• Post A Comment! • Send to a Friend!

Posted by LivingByDailyGrace

Be very cautious in judging your ability to homeschool when you are homeschooling a preschooler. :) homeschooling older children is vatly different than with a preschooler. If you go on your experiences right now, you'll never make it to the critical time when they really need it and you.

I also wouldn't plan much of anything for preschool. Please do lots of reading. You will create readers who can eventually educate themselves when you do tons of reading.

I have a 4 1/2 year that I do "school" with while my others are doing their seat work. She and I read aloud. We just finished Charlotte's Web this afternoon - a chapter at a time. She and I do one worksheet of math and then work with a few manipulatives. Math takes about 15-20 minutes. We do a little "phonics" work and that takes about 15 minutes. After that she takes a 30 minute rest time while I work with my older children. Then we all come together to work on handwriting. She is working through A Reason for Handwriting K. It's mostly coloring pictures. That's all we do. And it's honestly the most I have ever done with a child before the age of 5-5 1/2.

I had very good intensions of homeschooling my two other preschoolers. The babies came too fast and I was overwhelmed. They didn't need it though. My oldest learned to read in no time and my next taught himself to read. Most of my friends were doing school and I was so worried they would be behind. They weren't.

One more thing. If you are not very good or housekeeping or organization, use this time while they are young to get there. Pick one area you want to improve and work through that. I wish I had done that. I am doing that right now. Also, start to train them to do chores and such if you aren't. That is school as well. I start teaching them to fold laundry at 2 yod. They fold wash clothes.

Your children are so young. Enjoy them now. Don't stress over school. Don't hesitate to do stuff with them. But don't feel like you need a curriculum though. I wasted so much money on curriculum I didn't need. And the only reason I am working with my 4 yod right now is because she needs time with me. She's my middle child of 5 right now. She needs that face time and feels so big.

Oh, as far as plans go. I stopped doing lesson plans. We always get behind. We just go to the next part in the lesson book now. I now follow a more charlotte mason approach to school so we do short lessons. At the end of the day, I journal about what we did for the day so I have a record of it. It also allows me to journal frustrations and triumphs. No more getting behind. I have general idea of what we're doing for the day but no lesson plans. (I should add that I am a former teacher so this is a big step for me.)

sorry this is so long. you are welcome to email me. I wrote a blog several months ago about preschool at home. I may repost it. It was just my experiences with my preschoolers.

In His Grace,

Karen

PS. Sorry this is so long. You sound so much like I did 5 years ago. :) I have walked in your shoes and have such compassion on your position. Pray through all this and never stop.

• Permanent Link

Posted by crazybusy

Hi Lori,

Everyone does things differently and I'm sure you'll get a wide variety of answers. What it comes down to though, is you do what works best for you.

When we used Sonlight, they did all the planning for me. Some people feel that's too restricting, but I actually liked that.

Last year the curriculum we used (Tapestry of Grace) gave us a weekly outline of what to do and we picked and choosed the activities to do and then I made our weekly schedule every Sunday. That worked fine too because all of the ideas and books and things were all laid out for me, I just had to plug what we were doing in a weekly schedule.

Now this next school we are kind of doing our own thing. I have a few "spine" books for history (Mystery of History, History Alive! and Story of the World) that I'm going to pick & choose from. They all have suggested activities and books for further reading, etc. so it's not like I'm completely on my own.

But I actually (since late last night) just finished scheduling out the books that Alek, Gracie and Gabe will be reading on their own. I'm going to use Sonlight's PreK program with Millie, and then do 100 EZ Lessons with her (have started this already), so I don't have to do a schedule for her at all.

So for ME, *this year*, I would like to have my entire year planned out. Of course you have to be flexible too for things that come up and be okay with ditching things and reworking things if they don't work out. And yes, my lesson plans are very detailed.

With little ones like you have, Lori, the BEST time I found to 'do school' was during nap time. It shouldn't take longer than an hour to homeschool a preschooler (or much longer for a kindergartener either) so you have one on one in peace and quiet and get everything done while the littles are napping.

You have to expect bad days... and plenty of 'em. ;) But there will be lots and lots of wonderful days and those make this whole journey so worth it! And you will learn right along with your children- it's so fun! :)

Hey, I have a sample schedule for Sonlight's preschool program saved on my computer. It's not Sonlight's but one created by a homeschool mom. Back when I first used Sonlight's preK program, they didn't have a schedule. Email me if you'd like to see it!

Hope that helps!

Love, Alyssa

p.s. I just read through Karen's comment & she gave you some GREAT advice! I especially agree with doing "lots of reading" with her. That's why I loved Sonlight's program- lots of reading & they've picked the best books for you.


Edited by crazybusy on Jun. 26, 2007 at 3:27 PM

• Permanent Link