Prepackaged curriculum or Do it yourself curriculum for PreK(4 year old)

[Janell]

I am debating about doing my own thing for DD who is 4 for PreK in the fall or if I want to just order a premade curriculum.  Please help me decide!  DD is 4 she will be 4.5 in the fall.  She knows her colors and can count to 20, she recognizes most letters and can write her name.  she can sort by color, shape, and size, and knows positional directions such as up/down, top/bottom, in/out etc..  I'm thinking she is kind of past the beginning PreK stuff and we might just focus on writing letters and letter sounds and writing numbers.  Some of that is Kindergarten work though so I'm not sure if I want to have her do that or not. 

 

1.  Can you recommend a program that is good for older PreK kids that is all in one type of program?  if I did buy a curriculum it would need to be one that was for older kids so I wouldn't be wasting my money buying stuff she already knows.

 

2.  Should I just piece together my own program using various websites? If so what are some good websites for printables and things?

 

3.  Should we just take it easy this year and review and focus on writing and beginning to read?  (I will also have a 1 month old baby at that time). 

 

Also, her brother will be in second grade and will be going to school after being homeschool preK-1st grade.  She will most likely be doing Kindergarten at her brother's school when the time comes.  So I don't know if I should do too much kindergarten stuff with her since she will be learning that at school in the next year.  If she gets too far ahead she will become bored at school. 

 

I don't know...help me decide please!

[73349]

Under the circumstances, I think some Kumon books for tracing/writing and maybe a Singapore math (like the Kindergarten Essentials, probably B ) would be it.

 

A good website for alphabet stuff is www.dltk-teach.com.

[Walking-Iris]

I wouldn't bother with curriculum for a 4 year old. 

 

My dd will be 4 this summer. My tentative plans with her are handwriting ( HWOT book and activities, maybe some ETC Get Ready Set Go books when she's ready), slowly start OPGTR using her Montessori moveable alphabet, continue lots of read alouds (I love the activities in Peak With Books), a slow start with Saxon math K (it's basically pre k activities and doesn't require a lot of writing) and loads of hands on math activities.

 

Continue science and art activities using various resources on hand and online. Mainly Montessori inspired. Mudpies to Magnets. Just simple science fun activities. And just continue to work on practical skills (buttons, shoelaces, simple chores, sensory play etc---just life stuff).

 

I would also start posting on the afterschooling board to see how others enrich the school curriculum at home. 

 

 

[FromA2Z]

Since she is going to ps kindergarten in the fall I would get her well-prepared to read but not actually reading yet. (In my local schools the do not separate kids out according to levels - I don't know how it is where you are.).

All About Reading pre-level 1 will cement her letter recognition (upper and lower case letters) introduce the initial sound of each letter, and have her work on phonemic exercises (rhyming, blending, segmenting, isolating beginning, ending and middle sounds). There are 78 lessons if you split up the lesson in two (5 minutes a day, letter activities on one day, phonemic exercises the next) it will last a year (if schooling 4 days a week). Or you could alternate the AAR lesson with a handwriting lesson (handwriting without tears perhaps).

Five in a Row- Read, Read, Read! Talk about the books. Look up the places on a map. Read about and discuss the culture/history. Do crafts and/or activities about the topic. Go on field trips and take nature hikes. We use FIAR as a jumping off point for ideas. Since you have a baby, plan out ideas ahead (for the whole year). Write the ideas down, have supplies on hand, know your museums'/zoos'/whatever's' schedules in advance. You don't have to do everything you had planned out but when the time comes at least you'll be prepared. The idea is to have fun together while introducing her to new things.

Get a science experiment book like Science Play or Mud Pies to Magnets and do 1 a week.

For math- maybe something like the book Kitchen Table Math? Or the Singapore Earlybird.

It's tough b/c Kindergarten is all over the place now. You definitely don't want her to be bored out of her mind if she's too far ahead nor do you want her struggling. Maybe you can call your school and find out what the "ideal" is for starting kindergartners. Eventually she will probably be ahead (or behind) her classmates but I wouldn't want to start that way.

[Rosie_0801]

I wouldn't buy anything prepackaged. Since she knows so much and will be going to school for K, I'd maintain what she has and focus on content subjects. A school kid can't know too much about dinosaurs.

