Kidamerinks Preschool: Getting Started
When I decided to Homeschool my Preschooler I was overwhelmed with blogs and websites full of information on homeschooling. There are so many sites with great information, but it is so inundated that it is hard to figure out where to start, which method to use, if I should follow a set curriculum etc.
My hope is that I can provide a more "clear" starting point.
First of all, the goals for my Kidamerink (who is 3.5) are:
1. Write the Alphabet
2. Count in Units
3. Learn the Months/Day/Year
4. Learn Sight Words
Your goals may be different, tailor it to your own child. That's the beauty of Homeschooling.
And, don't try to set too many goals at once. When I first decided to Homeschool our Preschooler, I went crazy. I printed off everything that I found that related to my goals or not. I bought a ton of supplies and felt way too unorganized afterwards!
I had shopping bags full of supplies, but no real starting point.
I finally decided that making a Calendar that we can reference every day was a good starting point. Much like a "Circle Time" calendar, to get the day started.
I found a blog called 1+1+1=1, and I used her idea for a Calendar. She has a great preschool program and lots of FREE printables, so go check her out. Here is the link to her Calendar Printables.
This is what I Did:
I largely used the Printables from 1+1+1=1, but instead of her Bible Study section I decided that we would focus on an Article of Faith each week. We are Mormon in Faith and I wanted to provide a religious element in our studies as well.
You could go crazy and include a number of things on your Calendar, but I decided to scale back and keep it simple. I also decided to only include things that were part of our goals. So, we have the Weather, A color (that we are learning to read/spell), Our Article of Faith, Counting to 100 days, and the Month and Day.
It is a great way to start off our day with Preschool. When I pull out the Calendar, my Kidamerink knows that it is time for school, and everything else flows from there.
A Calendar is a great starting point.
Also, take inventory of what you already have. I know each one of your Kidamerinks rooms are completely full of manipulatives that could be very useful in aiding your preschool, you just need to know what you've got.
Think Puzzles, Blocks, Books, Flash Cards, Coloring Crayons etc. They are there and are very helpful in the learning process. Think outside the box as well. How else could you use these old "toys." For instance, Legos are particularly helpful in counting and math as well as grouping numbers and creating patterns.
And, don't spend too much money getting started. You can't tackle everything at once. A lot of ideas on here will be "free" in terms of printables. You can stock up on craft supplies at the Dollar Tree or the Dollar Bins at Target for very cheap. You also don't have to laminate everything, I however choose to because I have one and I want to save certain things.
Do what works for you. And, join me for some fun!
My hope is that I can provide a more "clear" starting point.
First of all, the goals for my Kidamerink (who is 3.5) are:
1. Write the Alphabet
2. Count in Units
3. Learn the Months/Day/Year
4. Learn Sight Words
Your goals may be different, tailor it to your own child. That's the beauty of Homeschooling.
And, don't try to set too many goals at once. When I first decided to Homeschool our Preschooler, I went crazy. I printed off everything that I found that related to my goals or not. I bought a ton of supplies and felt way too unorganized afterwards!
I had shopping bags full of supplies, but no real starting point.
I finally decided that making a Calendar that we can reference every day was a good starting point. Much like a "Circle Time" calendar, to get the day started.
I found a blog called 1+1+1=1, and I used her idea for a Calendar. She has a great preschool program and lots of FREE printables, so go check her out. Here is the link to her Calendar Printables.
This is what I Did:
I largely used the Printables from 1+1+1=1, but instead of her Bible Study section I decided that we would focus on an Article of Faith each week. We are Mormon in Faith and I wanted to provide a religious element in our studies as well.
You could go crazy and include a number of things on your Calendar, but I decided to scale back and keep it simple. I also decided to only include things that were part of our goals. So, we have the Weather, A color (that we are learning to read/spell), Our Article of Faith, Counting to 100 days, and the Month and Day.
It is a great way to start off our day with Preschool. When I pull out the Calendar, my Kidamerink knows that it is time for school, and everything else flows from there.
A Calendar is a great starting point.
Also, take inventory of what you already have. I know each one of your Kidamerinks rooms are completely full of manipulatives that could be very useful in aiding your preschool, you just need to know what you've got.
Think Puzzles, Blocks, Books, Flash Cards, Coloring Crayons etc. They are there and are very helpful in the learning process. Think outside the box as well. How else could you use these old "toys." For instance, Legos are particularly helpful in counting and math as well as grouping numbers and creating patterns.
And, don't spend too much money getting started. You can't tackle everything at once. A lot of ideas on here will be "free" in terms of printables. You can stock up on craft supplies at the Dollar Tree or the Dollar Bins at Target for very cheap. You also don't have to laminate everything, I however choose to because I have one and I want to save certain things.
Do what works for you. And, join me for some fun!
1 comment:
Bonnie! I wanted to do something with Logan and this is perfect. I don't have a ton of time...so I am going to adapt...but thank you for posting this! Know that I am going to be an avid copier :)
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