Do you have personalized LEARNING OUTCOMES for your child?

[kizudo]

Hi All,

I was just "speaking" with a BrillKids member about learning outcomes.  From what I understood, she looks at what skills/concepts she wants her little one to achieve/acquire for that year.  I'm assuming, but could be wrong of course, that she regularly looks at her list and breaks down the goal into bite sized pieces for each month.  I'm wondering if there are others of you that are this specific with WHAT you want your child to learn and WHEN you want it learned by.  I've been offering my child learning opportunities as I can, but I'm thinking that a formal "curriculum document" would keep me on track and more disiplined with a schedule.

So...the questions I pose are:
1.  Do you have a set list of WHAT you want learned?
2.  Do you have a specific plan as to WHEN you want it learned by?
3.  How did you determine what was to be on your list that was a developmentally appropriate challenge?

[DrPrimo]

yes!!! i know for me that would really be helpful.  just to have an idea when you're flashing, showing DVDs, doing LM and LR, shichida, etc. etc.  it would be great to have an idea of where we should be after like, every 2 mo. or so.  i realize no 2 children are alike, but considering i have no idea what on earth should be happening and since we can't test, a guideline would really be helpful!
great idea kizudo!!
the doc

[Indidee]

As much as I agree, I dont use this method because I want her to just enjoy and take in everything that is being given.  Being Indian, I know she will go into a structured and rigorous education system pretty soon.  I want her to have all the fun learning till then - though I have just about started creating the structure now.

[DrPrimo]

i don't think we're thinking so much structure as guidance.  here in the US we have no standards so its difficult to know what to do when.  consider yourself lucky that your country cares about educating its young!
the doc

[Niniedney]

I don't really have a schedule set. And certainly don't have a set time I expect things to be learned by. But I have made up a list of things I would like to work on. Of course readng, with phonics and sight words, math were doing counting, number recognition, and addition and subtraction, geography, coninents and oceans right now. Later move on to states then countries. Musical instruments. Things like that. So at night when the girls are asleep I go online and figure out an activity to do the next day concerning one of those topics. And I don't stress if I don't have times to do that. I just make up a game, or review what we already know. I just make sure whatever were doing is fun for everyone. Schedules are hard to keep when your LO are so young and have a short attention span or don't always want to do what you have planned. GL

[Indidee]

Agreed Dr. Primo and Ninieday.  In fact Ninieday has described similar things I do.
The only problem with the Indian system, which is where Brillkids, the Doman method, Schichida method and right brain education come into the picture is that -literally our system is like a herd system.  Just because the other child is able to do this - your child should be able to do this.  I consider that so completely unfair and unreasonable.  The system works hard on completely stripping the child of the genius - except the structure helps a lot for discipline - but it doesn't really promote the sense of independant research, the yearning to learn more and moreover does not leave time for personal development on other fronts.

I was just having an argument with my husband (who is not too convinced of early learning) that we are making her too dependent on prepared materials and that she will never get admitted to an Indian school. Can you believe schools INTERVIEW little children (toddlers) by asking them questions and testing them BEFORE deciding if they want to take them in.  This is ridiculous. I know my daughter can read at around Grade 1 levels and she knows even the 8 planets.  She knows her mesopotamian history, her animals and sounds, she even knows flags and nations (thanks to Tweedlewink). 

I dont want her doing the Western education not because I am against it but because the Indian system gives better grounding at Math.  At a later stage, we even have Abacus methods which are fantastic for math. But until then, I wish they let the children enjoy "childhood".  We get graded and passed / failed at Grade1 levels - which is very very stressful.

[kizudo]

Hi All,
I guess what I was looking for is not a list to say "Little son of mine, you have passed (or failed) today's challenge."  What I am looking for is a general list of things that I can be deliberate about introducing/teaching my child at his age. 

For instance, the other day I saw a little boy my son's age slide down the slide and land perfectly without any help from mom.  It never dawned on me that my son might be ready for such a skill.  We've always caught him before landing.  On another playdate, my friend's son (3 months older than mine) was jumping in the kitchen and enjoying himself immensely.  His mom said it only took a few days of purposeful instruction and he got it.   I have yet to show my son how to do that.

Anyway, this is the BEGINNINGS of a list of Physical Learning Outcomes that I have put together.  I say the "beginnings" because I've sent it to a friend who is a P.E. teacher for her comments.  I'd like her advice on whether these skills are even realistic to teach/learn at my son's age.  Where I've marked something as "advanced" I've asked her to tell me whether this is WAAAAYYY off base and is a skill a 6 year old would have a hard time with or if I could maybe introduce this to him next year or the year after that.

