Homeschoolmom3 Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 It has been quite awhile since I taught preschool and there is so much out there now! I am curious to see what everyone has used and liked and to see if there is something I haven't seen. :-)We teach classically with a bit of CM thrown in. My son will only be 3, so I am not sure what to use. I don't want to overwhelm and depend heavily on academics but I do want to introduce some things. I need a solid phonics program and would love to have something easy to implement since I need to spend most of my time on my older children's schooling. He asks for schoolwork... otherwise I would just let him play and read all day. :) What he knows well: ABCs and all sounds(known since he just turned 2 thanks to Leap frog videos), counting 1-25, and number recognition 1-20, colors, shapes, etc. LOVES to read will sit for an hour if I had the time. Ha! It usually is about 30min. a setting. He has very good fine motor skills and loves to trace, draw, and write his letters and numbers. We have worked on this year: weather, time, he has worked through BFIAR, Rod and Staff Preschool set 1 books, Brightly Beginnings Preschool Program (was able to do most of this it was a 4yr. old program) I guess that gives you somewhat of what I am looking for. My older ones are taking on German with Latin so if there is any preschool videos/music or anything that he could do along with them would be great! He seems to be interested in language.Thanks in advance!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nature girl Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 He sounds a lot like my daughter at that age...She was just starting to love the Kumon cutting/folding/maze/tracing/craft books...Have you tried those? You could also get books to learn lower case letters, if he doesn't know those yet. 1+1+1 has some great printouts with letters for little ones to color and trace. I think that was also the age my DD was starting to get into doing dot-to-dots, both letter and number based. Little Pim videos (free through Amazon Prime) are good for language at that age, if you want to be able to occupy him while you're with your older kids. For math, at 3 we bought a set of Cuisenaire rods, and played games with them. They're a fun, concrete way to develop number sense, and we moved right in to doing Miquon Orange a couple of months before her 4th birthday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschoolmom3 Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Yes we have done the Kumon books. He enjoyed those and does great cutting and pasting. :) He does already know the lower case letters occasionally he will get a d and a b mixed up. But I figure it is the age. He also loves mazes!!! I do have a set of C-rods he has played with them sum matching and sutch. How did you like the Miquon? Not too familiar with that...thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 Have you seen Montessori object boxes for spelling out little CVC words? They use fun little figures and line them up on a small rug, then use a moveable alphabet to spell the words. They listen for the sounds--it is considered a prereading activity. You could also do the maps and the geography items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschoolmom3 Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 No I haven't that sounds very interesting! I will have to look it up. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nature girl Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I do have a set of C-rods he has played with them sum matching and sutch. How did you like the Miquon? Not too familiar with that...thanks He might be a little young for Miquon yet, but I'd start by watching Education Unboxed vids: http://www.educationunboxed.com/resources_and_product_links.html They're wonderful! This is a lot of fun as well: http://nurturedbylove.blogspot.com/2008/12/cuisenaire-discovery-book.html After you see how he does with those, and how well you like them yourself, you could move onto Miquon Orange (workbook and Lab Annotations) in the next year or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschoolmom3 Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 Thanks for the info Anna's Mom! Will look into that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanikit Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 I am using MEP Reception with my 3 year old and it has taught her a lot (and it is free) - my child can also count quite high, but needed a bit of work on one-to-one correspondence and also some of the prepositions. As for reading my DD has picked up a lot of sight words, also knows all the alphabet sounds and has learnt a few of the consonant combinations and can blend. I plan to start using the word lists in OPGTR to get her blending more independently and then I just use readers and she reads words she either knows or I point to ones she can now sound out and she reads them and I read the rest of the book. My DD3 is ONLY interested in writing people's names - nothing else. So I have helped her learn to write the letters for the names she wants to write and that has been fine. This was a stage with my eldest too - names are after all very important. So if he wants to write - help him write what he wants to. Cutting might be a good activity to work on too at this age - starting with straight lines and moving on to shapes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Don't underestimate Youtube, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Peak With Books Mudpies to Magnets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah0000 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 You Tube has several Jolly Phonics videos that cover digraphs and blends. I've been introducing them through that and then just reminding him about them when we're reading aloud. For math I use the Right Start Activities for the Al Abacus manual (this is not the scripted program). I read the next thing he should learn and just practice with him when we're playing, or in the bath tub, etc. He does have some dry erase workbooks from the dollar store for practicing the numerals, and also letters. For German, You Tube again is good for an introduction. There are many numbers, colors, and basic vocabulary videos. There are several Daniel Tiger episodes in German, and I believe Caillou as well. Dino Lingo has a few You Tube videos from their German program. They have a five DVD set I'd like but the price is holding me off. And this may require some assistance from you but you can check out Petra Lingua Online. It was a little too text heavy for my emergent reader. I've read good reviews about German for Children on Amazon. It sounds like its mostly a basic vocabulary introduction, but something you can listen to in the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah0000 Posted May 9, 2014 Share Posted May 9, 2014 I forgot to mention Math Start books for introducing many different preschool and kindergarten level concepts. Check your library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschoolmom3 Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 Those Math start books look fantastic! I haven't heard of them and he loves to read this is going to be great! I can't wait to look at the other items you mentioned. Thanks for your ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 I forgot to mention Math Start books for introducing many different preschool and kindergarten level concepts. Check your library. I agree, the MathStart books are fun:) I would also recommend the book Marshmallow Math...it has fantastic ideas for incorporating math into play. It is similar to Kitchen Table Math, but for even younger, and has lots of active ideas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courtney_Ostaff Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Saxon K is very fluffy and might be fun to spread out over the next couple of years. PreK 3 at my daughter's preschool included circle time where they do calendar work (learning the days of the week, etc), counting, and weather observations (which are then kept on a chart). Blending takes such a long time to learn that I don't think it would hurt to practice learning how to blend sounds (rhyming games help with that) and take words apart into their constituent sounds. I personally liked 100 EZ Lessons for that aspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazzie Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 If he likes workbooks he might enjoy CLE's Kindergarten II. it's meant to be done after finishing the Rod and Staff ABC series. My son at that age really enjoyed the cut and fold Kumon Book that has the kids make little toys. It was so great for him, sigh. I wish homeschooling stayed that easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PagesandFields Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 We didn't really like the KUMON books, they were just too busy for us... But we really like some of the FlashKids books - found some at amazon and barnes and noble... They have tracing, maps, cutting pasting, etc... but they were a bit more simple, muted and focused I thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschoolmom3 Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 Great will check into those! I have started him with Saxon K and he is enjoying that. He LOVES to read I mean as long as I will sit and read. So those math books have been great! I wish I could find more "living books" to help supplement his learning for next year. He is eating those up! Thanks again everyone for your comments! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandra in va Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Looking for living books...have you considered before five In a row and five in a row? It is one of our favorites and you can do as much or little as you want. We also like sonlight preschool programs - great books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschoolmom3 Posted May 17, 2014 Author Share Posted May 17, 2014 Yes, we used BFIAR this past year and I have the first volume of FIAR. I guess that is what got us hooked on rowing good books. But he loves to read so I was hoping we could find a lot of living books on various subjects and just read! Any other suggestions would be great! Thanks for your posts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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