homeschooling through preschool/curriculum

Sorry for posting a crap ton, I forgot to post this last night and I'm having trouble finding cheap/free stuff.

Anyway, why did you choose to homeschool through preschool/kindergarten (and up, but specifically those grades)? What curriculum do you use? How much did you need to invest? In retrospect, what would you change? Any other comments?

You don't need to buy anything for prek. It should all be learning through play and exploration. It's all about experiences and hands on.

Of I was going to buy one thing it would be zoo phonics though. It can be used through first grade I think. I use it in my prek class and DDs k class uses It too. I started it with dd when she was 2.5 though.

Quoting lolajessup:" You don't need to buy anything for prek. It should all be learning through play and exploration. It's ... [snip!] ... first grade I think. I use it in my prek class and DDs k class uses It too. I started it with dd when she was 2.5 though."

Sorry, I never went to pre-k so I'm a little lost on what the heck goes on.

So, for like reading/LA - read books/visit library? Math - count/sort stuff? etc? Visits to science centers and stuff like that?

We just bought curriculum books from Staples, 4$ a piece... 3 books. Math, Writing and Reading. We are keeping an eye out for french books, so far no luck... We also got the thick learning pencils to help him out, which cost 2$ for 2. Though, I'm Canadian and I'm not sure if the american books would cost the same there.

<blockquote><b>Quoting anonymom + 1.5:</b>" Sorry, I never went to pre-k so I'm a little lost on what the heck goes on. So, for like reading/LA ... [snip!] ... for like reading/LA - read books/visit library? Math - count/sort stuff? etc? Visits to science centers and stuff like that? "</blockquote>

Yeah go to as many "field trips" as possible. Through play u can point out numbers and letters in their environment. Count toys. Size sequence. Sort them. U can make you own file folder games with diff skills.

Work on fine motor development such as writing, drawing, beading, play dough. I always let my kids help me make play dough. I have a good yummy recipe. Make games with clothes pins.

Gross motor development- playing outside you can gallop around. Have LO walk like diff animals to and from places, skip woth them to the store (you look like a fool but they love it haha). Jump over stuff. If you have woods explore in the woods climb over fallen logs.

Teach them about whatever they're interested in at the time and incorporate academic skills into that. So if they showed interest in birds go bird watching, make pine one bird feeders, talk about what birds need to survive, count how many birds you see, help them write diff bird names and help them find pics on the Internet of those birds to put by the names and display the cards for them.

I have my own technique for teaching writing because I absolutely hate commercial products you buy in the store such as workbooks. I'm very finicky about teaching in a developmentally appropriate way.

My daughter is in preschool, they learn letters and numbers every week. They do lots of art projects, she has homework. She has improved in her writing skills so much. I personally talk to my daughters about everything. We talk about color, shape, size, animals, cars, life, the sky, fire, rain, anything you can think of we discuss it. My oldest asks questions all the time though, so it helps.

if you want to know what to teach, call around your local pre-ks and schools and you can ask what curriculum they teach and you should be able to look it up.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Whitney*JAS*BMM*:</b>" My daughter is in preschool, they learn letters and numbers every week. They do lots of art projects, ... [snip!] ... call around your local pre-ks and schools and you can ask what curriculum they teach and you should be able to look it up. "</blockquote>

Most prek classes use creative curriculum or high scope. It's not as simple as grade school. It's a huge textbook with tons of rules. It's really not as simple as these are the things to teach.

Quoting lolajessup:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Whitney*JAS*BMM*:</b>" My daughter is in preschool, they learn ... [snip!] ... as simple as grade school. It's a huge textbook with tons of rules. It's really not as simple as these are the things to teach."

I know that at my daughters pre-k they have a curriculum that they follow. They do other things but as far as teaching words, reading, writing, math, they do have a cuuriculum they follow. We got it at the beginning of the year and we also got it from them when we were intrested in the school.