Curriculum for Preschoolers?

Oak Meadow has a very good preschool curriculum.

You could also do a hodge podge of things that could give you enough structure that you seem to be looking for. At the preschool and Kindergarten level a few hours is all that is really necessary. Here are some ideas I have: M&M math (for math) ,a preschool science/craft activity book, Reader Rabbit CD roms for Reading and Math, Jump Start CD roms for Reading/math, www.studydog.com is a free reading program that goes through 2nd grade, cooking, playing, reading,trips to the library and field trips.... that should be plenty to cover the level you are talking about. The most important thing is to have fun, happy kids and learning will happen naturally.

Also be positive and have confidence in yourself! That makes a huge difference for you and your kids!

We are Waldorf Homeschooling. For a preschooler that means lots of cooking, baking, gardening, cleaning, sewing, making things. There is an emphasis on the child becoming involved in the life of the adult (which ideally has lots of the above activiteis to do, as opposed to being on the computer, talking on the phone, and watching television).

As for formal "school time" we have a circle and story that take less than 1/2 hour that I do a few times a week. Every other week we have a group.

I work part time, and part of Dd's homeschool experience is to come to work with me office downstairs from home), where she sees what I do and has requested assigned tasks.

I am new to this homeschooling thing, as my child is very young, but I've spoken to a lot of homeschoolers. My conclusion is, there is vast choice in curriculum, and the one for you is the one that works well in your household, and is enjoyable for you.

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Funny - I was just going to post that I agreed with Eloquence. What she described is homeschooling. In fact, the Waldorf approach would do even less - they would leave out the ABCs, and, I believe, colors as a subject, counting, and foreign language. There are a whole lot of professional educators and researchers who agree as well. Here's something called A Call to Action on the Education of Young Children, by the Alliance for Childhood, with over 150 endorsements to far. There are a lot of wonderful things a young child can and should be learning that have absolutely nothing to do with traditional schooling.

Edited to note: Wow, I guess I'm more tired than I realized today. I misread that two times - I thought you said "I do not agree with you..." Lillian

I have not found any preschool curriculum that my kids learn from better than just following their interests, reading lots of books, and playing outside. I know it sounds trite to say that your kids will learn more just by being kids than you could ever teach them, but at least for my kids, that's been true. I have contributed to their knowledge by showing them where and how to find out more about what they want to know, and reading to them continually, but I have not really "taught" them anything. The "tangible results" your dh wants to see are the tricks that kids in preschool are taught to make the parents think they are learning. The actual learning, well, at the preschool age it's usually not tangible, but if you observe your kids, you know it's there. If the kids express an interest, I get them books about it, find websites about it, show them a craft about, get a video about it, talk about it, etc. I don't direct their learning, I merely give them options.

Our "preschool curriculum" has consisted of:

*Children's museum
*Usborne internet-linked books that reflect the kids' interests, not what I want them to learn, and include links to websites that offer activities to add to what was read about
*Construction paper, paint, glue, scissors, glitter, crayons, markers, pipe cleaner, pom-pons, etc., available for them to use as they wish. The other day they made planets.
*Library storytime
*Parks
*Gardening
*Cooking
*Riding bikes
*Swingset
*Singing songs
*Spanish class
*A big world map
*Magnadoodles
*Playsilks
*DK "First" books (Atlas, Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Book of Animals) to be consulted as the children desire
*Lots of card games
*Lots of board games
*Lots of legos
*Sitting together on the porch swing/on the deck/in the dandelions in the front yard and talking
*Baths
*Body paint
*Mud
*Friends
*Making beds and putting away laundry
*Listening to world music/kids' music/bluegrass music/old timey music/classical music/punk music/Irish music/popular music/80s music/meditation music
*Going to the Dharma Center
*Watching videos about animals
*Hugging and kissing
*Taking naps
*Lots of bandaids
*Calendars
*Workbooks (Ramona's favorites)
*Starfall.com
*Fridge Phonics
*Jack's Big Music Show
*Taking walks
*Swimming
*Playing in the snow
*Puddle stomping
*Getting bored
*Finding something to do
*Arguing and making up
*Lots of snacks
*Visiting Daddy at work
*Riding the public bus
*Riding the merry-go-round
*Grocery shopping
*Temper tantrums
*Thousands upon thousands of books
*Etc.

Seriously, there is no preschool curriculum that could ever be dreamed up that would benefit your kids or produce more "tangible results" than these things do. IMO, you'd be wasting your money to even try (and this from someone who has wasted money trying)!

Namaste!

I have never used it but I really liked little Hands to heaven and still might buy it for my youngest.

our library has "story to go packs" that we get occaisionally but we coulde asilymake a whole curriculum out of them. they include 5 story books, a puppet or other fun manipulative, movie and activitiy sheets with finger plays, games, songs etc all based aroud a theme.

We really liked Brighter Vision packs. You can get a free sample which is a eraly good deal.

we have also started using teh Kumon work books. Those things are like magis. I follow thier age guidelines even if they seem too advanced to me because they my kids just get it the way the present it. and they absolutely love them. My youngest who is 3 1/2 is doing the tracing one and I am amazed that she can do but she loves it and does a really great job. (I thought she would just sribble in it but she really wanted some "tool erk"). So I highly recommend. they are a little spendy for work books but they are printed on really nice paper and have really nice pictures and are a good size, they are ust really appealing. and whatever makes them different than other work book and other approaches must be very subtle because I am not seing it but they have helped my kids so much but completely painlessly.