Preschool has always baffled me.  I am a stay at home mom (and now homeschool) because I want to keep my children OUT of a preschool/day care setting.  But I would see all over the homeschool community either people are completely against tradition preschool at home OR there are complete curriculum on the other end of the spectrum.  As a younger mom I didn't know what to do. 

I can now finally admit that I wasted alot of money in this area.  I really didn't want to do preschool with my children.  And the nature of our family left me no room or time for it.  I bought different curriculum and activities so we would have something to do.  But I found they were bored, I was bored, or chaos reigned. . .it just wasn't going to happen in our home during that season.  We would sing and read and learned our ABC and counting, but formal preschool never happened.  (Oh and let's not forget my unfortunate survive tool - VIDEOs.)  And when my oldest started school I discovered that she wasn't any worse off.  Boy, did I worry about her being behind.  Especially since I had friends that were very disciplined about doing "school" with their children who were my dd's age.  There were no gaps at all though.  It was this experienced that helped me form my views of preschool in our home. 

My view in a nutsheel. . .enjoy your children.  Don't fret about them doing "school", even preschool.  Read, Read, Read.  Learn to love the library.  Don't feel pressure to do preschool crafts but do feel freedom to do them occassionally or everyday if you like.  I often wander if preschool children 100 years ago were subjected to the hubbub of preschool arts and crafts that we feels is necessary to do with them.  My 3 yod is helping me paint a decorative shelf for her room right now.  All of my children are and we are all having a blast.  No preschool craft here.  They doing adult crafts.  (Don't be afraid to think outside the classroom.)   

Now, imagine my frustration when my now 5 1/2 wanted to do school when he was 3 1/2.  He wanted to write mostly but he was determined to do school like his sister. 

DS:  "Mommy, I want to do preschool while Jenny does her school."  

Mom:  "Um, but son, we don't DO preschool in our home." 

DS:  "But mommy, I want to do what she's doing !!!!!!!!!  (said with much wailing and gnashing of teeth.) 

What in the world should I do?  At the time I was too inexperienced as a new homeschooler to realize that I could do things with him here and he'd consider it school.  I spent some money and bought a preschool curriculum I never used.  <>  Praise God I have a very forgiving dh and who realizes I am learning as I go. 

I hit the same situation with my now 3 1/2 yod.  So found an online curriculum called Letter of the Week.  I wish I had found this for my two oldest.  Talk about saving money and losing the pressure.   This would have worked wonderfully with my ds a few years ago.  It's just up his alley because it has coloring and some very easy crafts that don't require alot of my time.  And there is tons of reading.  But God has gifted me with a child that is very hard to understand and very hard to please.  She doesn't color.  Nope, she just demands to be included in everything you are doing with the older ones.  There is NO preschool in her mind.  Just school.  Now, in her defensive, I think that this is her survival method.  She's about to be the extreme middle child of 5 so she must fight for mom's attention.  But when this little girl wants to do something, she's very subtle in breaking you down.  And often it works.  Have you ever heard of Chinese torture methods called the drippy water faucet.  Enter Allison, the drippy water faucet.  She constantly asking.  She just won't let it go.  And she was bored with Letter of the Week.  She wanted to READ!!!!!!  (Why does it have to get harder as we go?) 

How do you teach a 3 yod to read when they aren't ready? 

You include them in everything you do with the others!!!!!  (This is our preschool.)

In a matter of a week, I completely changed my school schedule and what we were doing for school.  Phonics is done in a group setting to start out.  We all reviews our Phonics songs and ABCS (and coincidently, my 18 month will probably read at 3 as well because he's right in the middle of us soaking it all up.  My plan to phase me out is nearly complete.)  Then we go through a couple of flash cards to really focus on letter sounds.  This is review for my oldest two and new for my 3 yod.  They are teaching her to read as they go.  They are involved in the process.  And Ally is learning to read.  :)  Then she sits in my lap while her brother works through his Alphaphonics book.  She doesn't really do anything.  But she's also soaking up the letter sounds and learning her letters. 

Now we also do some preschool stuff.  I am using Picture Book Preschool with a weekly theme of books that I read with my two youngest.  I use this time to connect with the littles and also to train my youngest to sit in my lap to read.  He's getting so good at it.  :)  We also sing the ABCs.  I don't think I have ever had more fun since I have taken the pressure off myself to make my home like a daycare where we do bible, crafts, preschool snacks that match the theme, etc, etc, etc.  For a busy mom with children so close in age, it's just simply madness. 

Before I end I want to say that I have no issue with the way others do preschool.  Many times I have seen older, wiser mother's suggestion nothing for preschool. . .just read and play.  For a new mom eager to homeschool their children, this isn't a satisfying answer.  I can now join the bandwagon and say it's not necessary to do preschool.  Reading to them really does the trick.  But I do believe that mom's need the freedom without condemnation (and I have seen alot of condemnation on the internet and message boards toward mothers that do some sort of formal preschool with their children.)  Every mother has to learn what is going to work best for them and best for their family.  So if you are a mom contemplating doing a preschool curriculum or activities with your oldest or even with your younger ones, go for it.  If it works then praise God you had a blast with your children.  If it doesn't work, chuck it and learn from the mistake.  Go back to praying for wisdom and seeking His direction for you.  Be free though.  Don't fret if you believe you are being lead to take a relaxed approach and just read with your children.  I speak from experience, they do learn it eventually.  All children are different.  All moms are different. 

God Bless!!!!