Pre K 3 with baby...anyone else?

[KDoty]

I'm looking to see what other pre-k moms are doing. We are currently doing Saxon Math K (with ease) and Bible lessons and we throw in puzzles and plenty of readiness things so as to keep it light. What are you doing?

Also, what would be a good math program to do next year? I'm thinking about Singapore Earlybird or Essetials. Any input?:)

[serendipitous journey]

My son wanted, from a very early age, to learn letters, numbers, math, etc. and resisted my attempts to steer him toward arts & literature (he loved letters but wouldn't let me read books to him, ever since he was a baby. I had to bribe him with chocolate for the first read of most books but he'd usually sit for repeats). So I started him (now 5, three at the time) early with math and was very happy with the Math-U-See program, which is easily adapted for non-readers/writers. I wanted a rigorous math treatment that would give him a good "feel" for number. We've been very mellow about it, and he's now working at the second-grade level. We'll probably move to Singapore for the advanced topics but will stick with MathUSee through algebra.

We did the Ordinary Parents' reading through learning letter sounds, and then moved to Phonics Pathways which we both prefer strongly for learning words & sentences.

I have a strong science background and found "Sandbox Scientist" to be the best hands-on science book by far: some of the "kits" take a bit of setting up but some are easy. "Bite-sized Science" is also terrific in terms of helping children think about their world and the ideas are very fast to implement, much simpler than the Sandbox book. -- of course, being for preschool, neither touches on evolution or on theories of creation.

For art I kept primary & secondary paint colors available (I like acrylics or watercolor) in closeable paint pots with a brush available for each color, and also all the art usual supplies, and did projects from The Arts and Crafts Busy Book.

If you'd like to supplement other topics, Montessori manuals for early childhood (and infant, and elementary) are available from MontessoriRD. I've used their biology and geography for this age and found them easily adaptable to the home environment, fun, and very educational, the staff there are very helpful.

For my second son, now a very mellow 6 months and a great lover of music and board books, I'm going to try Ambleside Online's suggestions & maybe Oak Meadow preschool early learning resources when he's older.

Edited January 7, 2011 by serendipitous journey
realized I missed some info.

[NanceXToo]

My son turned 5 in November and wasn't interested/focused enough for Kindergarten (even the gentle, non-academic K I chose), so we're doing another year of pre-K this year.

 

I'm pretty informal with it.

 

I just this week started the Funnix Beginning Reading Lessons with him- only because it was a free download and I figured I'd see if it would hold his interest. He's a bit wiggly but reasonably engaged (since he loves computers/computer games and this seems kind of like a computer game) and doing well with it- we've only done four lessons. I don't want to put any pressure on him/it.

 

I bought the Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD and he's watched that a couple of times.

 

We play board games and computer games. He's really good with the computer and loves to play games on it.

 

He helps around the house with chores and sometimes with cooking/baking, folding laundry, etc. (he particularly likes trying to vacuum), and I teach conversationally about things like rhymes and opposites and lefts and rights and phone numbers and addresses and numbers and colors and whatever else comes up in conversation/every day life.

 

Sometimes we do nature walks and he'll collect things for a "nature tank" we have.

 

I have lots of manipulatives and toys he can play with whenever he wants- craft supplies, K'Nex, Legos, Blocks, Pattern Blocks, Geoboards, Lincoln Logs, Puzzles, dress up clothes, a bin full of musical instruments, an interactive solar system toy, and so on.

 

I read aloud to him (when he'll let me). We listen to music and sing songs.

 

I take him on all the outings and field trips I take my older daughter on.

 

I signed him up for the Youth Soccer League at the Y (along with my older daughter), and the upcoming Homeschool Bowling League, and I'll be signing him up for Teeball in the spring, and his second year of swimming lessons and preK art classes in the summer.

 

I give him a LOT of free play time, let him play outside, etc.

 

He watches educational television shows and will even watch ones like Liberty's Kids with his sister.

 

Next fall, I'll give Oak Meadow Kindergarten another try. It's hands on, gentle, creative, not very academic, but I like that about it. One of OM's main philosophies is that "childhood is a valuable period and there is nothing to be gained by hurrying through it." I agree! :)

[KDoty]

Thanks so much for the info!:001_smile:

[Dawn in OH]

I'm really laid back with my 3 year old. We are learning the alphabet. He already knows the letter sounds. Trying to count beyond 10. Colors and shapes. I know, a 3 year old should already know colors and shapes, but he chose to recognize dino types instead.

 

He's getting used to having a pencil in his hand. Playing with dough, Lego's, puzzles, pattern blocks and the like. He gets read to a lot and listens to music and nursery rhymes. He's great at rhyming!

 

Right now I'm trying to teach him how to play Memory.

[parias1126]

Just lots of playtime. He sat in front of Starfall the other day and loved it so we will probably start with more of that. He loves puzzles and board games too.

[beaners]

I glanced through the World Book Scope & Sequence for pre-k and kindergarten, then I looked at my state's standards. There were a couple things I hadn't thought of, like using scissors, that I added into our activities. I'll probably regret that when my daughter decides to trim her own hair.

 

My 3.5 year old has taken off on her reading and is doing some short vowel readers on her own in addition to the books we read out loud. We probably borrow about 10 books from the library each week, including some from children's literature lists, some non-fiction, and whatever gets grabbed off the shelf. We also have a huge home library. Other activities at the moment include lots of play-doh, painting, cutting up and gluing pages from old magazines, lacing beads and cards, some activity-type coloring books, 24-50 piece puzzles, doing dishes/water play, blocks, playing with math manipulatives (umm...poker chips?), drumming, etc.

 

I'm trying very hard to stay relaxed and experience-based. It's tough. I'm also trying to put emphasis on hard work, doing your best, and persevering with a good attitude. I try to focus on large and small muscle development and coordination too.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I have a 3yr old. We read books, she plays, she goes places with me. That's pretty much it.

[2squared]

I have a 3yr old. We read books, she plays, she goes places with me. That's pretty much it.

 

:D That's my plan for my 4yo and all those in line after him.