Preparing the Essentials For a Preschool Homeschool

Preparing the Essentials For a Preschool Homeschool

So, you've decided your going to home school right from the beginning! But, what do you need? Where do you start? Well, to be honest, every homeschooler will say something a bit different when answering these questions. But, at the same time, there are some common ideas that many families agree were essential homeschooling supplies when they were at the preschool homeschool stage.

Books, Books, And More Books

Easy access to books helps develop a love of reading and is truly an essential of any preschool homeschool. If you haven't already, start creating your own home library and keep all the books within easy reach of your child.

If you need some ideas, take a look around online. There is a wide range of possibilities for excellent books for a preschool homeschool. Look for some reviews from other homeschoolers, and select what you think you and your child would enjoy.

Get Yourself (And Your Child) A Library Card

Along these same lines, make sure you patronize your local library frequently! Get to know the librarian's name(s), and come regularly. Help your child select books, and check out some for yourself too, involving your child in the process whenever possible. It's never too early for a homeschooler to learn how to use the library system!

Libraries also sometimes offer special events (that are usually free!) in addition to regular programs for young children like story hour. It's a great way learn about new things, and sometimes, you might even get to meet new friends there too!

Make Learning The Basics Fun With Board Games

Young children can learn a lot through games. Some board games are obviously educational, but others are just plain fun; and even they can teach preschoolers a lot. In addition to the subject matter of the game, a child can learn things like how to take turns, basic counting, following the game rules, and depending on the game, number recognition and a bit of reading. Not bad for a "game!" You can find some really unique games in homeschooling supply catalogues and online, but regular "old" games like Connect Four, Candy Land, and Checkers are perfect too.

Manipulatives For Math And More

Manipulatives are most often associated with teaching math, but are really any model, block, tile, etc. that can assist a student in working out a problem regardless of the subject. In addition to the wide array of manipulatives available for exploring math, there are also science, and phonics manipulatives that can make learning new skills more "hands on" and, for certain learning styles, easier.

Manipulatives are a great resource for the introduction of these concepts in the preschool homeschool, and are available online or anywhere else where you might find homeschooling supplies.

As you continue on your homeschooling journey, you'll surely find other homeschooling supplies that you would describe as essential. Products are always changing, and of course, our children are always changing.

Each year homeschooling you will also gain a better idea of your child's learning style, and interests, as well as your own homeschooling philosophy. But, if you start off with these tried and true homeschooling supplies for the preschool homeschool, you and your child will definitely enjoy your very first year of homeschooling!

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What To Look For In Preschool Curriculum Resources

What To Look For In Preschool Curriculum Resources

Imagine a four year old running through the house, jumping on the bed, and getting into stuff. Meanwhile, a three year old adds to the chaos with his relentless pestering. With a tried patience and seeming like nothing has been accomplished, parents can easily throw up their hands in frustration and begin to raise their voices. Parents of young children can easily imagine this scene, and they would hope to stay calm and collected in this situation. On days like this, parents begin to realize the need for creative ways to channel their child’s limitless energy and curiosity. One creative way parents can turn chaos into constructive learning is through preschool curriculum resources. Preschool is an effective tool to teach children life skills, while keeping them entertained. However, the success of teaching and entertaining preschool children depends upon the instruction and curriculum. So, what should parents and teachers look for in preschool curriculum resources to ensure success and fun? Consider these important questions:

Does the curriculum promote Christian values?
Curriculum resources should reflect the values desired to be instilled within the child. If the values deviate from those standards, the material should not be taught. Parents know that instilling Christian values at an early age is crucial because they teach children acceptable behavior expected of them. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” However, it is important to note that this proverb is not an invariable rule or binding promise from God. Proverbs merely explains how life generally works. Ideally, good parents will raise godly children, and good teachers will produce successful students.

Is the curriculum engaging and instructive?
In searching for preschool curriculum resources, parents should pay special attention to the “engaging and instructive” aspects of the material. Is the material bright, inviting, imaginative, and fun? Does the material use engaging images to teach children lessons in basic skills? Young children thrive on bright colors, hands-on activities, and do-it-themselves tasks. If a curriculum does not provide these aspects, children will quickly lose interest and not benefit from the lessons being taught. Most curriculum materials highlight goals for cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development, but it is important to make sure the curriculum resources are child-friendly and helpful to parents as well.

