View Full Version : Planning for preschool in the fall
I was just wondering if there were others that were working on this... how you're going to go about doing it... what curriculum or book lists or activity books you'll use... what sort of schedule or no schedule... that kind of thing. So whatcha' thinkin' you'll be doing with those 2 to 4 yos?
So me first!!
Ds will be 3.5, and I'm thinking that we'll do weekly or bi-weekly literature unit studies alot of which will come from BFIAR. There are other books and authors that I'd like to include. I'd also like to add in some lap books for the BFIAR and the others... lots of ideas and suggestions for that on the web!! :grin
I also want to have a rotating selection of living math and living science books from the library just 2 or 3 of each.
I know we want to include a bible component on the weeks when we don't do BFIAR, but I haven't looked into that yet (suggestions welcome!!)
I also want to do something with phonics, but I don't know what... I was thinking that we'd use The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading when he was ready for it, but I think he needs something more hands on... again something I need to look into more.
I'd like to get a set of cuisinaire rods & a couple activities, pattern blocks with cards and some geography/map puzzles, too.
This is all going to be really loose and fun and no pressure for him... just lots of laying and reading. I just need to have a list of activities and books for the week or month for my own accountability.
Your turn... what are your preschoolers going to be doing next year??
:raise
Im thick in the planning right now. So this is all just as of right now, what I am planning and it may change the more research I do.
For the main curriculum, dh and I are really liking Sonlight.
I am also thinking we will use MUS (instead of Horizons that comes with Sonlight, but I don't think any math comes in the P4/5 core for Sonlight)
I really like The Ordinary Parents Guide To Reading and may start that as well.
Ill also be using Hand Writing Without Tears. Just the manipulatives for that, not the work books yet.
Ill be doing LOTS of hands on stuff that I add in, like crafts, art, music, etc...
I plan on starting his first Nature Notebook then as well.
Id also LOVE to get a globe for him (kiddie one) and a good states puzzle.
Another thing I really like is the Brain Quest card things. ( :giggle I cannot remember what they are called AT ALL right now.) He really enjoys them and breezed through the preschool one we bought last week. He has gone through them twice now and can already ask US the questions on them. LOL But it is a great way for me to see what all he knows! :tu And they are really fun for him. (I know its not a curriculum or anything, but wanted to add that in there.)
I think the way I will structure everything is by doing workboxes that he can pull out as he wants during the day, just making sure he gets through them all in the day. That way it's not super strict, but there are some guidelines and structure to it all, but he can kind of have control of it in a way.
Like you, I plan on making it all fun and pressure free.
That looks great, Codi. I was just looking at the Sonlight P3/4 curriculum, and we'll be using ALOT of their read alouds. They have the best books!!
I didn't know that HWT had manipulatives. I'm going to go check that out.
Anyone else?
MomtoJGJ
06-04-2009, 04:44 AM
We are going to be using HOD Little Hands to Heaven for DD3... she's turning 3 in October.
And I guess since DD2 won't be 5 until January that technically she's preschool too... she'll be doing HOD Little Hearts for His Glory.
Rea T
06-04-2009, 04:48 AM
I was SO unstructured last year, this year I'm going to try to do better. Still, unstructured seemed to work. I have the book and activity books for "What your child needs to know for Kindergarten", we made it most of the way through the first activity book last year, I'm going to try to do the 2nd this year. Mostly we just get a lot of books from the library and read a lot, he is starting to ask what certain things say, so I think he is in the pre-reading stage now.
That looks great, Codi. I was just looking at the Sonlight P3/4 curriculum, and we'll be using ALOT of their read alouds. They have the best books!!
I didn't know that HWT had manipulatives. I'm going to go check that out.
Anyone else?
http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/Roll-A-Dough_Letters/prek
http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/Wood_Pieces_Set_For_Capital_Letters/prek
:tu
Maybe this too...
http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/Get_Set_for_School/prek
TuneMyHeart
06-04-2009, 10:46 AM
Does reading a lot, playing a lot, and going outside a lot count as preschool curriculum? :shifty
:popcorn for ideas. I'm a little overwhelmed with all the choices right now.
