Why We Chose to Start School Early

Science Poster made by Jenna - Age 4

I don't talk in detail about homeschooling Jenna with many people yet. It feels slightly strange to write a blog post for anyone in the world to read when I rarely talk about it with people I actually know. 

Jenna has always been a very bright child. As her mother, I'm incredibly proud of her just because she's my daughter, but I also recognize that it's more than just motherly pride. Before she was even two years old, she could identify letters by name and also tell you the sound they made. (I always give a big shout out to the Leapfrog Letter Factory video for this one. I don't like trying to teach kids via cartoons, but this happened quite by accident.) She has also been a whiz with puzzles. I have a feeling she may have somewhat of a photographic memory.

Because Jenna was an only child for some time, and I am a stay-at-home mom, we had plenty of time to add in fun learning games. We would count buttons, play with puzzles, do silly flashcards, and other fun things. It was never rigorous and she always enjoyed it. 

As a little side note: I learned a GREAT lesson about not comparing children around this age. I remember going to church and a little boy who was a few months younger than her was listing off colors of different things. I realized that Jenna didn't know her colors yet! I was sure I was failing her as a mother and she was doomed for eternity. 

Well.... maybe slightly less dramatic. She eventually learned all of her colors, and I realized that children learn what you spend time teaching them. 

Jenna working with her flashcards (almost a year and a half old)

I could tell Jenna was ready for more, so I picked up a Preschool workbook at Costco and when she wanted to do "school" we would choose pages out of the book to do. It started feeling random and her skills and desire to do school continued to increase as time went by. Honestly, at first I thought playing school would just be a phase, but it's years later and she still LOVES school.

Not incredibly surprising though. You know the panicked moment when you realize your child is in another room and they have been quiet for just a little too long? I would run into the room afraid of what disaster might await me and find this...

Reading her Bible in her room

After much consideration, conversations with my husband, and prayer, we decided to start Jenna on an actual curriculum. I wanted to teach her with purpose, not just randomly do worksheets because it was taboo to do Kindergarten at this age. At this point she had just turned 3 years old. A friend who had just finished using the My Father's World K program gave us almost everything we needed for that year. I only had to order new student sheets so it was perfect for us! 

Because Jenna was so young, my plan was to just go as quick or as slow as she needed. The program was a perfect fit for her level and we had so much fun! One of the reasons I'm a bit shy about admitting where Jenna is academically is because of some of the reactions. Some people think I'm trying to push my child. Others have claimed that you will ruin your child in their later years if you do schoolwork before the age of seven, or that it's a big waste of time because they'll eventually slow down and be at the same level as their peers anyway.

Yay for people being so incredibly supportive! (note the slight amount of sarcasm in that last sentence). I've read MANY articles about how damaging it is to start your child on a "formal education" too soon. The problem with these studies is that they are done for a PUBLIC school setting not a homeschool environment. It truly is comparing apples and oranges. When Jenna first started the K curriculum, we would do 10 minutes of work a day. 10 minutes! Fast forward to today... She is 4.5 years old and spends a total of 30 minutes working on her schoolwork. Let's do the math:

24 Hours in a Day - 12 hours of sleep - 1 hour quiet time/nap - 30 minutes school = 

10.5 Hours

I only allow my child 10.5 hours a day to let her "be a kid". To allow her time to have imaginative and free play. I better start saving up for her future therapy bills now. Should I mention that I have had her help do laundry since she was old enough to walk, or does that border on child abuse?

Okay, I think I'm done with my snarky attitude for the time being. It just gets to be incredibly frustrating. I would think that fellow homeschool mothers would understand the flexibility it allows you and that we all try to make the best choices that are right for our families. It's unfortunate that even in these circles you are met with opposition.

I understand that Jenna is young and I plan on her taking a much longer time to finish her work than it would of someone at the appropriate age/grade level. She finished MFW K this past Summer and has moved on to MFW 1st. When we get to something tough, we give it extra time. If she eventually evens out and is at grade level with the rest of the children her age, I am totally fine with that. I wouldn't trade my decision for the world though. Doing school together has given us time together with just the two of us and it has been such a precious time. She loves to learn and loves to explore new things. There are days when she is begging to do more school and whining that it's already over.

And what about Connor?

This little guy just turned two. He can count to ten (sometimes), has no idea what an alphabet is, and anything he loves he claims is "blue" because it's his favorite color to say. He is completely different than Jenna and I love every little bit of him just as much. He knows the names of different kinds of trucks, and runs around the house asking permission to "poke" or "hit" you with a stick. (Permission denied Buddy!) Doing school with him will be completely different and completely wonderful.