In this e-course, I am sharing three simple steps that will help you get started homeschooling your preschooler! Yes, 3 steps! It's really that easy - I promise! 

Today we're going to get started with Step #1: Choosing a Curriculum

One of the questions I get asked the most is "What curriculum do you use?" and in this first e-mail, I thought I would take a minute to explain how I choose the material we use at home with our little ones.

Do I purchase a specific preschool curriculum kit? The short answer is no, I do not buy any specific kit. I realize there are loads of great ones there, and you may decide to go that direction, but for me, I have enjoyed putting together a variety of materials that are tailored to fit the individual needs of each of my children, and I have yet to need an expensive teacher’s manual.

 

For the two-year old year, we stick with very simple hands-on activities, and workbooks are not a part of what we do each day.

Two-Year Old Preschool at Home: Read More Here

For the three and four-year old years, I like my preschooler to have two different workbooks: one that focuses on letters and one that focuses on numbers - Yep, just one of each. I keep it that simple! I have used a variety of consumable workbooks from A Beka, Kumon, Handwriting without Tears, and more.

Some of my favorite workbooks have come from Amazon, Ollies, Sam's Club, even thrift stores, and oftentimes, there's nothing particularly special about them. I have simply found them to be bright and colorful and great at addressing the skills I'm wanting to work on with my little one! 

There are loads of great activity books out there, and you can’t go wrong when making a choice. I promise! Remember...this is preschool...a fun time to explore and discover and play and develop...there are no hard and fast rules here!

Three-Year Old Preschool at Home: Read More Here

What Do I Want My Three-Year Old to Learn?

For the three-year old year, I like to focus on the following areas:

Your goals for your little one may differ, but this list will provide you with a good starting point!

Letter Recognition

Letter Tracing

Letter Sounds

Counting to 20

Basic Shapes

Colors

Sorting/Classifying

Cutting/Pasting

Gross Motor Skills/Fine Motor Skills

Four-Year Old Preschool at Home: Read More Here

What Do I Want My Four-Year Old to Learn?

For the four-year old year, I like to focus on the following areas:

Your goals for your little one may differ, but this list will provide you with a good starting point!

Recognizing/Tracing/Writing Letters

Recognizing and Applying Vowel/Consonant Sounds

Recognizing Sight Words & Reading CVC Words

Recognizing/Tracing/Writing/Counting Numbers to 100

Identifying/Drawing Basic Shapes

Recognizing Coins & Becoming Familiar with their Value

Becoming Familiar with both Analog and Digital Clocks

Recognizing/Creating Patterns & Sequences

Sorting/Classifying

Tracing/Cutting/Pasting

Gross Motor Skills/Fine Motor Skills

Memorization

Simply look for resources that you feel speak to the specific needs of your child. If you find something is working well, stick with it! If you discover it’s not a great fit, look for something a little different! Don’t be afraid to stop and go a different direction. Having the freedom to do this is one of the best things about learning together at home!

Each day, I like my little ones to have some type of workbook activity to complete: tracing, writing, drawing, coloring, etc. but during these early years of learning, I prefer to keep the majority of our focus on hands-on activities! 

Where do I find my resources for those types of things? Well, first off, I look around my house! If you're like us, you already have great interactive books, puzzles, games, toys, activities that suit your child! Beyond that, I am definitely a bargain shopper, and I share some of my best tips here.

Want to know more about how we do things around here?
Watch for the next e-mail in this course, but also be sure to check out my e-book: "Homeschooling Your Preschooler": It is full of inspiration about the resources we use, the schedule that works for our family, the methods that help us stay organized as we learn, and the ideas that keep life flowing smoothly around here.

Also, be sure to check this: Five Senses Letter-a-Week Activity Guide. Designed with kids ages 2-5 in mind, this product full of sensory experiences and STEM activities will gift children with the opportunity to HEAR - SEE - TOUCH - SMELL - and TASTE each letter of the alphabet - engaging them in such a way that they can't resist wanting to learn new things!

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This Little Home of Mine

Thank you for following along with me! 

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