Anyone using a non-religious homeschool preschool curriculum?

[jadamom]

(X-posted in Baby Bargains Lounge)

I'm interested in doing more interesting educational activities with DD (age 3 1/2) that involve more than sitting around the house with me and going to the park or mall. :) We do go to the library and read books. I also got some preschool workbooks that she seems to like, so I thought maybe I could try a prepackaged preschool curriculum. Does anyone have any recommendations? (We aren't religious.) I'm considering trying Brighter Vision Learning Adventures, which ships a box every month for $15.99 + $1.99 S&H, 1st month free. Any info would be really helpful. Thanks!

[raynjen]

A really good place to look (if you can stand their website) is Rainbow Resource Center (http://rainbowresource.com). They have tons of good homeschooling materials. A lot of it is Christian based (but that is true everywhere) so you just have to look around. The website is truly awful, but once you get the knack of it they have very good reviews/descriptions of the different items. When you look for stuff go through the catagory list NOT the search. When you do a search you don't see their descriptions just a little picture with pricing.

Hope that helps!

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to a wonderful preschooler, Noelle!

[jadamom]

Wow, what a comprehensive site! Lots of great material here--Thanks so much, Jen!

[lisams]

I just found this page - it has reviews of diferent preschool curriculums. http://homeschoolreviews.com/reviews/preschool.html

HTH!
Lisa

[jadamom]

Wow! There's some great information on that site. Thanks so much!

[jadamom]

Well, just received my first box from Brighter Vision Learning Adventures, and I have to say I'm not impressed. It was a free trial "valued at $25". We got a puzzle with shapes on it, a cardboard picture frame with pom-poms and foam to glue on it, stickers, a hardcover storybook, and a workbook which is just like all of the other preschool workbooks that we already have. DD enjoyed it and it's fine, but it's really not anything I couldn't have done myself for a lot less than $18 a month. For now, I'm taking ideas from "The Complete Daily Curriculum for Early Childhood" as a guide, and I think I'll look into starting Calvert's Pre-K in the fall.

[spu]

There's also a great book / magazine called "the Mailbox" published by The Education Center:

http://www.theeducationcenter.com/cgi-bin/tec/guest.jsp

I have 2 of their preschool annuals and they're so great that I've been so unimpressed with real preschools that I've visited... They have other things on their website too, and if you call, they can send you samples of any of the magazines. They're meant more for teachers I think, rather than homeschooling, but can certainly be put to good use at home as we've found!

susan




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charlotte + else ... 2.5 years + still nursing like crazy!

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[momtoemma]

Susan,

When you mentioned that you have some of their preshool annuals, do you mean the books called The Best of the Mailbox, vol..xxx? Do you subscribe to their Mailbox magazine? I'm trying to decide what would be the best thing to order.

Thanks,

[lisams]

I'm not Susan, but I used The Mailbox magazines A LOT when I was teaching preschool. The "Best of Mailbox" volumes are kind of like lots of the best ideas throughout the year compiled into one bigger magazine (and your library might have them in the children's reference section, although at our library you can't check them out). The monthly magazines follow themes. I like the monthly ones better, they seemed easier to plan a "unit". If you're just looking for fun ideas to do here and there the "Best of Mailbox" would work just fine. If you want to do themes, then the monthly magazine might be better.

HTH!
Lisa

[momtoemma]

Thanks for the tips! I need to see if my library keeps has this magazine. I'm certainly thinking about subscribing though.