transitions, and to use while working.

For a wonderful collection of songs to sing while cooking, cleaning and so on, I highly recommend This is the Way We Wash a Day by Mary Thienes Schunemann.

Movement

Photo by Phil Romans

The importance of movement for young children cannot be over-emphasized. Brain research has proven the direct connection between movement – both small and large – and a child’s brain development.

Allow plenty of time outdoors every day for active play. Activities like jumping, climbing, swinging, sliding, climbing trees, and building snow forts may look like play, but it’s important to understand that these activities are actually strengthening your child’s brain and preparing him for lifelong learning.

Nature

Photo by nicoleta gramada

Spending time outdoors through all seasons observing nature provides your science “curriculum.” There is no need to give a child scientific explanations of the processes of nature, which are abstract and meaningless to a young child.

Encourage your child’s sense of wonder, awe and reverence for nature. Let him marvel at the changes she notices throughout the season.

Collect items found on your nature walks and display them on a “nature table” at home.

This sense of wonder will lead to curiosity about the natural world and a desire to learn more, as he gets older.

Games

Games are fun, but there is so much to be learned through game playing!

Classic physical games such as jump rope not only help develop a child’s body and brain, but through reciting rhythmic jump rope rhymes, a child is also developing memory and language skills.

Traditional circle games such as “Ring Around the Rosey,” or “Duck Duck Goose” help children develop social skills, like learning to take turns.

There are many great cooperative board games to help develop logic, language, sequencing and so on.

Competitive games with winners and losers are very difficult for children under five to handle, and often lead to crying or cheating because of a preschooler’s strong desire to win. On the other hand, cooperative games allow everyone to work together toward a common goal.

Artistic Activities

Painting, drawing, handwork, and crafts help develop a child’s fine motor skills.

Again, neurological science has shown us that the nerves in the fingertips are directly wired to the brain, and by developing a child’s small motor skills through these activities, neurological pathways are being formed and strengthened, which lead to an increased capacity for learning.

By living life consciously and with purpose, and by including our children in daily living, “Life” has more lessons to teach our children than even the most prestigious packaged curriculum could ever hope to provide.

Are you homeschooling preschoolers? What activities will you fill your days with this coming year?

Originally published on September 9, 2011.

The truth about preschool

Carletta — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 04:00:03 +0000

The Truth About Preschool ~
Written by Carletta Sanders of Successful Homeschooling.

I absolutely love reading blogs written by well-organized, energetic moms who are creative enough to dream up fun activities for their preschoolers, and disciplined enough to follow through with their plans.

However, for all my reading… and dreaming… and planning… I’ve learned that I’m just not one of those moms. In the haze of multiple pregnancies, post-partum fogginess, regular household duties, and everyday life caring for four children ages 18 months to 10 years old, I’ve never consistently taught preschool at home.

The good news for those of you who are like me is – you can set your guilt and fear aside. My older children are excelling academically despite their mama’s shortcomings.

I’ve finally relaxed and embraced the truth about preschool – preschoolers can learn everything they need to know in the school of life.

Preschool in Our Home

If you peek into our home on an average day, you won’t find my preschooler doing circle time, reciting the days of the week and months of the year, charting the weather, exploring sensory bins, or playing with carefully crafted learning trays.

You’ll probably see him running around in a super hero cape or jumping from the couch to a beanbag to avoid the hot lava floor. You’ll see him helping mom with chores and making hot dogs in his toy kitchen. You’ll see him comforting his baby brother, pestering his sister and complaining that his big brother is cheating at Candy Land.

And, somehow, after a couple of years, he’ll just know all of the letters, numbers, shapes and colors. He’ll know how to write his name and count past 10. He’ll know that dark clouds mean rain is coming and tadpoles turn into frogs. He’ll know how to stand in line and take turns, and he’ll know it all without having been in preschool at home or otherwise.

Once again, I’ll be amazed that in the joyful mess of our lives together, my child managed to learn everything he needed to know.

How Children Learn

In a society that emphasizes early childhood education, it can be easy to forget that children are curious, inquisitive and wired to learn.

If you feel stressed, overwhelmed, guilty or afraid your preschooler will be behind, consider the following ways children learn naturally in everyday life:

Math

You don’t have to use worksheets to teach shapes, colors, comparisons, counting, addition and subtraction. Even the youngest preschoolers know how to figure out who got the most M&Ms or the biggest piece of cake. They scramble to be first in the line for ice cream. They only eat sandwiches that are cut into triangles. And they wear the same red shirt 5 days in a row. Math is, quite simply, everywhere.

Calendar

Words like yesterday, today and tomorrow are a natural part of everyday conversation.

“Mom, what are we doing today?”

“Honey, tell grandma what you did yesterday.”

“Time for bed, kiddo, we’ll read the rest of the story tomorrow.”

Weather

You don’t have to use elaborate charts and graphs to teach your children about the weather. Just open up the blinds and take a look outside.

Weather is another topic that’s easily addressed in daily conversation. “We better take the umbrella with us. It looks like rain.”

Community Helpers

Children see firefighters, policemen, postal workers, and medical professionals as a part of everyday life in a thriving community. They have moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles and cousins. Why rely on worksheets and projects when you have access to the real thing?

Art

Do the crafts we plan for our preschoolers really encourage creativity? Or are our kids just cutting what we tell them to cut and gluing where we tell them to glue?

Don’t succumb to the pressure to micromanage every activity. Make paper, crayons, scissors, glue and other craft materials available, and see what your children can do on their own.

Reading

If you live in a literate household where books are available and children see others reading, your children will WANT to learn to read. Read to your children because reading is useful and pleasurable – not because you’re afraid they’ll be behind.

And remember, you don’t have to run to the library for stacks of books about every topic you discuss with your children. Out of all the books I’ve brought into my home, my preschoolers have always tended to gravitate toward a few favorites.

Learn from My Mistakes

I spent way too much time hovering over my oldest child, pushing him to do more, to know more, to be more.

And when my second child was a preschooler, I was too busy teaching my oldest and nursing a baby to do much of anything other than feel guilty about what we weren’t doing for preschool.

However, by the time my third child became a preschooler, I think I mostly figured out the winning formula – love, laugh, encourage, and get out of the way.

What does preschool look like in your home?

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