new to homes-chooling

[mommy of 2 or more]

Hello everyone! I just joined this "community" but I've been reading the posts for a while. My dh and I would like to home-school our kids (so far only 2) and we don't know where to start. We have 2 girls (2 y.o. and 8 months) My question is how do I home-school a preschooler? We don't want to send my older daughter to preschool, and most of my friends with kids the same age are doing the preschool thing. Are there any curriculums for preschoolers? Or maybe a book with activities for preschoolers? We'd appreciate any help. Thanks!

[Queen Gwen]

Gosh, there are tons of choices for preschool...you could purchase a packaged curriculum (Oakmeadow and Sonlight spring to mind), you could buy or borrow a book from the library, you could use internet resources, you could simply hand out and have some fun...it just depends on what you want to accomplish.

Are you wanting to emulate the type of preschool the other kids are doing? Around here that's a matter of playing, doing some arts/crafts, maybe having a swimming lesson once a week, singing some songs, listening to stories, and learning to stand in line. All of that's pretty simple to do at home, except for the swimming (try the YMCA) and the standing-in-line.

[saphire]

There is also Before Five in a Row. It is for ages 2-4, and lists many good books for the younger kids. If you aren't familiar, one book is selected per week, and every day for that week you read the story and have a variety of educational activities to choose from that involve the story. The author is Jane Claire Lambert, and there are several follow up volumes as the kids get older. www.fiveinarow.com

[mama_kass]

So glad that you joined us! This is an awesome community and you will get a lot and give a lot here.

When starting to homeschool here is what I reccomend everyone to do. Check the laws on the internet. Type in your states name and homeschooling. You should find a website that is the states homeschool support group and possibly some other state homeschool organizations.

Join all yahoo homeschool groups in your area. They will post events. Go to the events and meet with other homeschoolers. Homeschooling is a great family lifestyle. You will really enjoy the friends that you and your family make and the community that you create through these groups.

Start reading about different approaches to education so that you can find what works for your family. It all seems very overwhelming at first. Just keep reading. Things will become more clear and you will relax.

Good Luck and congrats!

[anythingelse]

http://www.rainbowresource.com/index.php
they have a thick free catalog with reviews of everything, lots of preschool and Kngdn curriculum to look over. This is my most used homeschooling website-
http://donnayoung.org/site-index.htm

There are many free things online to use for preschool too.
http://www.easyfunschool.com/IndexPreschool.html
here is a prek/k link farm
http://www.reacheverychild.com/featu...dergarten.html


how to homeschool a preschooler? You just carry on with mom being her main teacher like you have been.
If you favor using a certain teaching method (waldorf, montessori regglio mason classical moore etc..) or using materials based on your religion, it is nice to have a group of people to share/compare with

If you need outings, you can do library storytimes, or park days- gym swim rece center things etc.. if you end up joining the yahoo or homeschool groups for your area be careful cause you will be getting people's opinions on how you should homeschool- you might want to be isolated a bit to really see what is going to work for your family without that influence or peer pressure to follow a trend in homeschooling

definately get that library card ready , I wish you luck!!!