Are wondering what your preschooler can be learning? Here is a checklist to help you have a successful preschool at home.
This preschool curriculum covers everything your kids need to know before kindergarten PLUS it is super easy for you to follow and implement as a parent!
Preschool weekly themes: A list of over 100 ideas for weekly preschool theme ideas, plus a free printable planning page
Two Points: This is MY method, and not necessarily right for you, your teaching or care philosophy, your set-up, or your students. Curriculum participation by my students is VOLUNTARY. I invite them to participate, but if they choose not to, then that is fine. I usually offer them a choice of a few of the activities and let them decide where we start and where we go. An engaged child learns, a dis-engaged child rebels. The 3-year rotating curriculum is theme based. Some times we stick to the plan, but usually I observe what they are interested in learning about, what they are asking questions about, and suggest up to three different themes they can choose from for us to study. I make my own 3-year rotating curriculum for many reasons: Packaged curriculum is often only one year. Since I teach for 3 years, this would be redundant. Most packaged curriculum focuses on skills my students master early. My 2s count to 20, know 11 colors, know most of their phonics, uppercase and lowercase letters, 10 shapes and some of their numbers and I still have 3 years of curriculum to teach them. They often are worksheet intensive. My students usually are cognitively advanced from their fine motor skills. I have 4 year olds that still can't write well. If I had relied on worksheets for the last 2 years, there is no way they would have the skill sets they have. Worksheets are also not considered Developmentally Appropriate Practice [DAP] for children under the age of 8. We use them here for writing practice starting at age 4. [Yes, worksheet-intensive public schools are not using DAP for kindy through 3rd grade!] They can be expensive. If you are purchasing worksheets, why would you spend even $1 a week/$52 a year when you can purchase a 400 page Scholastic preschool workbook from Sam's Club for $8 that covers probably more material, is most likely aligned with the public school expectations, and is colorful. Colored copies are NOT affordable to make from packaged curriculum. Most [ALL!] preschool learning should be interactive. Pinterest is a better source for ideas. My students change every time I do a theme. I have to be able to tweak it to the interests and capabilities of those currently in my care. Plus, I'll find more interesting activities on Pinterest, have an idea for a new game, etc. It's a constant evolution to keep my curriculum relevant to our current group, situation and resources. However, curriculum planning and creation is very time consuming. Even with older curriculum I spend several hours going over it prior to teaching - updating, creating new materials, purchasing and setting new classroom decorations. While I have had my 3 year curriculum, this year I found myself wanting a more specific schedule to focus on specific skill sets for this particular group of children. Most of these skills can be incorporated into our themed curriculum, or they take 5 minute sessions to pop into our day. I have two groups, the younger preschoolers are 2-3 years old and the older ones are 4-5 years old, all at the same developmental and skill set level within their group. This makes it easier, as I can tailor everything to just 2 groups. If I were to have additional levels of children, then it would be tailored to each level. Children here are taught at their developmental level, not age. Asychronastic development is normal, so I may be teaching a child at various levels depending upon the subject matter. For the younger preschoolers, I came up with this structure. For the older pre-k students, I came up with this one. For instance, both of them have Measurement & Comparison on Friday for Reasoning. However, for the younger students, this would be a more/less, longer/shorter, big/little, etc. activity, while the older students would be measuring with rulers, yardsticks, tape measures, measuring cups, unit blocks, foot steps or themed units, and graphing the measurements to compare. Same skill set, differentiated at vastly different levels. Even this needs conditional tweaking. All the pre-k's know how to spell their last names now, so that is no longer a relevant skill activity for music and will be changed out. In another post I'll get into the curriculum components and the importance of each. For instance, how counting on Friday teaches 1-to-1 correspondence and creating method processes for counting groups of objects. CLICK PICTURES TO VIEW LARGER I use this MS Word template, available for FREE on TPT, for curriculum planning. Often, the daily skill sets above are either already incorporated, or can easily be incorporated, into the theme planning. For an example of a completed curriculum unit, check out our Owls Theme. Each monthly theme is broken down into 4 sub-themes. For instance: SPACE Astronauts & Rockets The Universe Our Solar System Aliens & Robots We also have a musical component, often classical, and an art component, often a master, and Spanish vocabulary component that we incorporate. This planning form may not include all games, file folder games, manipulatives, room-set up, etc. that I utilize. For those of you trained in curriculum creation, I do NOT do a full curriculum development for each activity. With having these children usually from infant to school-age, I keep an internal