Home schooling toddlers need to be taught according to well tested methods. From among the different methods available, the method chosen should depend on the curriculum and the parent’s or the tutor’s style of teaching. What ever the method, the important factor is flexibility and the kid’s desire to learn. The person who teaches needs to instill in the kid a keen desire to learn, which is prerequisite for the success of the method.
The Charlotte Mason Method is named after Charlotte Mason, who took the initiative to popularize the home schooling program. She was a beneficiary of the home schooling system, and was keen to formulate a home schooling method that was both fun and productive. She placed more importance on the core subjects and put more emphasis on poetry, fine arts, craft, classical music and above all classical literature.
The method uses literature that have a universal appeal for all time and places. She called these books as living books. The method starts with kids of age six who are made to listen to a daily reading from these books and then encouraged to tell in their own words the stories they have heard. By age 10, they should be able to write the stories after these are read out to them. These steps are aimed at developing a keen awareness of literature in the kids.
Mason was of the opinion that kids ought to develop a positive personality by forming good character and behavior. For this, she also advocated teaching them a sense of respect for the environment. Hence, she encouraged the kids to have outdoor trips and observe nature.
The outdoor trips are usually conducted after their short and interesting classes indoors. They are to then write their observations in their nature diaries. This method helps the kids to have a close understanding of their environment, at the same time developing their learning abilities in the core subjects.
Posted on April 28th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Child Diseases, Learning, Play, Toddler, school
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