How to Homeschool a Preschooler

I am going through the exact same thing. I also have a three year old boy, and he is so smart. I know he would benefit if i could start teaching him now. My mother found a book geared toward learning the alphabet and learning to read for children his age. I believe she found it at Walmart. It's called A+ Kindergarten basic skills workbook: Alphabet and Math. I have just started it, but it teaches the letters while at the same time lets them color and cut, so it keeps their attention. My son loves it. He calls it his "homework". You should try it. It is really inexpensive: only $3!!

Hey! I would read to him a lot. It will help develop his vocabulary, and his attention span. Teach him his colors, shapes, directions (up, down, left, right, etc.), alphabet, and numbers 1-20. He should also know his full name, and how to write it (if you know what elementary school he'll be attending call and ask what writing style they teach...believe it or not there's actually a few different styles). You can go to School Aids to buy the different handwriting books. School Aids is a school supply store for teachers and parents. They have hundrends of different workbooks for all ages. You will probably be able to find him a practice book there. I would also think about teaching him his birthday, address, phone number, and how to tie his shoes. Hope some of this helps!

K.,
I understand the "lost" feeling when it comes to homeschooling and what to homeschool to be sure that your child isn't behind other children his age. I homeschooled my son for the first half of first grade 2 years ago. Since the school districts don't give much help in the way of curriculums or plans etc, I had to do all the researching myself. I looked up "grade level expectations preschool" on google. It came up with a nice site:
http://www.worldbook.com/wb/Students?curriculum/preschool
This site tells what the child should learn when they're in any given grade.
You can find anything you need online. For instance, if you need worksheets to help get that idea across, you can visit a website such as:
http://www.tlsbooks.com/preschoolworksheets.htm
You can print them off and sit with him while he does it. Or, you can find things in the kitchen or around your house to use as examples.
I went through alot of pinto beans and m&m's while doing math.
There are also Christian based learning materials with Abeka books and other companies that you can order through.
I ordered quite a bit of stuff from http://www.schoolaidscatalog.com which worked out well for us. I hope this gets you going in the right direction.
I do know that my son *who has ADD* did do well when I gave him one on one attention and switched things out to match his speed of attention. That is something that public schools usually don't have the patience for. I would homeschool again, but am having to wait a little bit for him to get better at the reading and writing.
Good luck,
I hope this helps.
J C.
Santa Fe.

here is the address to the TEKS website (Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills) http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/#teksbygrade

at the bottom of the page you can select the grade level your child is and it will tell you what they will be learning that year so you know how to prepare.
this is what alot of the teachers use when teaching their classes.
good luck!

NSISD has a website, as does Northeast, and probably every other school district in the city, that details what the curriculum is for the year of school, and what their school/grade readiness expectations are. I have a child with special needs, and these guidelines have been helpful. The special ed department I have dealt with told me something that was sobering. They indicated that about 1/2 the children in 1st grade would fall somewhere on the asperger's autism spectrum because they have not learned to sit, follow multi stage directions, stand and walk in line, social skills to get along with other children. My child has autism, and has gone from being catatonic and no responsive to extremely interactive, happy, and learning. The physical coordination activities that I once scoffed at are crucial to the child's mind/ability to master school tasks. So, I urge you to do this: keep your child involved in playgroups, gymboree, music, pretend play, mommy and me, stuff like that. The activities that require the left arm to cross over to the right leg vice vers etc, that require social skills, movement, direction following (karate and Kensedo are great for that) will help develop the physical coordination, cross brain functionality that your preschooler needs. Learn, by all means, expose your child to information in a fun format (starfall.com is a great resource) and check the school districts for their recommended websites for learning/fun activities. But don't discount the physical activities that develop the mind's ability to process and retrieve information. Good luck. Enjoy your baby, and relax. If your child is healthy, physically coordinated, not developmentally delayed, he or she will master the first grade and beyond with your support and love of learning. Your concern now show's you are not a slacker parent, and that you have your child's interest at heart. That means more than you will ever believe.

I am going to use Abeka curriculum for my 4 year old this year. I think it is very reputable. I hope this helps.
J. N.

I came across a wonderful site for curriculum and online activities. www.starfall.com

i just buy the books they sell in walgreens,etc and on the back it lists the approriate ages for the material. it usually consists of simple things like shapes, numbers, the alphabet, etc. they sell cards too.

Dear K.,

I homeschool my children, and a great book for us has been "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" by Siegfried Engelmann, Phyllis Haddox, and Elaine Bruner. It is so easy to follow - an easy thing for any parent to do which just takes 10 minutes a day. Really, though, the most important thing your preschooler needs is lots of play and family time! Our culture can get so crazy when it comes to academics, that the foundation gets overlooked. Happy learning!

Blessings,
R.

Supporting you as you nurture your family.
www.NurturedFamily.com

K.,

I just sent my oldest daughter to Kindergarten last week. For two years I did a preschool program called "Joy School" and now I am starting the same program with my 3 year old son. I highly recommend it. It is designed to be a moms� co-op preschool on a weekly rotation. They recommend a group size of 4-6 children, but it can also be done one on one at home if you prefer. There are lessons created for a 2 1/2 - 3 hour preschool twice a week.

The curriculum is different than any other I have every encountered because the primary goal is to give children the ability to be well-adjusted, confident, and happy when they start kindergarten; to learn the social and emotional "joys" that would help them enjoy life. Each unit has lessons, crafts, stories and songs that teach the value of the month. (Values include joy of the body, earth, honesty, communication, sharing & service, goals, obedience & decision making, curiosity, spontaneous delight, trust & confidence, uniqueness, imagination & creativity, and family security, identity & pride.) There is a Kindergarten preparation as well that reviews letters, numbers, shapes, colors, handwriting, shoe tieing, etc. so that your child will be up to speed when entering Kindergarten.

Honestly, the school system doesn't expect much. I taught early grades in public school and private preschool before having children and if your child can recognize and write their name, letters and numbers and knows their shapes and colors they will be fine (academically.) If you want to focus on the academics, school supply stores or even Walmart carry workbooks including detailed checklists on Kindergarten readiness. But again, the school doesn't expect much. What my 5 year old daughter is doing in school is on my 3 year old son's level.

The Joy School curriculum was developed by Linda and Richard Eyre about 30 years ago for their own children, then adapted and distributed. Their books have made the New York Times best seller list and they have appeared on Oprah, Prime Time Live, The Today Show and Good Morning America. Richard Eyre was the director of the White House Conference on Parents and Children.

Cost: $50 one time / lifetime registration fee provides access to the programs in the Values Parenting website. This includes a year�s worth of family night lessons (they encourage familes to set aside one night a week for "family time,") monthly newsletters, parenting tips, etc. $5 discount if you use �kirchers� referral code when registering.
$70 per semester (Sept-Dec and Jan-May) provides access to all lesson plans and visual aids (PDF format) and CDs with the semester�s songs (mailed.)

Their website is www.valuesparenting.com

Best of luck,
S.

K., Homeschooling is great. I homeschooled my son who is now a Senior in highschool, when he was preschool aged. I did not have a curriculum to go by. So I had to come up with my own way of teaching him. It was great we had lots of fun. When he started kindergarten he was completely ready. He started the first nine weeks on the Honor Roll. So I make a suggestion make learning fun for him as long as you can. There will be people to tell you "oh he needs to be in preschool, he needs the social development". And they are right. They have some great curriculums out there. And, Abeka is one of them. I have a friend who has just opened her own preschool program and this is the curriculum she is going with. There is also the Mother Goose Curriculum. When I had my daughter who is now in 6th grade I used the Mother Goose Curric. with her I also, had nine other children that I was teaching the curric. to. It offers everything from reading, writing, language, math, colors music. It lays everything out for you like most of the curriculums do these days. You can go on-line and search for all kinds of curriculum to find what's right for you and your son. Staying at home with your child is great you will always be his #1 teacher in life. Just remember to work in play dates, Be involved with a church that has a great program for the children. So that he will have the opportunity to learn his social skills. I commend you on your desire to keep him at home. Good Luck picking your curriculum. T.

I am also a stay at home mom of a 4 year old.( I wanted to homeschool her since before she was born, so it just came natural to me.)Here are some websites I love and found useful.
http://www.first-school.ws/,
http://www.youcanteach.com, www.earlybeginnings.com/, http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/early.htm.
There are tons more but these are good first ones. Forget the formal reading/writing bit for now and get the groundwork in place.

Cut down on time spent in front of the TV to an absolute minimum.

Talk to him all the time, use adult language so he learns new vocabulary, describe what you see, point things out, explain things. sing songs together, say nursery rhymes (learn them if you don't know them). Don't rely on tapes; they aren't the same thing and don't have the same effect on language development (essential for reading and writing).

Read to him lots (every day), talk with him about the pictures, join the library and go regularly, let him choose books.

Let him have paper, pens, chalks, paints. Let him draw on paper, colour in picture, chalk on the patio, paint pictures of anything and everything; all this will develop his minor motor skills....he won't be able to write 'properly' until they have developed.

Provide safe scissors (plastic) and glue sticks; let him cut out and stick to make pictures (lentils/pasta etc also good for this). Get (or make) playdough.

Let him 'help' you in the house. Cook with him (tolerate the mess). Count things as you go so he gets an awareness of number. Give him a duster. Let him play with water, 'washing-up' or with a bowl and mugs/saucepans etc outside (or in the bathroom).

Make sure he has some 'construction' toys e.g. Duplo, and 'little people' e.g. Playmobil. Build things with him sometimes, talk about it, create stories for the little people together; build his imagination (essential for writing).

Take him out every day if you can, not just the shops but local parks or simply walking the streets. Talk all the time about what you can see.

I'm sure you are already doing lots of this , but the more the better. At 3, you should be laying the foundations for formal academic work rather than trying to 'teach' him.Hope this helps!!

Hey there girl!....i have a 4,2 and a 18 mth old i really would love to know how to home school

I am a homeschool Mom- Pre-school is a snap you can find alot of ideas on line or you could visit Feast in SA off 1604 where they have a book store you could look through different curriculums- I used hooked on Phonics to teach my son to read and it was great! Kids love hands on activities, anything that you can do in that area would be good. If you think homeschooling is an avenue you want to know more about I suggest getting involved with a group. I attend a park day at Raymond Russel off I-10. We meet Tuesdays in the am right now- we have a lot of fun and it would give you the opportunity to meet other moms with children your sons age who homeschool.
The group is NW Homeschoolers we have a Yahoo listing:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NW_Homeschoolers/

I was at barnes n' Noble today and they have a tone of stuff for pre-school age children. Half price books does too..

Hope this helps, C.

I think if you want to ease him into something, you may want to consider a mothers day out program. They are usually only two days a week for a few hours a day. Check out some of the churches in your area to see who offers this program. As far as books and websites that offer advice, I find that it is better to ask other moms like this web site offers. So of the so called experts that write these books, dont even have children. It is a little hard for me to take their advice. I have 4 kids and the two that are old enough for school didnt have any type of school before they started school. They did fine. Im sure no matter what decision you make, your son will do fine.

K.,
I have a three year old boy, and a 7 month old girl. I am also a stay-at-home mom. We started my son in nursery school last year, just after he turned two. It's just a couple of mornings a week, and it has been wonderful! (Plus a nice break for me!) It has totally nurtured his development. The most important thing they learn at this age is socialization -- that's what the school focuses on. It is so cute to listen to him talk about his friends. He loves the music program, and it totally nipped the separation anxiety problem. Also, he is getting really good at sharing. Sure, he learns the alphabet and numbers too, but that all comes eventually anyway -- they all catch up.

If you don't want to put him in an actual school yet, then I suggest a semi-structured play group that you both attend. Feel free to email me for some suggestions of different local groups -- ____@____.com

I visited some of those websites recommended by Heather! They're great! The Dollar Tree on 624 also sells flashcards and books for letters, numbers, math etc... being as they're all only a $1!! it's great for budget conscious moms!!! If you have a home copier then you can make your own copies to use over and over!! That's what I do.