evaluation of progression and plan out only weekly learning objectives. Since I am creating the activities for my personal use, I do not need to create written procedures and evaluations. My curriculum is stored currently in file folders in a large office bookcase unit. I would like to get it into boxes so that I could have EVERY theme-related item, including dress-up, room set-up, manipulatives, etc. together for an easy pull. File boxes will most likely be the easiest, but they do take up a lot of space. In each file some of the things I probably have: Completed planning sheets All the books I own for that theme Flannel board Sentence and word walls File folder games Samples of previous crafts DVDs CDs Coloring pages Mini-book(s) Build-a-[theme item] game Curriculum creation is one of my great joys. I love the research and compilation, the creativity and excitement of bringing something fun and educational to my students. Learning is rarely linear. Children take developmental leaps, sometimes in odd directions. As a teacher, it is important that I keep each one challenged without pushing or inhibiting their growth, and that takes constant evaluation and a good eye for when those leaps happen so that we can move on to a higher level of instruction. When we do an activity, I constantly question if they WANT to do another round, another activity, and I usually cut them off while they are still engaged. I want them wanting more, and they will usually ask if they can continue. One of the most important desires and abilities I can instill in them is that of self-directed learning. So as they choose to go off with their rulers after we've spent several minutes doing a measuring activity, conferring between themselves as to procedures and what to measure next, I step back and let them. They know I am here as a resource, rather than an intrusive director. It is my job to ensure that when I invite my students to learn, they glow with excitement and anticipation of a fun, interactive, playful time. The results, so far, have been astounding. A few of my complete curriculum units are available through my TPT store. Apples Dental Ice Cream Penguins Rainbows St. Patrick's Day Valentine's Follow Connie -'s board Classroom on Pinterest. Tags: preschool, child care, pre-k, curriculum, development, teaching, education, homeschooling, homeschool, home, school, preschool curriculum development, planning
Preschool themes from A to Z. Choose a theme that is best for your preschooler or preschool class from over 130 preschool themes!
Equip your child for success with these awesome educational resources! You'll have everything you need to help your preschooler explore the alphabet and beyond. Take advantage of these free printables.
What do children learn in preschool? Learn the essential homeschool preschool skills they need to know before kindergarten. Free printable checklist included!
Preschool homeschooling should be filled with fun, interactive educational activities that little ones can enjoy! There are a lot of free Preschool Homeschool Curriculum options to help keep you from breaking the bank! Little ones are often ready to start learning long before we even begin thinking about their education. It is important for parents …
I am linking up with DeeDee and sharing a peek at my week... and year. It's been a little chaotic around here lately, so I created a weekl...
CLASSIC BEGINNER GAME: Do you remember playing the Hi Ho. Cherry-O game when you were a child. Introduce new generations to the classic gameplay of this kids' board game for boys and girls ages 3 and up FUN COUNTING BOARD GAME: Kids ages 3 and up can have a blast picking pretend fruit from the trees on the game board, and filling their buckets. The spinner lets them know the number of pieces to pick -- or put back SIMPLE GAMEPLAY FOR PRESCHOOLERS: Players take turns picking pretend cherries, blueberries, apples, and oranges from their trees to fill their baskets. The first to fill their basket wins PRACTICE BASIC MATH SKILLS: Kids can have such fun picking fruit to fill their baskets, they don’t even realize they’re practicing math skills, such as counting, addition and subtraction GREAT GIFT FOR BOYS AND GIRLS: The Hi Ho. Cherry-O board game makes a great birthday gift for both boys and girls ages 3 and up. Play it at home with the family. Use this fun counting game in the classroom
Free printable shapes worksheets for teaching kids the basic shapes. Lots of fun activities to download for FREE!
Teaching kindergarten from home is easier (and more fun) than you think. Homeschooling younger kids doesn't mean boring curriculum or worksheets! This kindergarten at home learning guide provides you with low maintenance tips, tricks, and fun ideas to teach kinder and preschool home school.
Spread the loveWe may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. It’s almost time for Kindergarten! I can’t wait to continue our preschool days of playing dress-up, sculpting masterpieces with play-dough, and traveling to the land of make-believe. Letter of the Week Curriculum First, if your child still needs work […]
Happy Friday!! Are you all excited for the weekend?! I sure am! I wanted to share with you something that I've been working on this summer. It's my new printable Preschool Planner! I love this
It's hard to believe that we are nearly at the beginning of another school year already! Our 2021/2022 homeschool preschool unit studies will cover everything that Bitty is most curious about!
Lesson planning is easier when we take the time to plan themes and units for the entire year. These 4 steps are a good starting place.