Is the curriculum child-directed?
Some parents prefer child-directed curriculum for preschool. Child-directed curriculum uses toys or objects a child is playing with to teach a life lesson. For instance, if a child is playing with a fire truck, parents can utilize that time to teach the child about fire safety. If a child is playing with a teddy bear, parents can talk about bears and animals. Even though a child is playing, he is learning without having his playtime interrupted. In this teaching technique, parents should look for curriculum resources that condense important facts about a certain subject into a short lesson. A child’s attention span is very limited, so key facts should be taught within a short time. If parents use this curriculum, they’ll learn that just looking at their child’s toys will create limitless ideas for lesson plans.

What support services does the curriculum offer?
When beginning a preschool curriculum, parents should take special note of what support services the curriculum has available. For example, most curriculum materials provide web pages where additional ideas and techniques are outlined. Some curriculum even offers on-call support to assist parents with the material. Parents should also try to attend preschool seminars and workshops to gain information. Preschool magazines are always helpful, too. The more curriculum resources that are available often means more support is available and more success will be experienced.

By asking these noteworthy questions, parents can make the days of chaos in their homes disappear, and employ well-chosen preschool lesson plans with projects, crafts, games, and songs to transform craziness into creativity!

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Homeschool Preschool Curriculum - Which One Should I Choose?

Homeschool Preschool Curriculum - Which One Should I Choose?

One of the most difficult aspects of homeschooling preschool is deciding what homeschool preschool curriculum to use. Before looking at the many programs on the market, think about your family's needs. How much time do have to spend preparing for lessons and teaching your child? How much money do you want to spend? Is your child ready for structured, formal lessons? What type of activities does your child enjoy?

If you have a busy schedule or have multiple children to teach, you may want to use a program that has a pre-planned schedule, and requires little preparation and teaching time. Consider using a more traditional program like A beka or Horizons, that comes with lesson plans and workbooks. Rod and Staff sells a set of preschool workbooks that are christian-based and easy to use.

Little Hands to Heaven also comes with a pre planned schedule. This Christian program teaches essential preschool skills using 33 units that are centered around stories from the Bible. Although the program is structured, it is flexible enough to be used with children of multiple ages at the same time.

If your preschooler enjoys reading, consider using a literature-based homeschool preschool curriculum. Programs like Sonlight, Winter Promise and Five in a Row center their lessons around classic children's literature. As you read to and discuss stories with your children, they learn everything they need to know for preschool and beyond.

So what do you do with the wiggly ones? Lapbooks! Hands of a Child and Homeschool Share provide hands-on lapbooking activities you can use to teach those kinesthetic learners we all love. If your child still doesn't want to participate, skip the lessons!

Preschoolers can learn everything they need to know by helping us with household chores and errands. Talk to your child about numbers, patterns, shapes, and letters and their sounds. Read picture books and make up your own stories. Make cards and pictures for loved ones. Take trips to the zoo and library story times.

Real-life interaction is the BEST curriculum for your preschooler. Everything else is just a supplement.

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Teaching Preschool Curriculum At Home

Teaching Preschool Curriculum At Home

Did you know that only 40 years ago it used to be the “norm” to teach your preschooler at home? Not only did parents teach their little ones moral values of right and wrong, manners, and socialization skills, they also naturally developed their own preschool curriculum to teach their child how to recognize shapes, colors, numbers, and the alphabet. Parents didn’t see themselves as incapable of teaching and rarely considered sending their child to a preschool program to be taught by “experts.” In fact, in 1965, fewer than two in ten four-year-olds attended preschool. Providing a rich, nurturing environment with learning opportunities and work responsibilities, parents taught their children through their examples, conversations, and experiences.

Although today’s society may dictate otherwise, the combination of parents and home is still the best option for giving a child a quality preschool education. Children are happier and more content learning at home, as they have an opportunity to grow and develop physically, mentally, and spiritually at their own pace. Plus, teaching a preschooler at home forms a lasting family bond between parent and child that is irreplaceable. Parents who homeschool a preschooler enjoy the benefit of saving time and money over expensive day care or preschool costs. What’s more, today’s affordable, easy-to-use preschool curriculum resources make discovering, experimenting, and exploring God’s world with children more exciting and easier than ever. Michael Smith, President of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, said it best: “Young children are better off at home. We are in danger of over-institutionalizing them. A child will develop naturally if the parents give the child what he or she needs most in the formative years--plenty of love and attention. In this way, the brain can develop freely.”