Does reading a lot, playing a lot, and going outside a lot count as preschool curriculum? :shifty
YUP!! :yes
Shannon, I have the BFIAR book and a couple catalogs if you'd like to look them over. JLMK
Shannon, I have the BFIAR book and a couple catalogs including HOD that you can check out. JLMK
Codi, I was just looking at all the HWT manipulatives. They look really nice. I was thinking that we might do the wooden letter pieces, but then I thought maybe I could just make them out of construction paper and laminate them. :shrug3
Shannon, I have the BFIAR book and a couple catalogs including HOD that you can check out. JLMK
Codi, I was just looking at all the HWT manipulatives. They look really nice. I was thinking that we might do the wooden letter pieces, but then I thought maybe I could just make them out of construction paper and laminate them. :shrug3
Absolutely! :yes You can also make your own roll-a-dough mats for forming the letters. I have seen them on a blog before! :tu
kiloyd
06-04-2009, 08:28 PM
Does reading a lot, playing a lot, and going outside a lot count as preschool curriculum? :shifty
:popcorn for ideas. I'm a little overwhelmed with all the choices right now.
absolutely! that's all I did with ds. I'm going to use HOD Little hands for dd 4 1/2 since she wants to 'do school" like her brother.
Joyful Mommy
06-04-2009, 08:52 PM
Does reading a lot, playing a lot, and going outside a lot count as preschool curriculum? :shifty
:popcorn for ideas. I'm a little overwhelmed with all the choices right now.
that's totally where I'm at right now, too.
Charlotte Mason appeals to me, but DS is so ready to "do school" since a lot of his buddies from church, etc., are going to JK/K in September...now I am trying to decide if I want to buy a Core package from Sonlight to get all the books, to buy the (expensive) "Foundation Year" with books from Living Books Curriculum, or just buy some books and borrow some others and put my own "preschool curriculum" together...
Does reading a lot, playing a lot, and going outside a lot count as preschool curriculum? :shifty
:popcorn for ideas. I'm a little overwhelmed with all the choices right now.
that's totally where I'm at right now, too.
Charlotte Mason appeals to me, but DS is so ready to "do school" since a lot of his buddies from church, etc., are going to JK/K in September...now I am trying to decide if I want to buy a Core package from Sonlight to get all the books, to buy the (expensive) "Foundation Year" with books from Living Books Curriculum, or just buy some books and borrow some others and put my own "preschool curriculum" together...
One reason I am really liking Sonlight (haven't bought it yet, but pretty sure I am) is that it is all planned out for you. I can see what they have planned and modify if needed. I feel like it is just a jumping off point. I may love it, and strictly stick to it...but also plan on adding A LOT of my own stuff too. Off to google Living Books Curriculum. :)
saturnfire16
06-04-2009, 09:11 PM
We're unschooling, so we'll keep living life and learning the way we have been doing. Lots of trips and visits to new places, books from the library, movies, websites like starfall.com, games, and talking about everything going on around us. Ezabella is talking about "school" a lot though, because of few older aquintences are going to school, and she sees kids playing in school playgrounds on recess and thinks that's what it's all about. So, I'm looking for some kind of class- dance, gymnastics or something else physical- to help her get some energy out and feel like she's doing "school."
One reason I am really liking Sonlight (haven't bought it yet, but pretty sure I am) is that it is all planned out for you. I can see what they have planned and modify if needed. I feel like it is just a jumping off point. I may love it, and strictly stick to it...but also plan on adding A LOT of my own stuff too. Off to google Living Books Curriculum. :)
Are you looking at P3/4? I thought it didn't have a teacher's guide. I may be COMPLETELY mistaken, but I thought it was just the books... lots and lots of good books but no schedule or subjects. Maybe I misunderstood. :shrug3
One reason I am really liking Sonlight (haven't bought it yet, but pretty sure I am) is that it is all planned out for you. I can see what they have planned and modify if needed. I feel like it is just a jumping off point. I may love it, and strictly stick to it...but also plan on adding A LOT of my own stuff too. Off to google Living Books Curriculum. :)
Are you looking at P3/4? I thought it didn't have a teacher's guide. I may be COMPLETELY mistaken, but I thought it was just the books... lots and lots of good books but no schedule or subjects. Maybe I misunderstood. :shrug3
:think Id be doing p4/5.
