Preschool curriculum

[Calidris]

Yes, yes, I know.

And in some ways this is more about me than anything else

DD is 4 and could be due to start the local equivalent to kindergarten in September. I want to homeschool, but I am not sure I can really make it work. At the moment what we do is more like unschooling (though I would not label it as such, because to me she is too young for school yet). It works well for her, she is very interested in things and learns a lot from TV and games and books. But if she is not ready/interested she won't touch it (like printing, colouring, puzzles).
It works well for her, but it is not going to be an acceptable method of homeschooling here. I need to prove to myself, and everyone else, that I can HS her, and have decided that this year will be a sort of test case to decide if I can do it or if I need to send her to school in Sept 09.

So, after that essay...

I want suggestions on how to lay out my day, I don't want too much focussed academic time, but my time management sucks if I don't have plans and timetables. I don't really want boxed curricula or anything, just some outlines. I need to make this upcoming year work.

[Leav97]

My DD turns 4 in a week. I can tell you what our plans are.

DD wouldn't be starting K until Sept 2010 if we were to send her to away school (public or private or charter or ...). Through games, curiosity, TV, and discussions she already knows her ABC, colors, shapes, and can almost count to 20. She knows some of the letter sounds and associates numbers with quantities.

For this upcoming year, I’m planning on purchasing books, games, and art supplies. I’d looking to get books of fables, nursery rhymes, fairy tales, poetry, etc. (we really like to read). Games are a fun way to learn almost anything. I’m mostly looking to expand some of her math knowledge through the games. We already have a bunch of art supplies. I don’t do any kind of directed art projects. It’s just a matter of keeping up with the consumption of materials and setting up a display area where she can hang up her work.

We'll also make it to the Zoo and the children's museum and the park and play with friends. In the end everything we're planning are things that we would be doing regardless if she went to away school (which is not in the plans).

[Lillian J]

I read the post a couple of times, because I wondered whether I was misunderstanding something. At her age, she's doing all the appropriate things for learning - and you say it works well for her. She's still a little young for printing, puzzles, and coloring - but getting her to do those things in the fall, if that's what you have in mind, but I wasn't sure - is not going to show that you can homeschool her. It may show that you can control her activities, but that's not the test of successful homeschooling. Finding what works well for her learning is the test of successful homeschooling - because it's all about her as an individual learner, not about what people want to see you do as a teacher. Chances are that the "everybody else" you refer to are people who don't really know much about child development or the way learning works. I really think the best plan for making it work is to lighten up on the expectations for what homeschooling should look like. Having fun will be the thing that makes it work.

You could set a weekly calendar that sets regular times of certain days for library visits, nature walks, games, reading to her, doing something musical, field trips and park days with the support group, visits with special friends for play, crafts, doings something new, little simple nature/science activities, baking, cooking, etc. - just so that you have in mind and on paper to get it together to do those things. Each day can have a different flavor to it - but with a rhythm that feels good to both of you. If you keep little projects out and around, and books and games out and around, your home will look every bit as productive as a school room, and no on will have any reason to question what you're doing.

My preschool/kindergarten page has articles on that age, and underneath that box of articles are annotated links to websites that have lots of fun ideas. You could go through sites like that once a week, print up a few ideas, and put them on your weekly schedule to do. - Lillian

[Calidris]

I know your stuff Lillian, and I love it, but homeschooling is not exactly legal here (it is not exactly illegal either, but I don't want to run afoul of the law) the people who do it here (very few) use packaged American curricula (LifePac, etc) which I would rather not use. But I need to have something at least semi structured and formal to show for what I am doing. So far I have no homeschooling peer group, because there is one group that I know of and they are full. I am working at finding other homeschoolers.

(I am not in the US, btw)

I guess I really need to work at organising myself most of all.

[jplain]

Can you take a stab at describing your vision of how you think your family's homeschooling might look? What philosophies or styles might most appeal to you and your child? I think that might help others give you suggestions for books to read and materials to start considering.

If you have no idea, I'd suggest reading up on the various flavors of homeschooling, and pick one or more to explore in more depth.

Good luck!

[Lillian J]

Originally Posted by Calidris

(I am not in the US, btw)

Oh! That's what's going on. I was reading that post with my mouth open until I got to that part.

