Homeschooling with an energetic toddler can be a challenge. However, it can bring a great benefit to both the toddler and the rest of the family. Energetic toddlers liven up the time for homeschooling. Due to its own complications, there are some things you can do to make the best homeschooling journey for your family.
Include Your Toddler in Homeschooling
One of the best things you can do is to include your toddler in the homeschooling process. If siblings are practicing their handwriting or are working on English, let your toddler practice too. There are many things a toddler will need to accomplish before actually writing. These are called pre-writing skills. They need to work on fine motor skills. They will often want to do what they see older siblings doing. So, get crayons and/or pencils designed for a toddler and let them practice on their own paper.
Take Advantage of Nap Time
If your energic toddler has a nap time or quiet time, use that time to work with older siblings. For those things such as math or science when you do not want a little one around, nap time can be a lifesaver to homeschooling. This gives you the time to do things that only the older children can do. This would also be a great time to play the games the older ones would like to play which help to master higher concepts. Leave the easier games for the toddler to be included in, even if he needs to be partnered with a sibling or a parent.
Have Siblings Help with Toddler
When an older sibling is done with his or her work for that subject, let her play with the toddler. This keeps both the toddler busy and the sibling from disrupting other siblings. It allows you to focus more on helping a child who may need more one-on-one. This will help you know where your children actually need help and the concepts they have fully mastered. Remember, a toddler is learning through play and so does the sibling. It teaches responsibility in addition to other skills.
Create a Box for Your Toddler to Only Use During Homeschooling Times
A great way to keep your energetic toddler busy is to provide tasks for him to do that can be checked off just like his older siblings. Create a box or basket which has activities in it that are only brought out during homeschooling times. Make sure to include a variety of options for your toddler. Change what is in the box frequently. Otherwise, your toddler could get bored and start to disrupt what you are doing with his siblings.
Here are a few items you might want to include in your toddler’s box:
- Board books
- Crayons/ Pencils
- Paper, including Colored Paper
- Coloring/ Basic Activity Books
- Beads and Shoe Laces
- Playdough
- Small Whiteboard with Dry Erase Markers (Include Paper Towels to Erase)
- Basic Puzzles
A toddler is always learning. Even an energetic toddler is hearing what you say and watches what his siblings are doing during homeschool time. Take advantage of his desire to model older sibling behavior. If you would like to learn more about how children, including toddlers, learn through play read my post, Educational Play is Essential Part of Learning.
If you liked this post, you may want to read the following:
