My Girl is at the age when it seems she should start preschool. I say "it seems" because people keep asking me where and when she is going to start school.
Well, she's not. For about a million different reasons she's staying home with me.
However, that doesn't mean that we won't be doing preschool at home. And I guess that mean I'm homeschooling... (Does this mean that any parent who has ever taught their child anything at home homeschools? Or is it only homeschooling once education becomes mandated by the state?) I'm not sure.
Our preschool plans can be summed up thus: read, create art, explore the world, play, build, run, jump, read, read, go to museums, have fun. It's not much of a departure from what we do already.
But I decided to gather some books and other resources to make this fun and fantastic and a bit more methodical. Also, I am not a childhood education specialist, so I'm happy to get help from those who are...in the form of books.
Here are the books I'm using:
Slow and Steady Get Me Ready by June R. Oberlander
We've been using this book for almost a year. And while the reviews complain about the design and layout, I say "get over it." The content is excellent. The activities are enjoyable. And My Girl gets plenty of fun learning using this book as a guide.
Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt
I bought this book because I've been buried in piles of reading lists. Every blog I read has a list of recommended books to read. There are list at the library. There are reading lists within books. There are lists at the dentist's office. Reading lists at the grocery store. And there is no way that I can read ALL those books. Nor should I. I want quality books. And from what I've seen of this book, the author does a good job finding the best. This book helps me from getting reading list whiplash.
Before Five in a Row by Jane Claire Lambert
A lovely book. The ideas are simple. I don't feel pressured to do every suggested activity. I pick and choose what questions and activities seem the most appealing and fun for My Girl. So far, this is a big hit. My Girl is all about reading books multiple times. I make sure to do the books that she really loves. I think this is the key to success when using this book.
Teach Me to Do it Myself by Maja Pitamic
This is a Montessori book that tells you exactly how to do Montessori. I've read many Montessori theory books. This one puts it into practice. Another hit. I especially like how the author addresses introducing letters and numbers.
Science Play by Jill Frankel Hauser
A simple way to explore the world with sections on water, air, weather, plants, soil, sounds, movement and more. We've only done one experiment, but we like it so far. The instructions are simple, the required materials are usually on hand and the lessons are short.
First Art by MaryAnn F. Kohl
I was hesitant to get this beginning art book, but decided to go for it - as opposed to purchasing the next level art book. There were so many activities in this book that we hadn't done yet and it was easy to see ways to make the activities more sophisticated as My Girl grows. And honestly, I don't want to rush her. I want her to take it nice and slow and make her jumps in understanding in her own time. So, the beginning book was the place to start.
Playful Learning by Mariah Bruehl
We just got this today. And honestly, it seems that it's a bit advanced for my 2.5-year-old but I kind of suspected that when I ordered it. But, I got it anyway because I really loved the ideas about organizing space and creative centers. And I know that we'll do the fun ideas in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment