How To Keep Homeschool Easy For Pre-k!
Decide if you want to follow a curriculum or wing it
There are Faith-based and also Secular curriculums available with a ton of homeschooling moms having reviewed them on YouTube. Do a quick search on YouTube for reviews on the best homeschooling curriculum out there and you will find something that works for you.
Another way to get curriculum is to pay for seasonal packages, bundles, or themed lessons on websites like Teacherpayteachers.com
I have a ton of learning books on hand to get my preschooler excited for paper work and he truly enjoys this time with me. I have some Brain Quest Books among others.
If you’re not ready to commit to a full curriculum or maybe you never will, there are a ton of resources online about Unschooling, Nature Schooling, Waldorf Learning, and Montessori Learning that can take place at home, in practical life, and during play.
Find inspiration on Pinterest
If you’re more relaxed with your homeschooling because, hello it’s preschool, but you still want some kind of structure, then you can plan the next month or three months ahead.
Choose a theme for the month
For example :
November - Fall / Thanksgiving / Turkeys
December - Christmas / Artic Animals / Snow/Ice
January - Community helpers/ Safety / Emotions
Take Note of Your Child’s Current Interests
Now that you have themes for each month, think about the things your toddler has recently been loving to do, spending more time playing with, asking questions about, struggling with, etc. what are the things your child is interested in at this point in their lives?
For example, my son will go on and on about the AMOUNT of love he has for me. “I love you 70 trillion and 50” he’ll say. So I think, I can use his interest in “amounts, figures, and numbers” to plan something for him that focuses on practicing making better sense of something he already talks about on his own. He currently enjoys using counting blocks and dice to add and subtract.
Run an Online Search For Fun, Easy, Lesson Ideas
Use Pinterest or Google and type in a combination of the two previous points.
Combine the theme of the month with your child’s current interests/subjects to create a search.
The search might be “fall counting lesson” or “fall preschool math” or “preschool thanksgiving sensory” or “preschool turkey printable”.
Save your ideas or download some free printables!
Scroll to the bottom for a free printable for you that lists Low-Prep Pre-K Activities for Homeschoolers!
Plan Your Weeks, Not Your Days
Buy any dollar store materials you might need for projects or crafts ahead of time.
Plan to work on a few activities per week. Some weeks it might be none, but by planning the activities and buying the materials, you have something to reach for when you need to change it up for your homeschooled preschooler.
Get Involved in a Homeschool Community or Social Group
There are so many existing homeschooling groups on Facebook, so just run a search, particularly in your local area.
By joining one or a few, of these groups, you can get the scoop on what’s going on in your town for homeschoolers like you. Plan your month ahead by planning to join some events shared in these homeschooling groups.
Slowly, your child and you will find which groups fit your style best. This works the same for teams, clubs, and other extracurricular activities for your child to try, you just have to get out there and try it! See what sticks.
