Should I Send My Child to Preschool?—LDS Homeschooling in California—and everywhere!


The Honey Locust Tree Enthusiasm for Learning Stress-free activities Recommendations Free Resources Do I Need a Homeschool Support Group? An Introduction to the Charlotte Mason Method Homeschooling During the Primary Years	Should I Send My Child to Preschool? As a mom of adult children, I have seen people's attitudes about preschool change a lot in the past 20 to 30 years. It used to be natural that moms would stay home with their little ones. If they did choose to go to work, it was after the child had started Kindergarten. Now moms are anxious to get back to work a few weeks after their baby is born, sending the child to daycare. If we listen to what some people say, we might be tempted to believe that preschool training is not only desirable for our child, but absolutely essential. We might worry that our child will be "left behind" or inadequately prepared for life ahead if he stays home with mom. A recent public service ad shown in California touts this very idea, putting added pressure on parents to enroll their 3-year-olds in preschool. The ad states that children who go to preschool will have a more successful life. In fact, research has shown that there is no basis for this claim. Ezra Taft Benson taught that mother's influence is vital for developing a child's character. He said, "It is a fundamental truth that the responsibilities of motherhood cannot be successfully delegated. No, not to day-care centers, not to schools, not to nurseries, not to babysitters. We become enamored with men's theories such as the idea of preschool training outside the home for young children. Not only does this put added pressure on the budget, but it places young children in an environment away from mother's influence. Too often the pressure for popularity, on children and teens, places an economic burden on the income of the father, so mother feels she must go to work to satisfy her children's needs. That decision can be most shortsighted. It is mother's influence during the crucial formative years that forms a child's basic character. Home is the place where a child learns faith, feels love, and thereby learns from mother's loving example to choose righteousness. How vital are mother's influence and teaching in the home-and how apparent when neglected!" (Ensign, Nov. 1981, p. 104) TOP The Honey Locust Tree President Gordon B. Hinckley compared children to trees. When he was a young married man, he built his first home. Near one side of the house, he planted a small honey locust tree, picturing the day when that tree would bring shade to his new house. When he planted it, it was less than an inch in diameter. It was so supple, he said, he could bend it in any direction. Afterwards he practically forgot about it until one day, years later, he noticed the tree was tilted to the west and not very becoming. He tried to straighten the tree by pushing against it, but it was much too big for that now. He got out a block and tackle, rigged up a pulley and began to pull, but the tree merely shook a little. There was nothing he could do now except major surgery. To remedy the situation, he cut off a large part of the tree, leaving a huge scar and only one small branch growing upward. President Hinckley said, "Children are like trees. When they are young, their lives can be shaped and directed, usually with ever so little effort. Said the writer of Proverbs, 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.' (Proverbs 22:6) That training finds its roots in the home. There will be little of help from other sources. Do not depend on government to help in this darkening situation. Barbara Bush, wife of former United States president George H. W. Bush, spoke wisely when in Wellesley, Massachusetts, in 1990 she addressed the Wellesley College graduating class and said, 'Your success as a family, our success as society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens inside your house.' "(Ensign, Sept. 1996, 2) We take special care to protect our seedlings from strong winds and overpowering rains. We place them in direct sunlight. Eventually they grow up strong and straight and able to move out among the harsher elements. Like President Hinckley's tiny tree, our young children are easy to teach and train when they are small. The tender years before the age of accountability are precious and unique. During those years, children may not be tempted by Satan, but they are very impressionable. This is the time to develop a love for Jesus and the gospel in an environment conducive to that goal. This is when children learn the difference between right and wrong and how to choose the right. At no other time in their life will it be so easy to develop good habits and desires. Instead of being in a hurry to teach them math and reading, we should be teaching them the gospel. The younger they are, the closer to my side I want them to be. In addition to the loss of time under Mom’s loving care, another side effect of going away to preschool is that, because every minute is structured by the teachers, children grow up thinking that's how it's supposed to be. They forget (or never learn) how to entertain themselves. TOP Enthusiasm for Learning A number of years ago, when I was in the Primary presidency, we planned a Valentine activity where we brought all kinds of paper, markers, stickers, glitter, etc., for the kids to make their own valentines. We put the stuff out on the table and told the kids to go ahead. They just sat there. Finally, some of the kids started to say, "Teacher, what do we do?" I said, “Make a valentine for your family." "But how?" they replied. They wanted someone to tell them what they were supposed to do first—how the valentine was supposed to look, etc. Some even asked for a model to follow. They were so used to the teacher telling them exactly how to make it that they didn't know how to do it for themselves! One of the first thoughts I had that led me to homeschooling