5 ways starting formal learning with my own son at 17 months has benefited us.
/My son will turn 3 on July 4th. I actually cannot believe it. 3 years have passed since his birth. Time really does go way too fast.
Like most parents, we’ve always read to our son every single night pretty much since he was born. We’ve always had hundreds and hundreds of books at home. We are very fortunate that Joshy’s grandmother gifts us lots of books each month and I also invest money each month into his books and learning resources.
From the age of 17 months, I personally started formal learning with my son (we did a lot before this too). He had his own customised programme of study that I followed with him each week. It was create solely and exclusively for him. He still does. Now these programmes of study have evolved and that’s how I created our Curriculum programmes - Emerald, Sapphire, Diamond and Amethyst.
Here are 4 ways starting formal learning with my own son at 17 months has benefited him and 1 very important way it has benefited me.
He has a broad and vast vocabulary for his age. Although he is nearly a full year younger than some of his peers, his vocabulary is far more advanced than most of theirs. This is 100% because we read to him every single day since birth.
His comprehension skills are insane. The way my son answers questions blows me away. He is able to articulate himself so well. This is because of the questioning programme that I’ve had in place for him since he was 17 months old.
He always wants to pick up a pen or a pencil and start writing. This is because I encourage him to write daily and provide him with a variety of activities in which he is able to write.
He associates ‘learning time’ to quality time with his mummy. When I ask him, ‘Would you like to do some learning with me?’, most of the time his answer is yes. Obviously sometimes his answer is no and he’d prefer to go out to the park or to watch one of his favourite cartoons!
Here is the extra special one! The way it has benefited me is this. I am the one fully in control of my son’s learning. No one else. I know everything about his learning to the smallest detail. So when his nursery teachers tell me something - I already know! It isn’t a surprise.
We adore learning together.
And if a day goes by (rarely does) that we don’t do one form or another of learning together, I feel really depleted. Learning with my son fills me with a joy that I cannot even describe. I love putting his learning first - above everything else. I love having his resources ready most mornings and him finding his learning and him being eager and happy to complete it.
That smile on his face as he comes out of our room and sees his learning, is something that will stay deep in my heart forever.
