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If you could buy 1 preschool curriculum...


delaney
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Hi,

Have you seen www.letteroftheweek.com I tweaked this for my dd. We had some fun times with it.

also,

I was thinking of getting this for my second dd as it has some nice ideas. http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32459{1}1&it=1

 

I also used Before Five in a Row for some nice read aloud time.

 

I never spend alot of money on curriculum for this age group cause it is so easy to just wing it.

 

If your child is ready to for letter writing practice, I printed pages from Jan bretts site. http://janbrett.com/coloring_alphabet/alphabet_coloring_tracers_main.htm

 

Happy Curriculum Hunting,:001_smile:

 

Penny

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I wouldn't buy a preschool curriculum. There are so many easy, simple things you can do with a preschooler without having to buy a curriculum. I'd do simple crafts, read books, go on nature walks, provide educational toys, puzzles, shows, board games and so on, work on fine motor skills (cutting, pasting, gluing, tracing), plenty of outdoor play and exercise, plenty of free time for imaginative play, let them help as much as possible with chores, errands etc (a preschooler can help cook, fold laundry and so on), go on field trips and outings, talk about the weather, the seasons, hygiene, the days of the week, rhymes, opposites, make sure they know their birthdays, work on teaching their addresses and so on and so forth.

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Someone on here mentioned mothergoosetime.com. We ordered it and my boys all love the crafts and music. It comes with everything you need and my three yo is learning a lot. I know I don't need a curriculum but I found that I didn't have much time to work with him. His brothers take quite a bit of my time while I am schooling them. It is nice to have something I can do with ds3 in just a few minutes all day long. I guess I just needed something easy.

Edited by Indygirl
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a library card

 

 

Seriously. Don't get yourself stressed out - a library card and the desire to involve your child in your life - cooking, cleaning, field trips, travel, etc. - are all that's needed. Meet up and play with some friends, do art, make messes, count everything, point out colors, go to the zoo. Read, read, read and then, read. Relax and enjoy being with your kid.

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How old is the little guy?

 

If you felt like you really needed something then I would suggest the following books/items:

 

Before Five In a Row - as well as the *booklists* from the other FIAR volumes. Excellent picture books, fingerplays, suggestions for activites etc.

 

"Learning at Home: Preschool and Kindergarten" by Ann Ward - includes daily lessons plans for bible, science, reading, math, p.e., character building, manners, health and lots more. It is out of print, but you can find it on the for sale boards and homeschoolclassifieds for a reasonable price.

 

My Father's World Preschool set - love, love, love these toys and activities! My 3yo daughter loves them!

 

I wouldn't do workbooks at this age, though.

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I would not spend the money on a curriculum - I would go out and buy:

crayons, paper, notebooks, and sign up at the public library.

Honestly, I do not think a formal preschool curriculum is necessary at all.

 

In many countries preschool age kids are not taught formal academics; they work on fine and gross motor skills, language development, vocabulary, imagination, social skills. I have not seen any data that show any measurable advantage of 9 year old US students over 9 year olds from countries where formal academic instruction begins at age 6 or 7.

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I would not spend the money on a curriculum - I would go out and buy:

crayons, paper, notebooks, and sign up at the public library.

Honestly, I do not think a formal preschool curriculum is necessary at all.

 

 

Yep, and I would spend plenty of time reading good books from Ambleside Online's Year 0 list mixed with plenty of creative play and time outdoors. You might want to order a catalog from The Micheal Olaf Company called Child of the World---lots of wonderful ideas to use with a preschooler. Above all, have fun.

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I totally agree with preschool NOT being needed, in fact for formal, required academics I fall closer to the "better late" plan than the WTM plan.

 

That said, it looks like the opening poster has several kids, and coming from a similar place where I have highschool, middle school, and elementary kids to teach everyday and still have to keep my 2 and 4yos occupied, the idea of a preschool curriculum takes on a whole different meaning.

 

For me the key is having both something planned so that my littles get quality time with me and there are some activites that my oldest can do with them too. I was finding that I could go to the library and check out 50 books and the only ones my littles would have would be random stuff they picked off the shelves. (... here is my homeschooling mom confession, I hate reading boring picture books). Or I would keep turning on the t.v. or having the kids go outside, which is fine in Sept. and Oct. but won't be all winter.

 

I also didn't want it to become school time, and I was afraid if I spent too much (or even any) money on "preschool" that I would be pushing, instead of enjoying my little ones.

 

So what I have done is make sure I check out some good picture books, by taking lists to the library for the littles just like I do for the bigs. I get books from FIAR, Sonlight, Honey for a Child's Heart, 1000 Good Books List, Ambleside, etc. I don't worry about order or theme, just pick some that look good (and stick with authors we like).

