If you’ve ever felt like teaching is not your thing, too confusing or downright overwhelming to tackle on your own? Then this blog post is for you.
I know what it feels like when you questions yourself. Can I do this? Am I even qualified?!
The answer is YES & YES! You absolutely can and are more than qualified to do so. In fact, you are the BEST qualified for the task and the education you will provide to your child will be unique and tailor-made.
I hope you’ve been convinced already! So now, let me guide you on the steps to getting started.
1. You need to know WHY you are homeschooling.
I know I know, this isn’t a “step” but it’s probably the most important thing you will do to make sure your homeschool journey is for the long run and not just something you are “trying to see if it works”.
I like to compare this to marriage. When a couple marries, they have a solid reason for making those vowels and making that solid choice to commit. Couples do not marry to “see if it works out”, if this is the case, the marriage is likely to fail because they planned for failure from the start with the wrong mindset.
Once you know the WHY you are choosing to homeschool, write it down. Place it on your refrigerator, bathroom mirror, planner or somewhere you are certain to remind yourself of it. You are likely to continue the journey and work through the hiccups homeschooling can bring.
“The purpose of school is to get children ready for life, not more school.” – Dr. Kathy Koch
2. Decide if you will use curriculum, none or a bit of both.
If you would like to know exactly what our family is currently using, scroll to the bottom of this post.
I want to be clear, you DO NOT NEED CURRICULUM for preschooler age. Let’s consider our approach.
1st – When considering curriculum for preschoolers you must remember that every 3-5 yr old loves hands on activities and studies suggest children learn primarily through play and tumble so when using a curriculum you should look for hands-on.
Here are a few I recommend if you wish to use curriculum:
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- My Father’s World – (this is not a free or cost effective option in my opinion, but it is well-rounded) Copy W099208 and input code into “New Customer Referral” code at checkout to support what we do
- The Good and the Beautiful
2nd – Because preschoolers do not need a curriculum to learn, you have the freedom to decide how you will teach your child. When my oldest was three years old, I used Pinterest to look up activities, and free worksheets. I was able to gather a good amount of ideas that would carry me through the year and best of all, it was free or at the most it cost a few dollars at the dollar store for supplies. Dollar Tree is another great source for preschool – 1st grade homeschooling families, you can find all kinds of craft materials but also excellent introductory workbooks that teach children letter recognition, numbers, colors, tracing and more! If you don’t have a Dollar Tree store near you here is one of the workbooks they offer but sold through Amazon and other great finds. My first two children have learned lots with these workbooks and they’re only $1.25 each!
Preschool and Kindergarten Workbooks:
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- PRE-K – Morning Starters Educational Workbooks – v10 (these can be found at selected Dollar Tree Stores)
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- Other Great Amazon Find – School Zone Big Preschool Workbook
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- Other Great Amazon Find – School Zone Alphabet Workbook
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- Other Great Amazon Find – School Zone Thinking Skills Workbook
FREE PRESCHOOL RESOURCES WE HAD SUCCESS WITH:
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What we currently use for our homeschool day.
Keep in mind our homeschool is bilingual, if you wish to find out more about bilingual homeschool for small children subscribe to our email list for my upcoming post: Bilingual Homeschool for Small Children
Preschool & Pre-K:
FREE FREE FREE is key here. Rarely did I purchase anything other than ink for my printer, crayons, & Expo Markers. But you can be as creative and fun as you like! I am more of a open-and go type of Homeschool Mom.
Letters, Numbers, Colors, Shapes & Tracing – Free Activities from TheMeasuredMom.com , ThisReadingMama.com & PlanesAndBalloons.com
MyFathersWorld – A to Z large flashcards (use code W099208 at checkout to support what we do.)
Books – The library & Dollar Tree, Chick Fil-A Kids Meal books (Oh Yes!) The Beginner’s Bible, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Goodnight Moon
Kindergarten:
FREE is still key but if you like more of a structured option here is what we currently use.
Math – The Good and The Beautiful Math K (course book & math box) This is a great option for parents who want an open and go option.
Handwriting – Handwriting without Tears
Reading – All About Reading Level 1
Misc/Fun Study Units – Gather ‘Round Homeschool (almost every unit offered is for Pre-Reader to High School, you simply choose the one you need)
Books – The library, Dollar tree, Chick Fil-A Kids Meal books
4. Lastly, Have Fun!
Studies show children learn best through play and having fun, so get creative and play spontaneous games and create fun memories.
Another way to add some flavor to your home education is by signing up your child for a local sports team, club, or music group, but this often can be more costly than we expected.
Luckily, I have an option you can use even with older children and it doesn’t require you to leave the house!
Hoffman Academy is an online piano school that teaches kids and adults of all ages! And goes at your pace.
You DO NOT need to know an ounce of music to introduce this to your children and the benefits this will provide your family will be immense.
Music not only brings color to life but, it plays a big part in child development.
- Improved mood and better emotional regulation
- Better physical endurance
- Early language development skills
- Increased patience and discipline
- Improved memory and retention
- Better concentration
- Fine motor skills
- Improved sense of self worth and better overall self esteem
- Better test scores on standardized tests
So Sign Up today with a Free Account and feel free to explore around Hoffman Academy website.