It says p3/4 has an instruction guide. :shrug3
http://www.sonlight.com/p34.html
For p3/4
Parent's Companion gives usable help
Enjoy every story and learning resource included in P3/4 by simply cuddling on the couch and reading with your children. But if you're like most homeschool parents, we know you (at times) want to enhance your learning adventure by maximizing "teachable moments" with your kids. This is why we invested hundreds of hours developing the P3/4 Parent's Companion.
Your Parent's Companion helps you:
* Fuel their imagination (and memory) with easy, creative activities for each story.
* Complement your own ideas with links to helpful, encouraging optional resources.
* Track your progress with simple checklists (no strict schedule to follow).
Your Parent's Companion provides a treasure chest full of helpful tips and tricks to new and seasoned homeschoolers.
Discover how to effectively integrate homeschooling into your family as well as organize, manage, and maximize your homeschool experience.
:tu
kwisie
06-04-2009, 09:45 PM
This fall, DD1 will be nearly 4, and DD2 will be two. They've been learning wonderfully from life and reading and playing, so that's what we're sticking with until one of them shows a need for more direct instruction. Our plan isn't to start using any real curriculum, unless one of them really wants to do more, until we start something more formally in the fall that DD1 would be going to kindergarten, when she'll be nearly 6. Before that time, we play. They already do very well "academically", so I see no reason to change anything right now.
:nails Uh oh...........
I really like the Foundation Year: Living Books Curriculum too.......
Would it be totally impractical to buy them both? LOL
Realistically, I can just add them together to make my own curriculum in a way.....instead of buying both packages, just buy the ones I want from LBC that I feel are "missing" from Sonlight.
:think
jenny_islander
06-05-2009, 12:09 AM
Does reading a lot, playing a lot, and going outside a lot count as preschool curriculum? :shifty
:popcorn for ideas. I'm a little overwhelmed with all the choices right now.
that's totally where I'm at right now, too.
Charlotte Mason appeals to me, but DS is so ready to "do school" since a lot of his buddies from church, etc., are going to JK/K in September...now I am trying to decide if I want to buy a Core package from Sonlight to get all the books, to buy the (expensive) "Foundation Year" with books from Living Books Curriculum, or just buy some books and borrow some others and put my own "preschool curriculum" together...
We're using Charlotte Mason's method. Sophia wanted to do school too as a preschooler, so I bought a page-a-day preschool workbook from my local homeschool supplier. One to three pages of that, whenever she felt like it, seemed to satisfy that need.
OkiMom
06-05-2009, 03:56 AM
DD asked me about "chool" (she doesn't pronounce the s sound half the time) this last week since it seems like all the kids from her nursery class in church is in preschool (its common to start preschool at 18 months over here). She is feeling a little left out since everyone else goes to "school" and she doesn't. I guess I should do something so she doesn't feel left out. DH also expressed the opinion that I needed to start trying home school soon so just in case i don't want to do it after all I can put her in preschool without her being "behind" (can you really be behind in preschool??). Hes really adamant about it and since he doesn't usually express opinions (OK, this is the first time in a year and a half that he has expressed an opinion about ANYTHING) I going to follow his request. We agreed to do a starting school "party" on the day she turns 2 1/2 and then do some really relaxed schooling from then on. I don't know what Im going to do though. Shes REALLY active but with only one vehicle and no bus service (ok, there is bus service but since I don't understand Japanese I don't know if its really safe for me to try it and get lost somewhere on the island) I'm stuck with doing stuff at home or at the playground.
Katydid
06-05-2009, 05:57 AM
I've been hard at work on plans for ds(5) and I really haven't planned anything for dd(3). :think I know I want to make sure to spend some time reading just to *her* using books on her level. (Usually, we just have a "family" story time that I gear mostly to ds, but I know a lot of the books lately go over her head. I need to get better about that. :yes ).
Other than that, I plan to just include dd on any other activities we do and just try to modify it to her level. :shrug3
Grover
06-05-2009, 10:39 AM
In the fall - we will start Heart of Dakota -little Hands To Heaven.I plan on making it last two years.I havent decided if that means first time round with the younger books and second time round with the older versions or whether I am just going to go half speed.I guess it also depends on what S wants to do-but he has pretty much joined in with Little Hearts this year[not for the phonics/math] but will all the activities and such and I think he will love having his own school time too.
Im seriously tempted by HWT- especially the manipulatives- but I think that can wait till next year.Ive seen a cheap giant foam alphabet puzzle and I think we might get that and hang a letter up each week.
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