Community Question is a category inspired by you. Here and there readers write in with questions that are better served by the varied, experiential knowledge of those who read and contribute in the comments. Please respond to this post in the comments, but if you have a question for the community email it to Heather.
The following question is from Tonya B.
“I’m a single mom that finalized the adoption of an adorable girl who is just about to turn two. I’m planning on homeschooling (even though I haven’t quite figured out how that looks being a single mom.) Lily is extremely smart – already knows how to count to ten, can say her ABCs through the letter G, knows about half her colors and talks up a storm. I have been working really hard at fostering a love for learning and knowledge while we go about our daily activities (counting as we go down stairs, naming the color of everything we get dressed in, talking about what letter our produce from the store starts with, etc) since I started caring for her as a preventative measure of sorts because of her less than ideal situation when her birth mother was pregnant with her (mental health issues along with substance abuse.)
However I don’t know how to keep fostering that learning once she knows how to count and say her ABCs and knows her colors. I’m the first person in my family and friends who is planning to homeschool and even though I think it sounds kind of crazy I really was thinking about starting with some of the basics with Lily this fall. Is there any advice on how to take the next steps? I do have a laptop, LeapPad2 and a small amount of financial resources set aside. Or am I crazy for wanting to start teaching her this early? Also, if there is any advice on how to do this as a single parent who has to work full time that would be awesome.”