GrammarGirl Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 My pre-K dd loves to do schoolwork along with her older sister. She'll be using the CLP preschool book which covers phonics, numbers, and handwriting; but it's only 2 pages a day and won't keep her occupied long. She'll be sitting in on our science and history read-alouds as much as she wants and doing our weekly art project; but I'd like to add something else in just for her on my Rainbow Resource order. I also have toddler twins, so I can't do anything that requires my undivided attention. Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2blessings Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 I wouldn't add anything academic, for sure! I wish I had started later with my kids and just enjoyed the early years w/playtime and fun trips. But, my kids did enjoy playing with tangrams and counting bears...Rainbow sells those as math manipulatives. The tangrams are fun to try to fit the pieces into the puzzles, and my kids loved making up stories with the counting bears....three bears got on a bus (a tangram piece) and one bear got off at the park (made from more tangram pieces)...how many bears are still on the bus? I only let them use the bears and the tangrams during "school" so they didn't get bored with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 I wouldn't do anything academic. Maybe the Montessori PDF guide ($8? Link on here somewhere) for some ideas that are fun. But otherwise, I'd stick with good books, some games, some art, and lots of time for creative play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nature girl Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Last time I checked, Kumon books are cheaper at RR than on Amazon. We've loved the maze books, tracing, cutting and folding books, as well as their paper craft books. You can also buy cheap dot-to-dots there (letters and numbers.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vickjul Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 DD2 just turned three and also wants to "do school" just like her big sister. This year's school order included a couple of educational sticker books (http://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=042963 and http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/050382/6a427e32b80a9f49649dc728), Kumon cutting and tracing books, Day and Night critical thinking puzzle/game (http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/006248/6a427e32b80a9f49649dc728), peg art set (http://www.rainbowresource.com/pictures/019031/6a427e32b80a9f49649dc728), and http://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=014217 just for her. Puzzles and games are always a hit with her, but I was a former early childhood teacher and have those coming out my ears. I just rotate them in and out of circulation depending on her current interests.Her favorite thing, though, has simply been having her own school/art tub with pencils, crayons, markers, scissors, and glue just like big sister and her own MagnaDoodle (which we often use in lieu of pencil and paper), so she that she can easily join in on art and writing activities at will. I also make an effort to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 I was also going to suggest the Kumon fine motor series - Tracing, Easy Mazes, etc. They have a nice, slow and steady progression and my daughter finds them fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ad astra Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I third the Kumon "My Book of ~" series. My DS4 started with the first Tracing book when he was 3.5 yo and have gone through many books in this series (all tracing, all mazes and all writing practice books of letters, numbers and rhyming words). DS found them fun like a game and begged to do school with me everyday. It only took 10-20 mins a day. This series greatly helped his fine motor skills out and now his handwriting looks better than my DH's. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnaj Posted June 16, 2014 Share Posted June 16, 2014 I love the Kumon books as well. I try to come up with things that are similar to what her older sister is doing, just on her level. That seems to work really well for her! She loves playing with theraputty and cutting it with the plastic scissors also. I use a workbox system so she just goes down her drawers and does what she wants. I like for most to be independent, but there are some things I do with her also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PagesandFields Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 My older hated Kumon but loved Flashkids books... Just for another idea. Not their main ones... but a specialized line on cutting, mazes, tracing, etc... they're simple illustrations and very clear.. The Kumon ones hurt my eyes a little bit... But I still think they're great - just not our cup of tea... I'm trying to come up with ideas for my little one during "school"... she wants to do whatever big brother does... I'm going to get a bunch of cheap sticker books and coloring books I think just for entertainment... My other idea - which hopefully I'll actually accomplish - is to put together 5-10 different sack lunch bags with different manipulative/game type montessori type things... Then rotate them all out... If I do it I can post the different bags and what they have if you want... if it would help... Just stuff I come up with from cheap materials - but something different and only for "school"... Hopefully I'll get it done within a few weeks - as we're technically starting school July 9th... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boscopup Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 At that age, I gave my kid random cheap workbooks. It didn't matter if he did them correctly or not. They ranged from PreK to 2nd grade level. He didn't care. :D In fact, I even gave him a used K math book, and he still thought it was school. :lol: (this is my independent little guy who is a rising K'er, and he still loves doing workbooks on his own, except now he can read and follow the directions) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ad astra Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 I agree it doesn't have to be Kumon. My DS also liked other random colorful pre-K workbooks from SchoolZone, FlashKids, etc. You can easily check these books out at Target or Barnes&Noble. Kumon is pricey IMO, but we chose it because of its more challenging mazes and handwriting practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammarGirl Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 Thanks for the ideas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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