How do I start?

The number one question I get from parents who are looking to do something meaningful with their children is 'How do I start?'. I am going to attempt to answer this question. This is only an attempt because the real answer is: 'Just start however you can, and then adjust along the way.' because everyone does homeschool differently, and there is no one right way. Again, the bottom line is to expose the child to a variety of ideas and how we do that is definitely going to be very different based on what we are most comfortable with and where our gifting lie.

Developmentally, kids of different ages can tackle a different range of things. And so the most logical approach is to plan activities based on what your child can do based on where he/she is developmentally. Below is a rough guide I follow when I plan activities:

Below 1 year: 
- What to expect: Mess. This is when they are learning what is permissible and what isn't so they will test a lot and look to you for direction. But in the process, messes will ensue. At this stage, they are also starting to be very vocal about their preferences.
- Easy, unstructured play that is taste safe and purely exploratory.
- Lots of sensory bins that are taste safe
- Start to teach and instil simple instruction following skills like responding to the word 'no', 'stop', 'sit' and 'stand'.
- High level of supervision required. Stop discouraged behaviours when they appear and prompt to do the desired behaviour: e.g. Stop child from putting toy in the mouth with the word 'no' and catching their hand and then guide them to play with it correctly
- Bottom line: Start with something simple like a bowl of water, a cup and a spoon. Focus on finding your child's interest and what engages them.

1-1.5 years: 
- What you can expect: Your child might start to point out familiar items when you ask them where they are. They can follow simple instructions like pick that cup up, give the book to mummy. They can start requesting for things, actions and even people.
- Start adding a bit of structure to activities by introducing the idea of an end product or goal.
- Sensory bins with a purpose: e.g. scoop all the balls into the cup
- Increase expectations to rule following: No pouring outside the bin. If you do, I will take it away.
- Medium level of supervision: Either a distance away from play area while still being in full view or occasionally leaving and coming back to (or walking by) play area at least once every 1-2 minutes.
- Bottom line: Use what engages your child and work from there. Start with a basic engaging activity and build on it, adding elements to build a purpose. With them starting to understand that words actually mean something and sometimes require an action to follow them, it is the perfect time to teach good play etiquette and build a solid foundation for more independent play.

1.5-2 years:
- What to expect: With the onset of the two year old cognitive explosion (my own words here.. ) boundary testing is a definite thing to expect. This is why structure and routine play a big role during this stage. Truth is, when you know where the boundaries are, you can enforce them better and your child will also learn it faster. At this stage they start having meaningful interactions with others and are also figuring out social rules and so learning to wait and how to play in groups is a big part of this age.
- Have more structure to activities by requiring that a specific task be completed. After which, go back to free play to keep things interesting and fun. This is also a good time to take notes on what interests your child... their interests are constantly changing.
- Introduce a routine to help child know what to expect when.
- Can start to introduce short table top tasks (1 min max)
- Introduce the idea of group instruction and learning to wait by having group activities during play dates.
- Start to give choices but keep it limited to two. e.g. Do you want the pink crayon or the blue crayon?
- Bottom line: Concentrate on building good foundations for future play. Practice turn taking, waiting, listening to instruction and responding correctly. Prompt immediately when the correct response is not given so that they also learn that when a request is given, a respond is required. Explore as widely as possible so that you can hone in on what type of activity engages your child the most.

2-2.5 years: 
- What to expect: Continuation of the boundary testing. At this stage, they will start to make sense of the activities presented and fall better into their schedules. You can expect them to follow instructions better and understand deeper reasoning. They will also start to talk in sentences and express themselves better. If you have been spending time teaching them something over and over, this is likely the period in which you see that all your hard work was worth it :)
- With the increased tolerance of table top activities, this is a good time to start introducing basic math and reading skills like matching similar items, counting, identifying letters and numbers.
- Kids at this age also should work toward a proper hold on a pencil. Drawing and tracing activities are obviously great for this. Try it in different places too to develop different muscles: on the table, stick a paper on the wall, on the floor and even on a clip board.
- Bottom line: Academic activities start to show at this age because they are ready for it. But remember to keep things fun and that the main purpose is to expose.

2.5 years and onwards: 
- What to expect: The boundary testing should die down by this stage if you have been consistent and your boundaries have been clear. If you have also built in a good schedule, this is when the fun starts! Kids start to look forward to their daily homeschool time and even sometimes will request for it. You'll even find that they want more after completing the set task for the day. Imaginative play blossoms at this age and reasoning abilities appear.
- This is actually when you start taking a step back. Plan one activity and then have a bunch that are 'optional'. I actually have a stack of workbooks that I keep within reach to K and she would take them out on her own when she felt like she wanted to do something.
- At this age, they have motor and mental development to do almost everything. So have a go at it! If you are not sure if they can tackle something, use the I do, we do, you do method. Do one as an example, guide them through the next one, then take a step back and see if they can do it.
- Bottom line: Try everything at this age. Your toddler might just surprise you! If you are starting from scratch at this age, start with setting the boundaries and teaching good play etiquette then go from there.


Hope this helps somewhat. Of course every kid is different and you know where your child is. But the basic steps are always the same. Always start with teaching the boundaries and building good habits. The truth is, when you are confident that your child will not run amok and create havoc, you will be more willing and have the ability to try more things with them :)