So...I was wondering if any of you do this with other subject areas, as well.

Kizudo


Learning Outcomes  -  2nd bday to 3rd
Physical
Large Motor
-   Rolling like a log – one direction and then back again
-   Swing – pump legs on own
-   Slide – land without help
-   balancing on one foot
-   balancing on three points (two legs and an arm, for example)
-   jumping (two foot take-off and two foot landing)
-   Walking down steep slope unassisted without tumbling
Advanced:
-   Hop (hopping is one foot take off, same foot landing) (advanced)
-   leaping (like a large stride – one foot take off, other foot landing) (advanced)
-   Tumble (somersault) (advanced)
-   Crab walk (advanced)
-   Balance book on head (very advanced - also while holding something that shouldn’t spill – cup, bowl of plastic eggs, etc)
-   Skipping (advanced)
-   Gallop (advanced)

Playing Ball:
-   Rolling to a target
-   Catch (begin with large, soft, squishy balls)
-   Throw to a target (through a hoop, into a hoop on ground, baskets on floor/on a chair, …start with  a bean bag)
Advanced:
-   Bounce and catch (advanced)
-   Dribble (very advanced)

[Indidee]

Hi Kizudo
My answer would be - no I didnt list it out like this. But I had already started doing some (not all) of your advanced listed items with my daughter when she was 1 1/2.  I think you come up with ideas instantly.
Like, its taken me a while to potty train her and she is almost there.  But when I held her in the bathrooom, she accidentally discovered the joy of swinging her legs while I held her - she liked it - I encouraged it and now she does it almost everyday. We dont have any parks or bars in the open in the middle east everywhere.... so we have to depend on ingenius ideas.
And I think your list is good. I am sure you have also included swimming somewhere.

Thanks for the list though.  It is really helpful for me to understand the activities at this age - my daughter is 2 yrs and 3 months... so about time i should do something.

[DrPrimo]

very helpful!  thaks so much kizudo!
i know there must be parents out there who have done the doman physical stuff.  any advice you can give?
thanks!
the doc

[NadiaD]

Just digged out this thread!
I totally on the same page with kizudo!
I like to write down the goals and programs, to keep myself organized!
Thank you! for creating great checklist!
Feel free to post as many ideas as you can, I know all of them easy and obvious,
but some times you get caught up, and forget to practice them

[kizudo]

Hi all!

I wanted to tell you about SarahJean.  She's a member here at BrillKids and has an outstanding list of learning outcomes for her daughter on her blog.  If you pm her, I'm sure she'll give you the link.  It's quite extensive and is somewhat overwhelming, but if you can get past the length and are able to adapt it to fit with your goals for your own child it could be very helpful.

Kizudo

[KL]

In life, goal-setting is a good thing. A powerful thing.  It makes us focus upon what we want to accomplish, and brings us there much faster than if we didn't have such a focus. (Arnold Schwarzenneger, for example, is known for having a list of goals every year, which brought him from an ordinary body builder to Mr. Olympia to movie star to Governor and who knows what else).

I think it's also good to guide our children to have goals for themselves, and encourage them to think about what they want to achieve for themselves and help them in their path to achieving it.

However, for early learning, I generally encourage parents NOT to be goal-oriented.  The danger with focusing on results for our kids is that we will increasingly want to force our children to learn even when they do not want to, and this will take away the joy of teaching and the whole experience for your child therefore starts to become stressful.  On the other hand, if our focus is on having fun and just enjoying the bonding with our child, what I believe we will find is that results become a very natural side-effect.

Also, if we have a vision of something for our children (very different from having one for ourselves), what happens if our child does not achieve it?  How will we feel towards them and how will it affect us when we interact with them?

This is actually part of a much bigger topic regarding how much choice and freedom we give to our children in terms of making their own decisions, and it's not an easy subject, and there is no right or wrong in it, merely what approach we decide to adopt, and the consequences of that decision.

[TmS]

I like to let my son lead his day as much as possible. However, I also like to be prepared for where he is going to take me so that I am ready to add to his experience in steps that are beneficial.

For instance if my son's lead takes me to painting today and I know that yesterday he had dipped his crayon into the paint instead of his finger then I figure he is ready for a new element in painting and I add some sponges and rags & paintbrushes into the mix etc. If my son is successfully jumping, then I put a rope on the ground and we have fun jumping over it.

I find that having a list means I can stay on top of his development.When I make a list I start with an end goal that is not so out of reach and make a list of required experiences that give the skills he would first need to gain to achieve this goal.

We are here to guide our children and we shouldn't do so blindly so I think being prepared for the places they will lead us is important but learning shouldn't become overstructured or rigid.

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