My daughter just turned 3 and we're really following her lead on this one. She loves starfall and apparently knows how to play computer games, which I wasn't aware of until we went to a new library the other day and she sat down and started one. I guess her visual letter recognition is pretty good, too, because she "won" the game.
She's also very into reading and telling stories right now, as is her little brother, so I try to make time for reading every day and participate when she starts making up stories. I'd say that's what we do the most of -- reading probably adds up to a couple hours a day or more. I usually read some of the newspaper to them over breakfast, out of habit (I started doing that when dd was a newborn), then whenever I have time during the day, two stories before nap, and a few more before bed. We read picture books, board books, chapter books, and dh is working his way through some of his favorites at bedtime -- The Hobbit, Hans Brinker, The Wizard of Oz.
Counting is pretty popular, too. We don't usually set aside a specific time to do it. I might see something (birds, houses with holiday lights) out the car window and count them, then she'll count the next ones, and so on. She's started to do some basic addition using her fingers without prompting, so I'm really not feeling the need to push her on anything, because it seems like the more I sit back and let her lead, the more she's invested in whatever she's doing. If I push, she pushes back and balks, just like . . . oh, a 3-year-old.
I do have a couple pre-K and K workbooks for her to play with when she asks. For example, a few days ago we were playing a simplified version of Richard Scarry's counting game (with no competition or winning), and she asked me how to write the numbers. So I dug out a workbook with those pages that have two solid lines with a dotted line in the middle to help guide writing, and she decided to learn how to write zeros, ones, and sevens. She only played with it for 10 minutes or so, but she still remembers them and I've seen her drawing them on her art easel. It didn't seem very important to make her learn how to write them in order, or even to do that at all yet. She's still learning how to hold a pencil, you know? Whatever she's ready for will sink in, and we can always try the rest again later.
A few things I'm consciously focusing on exposing her to are art, crafts, language, and music. I teach a French exposure class for toddlers and preschoolers a couple times a month. I don't emphasize academics at all, but we learn the ABCs and songs in French, dance around a lot, read some stories. I want them to hear a different language early so it's easier for them to learn later on if they want to. And I do think that helps create an awareness early on, too, that it's a big world out there. And for arts and crafts, I just make sure she has access to project materials like glue, scissors, paper, paint, playdough, etc., and that I explain how to use them if she needs it. For music, we keep cd's on in the background and take several "dance breaks" during the day and have a bunch of instruments they can play with. It's not directed play, mostly just free play and exploration, which I feel is developmentally appropriate for a preschooler.
Hope that helps!
there are so many wonderful activities for that age. have fun mama!
: tra la... I knew nothing about homeschooling at the time, so I went along, although I never did see what the big deal was. But if I'd been planning on homeschooling, I undoubtedly would have feeling as if I might be causing him to miss out on all that wonderful socialization. It must be even harder to be surrounded with all the hype these days about all the things they're supposed to be learning in preschool.
Lillian
