Transcript

Welcome to the last lesson in this module! Today we’re going to talk about life skills and social skills. One of the biggest questions people ask about homeschooling is how will they develop their social skills? Maybe you’ve had family members or friend question your decision to homeschool and bring up the fact that they won’t get to develop their social skills. I want to ensure you that it is NOT true and they will be just great without being in a public school setting. Professional educators, who don’t fully understand the many styles of homeschooling, often raise this issue. They believe school is the only place children learn socialization skills. But it’s just not true!

In the book, The Hurried Child, Dr. Moore writes, “The idea that children need to be around many other youngsters in order to be ‘socialized,’ is perhaps the most dangerous and extravagant myth in education and child rearing today.”

Oftentimes, children do not respond well to large groups. They become nervous and overexcited by noise and too many people. Learning becomes difficult and behavioral problems develop. After analyzing over 8,000 early childhood studies, Dr. Moore concluded that, contrary to popular belief, children are best socialized by parents, not other children.

There are so many opportunities for kids to socialize and play with kids if they are homeschooled. I was homeschooled until 4th grade and my husband homeschooled all the way through and we are not socially awkward people. 

If you’re worried about opportunities for your kids to socializing, here are some things you can do:

• Join a local co-op or homeschool group 

• Sign up for sports, music, church activities, or art classes

• Be involved in your neighborhood

• Participate in 4-H, girl scouts or boy scouts

• Meet up with other homeschoolers in your area for play dates 

 I hope this gives you some reassurance that your child will be just fine regarding socialization. Try ignore any negative comments you receive and just focus on giving your child the best possible education at home! 

 Now let’s talk about life skills developed in the preschool age. Through play activities and just daily life, they can learn these skills. 

 Here are some verbal skills to work on with your child: 

• Speaks clearly and in sentences 

• Uses appropriate volume when speaking 

• Able to express and describe feelings 

 Listening: 

• Listens and understanding directions 

• Follows 1-step and 2-step directions 

 Self- Knowledge: 

• Correctly states his/her gender and age 

• Recites first and last name • Able to identify birthday 

• Knows address and phone number 

• Recites family member names 

 Interaction with Others: 

• Plays well with others 

• Takes turns and shares 

• Cleans up after playing 

• Participates in group activities 

• Interacts easily with familiar adults 

• Considerate of other people’s feelings 

• Respects items belonging to others 

• Listens when others speak 

• Seeks adult help during conflict 

• Uses manners 

 Approach to Learning: 

• Shows eagerness and curiosity to learn 

• Is persistent in tasks and seeks help with problems 

• Is pleasant and cooperative 

 Health & Wellness: 

• Brushes teeth independently 

• Knows how to wash hands 

• Can dress appropriately for the weather 

• Follows proper bathroom procedures 

• Able to put coat and shoes on 

• Distinguishes healthy and non-healthy food 

 Self-Control: 

• Follows rules and routines 

• Able to move from one activity to another without problems 

• Demonstrates normal activity levels 

• Expresses self with words, rather than acting out 

 I hope this lesson helped you feel more confident with what to work on as far as social skills and life skills with your child. In the next modules, we’ll dive into the fun stuff…getting set up to teach preschool at home! Can’t wait to see you there!