 

Then I have been using letteroftheweek.com for free plans. Again just so we have something to do everyday. They love showing off thier learning poster (and iI almost didn't make one :001_huh:), and I remember to sing and talk about shapes and colors with them as well as some simple crafts. We have also been doing MEP Reception year.

 

I also have a modified workbox system for them. A big three drawer unit that I rotate the things we already have. Right now it has 4 puzzels, C. rods and the Alphabet book, magnet letters, some Kumon workbooks, and a card game (Quick Pix).

 

I do ask the bigs to help them with either the things in the "workbox" or in letteroftheweek when I need help with the littles.

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I wouldn't buy a preschool curriculum. There are so many easy, simple things you can do with a preschooler without having to buy a curriculum. I'd do simple crafts, read books, go on nature walks, provide educational toys, puzzles, shows, board games and so on, work on fine motor skills (cutting, pasting, gluing, tracing), plenty of outdoor play and exercise, plenty of free time for imaginative play, let them help as much as possible with chores, errands etc (a preschooler can help cook, fold laundry and so on), go on field trips and outings, talk about the weather, the seasons, hygiene, the days of the week, rhymes, opposites, make sure they know their birthdays, work on teaching their addresses and so on and so forth.

 

:iagree:

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Seeing that the girls want to help and I REALLY hate gathering art supplies and stuff I found this and ordered the month of October to try on him

 

http://www.ailcurriculum.com/home

 

yes it is expensive per month but after all I am saving $360 per month now so I think I will treat myself and spring for this and supplement with Ambleside suggested readings!

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"Learning at Home: Preschool and Kindergarten" by Ann Ward - includes daily lessons plans for bible, science, reading, math, p.e., character building, manners, health and lots more. It is out of print, but you can find it on the for sale boards and homeschoolclassifieds for a reasonable price.

 

Just fwiw - I bought this and while it is a wonderful curriculum, it required library, much prep, and never got accomplished in my life. It was one of the many things I felt guilty about NOT getting to. I totally believe in knowing your limits. For me, this means not planning on needing the library. That is just how my life is right now. If you are the same, this isn't the one for you. Neither was BFIAR, although I did put a book a week in our file folders this year for my 5 y.o. and have faithfully read that book every day of the week I assigned it for. This has been wonderful!

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I wouldn't buy a preschool curriculum. There are so many easy, simple things you can do with a preschooler without having to buy a curriculum. I'd do simple crafts, read books, go on nature walks, provide educational toys, puzzles, shows, board games and so on, work on fine motor skills (cutting, pasting, gluing, tracing), plenty of outdoor play and exercise, plenty of free time for imaginative play, let them help as much as possible with chores, errands etc (a preschooler can help cook, fold laundry and so on), go on field trips and outings, talk about the weather, the seasons, hygiene, the days of the week, rhymes, opposites, make sure they know their birthdays, work on teaching their addresses and so on and so forth.

 

You can get some really good teacher resource books from Scholastic, Evan-Moor, Teacher Created Materials, Carson-Dellosa, etc. You can even find some good stuff at the Dollar Store or Walmart.

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Hi,

Have you seen www.letteroftheweek.com I tweaked this for my dd. We had some fun times with it.

also,

I was thinking of getting this for my second dd as it has some nice ideas. http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=32459{1}1&it=1

 

I also used Before Five in a Row for some nice read aloud time.

 

I never spend alot of money on curriculum for this age group cause it is so easy to just wing it.

 

If your child is ready to for letter writing practice, I printed pages from Jan bretts site. http://janbrett.com/coloring_alphabet/alphabet_coloring_tracers_main.htm

 

Happy Curriculum Hunting,:001_smile:

 

Penny

 

Thanks Penny for the Jan Brett link :D

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It really depends on what you want it for. No curriculum can do what a couple hours with mom can. However, if you need him busy when the other kids are or feel that something systematic would be helpful for a short time each day, there are plenty of options.

 

Depending on what you're looking for:

 

1) FIAR - http://www.fiveinarow.com

 

2) Rod and Staff's Preschool

 

3) put together certain subjects you think are necessary such as OPGTR for reading, MUS Primer for math, HWoT for handwriting.

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If it is something you are wanting your girls to do with him, then I would suggest getting a big jumbo pre-k book and letting them help him when he wants to do it. That way they all feel like they are learning and helping.

I have several children and tried to have my dd's help my ds3 and it didn't work out very well. I had a scripted preschool. He would color pages and worksheets all day long with minimal guidance from them, but add in a scripted lesson and well it just wasn't happening.

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If it is something you are wanting your girls to do with him, then I would suggest getting a big jumbo pre-k book and letting them help him when he wants to do it. That way they all feel like they are learning and helping.

I have several children and tried to have my dd's help my ds3 and it didn't work out very well. I had a scripted preschool. He would color pages and worksheets all day long with minimal guidance from them, but add in a scripted lesson and well it just wasn't happening.

