Teaching Shavuous to 3 year old

amother

Wheat

Tue, May 23 2017, 2:34 am

I couldn't afford to send my kid to playgroup this year. I have been teaching about the yomim tovim and am getting stuck with this chag. It is so esoteric... how can I tell my kid about how amazing the Torah is, why it is a present, why we have the chag? It was easier with Pesach- we clean, we worked hard and then Hashem set us free, we eat matzah, sing mah nishtana (he kind of new the first question). And Sukkos we decorated our sukkah, we made one out of blocks, we "shook" the lulav. RH we sang dip the apple. YK I just explained its a special yom tov where we say sorry to people and Hashem.

I tried singing the song "Hashem gave us a present" but he was confused. I tried explaining that the Torah is so great- it gives us Shabbos and Kosher food and shul (things he likes)... but I guess I didn't do it well.

I want to teach him for multiple reasons- he should know and be excited about the chagim but also I don't want him to be behind his future classmates when he starts in the fall in Nursery. What do they expect the kids to know? Is it normal for my kid not to know all the songs, about chagim or do most kids not remember year to year? I have friends with 4 year olds and they seem to know it all... but that could be because they recently learned it in school. Do kids forget it over the summer and all start new with aleph bais and the like? How do playgroups teach the aleph bais? I found coloring sheets online but what else?

queenert

Tue, May 23 2017, 12:18 pm

Please don't feel inferior! You're giving him not just one-on-one instruction, but real life, hands on instruction, which is much more memorable. Often the kids that seem to know SO much are just spitting back songs they memorize or concepts they hear but don't really understand.
He'll pick it up at his pace, don't fret too much about keeping up with everyone. If he doesn't get it, move on to a difference aspect of the chag or try a different method. Personally, I just give information through a lot of different types of streams and let dd pick up what she picks up.
So, our Shavuot "curriculum" for example would include:
Listening to songs (some with obscure references like midos machine hey there Mr humble).
Decorating the house with flowers
Making Har Sinai cupcakes and cheesecake
Buying something new for the chag together
Making a related project to bring to her great grandmother
All this includes explanations if she asks or seems open to it.
And just random jabbering about how lucky we are and how special the Torah is etc. when I'm feeling effusive.

amother

Wheat

Wed, May 24 2017, 11:22 am

How much do kids remember year to year? I am so nervous about the fall when he will be in a classroom. I was hoping to have him be better at academics since he will struggle with some of the other parts of school. I am sending him to camp.

amother

Amethyst

Wed, May 24 2017, 11:38 am

My mom teaches 3 year olds and she always tells parents not to worry if kids don't know parsha etc. They will be learning it for the rest of their lives. She is more concerned about skills. Fine motor, (cutting with scissors, coloring etc.) Being able to sit and listen and participate. Social skills, this may be harder to observe since he is not in a group setting. I don't think you need to worry if knows the songs etc. Just whatever makes him happy to learn.

Mommastuff

Wed, May 24 2017, 11:51 am

My kids went to great playgroups, learned all the songs, did all the projects, but they don't remember what they learned from there years later. They learn it all again in school.
Like others have said, they learn fine motor skills, how to socialize, mind their manners (but that is till a work in progress), etc.

imasinger

Wed, May 24 2017, 1:15 pm

You're overthinking this.

Most of what a young child knows about yiddishkeit comes from the home. If your DS sees you putting up flowers, making dairy, and knows that people stay up all night learning Torah, he will be on a particular with many peers in terms of Shavuos.

At 3, kids are often introduced to the first letters of alef beis. But this is retaught in the following year. So, like everyone else says, learning to participate in a classroom, and building fine motor skills are the key elements of a 3 year old program.

In terms of your original question about how to teach young children the importance of Torah, take some elements they can relate to. As an introduction to the song,"Hashem Gave Us a Present", I do a puppet show about the melachim taking Torah to other nations, who turn it down. Most 3 year olds can understand why it is bad to kill, steal, not listen to parents. They can comprehend that even though sometimes we don't want to do these things, we are better off.

The song "Tov Li" is also accessible, and I do a puppet show to introduce that, too. I find many 3 year olds can understand that candy is yummy, but books are better, because they're not all gone after the first time you enjoy them. And the Torah is the best "book" of all! Thanks is due to my DGD's playgroup morah, who offered a singable translation, "Your Torah is better for me, than money or the yummiest candy."

amother

Royalblue

Wed, May 24 2017, 3:27 pm

I work with 3 year olds- don't expect him to really "get" it. There are some kids who learn and remember what they've been taught about parsha and the holidays, but it's only a few of them. Usually they only remember like the very basics- latkes and menorah on channukah and succah on succot. Sing songs, explain what you're doing to prepare, you can give a very brief summary of the holiday, look online for some age-appropriate projects, but don't get frustrated if he doesn't really absorb it all. He wont understand how amazing the torah is. That's pretty deep. He will feel your vibes though. If you're genuinely excited and happy he'll pick up on that. If you're just trying to cram info into him he'll pick up on that too.

Basically have fun. Don't worry he won't be behind. Some of the kids are so busy talking to each other during circle time and don't have patience during projects they don't even remember what they did by the end of the school day.