Teaching my 5 year old after school and weekends.

[Yellowcups]

I can't decide if I want to be a pushy parent or not. My DS is in reception and probably average for most things. He is extremely imaginative with intricate drawings and has very good (but not the best) handwriting. His reading is blue level.

I'll be honest with you is general knowledge and interest in the world is what I've focused on so I haven't done the whole maths and English thing until recently.

Anyway, I don't think this is good enough. I think I need to do more reading writing and spelling. Maybe help him be more exact with his drawings, even possibly start teaching more about fractions, bonds and times tables. But my question is will it matter?

I really believe that I could help him to achieve more but of course I'm worried that I'll knock his confidence or become obsessed. I sound a tad loony but this post is genuine.

Anyone else home school their school children?

Even buying books online, I let my ds choose. Bought quite a lot from book people, he normally chose by its cover. And it actually worked well.
I used to stock up on books from charity shops when I see good ones, even though it maybe too difficult for him at the time.

Do not listen to the other parents! As long as your little one is enjoying school and doing well, don't worry! I believe children have enough pressure at school and we should not pile on more at home. Let them take up hobbies, learn to swim, ride a bike etc. Read lots (let them hear you read too) and learn maths that we find in our everyday lives. If you want to give them a boost after school, sneak it in and make it fun so that the children don't know what you are doing.

His drawing will help with his pen control for writing, so encourage him with his drawing. Do not correct his drawing - this is his perception of the world. What if someone had corrected Picasso?

I wouldn't worry. If you're raising a well rounded child who's enjoying learning that's what matters.
Read to them at home. Get them weighing things out for you etc.
Sport, music lessons or rainbows/beavers etc are all fun ways they can learn. As long as you don't become "that parent" who decides your child is destined for greatness and then hot house them.

Some parents just love a little competitor of how advanced their child is. 90% of the time the child isn't exceptionally advanced at all. They just have different talents and pushy parents.

I'll be honest though on MN there is a culture in places of lots of extras, tutoring, deciding your child's future is doomed if you didn't get into your first choice school.

My DS in year 1 went from the first book ( red I think) all the way through and was having to get books from year 2 by the end of the year..He loves books. He hasn't been pushed just simply enjoys reading.

Another point..He loved clocks ( mini obsession) and could tell the time on the hour and half hour before he started school..Obsession passed and got left on one side. When they started learning the time he was no better than anyone else.. I have heard this about children who did French at nursery.

I would say my DS's year 1 teacher was one of the best teachers he ever had , this was simply because she encouraged his love of learning.

Take him to the Library.. You should still be sharing books at this age. Do things that develop fine motor skills.. playing with playdo. Painting with water outside, knetic sand, play on scooters and bikes. In the summer when my DS was in reception we went to the park after school when it was nice. Helped with friendships , physical skills. and he had fun which is the key here.

Play with him. He's five.

Please don't teach him how to draw - go to galleries, look at pictures, discuss the way they are drawn and so on, but don't teach any kind of technique.

I went to art college, have won a number of national awards, spent many years working as a designer and still do a lot of drawing and painting both professionally and for fun. My DD is considerably better than I was at the same age, but I will not teach her until she reaches the right point.

I'm a bit of a Stuckist and like very traditional teaching techniques that aren't awfully popular these days, but there is a very special way about young children's creativity that can be very quickly stifled by learning the supposed 'right way' to draw things.

When my DD starts drawing things 'the right way' rather than her own quirky way, then I will start to teach her. Generally this kicks in around the age of 9-10 when they start to get frustrated that their drawings don't look like reality or the image that they have in their head and pick up lots of bad habits and don't learn to look properly.

While their little, leave well alone and don't let them near awful programmes like Squiggle Bits that tell you how to draw things!

If you want to do anything I would put your focus on reading. I figured reading was a gateway to independence and children being able to teach themselves. 5-10 mins every day. Try to find fun books rather than the terrible Chip and Biff so that you and he enjoy it!