We also use our microwave for counting... cleaning up as a learning game...and bath time as writing and nursery rhyme time... Good luck to you!

I know it's been a while since you posted your question, but I wanted to reply anyway. My name is K. Cooper and I am starting up a Child Development Center in San Marcos that will offer multiple services. Mommy and Me classes, a 2 hour fitness based preschool, private lessons for special needs children, and tumbling classes. We hope to open the center in the middle of October and are looking for moms with active children to offer a free class to so that we can get people excited about the programs that are new to the area. I am looking forward to talking with you about your needs and what you would like in programs like these. Thank you for your time.
K. (____@____.com)

K., my 3 year old goes to daycare. I can tell you everything that they are teaching her to prepare her for pre school and kindergarden.

She knows how to count to 15, colors, how to cut with scissors, she can color and stay in the lines, she is learning to identify letters, work with glue, they learn to socialize with other kids, etc. However, they don't teach them as much manners as they should. They leave that up the parents. In the daycare, they also pick up a lot of bad habbits from other children. So you are doing great by staying home and teaching your child.

Hope this helps a little.

There are several home school cirriculums that are available for 3-4 year olds. I primarily used "Rod and Staff" but I did sprinkle in a bit of Abecka and my sister-in-law used Abecka alone. Both are good. Abecka has an excellent reputation and is used in many Private schools. Rod and Staff is more overtly biblically based.

I actually enjoyed our time together. Good luck.

K.,

Wish I had more to offer. I am the mother of three children, but they are grown. 20, 19, and 17. I had all three of mine in private pre-kindergarten at the age of 3. They need the stimulation of interacting with other children their own age, and being away from Mom and home. The first three years are the most important, and I commend you for wanting to get a head start on your child's education. I don't know anything about homeschooling, so I can't speak intelligently about it. But, good luck to you.

M.

I did the Phonics Jr program with both of my girls and they were reading before they were 4. My little one just started K and reads on about a 4-5th grade level (she even reads the Bible! I just dropped it off at the Der Kinder resale shop in Friendswood to be sold or I would have offered it to you - you can check to see if they have it there though!

M.

K.,

At 3-years-old your child should learn all of his letters and learn to count to at least 10. Go to the teacher's store at the corner of Hwy 59 and Fondren or the one in Sugar Land off of Hwy 6 and Lexington, it's in that neigborhood. Coming from 59 you turn left onto Lexington and make another left at a shooping center behind a dentist office, if I'm not mistaken. At these stores purchase the ABC and 1-20 puzzles, read to your child daily, when you use the microwave allow your child to set it so he can learn his numbers in a creative way. Also, teach him the basic colors. I did all of this for a year and when my daughter entered Pre-Head Start at age 3 she was ahead of all of her classmates and at 4-years-old I taught her to write all her letters from using the connect the dot work sheets. There is a website that will allow you to print these worksheets. If you want it I will look for it.

Consistance is the key. Eliminate a lot of TV time.

T.

Hi K., I know this is a long while after you posted, and everyone has had great ideas! A suggestion that I have is to check out starfall.com. It has phonics and reading games on every level from identifying letters and sounds to reading stories and creating projects. My daughter is 3 and she loves having computer time to "do her letters"! She is a whiz at using the mouse!

Just yesterday we were "typing" an email to my mom - which is where I let her "type" and then I take a turn and put what she is saying. She can recognize several letters and numbers already, but last night she looked down and said, "A!" Then she said, "Aaah!" (the sound they teach for A) *AND* held up her hand in sign language for A as well!! One of their exercises has each letter of the alphabet, and there is a picture of a little girl saying, "A. Aaah." and using sign language to sign the letter -- we have only done it a few times, and she is bright, but I was still completely amazed that she picked up on that SO QUICKLY!

Anyway, I know that was long but I think that this would be something that your son would love!

Something else you could do would be to take him on little outings. For example, there's a train museum Where we live (central Arkansas) and I plan on taking my little girl there to see the engines and cars that they have on display; you can climb and explore all of them. There are so many fun things that are potential learning experiences for them at this age! I really wish I could stay home with her and be able to do a little preschool homeschooling like you are doing! Best of luck! :)