help with preschool homeschooling

[lovemykids]

Where do I find more information on homeschooling my two preschool aged children...I want it to be structured...I want them to be ready for school when the time comes....Just looking for some tips and maybe some help on where to find info and workbooks, or worksheets, curriculum ideas and all that good stuff....thanks

[Jenamarie]

Google "homeschool preschool" and you'll find all sorts of free stuff.

Don't worry about making it last as long as regular preschool though, since you won't have to deal with moving a dozen kids from one activity to another and things like that. About an hour a day of "structured" learning would be plenty, with lots and lots of play.

ETA: this website has lots of "early years" education games and stuff: Welcome to Making Learning Fun

[Gwen]

i like this site Amazing Handwriting Worksheet Maker i find the hollow trace is good if they are having trouble staying on the dots/dashes. some of them they don't fill the whole page with the words for tracing, just give empty lines.... i wanted a whole page filled so i copied the word (in this case their name) and then pasted it into a word document, then i could make as many as i wanted on one page....

[Guest Alana]

I sat down and outlined everything I wanted my kids to learn. Then I brainstormed fun activities that would help them learn those skills. I get work books from garage sales, online and the dollar store. I buy cheap crayons and paper and other art supplies while at garage sales, store sales etc. Structured is good, but remember how little they are. I have kid who loves to sit and copy letters and the praise of 'good job' is enough incentive. Then I have my son who needs things to be creative, so we take a different approach for him. That doesn't mean he isn't expected to sit and write his name everyday, but I make it fun. Remember that when they go to kindergarten they aren't just sitting there writing and listening, they are moving and exploring and just working on their fine motor skills is half of what they are doing.

I break 'preschool' time into 15 minute blocks, that is sit down and do something time. As much as possible I try to incorporate learning into our everyday unstructured routine. For instance, today while all four (two mine, two that I watch) sitting at the kitchen table while I prepared the food, we counted by 10's and played eye spy. I count having lunch on the table at a predictable time and them not getting up until they are excused plenty structured;)

[Lilac]

I have homeschooled four preschoolers! I cannot believe I can post that! It seemd just the other day I was asking for help myself.

Anyway, Just to clarify, I am not LDS but I am a devout, practicing Christian looking into LDS. None of my suggestions are any particular denomination or anything.

I have used

Five in a Row. It is unit studies.

The Well Trained Mind. It is a classical approach.

A-Beka is a complete curriculum. You can buy subjects or buy a whole year following their stuff. A-Beka is Christian-Baptist but you don't have to buy their Bible program. You can use their math, reading, handwriting etc. Pick and choose. They are very very reputable and accelerated. I went to a Baptist school as a child and that was 35+ years ago and that is what I used! I use some subjects for my kids.

I'm more of a unit studies and more relaxed in schooling. I am homeschooling, not trying to recreate school at home. However, everyone has their own style, and in the end it probably doesn't really matter one bit.

I will try to think of a few more for you.

Sonlight is (I don't know the word for what you call Christiand who are not LDS, you have to help me there)

My Father's World

Hands of a Child has nice unit studies

And most people mix and match. Handwriting Without Tears is popular. Zaner Bloser handwriting. I like Phonics Pathways for reading. People like Explode the Code. People like Reading Made Easy. People like "The ordinatry parents guide to reading".

If you are able, try to hit your state conference...you can look at each curriculum and see if it suits your child.

[Dravin]

(I don't know the word for what you call Christiand who are not LDS, you have to help me there)

Non-demoninational?

Otherwise in my experience you just refer to the denomination (Baptist, Anglican, Catholic or what have you). Or as a last result I suppose you can call them muggles.

[Elgama]

try out the bbc website - bbc.co.uk - it has education sections and Cbeebies has lots of do and make ideas even if you don't know the shows

-Charley

[unityinduality]

There are usually local homeschool groups and state groups. Also there are often state conventions. They are wonderful to go to. You can find the groups in different ways. I went to the local library that had a list of clubs and one of the homeschool groups was listed there.

One of the best things I did when my children were small was play learning games with them. There are alot of learning games at those conventions.

There are lots of companies out there too. One of them I used alot was

Timberdoodle Co - Homeschool Curriculum, Homeschool Program, Resources, Education, Homeschooling Materials & Books

The Home School Legal Defense Association has a link to alot of site. They are also a very good organization to belong to.

HSLDA | Home School Laws

There are more but I cant think of them right now.

[Guest]

It would be great if you check out Montessori teaching concepts. In my experience, it's a perfect fit for home schoolers. You basically set up your house so that the spaces they explore is a learning experience and playtime is a teaching moment. It doesn't take away from your everyday activities - it just uses them better. It teaches the child to be self-learning. It teaches the child to be independent. And it doesn't box your child in a set curriculum where her learning is limited to the material. If you have more than 1 child it is even better - because then you can apply the full stages of learning - where when she masters the course, she gets to teach it to somebody. Full cycle.