Preschool curriculum at home

[mom2224]

DS just turned 2 and I'm starting my research on homeschooling during the preschool years. Does anyone have any authors or books they'd recommend? TIA!

[brittone2]

DS just turned 2 and I'm starting my research on homeschooling during the preschool years. Does anyone have any authors or books they'd recommend? TIA!

For basic homeschooling background and theory, anything by Gatto or Holt is really fascinating (old books but good books). Holt's How Children Fail (about how kids really learn and how schools often don't give them what they need to actually learn vs. a superficial understanding) is awesome. There's also How Children Learn, which is also fascinating...but How Children Fail is my fav.

There are good homeschooling boards at MDC.

You really IMO don't need a curriculum for a preschooler. Just do enriching life stuff...kwim? Read a lot, play a lot, have lots of open ended art supplies around, listen to music, go to the library story hour, go to the park, take nature walks, etc. Give them a little broom, a dustpan, an unused large paintbrush to sweep crumbs off the table, a little rake...stuff like that. Very Montessori really...letting them work on imitating adult work and giving them a feeling of importance and doing real work. A small plastic or pyrex pitcher to practice pouring water into their cup, etc. Sometimes I scope out Montessori catalogs online (like forsmallhands) for ideas and you can often duplicate those things with what you already have at home (sorting activities, stringing beads, etc) It is easy to incorporate into your day.

If you really want a curriculum, look at Before Five in a Row maybe?

There are also some good books and blogs on doing Montessori or Waldorfy activities at home with kids, etc. Ambleside Online has lots of good resources for a Charlotte Mason philosophy.

LMK if you want some more links.

This site has some good info and a ton of links (this woman homeschooled her son who is now in college or maybe even graduated now? Anyway, she's a regular poster on the MDC homeschooling/unschooling boards)
general homepage for it:
http://www.besthomeschooling.org/
her compilation of great links:
http://www.besthomeschooling.org/gateway/intedws.html

Your library may have some great books...ours is smallish but it carries Home Education magazine, which is always interesting and it is a (mostly) secular HSing magazine.

[Raidra]

Exactly. There really isn't much need for a curriculum in the preschool years. Just read lots of good picture books, go on fun outings, play with friends, live your lives. It's such a wonderful thing to see your child learn and grow freely, in the way that suits them best. You didn't need a curriculum for them to learn to talk and walk, and the same goes for the preschool years, as well.

[sste]

I agree with playing!! In scandinavian countries, I believe that playing is the primary focus not only of preschool but of early elementary school as well - - and those kids are not testing lower than US kids.

It seems to me a little challenging to implement a preschool curriculum completely within the home in that my view of the major function of pre-school is for your child to start learning social skills, how to sit in a circle with other kids, and how to follow simple directions in an environment that is NOT home and from an adult who is NOT your parent.

Perhaps you should look into some basic games and activities you can do at home as a preschool curriculum and then supplement that with some sort of toddler class (music, gymnastics, etc) several times a week where your toddler can focus on the social elements, handling new environments, etc.

[AngelaS]

I agree that playing and books are the best route for preschool. That's what I've done w/all of mine and they're doing fine or better in school. ;)

If you want a curriculum, look at Before Five in a Row. Basically, you'll read the same classic child's book to your child every day and then do some activities that tie into it. :)

[mom2224]

Thanks for all the advice! I was basically thinking the same things and have looked into Before 5 in a Row.

Somedays I feel less than creative and was basically looking for inspiration. These are such precious years and I want to educate as best I can.

Also, glad to hear that plan ole playing ranks high on your lists. I try to create a learning experience while playing... Playing is so much fun at this age. I love to watch him learn and just, again, hoping I'm doing a good job.

I'll keep up what I'm doing and supplement with some of your more formal structured suggestions.

[brittone2]

Yeah, a wise HSing mama once said something to the effect of how worksheets just demonstrate to us that they already know something...kwim? As parents we find that oddly reassuring, but it doesn't mean the worksheets really did much to help them learn.

I think the real *learning* portion comes from play. Worksheets and such just make us feel better, but in most cases, they probably already knew the concept in the first place...from play :)

[AngelaS]

Worksheets just keep 'em busy so teachers can deal with other stuff. :P