Well, I wonder how the Oak Meadow or Five-In-A-Row framework would go over. Do they actually start children into formal studies there in kindergarten? Although it doesn't sound as if you're actually looking for a curriculum so much as a schedule? - Lillian

[Calidris]

For a lot these days it is preschool

People are amazed that DD cannot write (she is a bit of a perfectionist, once she has the control to do it well, I will probably not be able to STOP her writing ). Luckily (for me and people's judgements) she is very quick and very interested in science, so she makes a good case for homeschooling .
She was in a lovely, minimally academic preschool last year, but when they closed (principal retired) I could not find anything like it again.

I will look at your suggestions, thanks

[Calidris]

Originally Posted by jplain

Can you take a stab at describing your vision of how you think your family's homeschooling might look? What philosophies or styles might most appeal to you and your child? I think that might help others give you suggestions for books to read and materials to start considering.

If you have no idea, I'd suggest reading up on the various flavors of homeschooling, and pick one or more to explore in more depth.

Good luck!

yeah, I think maybe the main thing I need to so is figure out myself

[CindyZ]

Hi there!

My son is 3 (he will be 4 in November), and we are starting home school this summer. He is currently in a preschool program outside our home 2 days a week, and we are still deciding when we will end that.

My son has known his letters since before he was 2, learned their sounds at 2, and is now starting to try to read. He is trying to sound out words, asking us what every word he sees says, etc. He can write his name AND can write every letter of the alphabet upper case and lower case. However because he learned to write the letters on his own from memory, he does not form them right and I feel that I need to get this corrected before patterns set in. He counts to 100 and relates numbers to objects and has started making the connection with addition and subtraction. He has been doing 100 piece puzzles by himself since he just turned 3 and can do 200 piece puzzles with some minor assistance. He knows the states (from doing a states puzzles), and the planets and is currently learning dinosaur names. He does not color well, does not stay in the lines, doesn't have an interest in coloring books, etc., but he does love to paint and various other hands on art type projects. He also has some social and sensory issues which I think will eventually impact him in school and this is why we have decided to home school. I feel that the social and sensory issues could stunt his education if he goes to regular school.

I typed all of the above because I constantly feel the need to justify what I'm about to type below. All of his abilities just came about through regular daily activities and teaching through play and reading him books, books and more books (he absolutely loves books). Starting this summer we plan to do a "curriculum" with him because I feel that he is to the point that he needs a bit of structure so his learning can continue to grow. He is already doing so much and asking for more, and I don't want to hold him back. We will be child led in that, although we'll have certain times of the day for "structured learning", if he doesn't feel like it, that's fine. (He will want to do it though because he just can't seem to get enough.)

So here's what we are doing:

handwriting without tears
shiller math
singapore math workbooks for extra practice
peak with books
Get ready for the code
sound of the week

We also do suzuki piano (not going all that great right now and we do not push it)
soccer (will probably eventually move to martial arts once he's 4 or a bit more in control of his body and able to follow instructions without disrupting the class)

Of course we also spend a LOT of time at the park, riding bikes (we got a new tandem bike for the summer), visiting family, going to local farm activities, animal fairs, science museum, zoo, children's museum, he loves to bake, take nature walks with a magnifying glass, etc.

And although all of this probably sounds very busy, we have lots of downtime just hanging out at home free playing too.

What we don't do is a lot of tv and I'm cutting back on the computer games as well. He does get some tv, but it's very very limited timewise and in the shows he can choose from (everything is saved on dvr or on dvd to avoid all commercials). This gives us a lot more time for all of these other things!

The actual "curriculum" portion would not take more than about an hour and a half a day and then add on the book reading (peak with books and sound of the week) that we already do. It will just break up our book reading into themes/units.

Come back and let us know what you decide.

[annettemarie]

I would lay out my day something like this
Wake up, breakfast, morning routine and chores
Circle time focused on whatever theme we were working with (usually seasonal)
Follow this with some sort of gentle theme-based activity that has "hidden learning" rather than is explictly academic
Then a cooking project that leads into snack
Outside time, beginning with some guided nature activity and then just see what happens
Come in, have story that flows with the theme, maybe do an activity that goes with it
Art project--make Monday craft day, Tuesday modeling, Wednesday painting, Thursday coloring, Friday handwork

At my house, that would pretty much take you up through lunch. Hope that helps!

