Homeschooling Curriculum Guide on Child Development Phases · Homeschooling Curriculum Guide on CHILD DEVELOPMENT PHASES Homeschooling Curriculum Guide on HOME EDUCATION IN SOUTH

HOMESCHOOLING CURRICULUM GUIDE ON

Child Development Phases

by Willemien Krüger

my

hous

e is f

ull of

life

This book is dedicated to my

homeschool mother I met in my town, who currently has children of her own in all of these phases. We had many discussions on the

with children.

HOMESCHOOLING CURRICULUM GUIDEon

CHILD DEVELOPMENT PHASES

by Willemien Krüger

Homeschooling Curriculum Guide on


Copyright © 2013 by Willemien Krüger at:

www.homeschooling-curriculum-guide.com

This book is for encouragement and educational purposes

only. Permission for personal use is granted.

All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may

be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted

by any means – electronic, mechanical, photographic

(photocopying), recording, or otherwise – without prior

permission in writing from the author.

Find support to continuously improve your homeschool on

www.homeschooling-curriculum-guide.com pointing YOU in

the right direction, whether you are starting out homeschooling

or have been doing this for a while.

ISBN: 978-0-9922150-2-6

eISBN:

Cover & Layout design:

Designwave

www.designwave.co.za

PREFACE:

The Homeschooling Curriculum Guides series

will be as it

provides lots of practical answers to questions

by parents investigating homeschooling. As you read

this guide, it will help you:

Understand a of child development

phases:

Preschool years (birth – 6 years)

Beginner Foundation years (7 - 9 years)

Child Intermediate phase (10 - 13 years)

Young Adult phase (14 – 18 years)

Understand what to on during each phase

Understand primary for each phase including

ideas and concepts to reach those goals.

See how I have done some of the things mentioned

personally.

which during each phase

Gain insight on how

when reading the article included

as you realize that play is learning for children

when reading the article included

This book has been developed for the homeschooling

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helping parents understand the primary child development

phases, to know what to focus on during which season.

This guide is best read as a companion to

your homeschool” as well as all the other Guides in this series.

The seven guides included in the Homeschooling

Curriculum Guides series currently are:


CONSIDERING HOME EDUCATION


HOW TO START HOME EDUCATION




HOME EDUCATION IN SOUTH AFRICA


ORGANIZATION, ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIALIZATION


THE 7-STEP PROCESS TO IMPROVE YOUR HOMESCHOOL


A PERSONAL ECLECTIC CURRICULUM

websites are active and current during the publication

process. If any link is not active, I do apologize. Please

inform the author.

vi

Contents

PREFACE: ....................................................................................................................................v

1. CHILD DEVELOPMENT STAGES TO HELP YOU FOCUS ...................................................................................................................1

1.1. The wonderful BABY AND PRESCHOOLER

phase (0-5yr) .......................................................................................................................5

1.2. The busy BEGINNER FOUNDATION phase

(6-9yr) .............................................................................................................................................6

1.3. The exciting CHILD INTERMEDIATE phase

(10-13yr) ........................................................................................................................................................................7

1.4. The guiding YOUNG ADULT in high school

phase (14-18yr) .................................................................................................................8

2. PROVIDE A STIMULATING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR BABY, TODDLER OR PRE-SCHOOLER ......................................................................................9

2.1. Primary goals for this stage ............................................................10

2.2. Ideas and concepts for this stage .......................................12

2.3. Books I have found helpful during this stage ....16

3. BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR YOUR 6-9-YEAR-OLD IN PREPARATION FOR LATER LEARNING ...................................................................................................................17




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4. ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT YOUR 10-13-YEAR-OLD’S THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 27




5. GUIDE YOUR YOUNG ADULT (14–18-YEAR-OLD) TO DISCOVER HIS/HER GOD-GIVEN POTENTIAL .................................................................................................................35




5.4. Specific qualification focus during the high

school years ......................................................................................................................40

6. RELATED ARTICLES ....................................................................................45

6.1. Pre-schoolers .........................................................................................................45

6.2. Real play, real learning ........................................................................51

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................57

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1. Child Development Stages to help you focus

Why is an understanding of a child’s develop-

mental phases important

for homeschooling?

Well, if you know where your child

is now, you will be able to discern

what you need to concentrate

on now. Too many parents think

of homeschooling as a focus on the academic subjects that

is usually presented in school. However, this is the good

news: homeschooling is SO MUCH MORE than academics….

It is really about a total home education including giving

spiritual development your child needs. It is not only about

academics – we as homeschoolers can have the global picture

of what we want our children to grow into and we can grow

with them into what God has planned for them and us.

