Is anyone homeschooling for preschool right now?

[GPTwins08]

Is anyone homeschooling for preschool right now?

I would love to connect with others who are.

My twins are 4 1/2. We have been doing home preschool since age 3 and started to be more serious about it at age 4. At age 3 we had a play based learning playgroup that we met with twice weekly for learnng activities. We do not have a set curriculum. I am doing a combination of different learning activities with them from day to day that are inspired by Reggio, Montessori, and Waldorf. We do all play based learning. I do throw in occasional worksheets though.

So, what are you all doing for home preschool?
Do you blog about it at all? Share your blog! MIne is in my signature!

[Red Pajama]

Hello! My twins are 2nd graders. I've also got my youngest, who is homeschooling for Prek this year.

I am not pushing her, but she does a bit each day. We work on copywork (usually her choice) to practice letter formation and recognition. We'll use the counting bears to work with math concepts, read stories, play games. I need to get the art easel out  again.

She also attends a weekly story time at the library.

[GPTwins08]

We attended story time at the library every week as well from ages 1-3 but it became difficult to take them at about 3 1/2. One of my twins just was not loving it, so we kept having to leave early or struggle to stay so the other twin could participate and enjoy it. I should try again though. We took almost a year break from it.

[GPTwins08]

I hit reply too early... we love the counting bears!!! We have light tables and a lot of fun educational materials for the light table to help with colors, numbers, letters, patterning, etc. I set my twins room up as a combination playroom/homeschool room/ bedroom. I have an area with books and magnet play, an overhead projector, a lot of educational and fine motor skill games, a big block area, a lot of toys that are educational, etc.

[LitMom]

I am! He does a fair amount per day because he wants to be with his 3rd grade sister and I and "do school" so I set up workboxes for him. He does Mimio reading (used to be Headsprout) and loves Umizoomi math kits. On Friday, his workboxes were:

Practice guitar

Mimio lesson

Umizoomi activity page

Make a coin toss game and play it to practice addition (one of the Umizoomi math mission cards)

Color 2 shrinky dinks (practice staying inside the lines for pencil control practice)

Read two books with mom (tigers and Dr. Suess)

Read and do the activity page on Time for Kids magazine K (Native American clothing symbols)

Build a six-wheeled car from legos

Watch Sid the Science Kid

Look at sugar, flour, and salt with the magnifying glass (he had been asking about how I knew which was flour and sugar without tasting them)

[GPTwins08]

some pics of my twins doing learning activities

[Fillyjonk]

ummmm...well I do have a preschooler...and she is homeschooled...mainly she just plays though

she has workbooks, the first of the miquons and some other bits and pieces, but they are mainly because sometimes she likes to "do maths" or whatever.

For me, although I introduce academic work a little later (around 7/8), this period is very much one of play. I really strongly feel that this is the best thing a 5 year old can possibly be doing and the only useful thing I might sometimes be able to do is help with the play in some way, maybe making a costume or something.

[LitMom]

Originally Posted by GPTwins08 

some pics of my twins doing learning activities

These are all awesome activities and pics!

[GPTwins08]

Originally Posted by LitMom 

These are all awesome activities and pics!

thank you!!!

[LitMom]

Sorry! I haven't been on in a while. I'm excited to read your blog when I have more time. My son is into science. Sid is a PBS TV show for preschoolers about science. I do feel like we have more media than I'd like ideally, with this and the math from TV shows. On the other hand, he watches about 30minutes of TV every other day or so and the print materials are actually pretty good, so it's working for now I guess.

The rest of our week has been co-op, Lego club (where they are building things to show how space exploration has changed in the last 60 years), and visiting relatives. I am trying to give him a little context for our upcoming trip to colonial williamsburg.

[zjande]

My preschooler recently turned 5. His school days are pretty basic- each day I have him read a few short sentences or word lists from the The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Your Child to Read (or something very close to that title..) or a beginning Bob book, practice writing a handful of letters and numbers (I don't push "perfect" penmanship at this age at all), and do about half a workbook page of simple math problems (addition or subtraction).

Those are the basics I try to cover each day. Besides that we do a lot of arts and crafts because my 7 yr old is VERY extremely much into arts and crafts and puts them together for him and his brother on his own sometimes. I also do the usual fun preschool songs and fingerplays, not on any real schedule.

He also listens along frequently when I am reading history or science to his 1st grade brother.

:)

That's about it.

[SplashingPuddle]

I am actively trying to explore the question on how to homeschool my 3- year old daughter. I am inspired by Waldorf style learning, where she participates in home life. We bake, care for our animals, do outdoor chores, and cleaning.  Luckily she loves all of these things, or if she isn't into something, she plays.  I am trying to introduce more singing and telling stories. I haven't done anything more structured, although she does help with wood-working/ construction if I'm doing it too. 

To what degree do your home schooled preschoolers do chores? This morning we spent about 3 hours doing "chores" - baking and then yard work. Baking was a bit more structured but yard work was mainly outdoor play while I worked. 

