How Do I Start Homeschooling My Preschooler?
If you read my posts about homeschooling a baby and toddler, prepare for something different when it comes to your preschooler. For me, homeschooling a preschooler needs more structure compared to younger ages. They need to get familiar with an organized schedule and a better routine to prepare them for school (if that is your path). As for us, we will continue homeschooling my son for the rest of his grade school years. If you are on the same path as we are or are planning to homeschool your child for many years to come, setting up a good preschool homeschool routine is essential to make homeschooling a success. There are so many problems that may come up when homeschooling so setting up the framework for yours early on will help you avoid those problems.
On another note, please don't homeschool your child if your heart is not into it. Homeschooling involves a lot of hard work. It also involves a lot of expenses and may even be more expensive than traditional schooling. Don't homeschool your child just because it's "uso" or it's "in" or because your neighbor or friends are doing it. Don't homeschool your child because you read on a blog somewhere that it's fun and easy. Sure, it is fun. Sure there are easy parts but there are also hard parts. There are times when I think of what will happen if I just put my son in regular school. But then, God reminds me that this is the path He has chosen for us. Even before my son was in my womb, God laid the foundation of homeschooling in our hearts. I prayed for this many times and I still am so if you are thinking of homeschooling, I suggest you pray about it first. Let God show you the right decision.
Now that's out of the way, let's get on with the show!
First, you need a curriculum. I will discuss this in detail in another post but basically, you can make your own or buy a pre-existing one. The Internet has tons of different curricula for preschoolers.
Imagination Learning Fruit Fractions
I like the Imagination brand from Toys R Us. They have a lot of affordable materials. I also like Melissa & Doug but if they have the same item, I'd take Imagination because it's more affordable.
Another thing that we do is the Interactive Notebook. If you are not familiar with it, it's just a regular notebook that you fill up with exercises that engage your child more. For us, it's gluing, cutting, using toys, etc. If you want ideas on how to make an Interactive Notebook, check out my channel. There are several resources there.
On another note, please don't homeschool your child if your heart is not into it. Homeschooling involves a lot of hard work. It also involves a lot of expenses and may even be more expensive than traditional schooling. Don't homeschool your child just because it's "uso" or it's "in" or because your neighbor or friends are doing it. Don't homeschool your child because you read on a blog somewhere that it's fun and easy. Sure, it is fun. Sure there are easy parts but there are also hard parts. There are times when I think of what will happen if I just put my son in regular school. But then, God reminds me that this is the path He has chosen for us. Even before my son was in my womb, God laid the foundation of homeschooling in our hearts. I prayed for this many times and I still am so if you are thinking of homeschooling, I suggest you pray about it first. Let God show you the right decision.
Now that's out of the way, let's get on with the show!
Curriculum
First, you need a curriculum. I will discuss this in detail in another post but basically, you can make your own or buy a pre-existing one. The Internet has tons of different curricula for preschoolers.
Materials
Aside from books, I use a lot of learning aids and materials in our homeschool. The advantage of homeschooling your child is that you can make learning more fun. While some kids are stuck with just books and photos, you can use puzzles, manipulatives, videos, etc. to supplement and enforce a lesson.
Here are some of the materials we use:
Imagination Clock
Imagination Daily Calendar
Fraction Flash Cards
Puzzle
Ice Cream Tower Game
I like the Imagination brand from Toys R Us. They have a lot of affordable materials. I also like Melissa & Doug but if they have the same item, I'd take Imagination because it's more affordable.
Homeschool materials don't have to be expensive. Just scour the department stores, bookstores, school supplies stores and toy stores. Keep your eyes peeled for sales and be creative. If you see a toy, think about how you can incorporate them into your lessons. My son responds well when his toys join our homeschool. Subscribe to newsletters to see when warehouse sales are coming up. You can really get good bargains from those events.
Lesson Plan
Now that you have chosen your curriculum and you have your materials ready, it's time to make a lesson plan. For our homeschool, I usually plan the whole week on Fridays or Sundays or whenever I have some free time. I'm so used to homeschooling that it's easy for me to make a lesson plan. My lesson plan is different from the activities that we do. Our lessons involve book-based stuff and subjects like Math, Communication Arts, Civics, Science and Filipino. On the other hand, the activities are more hands-on, play or simply fun things that we do that still involve learning.
End Notes
That's basically all you need to start homeschooling your preschooler. Again, homeschooling is a commitment and involves some hard work but it can also be fun and very rewarding. If you would like more advice or if you have more questions about homeschooling, feel free to drop a note below. If you want more resources for your homeschool, just subscribe to my blog to get loads of free stuff and special offers. If you want to know what we do in our homeschool and to get more inspiration, subscribe to my channel. I look forward to hearing from you!
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