Not sure you have what it takes to teach your child at home? Debating if you should send your child to preschool to prepare him for kindergarten? Consider this. For the past several years, you’ve already been teaching your child. He’s learned thousands of important lessons about the world and himself through ordinary activities that also include academic significance. For example, when you’ve read books or sang songs together, you’ve created a lasting impact on your child’s literacy. Add to these teachable moments an engaging and flexible, hands-on preschool curriculum, and you’ll have everything you need to help your preschooler easily learn what he needs to know before entering kindergarten.

Can all parents with time, love, and motivation create a quality preschool program to teach their child at home? The resounding answer is “Yes!” Don’t let the fear of your child falling behind cause you to miss the greatest blessing you can enjoy as a parent. Like past generations before you, teaching your preschooler at home is easy. Simply keep in mind your primary goals of what you want your child to learn and what skills you want him to master. Enjoy the awesome adventure of preparing your little one for future academic success.

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Choosing A Preschool Homeschool Curriculum

Choosing A Preschool Homeschool Curriculum
Children are always eager to learn, and they yearn for ways to express and explore their independence. In order to satisfy their children’s inquisitiveness, parents should begin looking for the best preschool homeschool curriculum, as a means to educate and develop their children’s creativity. At an early age, children develop a strong sense of curiosity and wonder. They love seeing, engaging in, and interpreting the world around them. So, what should parents look for when choosing a preschool homeschool curriculum, and how can they find a curriculum that’s both easy to teach and implement? Because each child has different needs and interests, there are no easy answers to finding the appropriate curriculum; however, here are some of the most important aspects parents should look for when choosing a preschool curriculum:

Includes Activities for Learning
Four-year-olds have a limited attention span and many haven’t mastered sitting still, so parents need to find a curriculum that integrates activities and learning. The curriculum should provide supplies, as well as ideas, for parents to use in instructing their child. For instance, if the curriculum teaches the recognition of various shapes, it should provide an activity for the child to stimulate learning. The activity could be as simple as matching shapes on a piece of paper or putting cut-out shapes in designated boxes. While the child performs the activity, parents can constantly name the shape and request the child to repeat the name. Even though the child is having fun, he is also learning and developing memorization. If a preschool homeschool curriculum doesn’t provide activities, it will be difficult to keep the child engaged and enthused about learning.

Centers the Curriculum around Books
Books are the key to unlocking a whole new world of wonder in a child’s life! Therefore, when parents choose a preschool curriculum, they should make sure the materials are book-centered and the curriculum promotes an early development of literacy. For example, the curriculum should offer books about letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. These books are not only instructive but also entertaining. With this enhanced focus on books, parents will help their homeschoolers develop an appreciation for literacy. Because books are an important element in expanding a child’s vocabulary, imagination, and comprehension, parents should also research whether or not there are additional resources available with the curriculum. A preschool homeschool curriculum that doesn’t utilize books requires parents to instill the appreciation of literacy without curriculum assistance.

Promotes Creative Thinking
Young children have a very active and creative imagination. In a child’s mind a box is transformed into a castle, a can becomes a telephone, and an umbrella becomes a means of transportation. In order to provide a foundation to teach their children about the amazing world around them, parents need to look for preschool curriculum that stimulates and nurtures creative thinking. As children grow, this creative thinking will help them solve problems and be an active member within a community. Creativity is always a useful and indispensable resource!

Develops Respect and Values
Because young children are very impressionable, a preschool homeschool curriculum should focus on developing respect and Christian values. Parents should look for curriculum that engages children, but also teaches them manners, promotes a proper attitude, and honors others. These are the same values that are important to a family, and a homeschool curriculum needs to support and emphasize those same characteristics. By creating an early development of respect and values, parents will provide their children with a solid foundation that will last a lifetime.

Choosing the most appropriate preschool homeschool curriculum is an important decision parents make for their children, and because of each child’s unique abilities, interests, and gifts, it’s not an easy choice. However, by looking for a curriculum that includes stimulating activities for learning, is book-centered, promotes creative thinking, and develops respect and values, parents can be assured they are adequately preparing their children for kindergarten and the rest of their education. More importantly, they are supporting their children’s natural desire to learn, while also giving them the necessary foundations for a successful life.

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