Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that I am a huge advocate for homeschooling. I feel like the confines of a classroom limits the natural learning process. There are so many things out there beyond the classroom to aide in learning. This school year, I’ll have two grandchildren to teach. This post will cover the Pre-K Curriculum for the K-4 my little Blue is signed up for.
I have an eclectic approach to homeschooling, as far as what I use to teach with. The main curriculum I use is The Good and The Beautiful, but I also supplement with just about anything I can get my hands on. If I feel like it will deepen their understanding of whatever I’m teaching at the moment, I’ll use it. It may be Phonics workbooks I bought off of Amazon, flash cards I found in a yard sale, ABC Mouse, Hooked on Phonics, a child’s microscope I found at an auction…whatever I can find to help them and make it fun, I use.
I also let them lead me, and this is where the limits of a classroom come into play. For example, if we’re studying birds and Tootie wants to know how a nest is made or what baby birds sound like, we’re able to stop the lesson inside and take it outside to find these things out. If Blue wants to find out how far a frog can jump, we’re able to go find one outside and see. Homeschool offers us those opportunities to encourage a love for finding out why, when, and how something works beyond what a structured classroom can provide.
The Pre-K Curriculum from The Good and the Beautiful is great. The Doodles & Pre-Writing for littles part 1 helps kids learn to stay on the line while making curves, zigzags, shapes, etc. This is good for little ones trying to learn how to hold a pencil and keep it going in the right direction. The Preschool Course book has bright, vivid colors, and each section teaches a few things at a time, so kids don’t start feeling overwhelmed. The Practice Sheets are amazing and help to reiterate what is learned in the course book. The Preschool Folder Activities comes full of flashcards and games to help make learning easier and more fun.
If you are thinking of homeschooling, you don’t have to put in a lot of money to do so. The Good and The Beautiful is a very affordable curriculum (with some of it being completely free) but you don’t have to use it. You can provide a great education for your child simply by making use of the library, and there are many free services available on the internet, like Khan Academy and Easy Peasy All In One Homeschool.
Whatever curriculum you choose to use, the fun part is not only being able to be the one to provide their education, but also being able to be there when something finally makes sense, and you get to see that little smile and the excitement at having figured something out.
What about you? Do you homeschool, and if so, what sources (free or otherwise) do you use?