Slowing Down The Pace

May 7, 2008 by Mandy

It’s hard to believe it is already May. Being a former teacher and librarian, May always meant the summing up of the formal academic year in a school setting. I’ve personally chosen to wind down our preschool homeschooling on purpose right now to evaluate what we’ve accomplished, what worked and what didn’t, and to give us both a break. Does that mean the learning stops? Absolutely not. Our learning from here until the end of summer will be spontaneous and simplistic. No more units and focusing on planned ideas for the next three months. I’m looking forward to sunny days, beautiful mornings spent fingerpainting on the patio, frolicking in a wading pool, and watering the flowers in the backyard as the sun goes down in the evening. My son has developed a fascination with “big trucks” and digging in the dirt, so I’m sure those activities will also be high on our list of things to do.

We’ve certainly experienced some shining moments this year as well as struggles. I feel I may have started things out a bit too structured in the begining. However, the awesome accomplishments I’ve had the joy of watching my son experience have truly made this journey one that I am so grateful we explored. To see my son go from a busy little two year old to a determined and more focused three year old with blossoming language skills and an interest in drawing has been amazing to watch.

As I’m reflecting on our year, I’d love to hear how your preschool homeschooling experience is going. What have you accomplished so far? What were the highs and lows? Would you change anything? Will you be taking a summer break from homeschooling? Will homeschooling continue as usual?

Mandy is a preschool homeschooling mom to her two year old son. In her column “Knee High Homeschoolers,” she writes about the joys of homeschooling a preschooler and shares helpful links and practical information gained from experience. Visit her blog, Inching Along.

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Tags: Encouragement, Family Life, homeschool life, Preschool

The Computer Savvy Preschooler

April 8, 2008 by Guest

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The Computer Savvy Preschooler

When I first started preschool homeschooling my son I relied on my computer and the internet for exploring lesson plans and ideas to help me along the way. The internet is not a new concept by any means, but it still fascinates me that my son and I can take virtual field trips, find pictures and information on just about anything we are studying about, and even participate in interactive skills sites to supplement his learning. By now you may know that there are a ton of educational websites geared towards school-aged children, but very little offered for preschoolers. I’ve managed to find a few great websites that cater to preschool learning and a great article about computer usage for preschoolers.

Hands down, the best site for learning the alphabet and the sounds of letters is Starfall. Its interactive lessons start at the preschool level of recognizing letters and sounds and progress to activities for early readers. It will quickly become a favorite for your little learner.

Another website my son and I enjoy is called Lil’ Fingers. Especially geared towards toddlers, Lil’ Fingers offers online story books, educational games, and coloring pages.

Preschoolers and toddlers love to sing and learn songs, and Singing To Me offers a selection of children’s songs that are easy to learn and fun for the little ones to listen to.

If you’ve read every children’s book in your home and you and your child are looking for some new reading material, try an interactive book at Children’s Storybooks Online. Each title is beautifully illustrated and some come with audio. You can read them aloud to your child and some titles even come with printable activity pages.

If you use picture flashcards with your child to help them learn and identify objects in their world, try an interactive version of picture flashcards at Moone Leaf. Simply click on the picture of the object and it is pronounced for your child.

You may wonder if there is any benefit to using a computer at such a young age. I wondered the same thing and found a terrific article published here by Facts In Action, a project of Associated Early Care and Education, Inc. This article focuses mainly on the positive social skills that benefit preschoolers using computers, but also points out that nonverbal skills and fine motor skill development are also added benefits of using the computer.

As with anything, moderation and supervision of computer time is key. However, if you are looking for some fresh supplemental material for your preschooler, you just may find it and be pleasantly surprised by visiting one of the sites mentioned above.

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Tags: Curriculum, homeschool life, Homeschool Methods, learning styles, links, Preschoolers

Nature Study: Enjoying Spring

March 8, 2008 by Guest

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Psalms 104:24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works!
In wisdom hast thou made them all:
the earth is full of thy riches.

For the past couple of weeks I have had the pleasure of witnessing spring blooming all around me. Daffodils are growing in our yard, the trees are starting to sprout their leaves once more and the temperatures have made for some wonderful afternoons spent outside playing in the backyard. I know some of you may still be digging yourselves out from the snows of winter, but I am truly excited about the possibilities of warmer weather and what it means for our homeschooling journey.

Below are a few ideas you may want to try this spring with your preschooler:

Take a nature walk (or stroll). While my son plays in the backyard we also take time to gather interesting colored leaves, check on our butterfly house, and take time to notice little things we might overlook. If you prefer to leave your yard and go on a walk or stroll, take a paper bag and collect interesting things to talk about when you get home. When we go for strolls around the neighborhood, we look for squirrels, count the houses we pass, and point out the colors we see.

