How to Homeschool Your Preschool Child

A new homeschooler recently asked me, “How do you homeschool a preschooler?” Time was, keeping a child home for his or her preschool years was a perfectly normal thing to do. Children went to school when they were five (or even six!) and somehow still managed to learn to read and write and maintain friendships. Today, if you tell someone your child is not going to preschool, you are likely to get some very strange looks.

Keeping your child home for preschool, even if you plan to send that child to traditional school for kindergarten, makes one a radical, out of step with the rest of the world. For those who plan to homeschool all the way through, preschool is the first step, the testing ground for all that will come later. Either way, it seems like an awful lot rests on the success of that first year or two. Please allow me to put your fears to rest.

I, too, was once a nervous homeschooler of a preschool child – actually two preschool children. I kept a notebook of what we did each day, assigning each activity to a subject area, just to reassure myself that yes, we were covering a great deal of learning in the midst of going about our daily lives. I also wanted to have that record, just in case that someone ever asked “What has your child done for preschool?” I assure you, no one ever asked.

If you have decided to take the plunge and teach your child at home for preschool, here are some basic tips to get you started:

1) You can do this! You have been educating your child since birth.
Parents are a child's first teachers. Think back to all the things that your child has learned in the past three or four years. You have been right there with your child, helping and encouraging him to reach every milestone. Homeschooling your preschooler is merely a continuation of the process. You can do it! You have been educating your child all along.

2) Play, play, and more play
At this age, exploration and play are the main tools by which children get to know the world. Respond to your child's questions and follow where they lead. Play with your child, and allow plenty of time for independent play. An imagination can only be formed in childhood. Allow it to blossom.

3) Integrate learning into everyday life.
The world is a wonderful classroom. Math is learned by counting objects around you, measuring ingredients for a recipe, talking about what time it is, or finding today's date on the calendar. Scientific exploration takes place in the great outdoors observing different plants and animals. During the winter, a kitchen or bathtub can be the site for experimentation. What types of items float? How are things put together? What happens when you cook different ingredients?

Letter magnets on the refrigerator are great for learning the alphabet and spelling simple words. Point out words on signs. Have your child practice writing her name on greeting cards. If you are taking a trip, plot out your route with your child in a road atlas. Look up places where relatives live on a map or globe. Just as you remember best those things that have some practical use in your life, so will your child.

4) Read to your child
Reading to your child is one of the most important things you can do for your child's education. Set aside some time every day to curl up with your child and read. As your child begins to recognize some words, he can help you read.

5) Nurture your child's creativity
Little children love to create and should be encouraged to do so. Crayons, markers, paints, clay, blocks, paper towel tubes, and just about anything else you can think of are all tools of the trade. This is no time to be critiquing your child's artistic development. It is all about the process at this stage. Give them the raw materials and then get out of the way!

Music is another important component of education. Expose your child to a variety of recorded music. Dance with him to help him feel the rhythm. Sing silly songs as your child gets dressed or takes a bath. Use pans and kitchen utensils as musical instruments. Let your child know that music is part of life!

6) The library is your best friend
The library is an amazing resource. Where else can you go and discover whole new worlds for free? Take your children often so that they can help pick out their books. The library also has media resources such as DVDs and computer software that you may want to incorporate into your child's education. Most libraries also offer storytimes and other activities for preschool children. Take advantage of them!

7) Find one or two social outlets for your child
The biggest argument people will give you for not homeschooling is socialization. "How will your children learn to get along with others?" Just being in a family teaches children how to cooperate and negotiate with others. However, it is important for your child to have some peer interaction. Taking your child to the park, signing up for your library's story-time, or attending a playgroup are all ways of making sure your child knows how to play well with others.

8) Enjoy your homeschooling journey
Homeschooling your preschooler is a wonderful opportunity to bond with your child and help him or her grow. While there will obviously be moments of frustration (just like parenting in general), it is amazing to watch your child's eyes light up when she finally figures something out that she has been working on. It's great to be there when your child recognizes his first written word, learns how to write his name, or can add 2 + 2! Whether you decide to send your child to kindergarten or continue to homeschool, you will have gotten your child off to a wonderful start and created memories that will last forever.

An Interesting History of Lent

Joshua LeBlanc has penned a very interesting history of how the Lenten days have been calculated throughout the years: The Forty Days and the Fortieth Day.

He reiterates the fact that Sundays are NOT Lent: "Sundays have never been considered days of fast (and still aren’t) and we can see in the Early Church an Apostolic Constitution3 which tells us that a man who fasts on the Lord’s Day is guilty of sin. Sundays were, and have always been, a celebration of the Resurrection of Christ and as such were never counted among the days of fast."