Looking for the best preschool themes? This collection is filled with playful learning activities! Printable list included!
How to homeschool preschool! Learn from moms who have taught preschool at home. Preschool activities for learning through a play curriculum.
A comprehensive list of skills taught in Pre-K. This list will give you a better idea of what to look for in a good Pre-K curriculum.
Create a solid home preschool schedule with these tips and sample schedules.
Inside: Looking to do 3 year old preschool activities at home? Today I’m sharing my favorite activity ideas to include in your 3 year old’s daily routine. Life with a 3 year old can be challenging, right? You’ve just come out of the twos and your toddler is likely talking and asserting themselves more. Their fine motor and gross motor skills have further improved and
46+ weeks of free preschool lesson plans | free preschool at home lesson plans | preschool theme ideas | preschool spring themes | preschool summer themes
This is a digital product available for instant download. No physical product will be sent to you. This is the perfect list of preschool themes for your homeschool or public school classroom. This printable can be printed for parents or kept on a bulletin board for planning purposes. Art projects, hands-on activities, and read-alouds are abundant for these themes. Enjoy teaching your little ones with the best preschool theme list! Best Preschool Themes Printable, Instant Download, Printable, Preschool Printable, Homeschool Themes, Monthly Preschool Themes
Free printable preschool worksheets pdf for teachers and homeschoolers. Fun preschool worksheets for math, English, fine motor skills, and more!
At the Crafty Classroom, we have over 30 preschool themes with numerous printables and activities you can use in your homeschool or classroom!
A weekly outline of our Montessori at home preschool plans (2.5-6 years). Plus, links to practical life skills, Montessori materials list, and free printables! These unit studies can be used for homeschool or after school fun activities to supplement learning.
See which preschool homeschool curriculum we're using for the 2021-2022 year, and read why it was our top choice (+ how we're liking it)!
Preschool weekly themes: A list of over 100 ideas for weekly preschool theme ideas, plus a free printable planning page
Is homeschooling free? Yes, it can be! Here's a list of my favorite homeschool curriculum that you can find online for FREE!
This curriculum was wonderful for teaching Pre-K at home! Not only did my daughter learn her alphabet & letter sounds but she also learned to read!
Are you looking for free preschool curriculum? This is the ultimate list of free preschool curriculum to help you make the best choice!
Grab our free, clickable Mega List of Themes and Skills for Pre-K & Kindergarten Lesson Plans to see what themes/skills I cover in my classroom all year!
This printable All About Me poster is perfect for a preschool or kindergarten All About Me theme. This will be a keepsake for years to come too!
This curriculum was wonderful for teaching Pre-K at home! Not only did my daughter learn her alphabet & letter sounds but she also learned to read!
The Preschool Summer Review printable worksheet packet contains a collection of summer themed worksheets, suitable for use with children in Preschool, Pre-Kindergarten, Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten (Prep). The Preschool Summer Review packet is packed with ELA and Math no prep pages and perfect for end of school year review. Click here or on any of the […]
Follow these four simple steps and learn how to write preschool lesson plans in advance, removing the stress from planning and preparation.
Is your little one getting ready for Kindergarten? If so, one way to be sure this year is a big success is by making sure your child has the Kindergarten skills they need starting from day one.
Thinking of homeschooling your preschooler? Not sure where to begin? Here is a list of the things I am teaching my preschooler and a free printable checklist to get you started.
Wondering where to find free curriculum for Preschoolers? There are so many amazing free homeschool preschool curriculum options!
We’ve been officially homeschooling for over a year now, and the top question I get on Instagram is probably “How do you plan your preschool units and lessons?” Want to know some…
If the classical education paradigm is something that has always intrigued you, then this new preschool curriculum may be just what you're looking for. Created from a desire to give toddlers an excellent educational beginning (in an organic, age-appropriate way), it's designed for use by every mom!
Are wondering what your preschooler can be learning? Here is a checklist to help you have a successful preschool at home.
What do children learn in preschool? Learn the essential homeschool preschool skills they need to know before kindergarten. Free printable checklist included!
This preschool curriculum covers everything your kids need to know before kindergarten PLUS it is super easy for you to follow and implement as a parent!
Find over 200 of The Best Preschool Themes and Preschool Lesson Plans, Whether you need ideas for alphabet activities, 100th Day of School. All About Me, Apples, Transportation Theme, Beach theme, Fall Theme, Spring themes, Fall Leaves. Farm, Feelings. Use thematic unit studies to engage children in learning. Themes for Preschool and Kindergarten, Tons of Pre-K activities and Preschool Topics
