Before I jump into our daily grind or the specifics of materials and supplies and processes, I want to spend this week diving into where I’m going with this and why!
For our prek2 program I wanted to put a small emphasis on structured learning. I don’t think structured learning is completely necessary at this age, but I also think, if done correctly, it doesn’t hurt and might even help a little.
So here are my top 5 reasons for using a learning basket:
1. Repetition: We are all creatures of habit, and tend to thrive on it. The repetition of the basket itself, as well as what’s in the basket is beneficial to J’s routine. J knows what work is coming and when we work on it, and this helps to structure our days and weeks. Toddlers do well with structure and I find that the more our day is structured, the less tantrums that occur. (Hallelujah!). This is partially because it doesn’t leave time for opportunities to whine/beg for other toys/activities/etc, but also because it actually gives him something to look forward to, thus reducing boredom. Big picture: less whining means we end the day liking each other a little more and with less apologies needed (from both of us) throughout the day.
2. Prepare for primary school- I’d love to continue this homeschool journey into elementary days; however, we, as a family are not completely set on that just yet. And honestly, I think I’d like to see how J and W grow in the coming years to know if homeschool would be the best option for them. For now, I have plenty of time to decide and there is no pressure to know just yet. With that being said, I want them to be prepared for either environment. Should they enter a standard kindergarten, I want them to be well-adjusted to the structure a school day brings. And, of course, if they continue to homeschool, they will be used to “work” at home.
3. Mommy and me time- With two kids (one being a newborn) and three dogs, sometimes individualized attention is few and far between. If I’m not cooking or cleaning up after the dogs or toddler, I’m probably breastfeeding or trying to get a ‘being’ asleep (yes, this includes the fur babies too!). Having this learning basket is not only good structure for J, but it also reminds me to stop and take time to focus on just him. To put the dishes aside, forget about the laundry for a bit, and interact with my 2-year-old in a (mostly) uninterrupted atmosphere. More on what W does during this time in my Learning Basket: How post- coming soon!
4. Extra focus on developmental milestones- Some nights I reflect back on the day and wonder what I even did for the day. I realize that I barely spoke WITH my children and instead spoke AT them. Integrating the learning basket helps me remember that they need to learn these basic concepts. I can imagine this might seem a bit obvious, but, really, the days and weeks escape you and before you know it, you’ve talked more about what firetrucks and garbage trucks sound like, and not enough about the sounds “A” and “B” make.
5. Fun- Just because the activities are more structured compared to much of our day, doesn’t mean it’s not fun. Learning should ALWAYS be depicted as something that is fun! I despise when people use writing sentences or reading books as a punishment, but I’ll save that soap box for another day. It’s so important to always try to have fun on this learning journey together!
Stay tuned for posts covering the remaining wh- questions of the Learning Basket: What, When and Where, and How. #youknowyoureaspeechpathologistwhen.
But even better, come back to learn what we have in our October Learning Basket!