Write to Your Members of Congress Today about the Rights of Conscience Act

The USCCB is asking all of us to write to our members of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor and support the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 1179). They are also making it very easy to do so - with a preset form you can customize that is automatically sent to those who represent you once you put in your address. You can find out more at their website:Conscience Protection

Lenten Promise Leads to Award-Winning Devotional, Why God Matters

I had the pleasure of reviewing Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life a while back. You can read my review here: Book Review: Why God Matters

In 1996, Karina Fabian, mother of toddlers, made a Lenten vow that launched her career as a writer. Years later, it led her to share that joy of writing with her father, as they collaborated on an award-winning devotional, Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life. This year, she hopes to share the joy of Lent through her book and the Why God Matters website.

Deacon Steve Lumbert and his daughter Karina Fabian share their stories of how God led them from casual belief to deep devotion, and offer tips and exercises to help you see God's hand--and take it. Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life is published by Tribute Books and won the Christian Small Publisher Award for best book on Christian Living. It has over 40 reviews from readers of many Christian faiths who recommend it not only as a book to read, but to go through slowly, doing the exercises to strengthen their relationship with God and to be more aware of His presence in her life.

This year, Fabian and Tribute Books are opening the Why God Matters website to faith stories by others, especially Lenten faith stories. “I believe that Lent, and Lenten vows, can change lives,” Fabian said. “I’d like to share that hope with others, and the best way is through sharing our stories.”

Fabian credits her 1996 vow with giving her life its direction. She had always enjoyed writing, but it wasn’t until the Lent after leaving a career in the Air Force that she took it up professionally. “I was home with the kids, and getting a little stir crazy as Lent was approaching. I try to not only give up something for Lent, but to take up something to better serve God as well. So that year, I decided to give up reading fiction and take up writing.”

By Easter, Fabian had a job with the Wyoming diocese newspaper, and freelanced for several parenting and local magazines. She also wrote some slice-of-life stories, but seldom sent them out, and eventually moved more into writing fiction. However, in 2009, when Tribute books was seeking someone to write a short devotional of personal stories, tips and quotes, she felt God calling.

“I was a little intimidated by the project, though. I felt something of this magnitude needed someone with a theological grounding, too. Then I realized, my father is a deacon—and he is full of terrific stories.”

Deacon Steve Lumbert, who came to faith while Fabian was in college, had never written a book, but was excited to collaborate with his daughter. Working on this book brought a new level to their relationship.

“God continues to bless me through that Lenten vow,” Fabian said. “Not only will I cherish having worked with my father, but the book itself has touched so many lives. People have written to us that it’s helped them understand their faith better , brought them closer to God, or touched them when they really needed it. I hope this Lent, through the website, we can do this some more.”

40 Days for Life Campaign

Since you are sacrificing during Lent anyway, why not offer it up to help end abortion? Find out more here: 40 Days for Life

Ash Wednesday

Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

Lenten Regulations

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast, when only one full meal is allowed.

On days of fast two other meatless meals may be taken according to one's needs, but together they should not equal another meal.

The other Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence from meat.

The obligation to abstain from meat begins at 14 years of age.

The obligation to fast begins at 18 and ends at 59 years of age.

Although the faithful may excuse themselves for a just cause from these laws of fast and abstinence, there is an obligation to substitute another penance and no Catholic should lightly excuse himself/herself from this obligation in the Lenten Season.

100 Ways to Encourage a New Mom

One of my friends posted a link to this article on Facebook. Those days of new motherhood can definitely be tough. Here are some concrete ways to help make it better: 100 Ways to Encourage a New Mom

Poisoned by the Pill: Truths about Chemical Contraception

This is one of those articles that every woman should read: Poisoned by the Pill: Truths about Chemical Contraception

Book Review: My Other Self

My Other Self: Conversations with Christ on Living Your Faith
by Clarence J. Enzler
Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2010

“My Other Self: Conversations with Christ on Living Your Faith” was originally published in 1957. It has been reprinted as part of Ave Maria Press’ Christian Classics line. The author, Clarence J. Enzler was a father of thirteen children who was ordained to the deaconate in 1972, four years before his death. He is best known for his “Everyone’s Way of the Cross.” In the introduction to “My Other Self,” his children bear witness to the fact that he was a man who truly lived his faith. They write, “he was a model Christian, an outstanding Catholic, a defender of the faith, a gifted and skilled writer, a fabulous husband and an unparalleled father. But most of all, he was a man of God.”

“My Other Self” was modeled after “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas à Kempis, but updated to include more modern theological ideas – for example, the writings of St. Therese, the Little Flower. Enzler writes as if Jesus were speaking directly to the reader, instructing him on the way he should go. In reading these pages, it is easy to believe that it is, in fact, Jesus speaking to you, inviting you to turn your whole life over to Him. He does not promise that the road will be easy. In fact, it will involve suffering. But, it is the only way to true happiness. Those who seek happiness in sinful pursuits will be bitterly disappointed, because such happiness can never last. “A saint is a person who is happy – forever.”