That could be the case too so I only bought one month to try. It may flop but he really wants to do something in the classroom and the crafts looked good and he loves for them to read to him. Crossing fingers.......;)

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Guest momk2000

I don't think a formal curriculum is really necessary for preschool. I did purchase the Big Preschool Workbook from Walgreens when dd started asking for worksheets so she could do homework like her big sister. She loved doing dot to dot pages and mazes. It kept her busy while I worked with her sister. I also purchased a few of the Rod and Staff Pre - K workbooks. They have some nice activities and are pretty cheap. We would go to the library and check out a bunch of books to fill the book basket. I wouldn't spend a ton of $$ on Pre-K. You can do a lot with them for very little. She is now doing K and doing really well. :)

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We're part of a local preK homeschoolers. We're using the Harvest Time Curriculum from http://www.weefolkart.com and are really LOVING the books, activities & field trips! I love having *something* to point me in the right direction & this was perfect! Oh, and it's FREE! :) can't beat that! We also do a letter of the week page & my 3yo LOVES Starfall.com Baby (17mo) loves kneebouncers.com :) Check out Target's dollar aisle for fun educational type workbooks--I've found crayola's what color? Dot to dots, mazes, phonics flashcards, counting cubes & cylinders...add in some pom-poms, sorting trays from the $ store, some kid size tongs, etc--my kids will play with that stuff all day long!!! Something I didn't realize my 3yo would enjoy so much--memory work! He LOVES learning new poems, nursery rhymes, etc. He just picks up on stuff so fast! It's amazing! Just saying, don't be afraid to try some things with him that you're not sure he's capable of. He'll let you know when it's getting to be too much and just let him play until his interest is piqued again! Most of all, read read read with him!!! :)

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I used some of this. I didn't buy anything for preschool curriculum wise. In fact, I really didn't do much preschool with them... I would advise to save your money, check out lots of library books and maybe follow something like the above link. You also might check out Enchanted Learning.

Yes I did get a sub to enchanted learning. I think he will like lapbooks too! I am going to buy BFIAR as well since he loves stories and those his sisters would love to read to him!

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I have been following this thread closely as I want to do something with my almost 3 year old. Just fun stuff. He loves being read to and he knows almost all his letter sounds (due to LeapFrog Letter Factory). He just needs some dedicated mommy time like his brother's are getting. :grouphug:

 

I am very interested in BFIAR, but I heard that many of the books are out of print. Is this true? :confused: Is it hard to get the books that go with it? I figured I would be able to just check something out of the library?

 

Hope the answer helps the op as well!

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I am very interested in BFIAR, but I heard that many of the books are out of print. Is this true? :confused: Is it hard to get the books that go with it? I figured I would be able to just check something out of the library?

 

 

I did not do B4FIAR, but we did almost every book in the first three volumes of FIAR by getting the books at the library through inter-library loan. There was not a single book that I could not get. I ordered two at a time in case one of them was delayed.

 

Of course, whether or not this will work for you will depend on your library system. Before I bought FIAR, I did a test run and ordered a few of the books just to see if I could get them and how long it would take for them to arrive.

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I would go to the library and the park a lot. I'd take frequent walks and talk about what we see. I'd cook with my child. I'd encourage her to get messy and make a lot of art. I'd go to the zoo, the museums, the gardens, etc. I'd give her bins of beans, pasta, or rice and measuring cups and containers. I'd read to my child a LOT! I'd make a big deal out of holidays. I'd answer all of the why, what, where questions that come up no matter how tiring they became.

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If you like the "themed" type things planned for you, you could just get a subscription to The Mailbox Magazine. You might have to buy the art supplies, but all the ideas are right there for you. They even have an online part in which you can just print out things such as activity cards in color on cardstock. My kids have loved some of the ideas from these magazines.

 

I also LOVE B4FIAR and FIAR. Some of the FIAR titles in vol. one are suitable for pre-school too. My son was very disappointed that we weren't doing FIAR this year. It was the highlight of our day for many school years.

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we did almost every book in the first three volumes of FIAR by getting the books at the library through inter-library loan. There was not a single book that I could not get. I ordered two at a time in case one of them was delayed.

 

Of course, whether or not this will work for you will depend on your library system. .

:iagree:

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I have been following this thread closely as I want to do something with my almost 3 year old. Just fun stuff. He loves being read to and he knows almost all his letter sounds (due to LeapFrog Letter Factory). He just needs some dedicated mommy time like his brother's are getting. :grouphug:

 

I am very interested in BFIAR, but I heard that many of the books are out of print. Is this true? :confused: Is it hard to get the books that go with it? I figured I would be able to just check something out of the library?

 

Hope the answer helps the op as well!

 

I have been collecting the BFIR and FIAR Vol 1 titles from Amazon as I have rewards. Only 5 of the titles are out of print for BFIAR.

 

Laura

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