The Homeschool Scuttle

Even though I don't actually have a preschooler in the house at this point in my life, I have very fond memories of those years that really weren't that long ago. This past year it has felt like my son is an alien and we can't manage a coherent conversation. We discuss two separate topics together, neither understanding what the other is saying.

Fortunately, experience dictates that this too shall pass and it won't be long until my little boy transforms into a man who will once again need his mommy. Getting back to preschool...

I started out sharing about preschool because I've had an opportunity to as the Unpreschool list is being converted into a chat group. It was like someone had uncorked a bottle or the dam broke. The list has exploded into chatter, generating over 100 e-mails to the group in the last 24-hours.

Diane Flynn Keith is a true believer in allowing children to play. She backs up her words with incredibly creative activities, which she provides to subscribers on her Homeschooling Preschool E-Zine. This free publication is packed full of fun ideas, experiments and crafts parents can share with their preschool and early elementary grades.

She started the Unpreschool Yahoo Group to encourage parents of young children in the fact that they are their childs first and best teacher. Mrs. Keith once told me that she was tired of women taking a beating by school administrators, professional educators, media representatives and legislators who consistently inform parents that only a professional is qualified to teach little children.

You can't see me rolling my eyes, so you'll just have to trust me on this one. After all, just how much education does a person have to have to make letters from playdoh? How smart does a person have to be to chase a butterfly, grow a potato, count to 100 or raise a pet? These are things that children should experience with a parent or family member, not a stranger.

List members of the Unpreschool group have been sharing some excellent ideas on how and when to teach math; which handwriting programs really work and answering the question: "Should homeschooling children prepare and take standardized tests?"

I would really like to know what you think. Is a parent qualified to teach their preschooler? What should those qualifications be and do you think you are qualified?

Labels: homeschool, preschool, qualified, unpreschool