KerriBerri Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I'm wondering when some of you started a preschool "program" with your kiddos and what you used. My DD is picking up on letters, numbers, colors much quicker than I thought she would and I don't want to miss a window of opportunity. That being said, I'm not sure she's ready for too much structure. So far she's done well with letter and number puzzles and for colors she responds well to M&M's. That's thanks to my husband's First Sgt, and we don't do it very often. :D Any info would be much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I wouldn't think there needs to be an actual start date or time. The kinds of activities that are commonly done in preschools are the kinds of things that mothers naturally do with their dc without really thinking about it, because they're with their dc all day and know what the dc's interests and abilities are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
july19 Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 I wouldn't think there needs to be an actual start date or time. The kinds of activities that are commonly done in preschools are the kinds of things that mothers naturally do with their dc without really thinking about it, because they're with their dc all day and know what the dc's interests and abilities are. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I wouldn't think there needs to be an actual start date or time. The kinds of activities that are commonly done in preschools are the kinds of things that mothers naturally do with their dc without really thinking about it, because they're with their dc all day and know what the dc's interests and abilities are. :iagree: My son's had informal "preschool" if you want to call it that from the time he was a toddler through now (he's 5.8 years old). It hasn't involved a program or curriculum, just interacting with him, playing with him, talking to him, answering his questions, pointing things out, offering educational and fun manipulatives, toys, games, activities and so on, letting him help me around the house, taking him on field trips, lots of free play and imaginative play time, arts and crafts, read alouds, preschool shows,... all the kinds of things moms just do anyway. He's picked up tons of stuff along the way. This fall we'll be starting a Kindergarten curriculum (not an overly academic one, it's more gentle and Waldorf-inspired in the early years) and we'll just keep going from there. Preschool never needed to be very structured or formal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 We've never actually done preschool. Well, my near-teenager was enrolled in Montessori for 1/2 a year, but that's it. My current 4yo is doing great with letters and numbers, and has known his colors and shapes for a while. I'm not about to mess with what's working. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Photo Ninja Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I didn't use any preschool curriculum because I interacted with my dc. There is enough that you can do without a program, and you are already doing it! Just keep on with what you are already doing. Children learn easily, and learn a lot through playing. So keep playing those games and your dd will continue to learn. Read, read and read some more. Read fiction and non-fiction. Read about bugs if she is curious about them. Read about why the sky is blue and how flowers grow. Ask her where the milk in her glass came from and read about dairy cows. Plant a seed and watch what happens. Grow a pumpkin plant. Feed birds and talk about how they are the same and how they are different. Talk about colors in different contexts. Let her set the table and count how many napkins and forks are there. How many napkins will she need if a friend stays for lunch? Let her sort and match socks. Color. Then read to her some more. Play games with letters and numbers. Then (when she is ready) work on letter sounds. (What sound does dog start with. What letter makes that sound?) You and she don't need a structured program because all these essentials can be learned during the normal course of your day as you talk and play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I wouldn't think there needs to be an actual start date or time. The kinds of activities that are commonly done in preschools are the kinds of things that mothers naturally do with their dc without really thinking about it, because they're with their dc all day and know what the dc's interests and abilities are. :iagree: Gotta agree with Ellie and the other ladies here. I've never done a preschool program with any of my kids. Just keep on enjoying your dd and having fun!! Look for story time at the library; play; hit the zoo/botanical garden/museum/living pioneer museum; read; get down in the dirt and look at bugs, flowers, grass; read; play... Have fun with this age! School starts soon enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Well I start doing some preschool stuff with my dc around 3-4. My first two I just winged it with story books, crafts, educational toys, etc. I started Little Hands to Heaven with my 3rd yesterday and she is loving it. It is super simple but her being the third it has been harder for me to actually get around to doing much on a daily basis. She is 3.5 right now. Other than that I let her and my youngest bring me a stack of books pretty much daily and of course they learn from our daily life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kemilie Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I agree with all the other posters! Time enough to get formal when they get older, but the pleasure of being young is in playing and having fun! And I'm sure you naturally teach things like colors/numbers/sounds, a program isn't needed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I never did pre-school, but I did start K4 just as he turned 4. Prior to that we'd played games and looked at art, and all sorts of things, but at 4 I started sit down work, 5 minutes at a time. I wanted him to learn This is the time we sit, This is the time you follow instructions, This is the time you look in books. We started the first Plaid Phonics book and then moved to pre-ETC just before his 5th birthday. We also started EB math and took over a year to do the first book, but got the send done in months. Kumon's tracing and cutting and pasting books were good, too. I was careful to make nothing awful, to make it interesting, and the wonderful reward of a run in the park or a swim awaited him the moment we were done, and thus I tried to drill into him: work, then play. I'm happy I did it that way, and would do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IdahoMtnMom Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I just took DS for his 4 year well check today and the pediatrician asked if he was in preschool because he was so smart. I told her we had done nothing formal and we were starting homeschooling this fall. She was VERY impressed and said that she wishes her almost 6 year old, who has been in school since age 2 1/2, knew as much as DS!!!! She said that she, really, no truly structured education is needed until age 7... unless the child has a desire to learn. We will be doing WP RTL this fall for fun and to gain a little more knowledge, but nothing too overboard... They are kids and I want them to have fun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KerriBerri Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Thanks ladies! Your encouragement has been a blessing. It's so easy to fall into the " am I doing enough" trap. I'm a fairly new homeschool mom so I have a lot of questions and a few insecurities. You've all been very helpful!:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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