As a parent, deciding to homeschool your child can be a challenging but rewarding experience. With the freedom to tailor your child’s education to their specific needs and interests, homeschooling offers an opportunity to create a personalised learning experience for your little one. However, if you are starting to homeschool your 13-15-month-old toddler, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to determine where to start. Check out some homeschooling tips to ease it!
From setting up a suitable learning environment to designing age-appropriate lesson plans, there are several factors to consider. That’s why we have created this guide to offer you some basic homeschooling tips for your 13-15-month-old.
In this guide, our focus will be on early childhood development and how to engage your toddler in educational activities that stimulate their curiosity and promote growth.
Whether you are a first-time parent new to homeschooling or a seasoned veteran, these tips will provide a useful starting point. From identifying your child’s learning style to creating a daily routine and selecting suitable educational resources, we will.
Homeschooling Tips #1 – Establish a Routine: Create a regular daily routine for your child that includes playtime, mealtime, and nap time.
As you begin home schooling your 13-15 month old child, it is important to establish a regular daily routine.
This routine should include dedicated times for play, meals, and naps to provide structure to your child’s day. A consistent schedule can help children feel more secure and provide a greater sense of predictability.
For example, you can choose specific blocks of time each day for educational activities, active play, and rest, which can be adjusted over time as you learn more about what works best for your child.
Creating a routine can also help establish healthy habits and make the transition between activities smoother for both you and your child.
While it may take some trial and error to establish a routine that works best for your family, providing structure through a daily schedule is a fundamental aspect of a successful home schooling experience for young children.
Homeschooling Tips #2 – Play and Learn: Encourage your child to learn through play by providing age-appropriate toys and games.
As parents, it is crucial to encourage our children to learn from a young age. One effective way to do so is by providing age-appropriate toys and games that promote learning through play.
For children between 13-15 months old, it is essential to select toys and games that help develop their hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills, and problem-solving abilities.
Simple puzzle games with large pieces, stacking toys, and building blocks are great for promoting problem-solving skills and developing fine motor skills.
Additionally, toys that encourage movement, such as balls, push toys, and ride-ons, can help improve gross motor skills.
As a parent, it is important to observe your child’s interests and provide toys that align with their preferences and developmental needs. By incorporating play and learning into your child’s daily routine, you will not only facilitate their development but also create a positive and enjoyable learning environment.
Homeschooling Tips #3 – Read Aloud: Read to your child every day to help develop their language and literacy skills.
Reading to your child every day is an essential activity to add to your homeschooling routine. Not only can it be a special bonding experience, but it also has numerous benefits for your child’s language and literacy development.
Reading aloud to your 13-15 month old can help expose them to a variety of words, sounds, and sentence structures, which can help develop their vocabulary and comprehension skills.
Additionally, reading stories can foster a love for learning and encourage your child to develop their imagination and creativity. So, set aside a special time each day to read to your child and watch as their language and literacy skills flourish.
Homeschooling Tips #4 – Sensory Play: Provide your child with sensory experiences such as finger painting or playing with sand to help them learn about textures, colors, and more.
As part of basic homeschooling tips for 13-15 month old, it is important to incorporate sensory play into your child’s daily life.
Sensory play involves offering experiences that stimulate the senses – sight, sound, taste, smell, touch – and provide a fun and engaging way for your child to learn about their environment.
Finger painting, playing with sand or water, and exploring different textures and colors are all great ways to engage your child’s senses and promote their cognitive, social, and physical development.
Providing your child with opportunities for sensory play supports their creativity and imagination, sensorimotor skills, and language development.
As a parent, you can encourage and facilitate sensory play by providing a safe and stimulating environment, choosing age-appropriate materials and activities, and engaging in play with your child.
Sensory play is a valuable tool for homeschooling parents seeking to provide a well-rounded and enriching education for their child.
Homeschooling Tips #5 – Music and Movement: Encourage your child to move and dance to music to help with their physical development and coordination.
As part of your toddler’s homeschooling routine, integrating music and movement can significantly contribute to their physical development and coordination.
Encourage your child to move along with the rhythm of the music by dancing and swaying to the beat. This activity helps to strengthen their muscles and enhance their balance and coordination.
In addition to physical benefits, music and movement can also aid in your child’s social and emotional development by boosting their self-confidence and self-expression.
Including this activity in your homeschooling routine also provides an opportunity for bonding between you and your child. So, put on some upbeat music, and let your child move and groove while improving their physical abilities.
Homeschooling Tips #6 – Socialization: Arrange playdates with other children or attend parent-child classes to provide opportunities for socialization.
Socialization is an important aspect of a child’s overall development. To provide opportunities for socialisation, parents can arrange playdates with other children or attend parent-child classes where their child can interact with other children.
At the age of 13-15 months, children are starting to become more aware of their surroundings and are eager to engage with others. Attending classes or playdates can help develop social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and communication.
Engaging in socialisation opportunities can also help children build self-confidence and foster a sense of independence. It’s important to ensure that the environment is safe and appropriate for the child’s age and abilities.
Parents can seek out classes specifically designed for children between the ages of 13-15 months or join parent groups to connect with other parents of young children for playdate arrangements.
Homeschooling Tips #7 – Outdoor Play: Spend time outdoors with your child to promote physical activity and exploration.
One of the most important things parents can do to promote physical activity and exploration in their 13-15 month old is to spend time outdoors.
Outdoor play provides babies and toddlers with opportunities to explore their environment, develop fine and gross motor skills, and engage in physical activity, which is crucial for their overall health and wellbeing.
It also allows them to experience nature and its changing seasons, which can be a rich source of learning and sensory stimulation.
Parents can help facilitate outdoor play by taking their child to local parks or playgrounds, going for walks or hikes, setting up a backyard play area, or engaging in other outdoor activities that are age-appropriate and safe.
Regular exposure to nature during this time period is also important for cognitive development and can help establish a lifelong appreciation for the natural world.
Homeschooling Tips #8 – Be Patient: Remember that every child develops at their own pace, so be patient and provide plenty of love and support as your child grows and learns
As a parent, it is understandable to want your child to learn and grow as quickly as possible. However, when it comes to homeschooling your 13-15 month old child, it is important to remember to be patient.
Every child develops at their own pace, and it is not uncommon for children to develop skills and abilities at different rates. Therefore, it is essential to provide plenty of love and support as your child grows and learns.
Try not to compare your child’s development to other children or set unrealistic expectations. Instead, focus on celebrating your child’s achievements, no matter how small they may seem.
By being patient and supportive, you can help your child feel confident and motivated to learn and explore the world around them.
To wrap up, homeschooling a 13-15 month old requires patience, creativity, and a lot of love.
It’s important to keep in mind that children at this age are constantly learning from their environment and the people around them, so incorporating educational activities into their daily routine can be both fun and rewarding.
Remember, the goal isn’t to rush or push your child, but to foster a love of learning and exploration that will stay with them for years to come. With dedication and enthusiasm, parents can provide a strong foundation for their child’s education, even at this early stage.
Also read: Homeschooling In Singapore: How To Apply And Methods That Parents Can Use