Enzler speaks of the need for surrender and detachment, prayer, and developing virtue. His directions are simple and straightforward, always loving and very practical. Enzler makes holiness seem possible, even in the midst of our brokenness. Every page of this book contains wisdom and offers much to reflect on. “My Other Self” is the type of book one should refer to again and again as one progresses (or perhaps takes a step backward) on one’s spiritual journey and is in need of encouragement.

There are so many wonderful quotes in this book (I literally took pages of notes while reading), but here are a few thoughts to carry with you:

“If you would be holy, surrender yourself to me.”

“I send you nothing that is too heavy for you to bear. Everything is fitted precisely to your strength.”

“You must faithfully perform all your daily duties, big and little, out of love for me.”

“Strive to love me equally in all things: in sickness or health, life or death, wealth or poverty, pleasure or pain, consolations or desolations.”

“Do not complain, but do not hesitate to ask the Father for aid to bear your cross and your sufferings.”

“Patience with me is simply trust in me. To trust me completely is the utmost in patience.”

“I require action, but I must have action firmly founded on prayer. The more you lead a life of prayer, the more fruitful your work must inevitably become.”

“Sin is turning away from your King toward some other creature, living or inanimate.”

“Give your present and your future completely into my hands. Accept here and now all that my plan for you entails. This is a great sacrifice, but it is also a great joy.”

Looking for a Lenten Resource?

Are you looking for a little help on your spiritual journey this Lent?

Here are a couple of resources you might find beneficial:

Pausing To Pray Lenten Meditations for Busy People


"Pausing to Pray: Lenten Meditations for Busy People" offers short reflections for each day from Ash Wednesday through Divine Mercy Sunday. Each day features an excerpt from St. Faustina's Diary which focuses on Divine Mercy and then a short meditation from one of the Marian Fathers. The contributing Fathers include such notables as Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, author of "No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy," Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC, Director of the Association of Marian Helpers and author of the "Consoling the Heart of Jesus," and Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, world-renowned authority on the Divine Mercy Message and the life of St. Faustina.

The reflections are short and thought-provoking and will aid in devotion during the spiritual season of Lent. The booklet can be used year after year. It also features an examination of conscience, St. Faustina's Way of the Cross, the Novena to Divine Mercy, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

This is the reflection for the First Saturday of Lent:

Jesus, I accept everything that You wish to send me; I trust in your goodness. (Diary, 190)

Meditation

Dear Jesus, I am afraid of what I would have to give up if I gave You my unconditional 'Yes.' I guess I don't trust you enough. How did St. Faustina come to a complete surrender to You? She knew You better than I do. Help me to come to know You more deeply, Lord. I don't want to be afraid of the path that You have picked out for me. Help me to believe that You will be with me every step of the way and that my surrender to You won't lead to misery, but is the key to my happiness.

Mindful Meditations for Every Day of Lent and Easter: Years A, B, and C

Based on the daily scripture readings for Lent, this book helps you explore the depths of your being, your relationship to Christ, and your association with others during this time of spiritual preparation.

Each day you focus on one scriptural theme through breaking open God's Word. The reflection then reaches out to us in our busy lives to consider what the Word has to offer us during the holidays. Next, a thought to ponder brings home the message for you-to really apply the reading and reflection to your life.

Now say a prayer, an offering and petition to the Lord; finally a practice, a chance to change your daily routine in simple ways to bring God's love to your life and prepare for the paschal mystery and Easter season.

About the Author
Rev. Warren J. Savage is a well-known Mission, Retreat, and Revival Preacher. In addition, he preaches for the Mission Cooperatives on behalf of the Catholic missions in Haiti sponsored by Hands Together, Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts. A graduate of the Gregorian University in Rome, Italy and Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, he is a program leader at Genesis Spiritual Life Center, Westfield, MA, an instructor for the Permanent Diaconate Formation Program, and a lecturer for the Religious Studies Department at Elms College in Chicopee. He also completed a three-year Pastor-Theologian Program at the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, NJ.

Mary Ann McSweeny lives in Medway, Massachusetts and is a member of St. Joseph Parish in Medway. A writer and educator, her work has appeared in Highlights for Children, Queen of All Hearts Magazine, Pastoral Life Magazine, and Holy People of the World: An Encyclopedia. Her relationship with Liguori Publications began in 1997 with the publication of Behold the Star, co-authored with Rev. Warren J. Savage. With degrees in French and Spanish from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts and Boston College in Chestnut Hills, Massachusetts, she has studied and worked in France and Spain. She earns a living designing and writing web-based training.