[RavenStar]

I am currently homeschooling my 6 year old daughter.  I also have a 3 year old daughter.  It has been interesting because I didn't officially set out to "homeschool" our 3 year old (I).  I thought I would give her a choice to play or look at books while I did more structured things with A.   The way it has worked out is that our younger DD does most things with us.  If her older sister is drawing, she's drawing.  Same for reading stories, singing songs, exploring in nature, cutting vegetables for soup, making bread, sweeping, etc.  It has been amazing to see her learning right along with us.  She loves most of the things her older sister does.

As far as preschool goes, I believe in a play-based curriculum.  I like the Waldorf approach with things from nature, outside time, doing real work inside and outside, plenty of imaginative play and using open-ended materials.  I also love Reggio because of art, materials and children's play as research.  I also love the concept of "the environment as the third teacher". I believe children are born scientists and artists.  They love to explore the world around them and they love to create and imagine.  I feel like the academic side of things can wait until the child is ready.  Letters, numbers, all of that can be taught through play, when the child shows a curiosity.  That is my favorite approach to preschool and the way young children learn best.  I really like to follow the child's interests and provide resources.

We'll see what age 4 brings!

[here we are]

Bumping..hoping to learn. I want to homeschool in massachusetts&am VERY intimitated by the laws&ppwk requirements, but i WANT to.

[pek64]

My son's 17,so we're beyond the preschool stage. Just giving info on where to find the laws for your state (if in US) . The national home education site has a state by state directory of summations of the law, and recommended state site (s). The site is nhen.org, and I generally feel better with. org sites, or sites that provide you with the law instead of just a summation. The national site has summations because they are giving general info. A good state site should have the actual law for you to read, as well as explaining that law.

Massachusetts doesn't have a homeschooling law, according to nhen. The policies are based on a couple court cases, and are variable for each school district. Hope that helps. It's doubtful there are any preschool legal requirements, so you can relax for now.

Good luck homeschooling!

[GPTwins08]

Originally Posted by SplashingPuddle 

I am actively trying to explore the question on how to homeschool my 3- year old daughter. I am inspired by Waldorf style learning, where she participates in home life. We bake, care for our animals, do outdoor chores, and cleaning.  Luckily she loves all of these things, or if she isn't into something, she plays.  I am trying to introduce more singing and telling stories. I haven't done anything more structured, although she does help with wood-working/ construction if I'm doing it too. 

To what degree do your home schooled preschoolers do chores? This morning we spent about 3 hours doing "chores" - baking and then yard work. Baking was a bit more structured but yard work was mainly outdoor play while I worked. 

I have not assigned my preschoolers any chores. I usually wait til age 7 to assign any light chores

[SplashingPuddle]

My daughter has no "assigned" chores, but she seems to want to help with everything I do (which happens to be a lot of chores!).  Chores are both indoors and outdoors.  If I'm cleaning the chicken coop, she seems to prefer to clean it as well, rather than play. Of course, she will wonder off at points and play with the chickens too. Also, if I'm baking, she seems to prefer to bake, rather than play.

So I'm interested in how this works out in other families.  To what degree to your children play compared to joining in with your chores? 

[olien]

My DS is 4.5 & DD is almost 3 . They go one day a week to a play based Waldorf inspired homeschool program at someones home for 4hrs. I feel delayed academics is important. Besides that I read. I use the Sonlight P3/4 books & instructors guide which are just amazing. Check out the book list. We also do lots of arts and crafts - mostly nature/seasonal inspired. Of course playing... including lots of outside time.

DS will be 5 in Aug & I have decided he is ready for more. He keeps asking to learn letters/numbers & asks questions about how to read. So following is lead I ordered Sonlights P4/5 core (again lots of reading). Also The preschool level Handwriting Without Tears, Explode the Code ABC primers, my first BOB books & Singapore Math Early Bird set. I dont know how much I will start doing with him right away since I am following his lead. Since my kids are quite close in age my DD will tag along (even though I feel she is to young for most of it) but she doesnt nap so I have no time without her.

[GPTwins08]

Originally Posted by SplashingPuddle 

My daughter has no "assigned" chores, but she seems to want to help with everything I do (which happens to be a lot of chores!).  Chores are both indoors and outdoors.  If I'm cleaning the chicken coop, she seems to prefer to clean it as well, rather than play. Of course, she will wonder off at points and play with the chickens too. Also, if I'm baking, she seems to prefer to bake, rather than play.

So I'm interested in how this works out in other families.  To what degree to your children play compared to joining in with your chores? 

once a week my twins will participate in something chore for 10-15 minutes, part of Montessori practical life. Like fold or sort some laundry, wash and rinse a few dishes, etc.

[LitMom]

Colonial Williamsburg was a fantastic place for both my kids, and while the pre-K kid has no real understanding of the passage of centuries, he does understand that it's set up as things were long ago. He particularly liked watching the weaver spin yarn from wool and cotton and the cabinet maker where he was fascinated by the harpsichord they were making. 

We are now gearing up for the science fair, which he wants to do something for this year. He says he wants to make cars with "different wheels like triangles" and see if they will roll. Sounds fun! Third-grade-or-so DD is deciding what she wants to do, but she knows she'd like to use sugar crystals and make rock candy, so I'm sure DS will want to help out with that too.