Solid yet low-key preschool for 3.5 yr old?

[MEVmom]

My youngest turned 3 in January. When school starts she will be 3.5 on her way to 4. Next year she will be 4.5, still not old enough for K. Right now she knows her colors, shapes, letter names and almost all sounds, can count and recognize numbers to 20.... She isn't ready to read though, so I'm just kinda treading water now.

I was kind of thinking about the pre-reading level of AAR...what do you think? Other recommendations? Should I be trying to teach her to write? I basically try to spend 30 min a day with her. I'm not a big believer in doing a ton of pre-K stuff but I want something to keep her learning.

I mean I could just do another year of what I did this year...flashcards, poems, reading books. And then do more of a preK program next year since she still has two years before K. Or maybe I will start K early?...

[Rosie_0801]

Keep doing what you are doing, since it is obviously doing her good. Add in some Kumon books and see how she goes with MEP R.

 

Do whatever seems right, in the comfort that you don't have to call it K for two years. It's like having a gap year at the beginning instead of the end. :p

[MEVmom]

Thank you but what is MEP R?

[Rosie_0801]

http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/primary/#reception

[Jackie]

I second the Kumon books. We're using them to further develop fine motor skills before DD is ready for actual handwriting. She loves doing these.

[PentecostalMom]

My 3.5yo likes Kumon!  We also are doing Sonlight P3/4, which is essentially a lot of reading.  I do want to throw in a plug for the Rod and Staff preschool books.  She really enjoys them, they are inexpensive, and she feels more like she is doing "school" with her big sis.

[MotherOfBoys]

You look like a saxon mom so what about saxon K math and phonics? That's what my son 3.5yr will be doing. It's so simple. Math can be adjusted depending on your time (like I will not to the calendar part with my son, I'm going to make my first born do it with him before mommy gets out of bed).

Saxon phonics basically teaches letter sounds and all the prereading stuff (my son is not ready to read yet either but wants to) so when they are ready they can take off.

There is only wkbks for phonics. math is all oral and manipulatives.

We are doing K this year with 3.5yr son and then two years of First (front of the wksheet the first time and back the next)