[StormySar]

Take a look at suggested "things a preschooler should know".

I think some curriculum companies put this out for each grade level, and i know there is something called the World Book that lists, in detail, the skills each grade should know. I used these to outline how my dd was diong in preschool this past year and to help form my curriculum. Our curriculum was based soley from the internet and the library because there is a lot of free material available to use, I dont' see the point in buying a boxed curriculum when I can so easily do it myself.

So take some time to look at the world book, etc. and get an idea of where your dd is skill-wise and make note of the things you want to work on with her. Then hit the 'net and the library and make a list of things you want to use and do, then make a daily schedule fitting in your schooling however you feel it fits best.

[Calidris]

Originally Posted by CindyZ

So here's what we are doing:

handwriting without tears
shiller math
singapore math workbooks for extra practice
peak with books
Get ready for the code
sound of the week

We also do suzuki piano (not going all that great right now and we do not push it)
soccer (will probably eventually move to martial arts once he's 4 or a bit more in control of his body and able to follow instructions without disrupting the class)

Of course we also spend a LOT of time at the park, riding bikes (we got a new tandem bike for the summer), visiting family, going to local farm activities, animal fairs, science museum, zoo, children's museum, he loves to bake, take nature walks with a magnifying glass, etc.

thanks for the links

Originally Posted by annettemarie

I would lay out my day something like this
Wake up, breakfast, morning routine and chores
Circle time focused on whatever theme we were working with (usually seasonal)
Follow this with some sort of gentle theme-based activity that has "hidden learning" rather than is explictly academic
Then a cooking project that leads into snack
Outside time, beginning with some guided nature activity and then just see what happens
Come in, have story that flows with the theme, maybe do an activity that goes with it
Art project--make Monday craft day, Tuesday modeling, Wednesday painting, Thursday coloring, Friday handwork

At my house, that would pretty much take you up through lunch. Hope that helps!

Thanks AM, I love this, it's the sort of thing I really need

[Mongoose]

CindyZ-I totally get your need to list your DS qualifications to justify what you are doing. I am dealing with that also!!! It is so hard for me...I feel like when I justify by telling people why I am doing everything so early, that they then feel I am bragging. UH! If people minded their own biz then I wouldnt feel compelled to explain, and thus not come across like I am bragging!
I come from the "when the child is ready" mindset rather than a certain age. When this is later or earlier than the norm, I think those of us who choose to start when the child is ready get flack for it! I get all the time that we are pushing our DD. Like your son she is 3 and will turn 4 in Dec. So close in age to your DS. She can read, write, and is beginning to add. She loves doing school, and the more schooly it is (like workbooks) the better in her opinion. We actually started using curriculum in Jan of this year because she wanted it. Right now we are working on:

Singapore Math Earlybird book B (the new standards edition)

Sing, Spell, Read and Write 1st grade (we just finished the K one a week ago)

Five in a Row-We do the story, arts and crafts, and geography. We often skip the other stuff since she would rather do workbooks.

Jumpstart Spanish

Child Size Masterpieces in Art...this is a great little hands on montessori style art appriciation curriculum.

and sometimes we do experiements out of the backyard scientist.

As for the daily schedule..it goes something like this:

Wake up-she is a grumpy waker so this is her TV time. Then breakfast.

Playtime for a while while I get laundry going or do breakfast dishes or whatever.

While I put DS down for a nap, DD starts morning chores (make bed and brush teeth)

Then we spend an hour doing workbooks and reading and playing games.

DS wakes and we play a little and then have lunch.

More play, then nap, then play, then dinner, then play, then pick up toys, then bath and bedtime.

So there is not a ton of schooly time, but at her age I really encourage mostly play. I am only doing the school time now because it meets HER need. My DS I can already tell will be a different animal and we will probably not do school time until he is much older!

Calidris: Good luck figuring out you countrys requirments and how you can fill them! And I hope you find some homeschoolers to connect with.

[Lillian J]

Here's another thread that might come in very handy - and it leads to more:

Educationese, Reporting, and more for relaxed Homeschoolers - Lillian