Best pre-K materials?

[StaceyinLA]

I'm gonna be getting a head start on buying materials for my dds who will be home schooling my grandchildren. Dgs is 3, so dd definitely wants to start doing some slightly more formal things with him soon. Her dd is 2, so she won't be far behind. Other dgd is a year, but her mom (my oldest dd) is anxious about getting things together.

 

What are your faves for toddler/pre-K years?

[Um_2_4]

I love mathematical reasoning beginning by CTC as it is easy, works and lends it self well to going at their pace. We cuddle up on the couch and do a few pages a day. Some pages do say to write on them, but I just use fingers (since I am using it with 2). You could also just take the binding off and put in page protectors (might be a good idea with 3yos so they don't get overwhelmed by a big book in front of them).

 

I love Crayola dry erase crayons and their maze books. Now I print off mazes online and put in page protectors (use the good brand, others tear and don't clean as well).

 

My twins are loving FIAR (we were not as big of fans of B4FIAR, plus some of those books are harder to find). So I would start looking for the FIAR books at used book stores/sales.

 

For Phonics I use ETC along with some older HOP books and Phonics Pathways. Oh and leapfrog videos/apps of course.

[Zoo Keeper]

Sonlight has a lot a great book choices (lit and science)  in their Pre-K and K cores, and I also like the Year 0 recommendations at Ambleside.

 

 For a child who wants seat work, Rod and Staff's ABC ... workbooks are wonderful.

 

Three of my four year olds were very ready for Phonics Pathways. 

 

MEP's Reception year is a great math for pre-K or K, depending on the child. 

[desertflower]

Education unboxed videos with c-rods.

 

Kinectic sand

 

Reading good books.

 

Ditto about FIAR.

[Um_2_4]

Oh I forgot to add we are loving MUS Primer also. Very easy for teaching and little handwriting needed. I tried MEP but was not a fan of the way it was laid out/instructor's manual.

 

 

[AdventuresinHomeschooling]

I love Mudpies to Magnets for science activities.  I also really like Sing, Spell, Read, Write for kindergarten and first grade phonics.  They have alphabet worksheets for preschool.  However, for preschool, most alphabet sheets are the same, and there tons of free printables online or inexpensive preschool books you can find at the store that work just as well.  You really don't even need worksheets unless the child loves them.  For preschool, just play lots of learning games and work on ABC's and counting to twenty, shapes and colors and learning through play.  Role playing is important.  Fine motor skills, such as cutting and gross motor skills, such as throwing a ball are also important.  You don't have to do lots of curriculum for these things.  Just take advantage of teaching opportunities in play.  I try to invest more in learning games and toys more than a preschool curriculum.

[Ad astra]

Not necessarily the best materials for all kids, but my DS loved all Leapfrog DVDs, most Scholastic Treasury of Storybook Classics DVDs and the corresponding classic picture books (+ books from B4FIAR and Sonlight), children's song CDs, most Kumon workbooks, Lego Duplos, Play Dough, finger painting, jigsaw puzzles, board games, flash cards, Hooked on Phonics and BOB Books series.

[Slache]

Geopuzzles

 

M&M counting book

 

Favorite movies in Spanish

 

Real instruments

 

Endless art supplies

[Rosie_0801]

Magnetic erase boards (we've loved about seven of them to death)

 

MEP R

 

Kumon maze books

 

Geopuzzles

 

Lots of stories downloaded from Librivox

 

Documentaries like David Attenborough's and 'Walking with Monsters/Dinosaurs/Beasts.' They've been watched over and over for years.

[MinivanMom]

We have loved:

-Art supplies (including messy things like fingerpaints, clay, glitter, and crafty extras like pipe cleaners and goggly eyes)

-Books and more books (we've invested in good PK-K level nonfiction in areas our kids are interested in)

-Good toys (blocks, legos, Lincoln logs, trains, dress-up clothes, play kitchen, dollhouse, etc)

-Magnetic erase boards (especially the letter one that HWT sells)

-Pattern blocks

-Math toys (balance, geared learning clock, ruler, counters, etc)

-Kid-sized table and chairs (we had a great set from IKEA that we used for years and years)

-Real instruments

-Tickets to the ballet, orchestra, and children's theater productions

-The Fantasia movies

-Membership to the zoo & our local kids' museum (makes a great Christmas gift from grandma)

[DhanyaCali]

At ages 2 and 3 we did TONS of Play At Home Mom activities, the have a blog. Lots of sensory stuff as well as art.

 

Books almost goes without saying right? ;) and some good puzzles. numbered stacking cups.

 

We started kumon workbooks ans Sonlight read alouds at age older 3.

[happypamama]

FIAR books.

The Wee Folk Art book/project list is great.

Playsilks, blocks, trains, playdough, finger paint, Duplo (nothing gets more playtime here than Duplo, except maybe Lego), watercolor paint, dry erase markers, tape, construction paper.

My 5yo really liked MEP Reception last year. It's so cute and cuddly, with pretty pictures.

The BrainQuest workbooks are excellent.

If they want Bible, my kids have loved the Susan and Richie Hunt books; for preschool the ABC Bible Verse book is really good.

 

Don't neglect art study. I've mentioned it in a few other threads, but my littles LOVE picture study and are offended if they're not included. The Come Look With Me series is good, as is the Museum (1,2,3; A,B,C; Shapes, etc.) series by the Met. My littles loved this book this summer, and I loved that it had art and music together and gave us suggestions to listen for in the music, so we got a feel for what the composer might have been trying to communicate. http://www.amazon.com/Can-You-Hear-William-Lach/dp/0810957213/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1412119907&sr=8-12&keywords=Can+you+find+it. It's also from the Met, and they have a Can You Find It series too, which also looks excellent. I would also recommend a recording and book of Peter and the Wolf, the Classical Kids CDs, and possibly the Beethoven's Wig CDs (although they're very silly).

 

I make those preschool packs -- letters, numbers, tracing, ordering, making graphs, cutting, etc. -- and my preKers love them. We read Make Way for Ducklings, and then we had some packs based on that and ponds, so they put frogs in size order, traced lines to get the baby ducks to the mama ducks, read the rhyming ducklings' names (specifically, how the end is the same but the beginning changes), drew the ducklings' route on a map of Boston, did puzzles of pond animals, counted ducks in a group, looked at groups of pond pictures and decided which one was different, figured out the beginning letters of several duck and pond related words, etc. Sometimes they're based on a book and sometimes a theme.

[tofindwisdom]

What are your toddler/pre-k favorites from the following educational toy sellers?

 

Learning Resources

Lauri Toys

Eureka

 

How about books for learning colors, numbers and letters?

 

Before we started formal pre-k programs, we used the following resources the most to teach math and letters + letter sounds.  We still use them.

 

50 Counting Bears with 5 Cups Educational Insights Number Bean Bags

Smethport Pocket Chart Cards Alphabet Letters (I love these because they are lowercase and uppercase and don't have any pictures.  They are also very sturdy.)

Edushape Edu-Tiles 36 Piece 6x6ft Play Mat, Letters & Numbers Set by Edushape

Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD (a must)