came to me when my children were still preschoolers. I had the thought that it was interesting how preschoolers always seemed excited to learn! And I thought, adults like to learn most of the time, too. But it seemed to me that school-age children generally weren't very interested in learning new things. It took me a few moments to come to the realization that perhaps it was the very act of schooling that led the children to feel this way. They were burned out, afraid of failing, and tired of being told what to do. Later when I read books by people like John Holt and Raymond and Dorothy Moore, it only cemented my own feelings that many of the things we do to "teach" our students only drives them away from learning. The most confusing of all to me are those parents who plan on homeschooling but think preschool or kindergarten would be a good experience for their children. The way I see it is, if I am going to go to all the trouble to homeschool my child when he is older, why would I want to develop in my child a desire for something I feel is undesirable by getting him used to it when he is young? If you have preschoolers at home, you may feel the need to start academics even if you don't plan to send them away to a formal school setting. In 1979, Brigham Young University Press published a book called School Can Wait by Raymond and Dorothy Moore, the grandparents of the modern homeschooling movement. For ten years the Moores were involved in early-childhood research including development of the brain, cognition, maturity, values and self-concept, vision and hearing development, academic readiness, and environment. They determined through that research that children would do better by putting off formal academics until age 8 to 10. Instead, they advised reading true stories that teach values, real life work and play, stimulating conversation, service, and other easy-to-do activities involving no pressure on child or parent. One thing I found that helped me to relax and not worry so much about formal curriculum for preschoolers was reading the Typical Course of Study from World Book. It helped me see how easy it is to "cover" this material just by living a normal life and providing a lot of experiences for my children. TOP Stress-free activities There are lots of stress-free activities you can do at home to help your child succeed without the demands of formal schoolwork, which may damage his eyes, his self-concept, and motivation. Here are a few ideas you can do easily to get you thinking. Talk to him all day long but don't talk down to him. Answer all of his questions. Take your child out a lot to experience nature and the world. Read books—just for fun! Take him to the pet store, the zoo, the nature center, the aquarium, the gardens, the beach, etc. Take nature walks and point out the plants and animals you see. Let him draw and paint, perhaps what he sees on his walks or trips. Play beautiful music and let him dance and sing. Encourage him to try new and exotic foods and tell him about where they come from. Take him to the post office, the grocery store, the library, the playground, and the fire station. Go to museums, amusement parks, historic homes, or whatever you have in your area. Watch educational television occasionally, but let him learn to entertain himself. Let him use play dough and blunt scissors with supervision. Let him use a few cooking utensils in the bathtub, like funnels, strainers, measuring cups, and sponges. Help him do simple activities like playing catch, stringing beads, and building with blocks. Provide simple puzzles and felt books at home or as quiet toys in church. Point out the words on signs, in stores, and on packages, but don't go overboard. Go swimming, skating, bowling, biking, and walking. Use time in the car to listen to classical or educational music or books on CD. Let him do chores around the house like setting the table, cleaning up toys, washing the dishes, planting a garden, matching socks, sorting laundry, dusting the furniture, making beds, watering plants, feeding pets, etc. Let your child help you make breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Observe and talk about backyard animals, pets, landscaping, insects, etc. Bring your child to church activities, local celebrations, and holiday parties. Display pictures of your heroes like Moroni, George Washington, and President Hinckley and talk about why they are your heroes. All of these activities will help your son or daughter when he or she begins to read and write later. You don't need lesson plans, workbooks, or other busywork. There will be plenty of time for that when the child is ready. Savor the time you have with your little ones—they grow up so fast and you never know if one of you won't make it to the end. Use your time together to play and explore, not to fight over math and spelling! TOP

	Recommendations TOP
	Free Resources The Moore Formula An Introducation to the Charlotte Mason Method By Michele Everett 7 Questions for Mommies and Daddies Mandatory Pre-school—A Response by David Tan Institutionalized Early Childhood Education by Roy Hanson, Jr. Much Too Early By David Elkind Socialization By Dr. Raymond Moore Harm in the School System By Shaun Kerry Drumbeat Grows for Universal Preschool By Phyllis Schlafly No Improvement from Preschool By Phyllis Schlafly No Child Left at Home? By Phyllis Schlafly Daycare Bombshell Hits The "Village" By Phyllis Schlafly Better Late than Early Preschool for All? Does Kindergarten Need Cops? By Claudia Wallis Why Government Should Not Enter the Preschool Business By Darcy Ann Olsen Universal Preschool Mandatory, Universal Preschool? by Michael Ackley Diane Flynn Keith Tackles Universal Preschool Creating a Learning-Rich Preschool Environment at Home Letter of the Week Before Five in a Row Nature Activities Preschool Home Activities Preschool Rainbow Activity Ideas for Preschoolers The Best Playdough Recipe Ever Everything Preschool Starfall
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