Baby (0-1yr)

Toddler (1-3yr)

Homeschooling is SO MUCH MORE than

academics

1

Pre-schooler (4-6yr)

Young child (7-8yr)

Preteen (8-12yr) and

Teenagers (13-18yr).

Usually the ‘terrible twos’ as well as the ‘terrible teenage

in the Bible these phases are not even mentioned. It is

therefore possible that we are missing the really crucial

phases with their more important developmental

milestones!

Claassen (1999) sets out the following Biblical develop-

mental phases in a child’s life:

Conception until birth

The child in the womb is a learning human being. He/she

is learning in a very safe environment protected from the

outside and fully nourished by the mother’s blood.

Infant (or suckling)

This is the baby phase, including the 2-year-old toddlers,

when the baby is completely weaned from the mother

2

in terms of feeding (he/she is eating on his/her own) and

Child

This is the phase starting at about 4 years of age until

puberty (around 13 years old). This is the optimum time

for learning as a child is like a sponge during this phase.

He/she can acquire huge amounts of knowledge during

this phase but without the necessary life experience to

interpret it. This means that much factual information can

be acquired, especially if the child is interested in learning

about something.

Young adult

This is the term the Bible uses for the 13-year-old to 18-year-

old phase. This means that the young adult is actually now

part of the adult world and would like to be kept busy with

real work and real decisions and real life. He/she is at the

point of being able to interpret and evaluate knowledge

by the few years of life experience he/she already has. This

is the time of forming opinions, making judgments and

determining his/her own life course. It is during this time

that the fruit of what you have planted during the previous

years will show up (or will not show up). However, the

3

young adult is not yet able to live alone (although he/she

might think so) and needs the guidance from a mentor or

coach, which is the parent’s wonderful new role.

It is obvious from the above that a child is always learning

– and therefore while you have children in the home

you are actually busy homeschooling / home educating /

discipling, since the child will absorb and learn about the

environment he/she is living in.

It should be a relief to know that the ‘schooling’ is

happening as long as you provide the loving, stimulating

and learning atmosphere…..it is NOT ONLY GOING TO

HAPPEN ‘if you buy a curriculum of

sorts’. However, for the purpose

of knowing how to create the

experience, the following 4 major

phases are distinguished:

Have a life and involve Have a life and involve your child in it.

4

1.1. The wonderful BABY AND

PRESCHOOLER phase (0-5yr)

D“HAVE A LIFE AND

INVOLVE YOUR CHILD IN IT”. Having a life does not

just mean having a job/career, it means having a home

and a garden you take care of, going to places, visiting people,

games, listening to music, baking, cooking – whatever you

fancy. This phase is a wonderful easy phase because babies

and toddlers learn by observation, exploration and doing!

Just do many exciting things and let your child be a part of it.

And do not neglect to hold your child close often!

5

1.2. The busy BEGINNER

FOUNDATION phase (6-9yr)

Iformally – but do not be in a hurry….every child has his/

her own pace. Learning to read and write and gaining a

wide vocabulary (by being read to often as well as reading

a wide variety of books) is the thing to do here and if

you have given “INDIVIDUAL ACADEMIC ATTENTION” to

your child to lay a solid foundation

be there in the later years.Individual academic attention.

6

1.3. The exciting CHILD INTERMEDIATE

phase (10-13yr)

Now the child is interested in gaining knowledge

about all sorts of subjects and areas. “ENCOURAGE

and SUPPORT” this search for knowledge by

providing the environment to learn.

Whether this includes having

many books, or a workshop, or

tools or software or sports or

whatever the interest may be. Yes,

you may determine the learning areas, but do not get

upset if your child

is not interested in

all of these….and

yes, this is exactly

the challenge

we all face – to

determine what is

really necessary

to learn and

what may be a

waste of time.

Encourage and support.

7

1.4. The guiding YOUNG ADULT in

high school phase (14-18yr)

I believe that this phase should be the reward for what

you have sown during the younger years. During this

phase your young adult will be preparing him/herself

for the real adult world out there, and you will have to

guide this process. The world is full of challenges and

therefore one needs to really think through WISELY what

life skills, academic skills, social skills and WISDOM he/

she really needs to be able to function productively in

the real world. It is also during this phase that the young

adult should discover more about themselves and their

individual potential to start preparing them for knowing

what to do (and not to do) with their lives.

It is a sad fact that most children at the age of18 years, about

to enter the adult world, do not have the slightest idea of

who they are, where they are going or what they want out of

life. They are simply drifting without direction and purpose.

I believe this does not have to happen to our children.

On the following pages you will read about primary goals to

have for each phase and ideas on HOW to reach those goals.

References: Claassen B & M, Kinders – ‘n Seën of ‘n vloek?

‘n Bybelse persepktief op kinderopvoeding, 1999.

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6.2. Real play, real learning

Article published in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine by Willemien

Kruger © October 2012

Here in South Africa we cannot imagine a lifestyle

where children are not outdoors most of the time….

some of my friends who come from other countries

have told me how it took them a long time to also get into

that mind-set that the ‘place for children to play is outside

not inside.’ The great advantage of the outside is that one

needs far less toys for them to keep themselves busy. It

never ceases to amaze me how children really PLAY with

almost nothing when they are outdoors. As long as there is

a three-dimensional space where they can move forwards

and backwards, run, hop and jump, climb to move up and

down (as in trees) – if you then add a bit of soil, sand and

water together with a few sticks and stones and leaves and

things - children will never be bored!

Our children

here in South

Africa grow up

outside…. barefoot

on grass, mud

play, tree climbing

and sunshine all

year round!

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It is a privilege we mostly ap-

preciate when our children get

times of continuous rain for

encourages being in nature, doing what she calls ‘nature study’ which is quite natural for children to do if they are out in nature a lot. If you do not have the advantage of having your own backyard,

out in nature as often as possible, by going to a park, or forest or beach, or even to a neighbour. In giving some practical ideas to set up an outdoor environment for keeping children of all ages productively busy (from baby phase to teenager phase) I am going to assume that the readers have access to their own nature area:

First ensure that the basics are there: open grass, water, soil, sand, trees and rocks. Trees will be even more enjoyable if they are of the sort one can climb into. Water does not have to be a swimming pool and when children are small, even just a

water features are also very entertaining and relaxing. If you have these basics, living things

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like insects, birds, lizards, spiders, etc. will quickly inhabit your backyard making it an outdoor observatory for nature study.

Add interesting play-provoking things such as:

ropes or a tyre fastened with ropes), a tree house, tyres,

bamboo, a hosepipe and pets.

Have an area where they can ride bikes, roller-skate or practice

throwing a ball through a loop, or a net for kicking a ball into.

Involve your children from a young age to help you when you

have your own vegetable or herb

get to grow. If you are more of

an animal type, all sorts of pets

and other small animals provide

lots of learning opportunities

for caring, and can even grow

into a business later e.g. birds,

chickens, etc.

There are so many opportunities

for productive (paid) work in

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a garden (where you can

decide which are basic chores

or paid chores): mowing

and maintaining the lawn,

varnish of wooden struc-

tures, chairs, tables or

material, painting work

on hard structures, annual

tree planting or trimming, adding

pond, raking up autumn leaves.

Projects for older children can include: building a tree house,

swings, ladders, structures for fantasy play e.g. boats,

tents, prisons etc.

Do ordinary things outside: have picnic lunches or dinners

outside, do art outside, read on a blanket or a swing or on

t h e grass, have tea under a tree, play

badminton, play ball games, pitch

a tent and camp in your backyard

on, watch the stars and seek out

constellations, study the moon’s

cycle for a month.

Teach your children observational

skills as you observe this

yourself - highlight changes

in seasons and nature every

time you are outside, see

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the leaves fall, experience the

warmth, the cold, changes

in light, length of day, when

the wind blows more or less,

rain falls and why. Learn to

observe weather in all its

forms.

Intentionally let nature study

be part of ‘school’ – apart from science

experiments for the outside, have your child prepare a

to the garden e.g. building a feeder or giving feedback on steps

followed when preparing a seed bed for planting, etc.

5 Rules for moms when children are outside:

1. Allow them to get dirty! (This is very important, but

it will save you stress if you dress them appropriately

beforehand.)

2. Allow them some time to get into the play. (Even if

it takes a while…sometimes they need to warm up

a bit before they really start to build ‘that dam’ you

suggested.)

3. Allow them to do what they want. (Sometimes they

just want to sit a while on the swing, which is ok, allow

them that quiet time…)

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4. Allow them to collect things. (This is a hard one, and I

agree that one should have limits and rules e.g. snakes are

not allowed in the house or spiders cannot roam free, etc.)

5. Allow them to explore and experiment with nature. (This

is not allowing them to torture or destroy any animal or

plant, but do allow them the odd breaking of a rock to

seed to analyse the intricate design for themselves, or

building a dam made of sand, so they can see that the

water does not hold…)

Being outdoors is healthy

and good and provides

many informal learning

opportunities without

from being outdoors

more. I truly believe

God is revealing to us

His character, wisdom

and wonder in nature, so that by

soul and spirit. You will not be untouched when you ‘look

out for God’ in nature. Let us help our children also to

have this experience as we allow them outdoor fun!

shout for joy

and sing

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Homeschooling Curriculum Guide on Child Development Phases · Homeschooling Curriculum Guide on CHILD DEVELOPMENT PHASES Homeschooling Curriculum Guide on HOME EDUCATION IN SOUTH