Plant some flowers. I’m not much of a gardner, but we have managed to grow some flowers in the past and little kids love getting their hands dirty! You can plant a small flower garden or even grow some flowers in a paper cup. The kids also love checking on their flowers daily for growth and watering it.

Make a weather chart. The coming of spring usually brings with it some interesting weather, at least where we live in the south. Some days can be absolutely sunny and gorgeous, and then sometimes we have severe thunderstorms. Talk about the weather each day and make a chart to record what the days’ weather is like. If it’s cloudy, put a picture (or draw your own) of a cloud on the chart for the day.

Spring cleaning. I love cleaning and organizing and spring brings with it another opportunity to get things in order around our home. Let your child help you with simple projects like bagging up clothes that no longer fit or storing away your winter clothing. It may take a little longer with a little one helping, but your child will feel a sense of accomplishment.

Visit the zoo. Baby animals are also a common site in the spring and spending the day observing them at the zoo is educational AND fun.

These are but a few ideas to help you get started on a journey of exploration and learning this spring. I’d love to hear some of your ideas in the comments section.

Mandy is a preschool homeschooling mom to her three year old son. In her column “Knee High Homeschoolers,” she writes about the joys of homeschooling a preschooler and shares helpful links and practical information gained from experience. Visit her blog, Inching Along.

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Tags: Homeschool Methods, learning environment, Nature Study, Unit Study

Impossible Standards

February 8, 2008 by Guest

Deciding To Homeschool A Preschooler- Where Do I Start?

January 8, 2008 by Guest

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Deciding To Homeschool A Preschooler- Where Do I Start?

When I first began thinking of preschool homeschooling my son I had no idea where to even begin. I had worked as an assistant teacher in a preschool setting before, so I knew the basics of what children this age did in preschool, but most of my teaching experience was with older children. I worried that starting my son at two years of age was too young and if it would even be possible to do at home. I was familiar with homeschooling but always assumed that this was something that was done with school-aged children. I am so thankful I researched the matter further and was astounded at the information I was able to find while doing searches online. After much research and thought, I decided the main thing I wanted to give my son at this age was exposure. I wanted to introduce him to thematic units like colors, numbers, shapes, and animals. I wanted him to learn from life experiences and develop life skills. I also wanted to introduce an age-appropriate understanding of our faith in the Lord. With these goals in mind I was able to narrow down exactly what I hoped to accomplish and find a curriculum to help us meet those goals.

The toddler and preschool stage is such a crucial time in which children start to develop life skills that will take them into adulthood. Learning to use a utensil, brushing their own teeth, and dressing themselves may seem like simple tasks of no coincidence to us as adults, but these are big milestones for your child that will help them to become independent. Their ways of doing things may not be exactly right at this stage, but always praise them for trying and encourage them to do so. These are things that may not seem to be a part of preschool learning, but these are in fact some of the most important things.

A majority of learning for a toddler and preschooler is done by playing. This is such an important part of their growth and expecting them to sit still for lessons is really asking too much at this stage. I’ve found that we can accomplish so much by incorporating learning into our play. While we focus on a certain theme, color, and number during the week, we do it by playing. Colors can be reinforced with finger painting or picking up leaves and identifying their colors, numbers with counting our snacks or toys, and letters with pointing to them while we read a story book. My son will occasionally sit down to do a focused activity, such as coloring, but right now the priority is for him to discover the world around him in a natural and fun way. The older the child, the better their focus will become. The goal now is exposure and discovery.

The homeschool curriculum I use with my son is from Brightly Beaming Resources. This program appealed to me for many reasons, but mainly because it was aligned with the goals I set forth in this venture and it’s also free to use. All of the materials and even support groups can be found online. The lessons for my son’s age group are short but focused with plenty of wiggle room to make changes to the lessons if necessary. I think it’s an excellent program for preschoolers that isn’t too time consuming as far as lesson planning, but again, there are many approaches to homeschooling and you may find another program or approach that is a better fit for your own child. To explore the different approaches of homeschooling, this article at The Home School Learning Network is a great starting point. You might also find that developing your own way of preschool homeschooling appeals to you, and that’s certainly alright, too.

If you are thinking of preschool homeschooling, I would first encourage you to brainstorm exactly what you want your child to discover. There are so many different curricula and ways to approach preschool homeschooling that you are sure to find one that fits your lifestyle and goals for learning. Explore different homeschooling methods and glean from them the things that are important to you. It will definitely be a trial and error adventure in the beginning, and your days won’t always run like clockwork, but you can eventually find a comfortable pace and scope of learning tailored to your child.

Please contact me with any questions or comments. I’d love to hear what you would like to discuss in this monthly column on preschool homeschooling.

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