[sewingmama]

Honestly...if I was sending my baby to school I would forget about curriculum and just enjoy him being at home for one more year. Read lots of books, go on field trips and have fun discovering topics he is interested in. I wouldn't waste my time worrying about formal academics. I would want to spend lots of fun time with him before he goes off for hours a day and I couldn't do that stuff any more.

[Janell]

Well I somewhat disagree with this.  She still needs to be kindergarten ready.  Kindergarteners need to know a lot more now days then they used to.  I want to make sure she is not behind when she gets to kinder. 

Honestly...if I was sending my baby to school I would forget about curriculum and just enjoy him being at home for one more year. Read lots of books, go on field trips and have fun discovering topics he is interested in. I wouldn't waste my time worrying about formal academics. I would want to spend lots of fun time with him before he goes off for hours a day and I couldn't do that stuff any more.

 

[Syllieann]

I'd say # 3. It sounds like she is already kindy ready for the most part. Read lots of good books to expand vocab and listening comprehension. You could use the time for things that are family-specific...character, manners, religion, any household chores that she is capable of, etc.

[Tanikit]

These are the things I would work on:

 

1. Cutting with scissors - and doing 3D crafts (out of toilet roll holders, paper plates etc)

2. Following directions, having routines and find out how she copes with them

3. Dealing with other children - take her out to be with other children at least some of the time

4. Separating from her mother - this is a hard one and cannot really be taught - some children leave easier at early ages and others struggle til first grade

5. Make sure she can dress herself and find her clothes, sit on a mat when told, feed herself properly

6. Read, read, read - this is so so important and if you pick good books can teach anything she needs to know

7. Personally at this point I would teach reading - whether the child will be bored in school or not - reading taught one-on-one is always more successful than trying to teach it to an entire class, reading opens worlds to children and enables them to learn on their own, and reading taught correctly at an early age can prevent huge problems in school - yes it can create the boredom problem, but I'd rather sit with a child who can read something to keep away the boredom than with one who cannot read later and is really struggling and having self esteem issues.

8. Check that she is able to play on any jungle gym equipment in the playground and that her gross motor skills are at the level they should be.

9. Work on fine motor skills - if they are fine then you could work on letter formation (tactile etc) or even teach writing if you wanted to though its not essential.

[Chris in VA]

These are the things I would work on:

 

1. Cutting with scissors - and doing 3D crafts (out of toilet roll holders, paper plates etc)

2. Following directions, having routines and find out how she copes with them

3. Dealing with other children - take her out to be with other children at least some of the time

4. Separating from her mother - this is a hard one and cannot really be taught - some children leave easier at early ages and others struggle til first grade

5. Make sure she can dress herself and find her clothes, sit on a mat when told, feed herself properly

6. Read, read, read - this is so so important and if you pick good books can teach anything she needs to know

7. Personally at this point I would teach reading - whether the child will be bored in school or not - reading taught one-on-one is always more successful than trying to teach it to an entire class, reading opens worlds to children and enables them to learn on their own, and reading taught correctly at an early age can prevent huge problems in school - yes it can create the boredom problem, but I'd rather sit with a child who can read something to keep away the boredom than with one who cannot read later and is really struggling and having self esteem issues.

8. Check that she is able to play on any jungle gym equipment in the playground and that her gross motor skills are at the level they should be.

9. Work on fine motor skills - if they are fine then you could work on letter formation (tactile etc) or even teach writing if you wanted to though its not essential.

 

I think this is excellent advice. MANY good points here. Some of the preparation is so that she will be comfortable for K at public school; if she's ready that way (not just academically) then she will expend much less energy on those things and will be able to focus on the academics at K.

 

I strongly believe you do not prepare for K by teaching K, but I think many children are ready to read before K, and absolutely agree that reading is better taught one-on-one.

 

All that said, I would also build into your relationship, and enjoy having a 4yo. I think outdoor play and exposure to nature is critical at this age, also.

 

[Janell]

thanks for the input everyone! I think I feel a little better about just relaxing a little and learning through play and just touch on beginning reading and a few other things.