Toddler School - How to Start

Toddlers are so much fun to homeschool! I have six kids, so I've been through toddler school five times already and going through it my sixth. Over the years, my toddler's school time has evolved and changed. I've learned so much about this age group that has given me more confidence in teaching toddlers.

I have an Instagram account (@toddler_school) where I share Zeke's daily toddler school activities. I've been doing this since he was 17 months old and he is now 2 years 6 months old. I get messages all the time asking me about starting toddler school - how? when? why?

Toddler school will look different for every child because every child is developmentally on their own levels. The great thing about homeschooling is that you can adjust and adapt every activity to your child's abilities. 

WHEN TO START TODDLER SCHOOL

Knowing when to start toddler school will depend mostly on your child and partly on you. The age I recommend starting toddler school is around 15-18 months old. At this age, toddlers generally don't put everything in their mouth, are starting to focus for a minute or two at a time, and really enjoy structured play. (Remember, every child is different. If your child hasn't reached these milestones yet, it's perfectly fine to wait a few months.)

HOW TO START TODDLER SCHOOL

I always suggest starting with a simple activity that you know your child can complete. If you present a challenging activity at first, your child will be frustrated and will not want to continue with it. Here are a three examples of simple activities for young toddlers:

Color Sorting - Start with a few items in only two colors - maybe three red pom poms and three blue pom poms. Provide colored cups or felt or paper to sort in/on. Once your child is comfortable sorting two colors, you can gradually add in more, one at a time.

Pom Pom Push - This is a great first toddler school activity! Simply provide your child with a "push container" (as I call them) and some pom poms. A push container can be anything with a small hole that pom poms will fit through (even an empty water bottle will work, but it's hard to get the pom poms back out!). Every toddler I know that has tried this activity has absolutely loved it. It's simple, it's fun, it's portable. 

Craft Stick Drop - Again, this is a really simple activity. Give your child craft sticks and a container with a hole that they can drop them into. These activities are great for fine motor skill development!

I also suggest doing toddler school around the same time each day, so your toddler knows when to expect it and what to expect. I started Zeke's toddler school early in the mornings, first thing. He came to expect a "tot tray" right when he woke up. He would even go to his empty tray sometimes and bring it to me to fill! 

Don't expect your toddler to spend thirty minutes on toddler school, either! When Zeke first started with his activities, he normally spent two to five minutes on them, depending on his interest level. Keep your expectations low and you will probably be pleasantly surprised! 

I also leave the activities out for most of the day, in an accessible place for Zeke. He would often go back to the activity several times and play on his own. This also fosters independent and self-directed play.

Finally, don't be disappointed if your child decides to do an activity differently than you had imagined or planned. Sometimes Zeke would change up the activity but it was still beneficial for him! If I let him do his activity his way, he would usually decided to do it "my" way as well.

WHY DO TODDLER SCHOOL

Some people wonder if toddler school is necessary. While I don't think it's necessary, I do think it's incredibly beneficial and gives your toddler a great start on their educational journey. 

I don't think it's necessary it's teach your toddler all of their alphabet, or how to read, or how to count money. All of that will come with time. Toddler school is all about exposure, experiences, and exercises. 

Exposure to new ideas - Experiences with new materials - Exercises for fine motor development

Spending a few minutes a day with your toddler focusing on new ideas sets the stage for preschool. It gives your toddler the knowledge that learning is fun and normal. It prepares them for absorbing bigger ideas and harder concepts. It also gives you special one on one time with your child, especially if you have multiple children. I homeschool my older children, so giving Zeke that undivided attention in the mornings fills his bucket and helps him get through the day. I also really enjoy that time we have. 

I do use a toddler curriculum with Zeke now (I wrote it; it's in my Etsy shop!), and it's a letter of the week curriculum. We are on week six, and he hasn't remembered any letters yet.  That's not my goal. My goal is to introduce him to the idea of letters and sounds, tracing, cutting and gluing, coloring, sorting. He loves the worksheets we do together, the books we read together, the crafts we make together. I don't worry if he can't even sing the entire alphabet song, can't count past ten, and doesn't know all of his shapes. He has great visual discrimination skills, great fine motor skills, great tracing skills, and a love of toddler school. I believe this is time well invested into him. 

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing some different ideas for toddler school based on the age groups - 12-18 months, 18-24 months, and 24-30 months. Subscribe to my blog so you don't miss any new posts! I'll also be including new and free printable resources with each post. 

I'm including some pom-pom shape cards today. Download, print, laminate, and use with pom poms or buttons. I have included six shapes in black and white and color. 

Leave me a comment telling me why toddler school is or isn't important to you!