Random fact #223 about me:  I love learning.

I think I could be a full-time college student for the rest of my life (we might have to creative with the timing and classrooms, though) and love it.

But, it doesn’t stop there.

I also love helping to instill the love of learning in others.

Ask my students.  My kids.  My husband.  Anyone who knows me…

However, with all of that said there was one part of the learning process that made my insides cringe.  The basics.  The very first building blocks.  The Pre K and Kindergarten age stuff.

See, for me, the other stuff was easy… it was building off of this great foundation of learning that had already been poured and meticulously cared for.  But, what do you do when there is no prior foundation?  –When that’s YOUR job?

I’ve thumbed through a LOT of different Pre-K and Kindergarten “tools” and “curriculum.”  Some, I found too dry and others required me to take constant trips to the library or required more purchases that I couldn’t afford with a baby and already-stretched income.  Not to mention, some of these curricula were $50-$200 just to take the plastic wrappers off!

In my head, I knew what I wanted.  I wanted something that would:

• not kill my budget.
• offer structure but also allow me the freedom to pick and choose what we did.
• combine several learning styles and strategies to keep my children entertained and excited about learning.
• offer creative and inexpensive/free ways to demonstrate the lessons.

Early Education at Home by M. Jean Soyke proved to be just the book I was looking for.  Unfortunately for me, Google doesn’t yet have a search engine just for curriculum for me to plug in all of my wants/needs into.  But fortunately for you, after a lot of searching, none of that matters!

Early Education at Home is a curriculum guide for parents of pre-schoolers and kindergartners (ages 3-5 ish).  In this wonderful book, M. Jean Soyke bypasses the typical “worksheet-style” curriculum and jumps into hands-on learning, which is perfect for this age range.  What’s more is that the author uses common everyday materials and objects to teach lessons and leaves plenty of flexibility!

As a parent, I love that that this book can be used for both Pre-K and Kindergarten and I love that it never failed to get my daughter (and I) excited and involved in the learning activities.  Unlike some curriculum, this one can be adapted to your lifestyle.

Are you trying to entertain more than just your Preschooler or Kindergartner? Great!  These activities can be modified for younger or older children if needed to keep hands busy!

Do you sometimes run out of ideas for creatively teaching lessons? No problem!  The author gives you many to choose from!

Are you unwilling to invest in expensive curriculum without knowing what’s inside or if your child will like it? ME TOO!  The beauty of this book is that it costs around 20-40 dollars, depending on where you buy it.  Not only is the book itself inexpensive (for 3 years worth of learning: ages 3-5), but it also doesn’t require expensive materials!

Does your schedule sometimes seem to disappear into a deep, dark black hole, leaving you feeling anxious and overwhelmed about “getting it all done?” If it makes you feel better, we no longer have schedules.  We have a general routine (wake up, breakfasts, ……whatever comes…., lunch, nap, ….something else here…supper, bedtime).  And that’s about all we can handle right now!  I’ve tried planning out weekly learning plans, but every time I try, it’s like I’m just tempting fate.  Each time, some sort of plague or SOMETHING attacks!  And then, for the rest of the week or month, I’m beating myself up for not keeping up or being able to cram.  BUT, with Early Education at Home, the lessons are SO versatile.  The author provides plenty of activities to choose from but is very clear that not all of them are needed.  In fact, some kids grasp onto some of the ideas so quickly that activities can be skipped for that lesson.

Bottom Line – Would I recommend this curriculum?

Yes!  I can’t wait to use it with my other kids (when it’s time, of course)!

Approximate Cost:

Somewhere between $20-$40, depending on who you choose as your store.

View a weekly sample lesson plan.

Welcome back!

Due to popular request, I’m making this available online.  This is what Lorelei’s preschool curriculum looks like.  Preschool is generally between the ages of 3 and 5, so if your kiddo doesn’t really seem to care/grasp some of these things, don’t push it.  Sometimes, repetition is the key!  (And you know best what your child is ready for)  Anyhow, here’s our tentative [rest of the] year at a glance!:

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May -
9-15:  China 1, Letter A, care of pets, the sun, simple measurements, calendar, clock
16-22:  China 2, Letter B, jobs, weather, major body parts, intro to 1-20, calendar, clock
23-31:  Overview of different countries, Letter C, safety rules and symbols, weather, count to 20, calendar, clock

June -
Father’s Day, other traditions in America, Letters DEFG, like and unlike plants, indoor plants, stars and planets, weather and seasons, count to 20, calendar, clock, shapes

July –
Independence Day, Japan 1,  Letters HIJK, weather and seasons, temperature, count to 20, more/less than/same, calendar, clock

August -
Japan 2, Korea 1 &2, Letters LMNO, Light, Colors, Senses, meaning of addition and subtraction (although she may not be able to DO it written out…), calendar , clock, number line intro

September -
India 1 & 2, PQRS, Earth/moon/stars/planets (visit planetarium), denominations of money

October –
Halloween, Antartica 1&2, TUVW, basic chart and graph

November -
Thanksgiving, Russia 1&2, XYZ

December 2010 –
Christmas, Germany 1 &2

*Things will get moved around and repeated as needed.  Keep checking in with us for updates and specific activities!

This week, we’ve been really busy with homeschooling! – (Among other things)

I thought I would try using a REAL lesson planner with Lala’s lessons.  I know it’s only “preschool,” but I feel like I’ll be more accountable if I have my plans and ideas written out.  PLUS, I love the idea of writing down FUTURE references or ideas as she gets older…things that may not apply now.  And then, there’s also the idea of keeping track of things that appeals to me, being able to know when I did what and what I did when.  So, I ordered The Homeschooler’s Journal.  For only $8.95, it’s a great planner and record keeper and can be used for more than one child but was made specifically for homeschoolers with lots of room to write!  It’s been great!

This week, we focused on the letter A and “apple.”

The printer was broken, so I couldn’t make a copy of the worksheet I had planned to.  Instead, I just drew the letter “Aa” with a permanent marker and an apple.  Lala practiced identifying the letter A and coloring and tracing it.

Then, we washed apples, practiced using a mandoline to slice the apples, laid them on a baking sheet and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.  We baked them at 250 degrees F, turning them over ever 30 minutes for about 2 hours.  Lala was able to do pretty much everything but put them in the oven.  She helped eat them too!  So yummy!

We borrowed a few books from the library as well…actually we borrowed several, but these 3 were our favorites.  The common theme (if you haven’t already guessed ) was APPLES!  The Apple Pip Princess, The Apple Doll, and Pepo and Lolo.  We borrowed these from the library (and will be returning them this weekend), but the links work if you’d like to buy them.

In the apple doll, we read about a little girl who made a doll out of an apple, so we thought we’d have a go at it.

We peeled an apple and then carved a little nose out and made eyes and a mouth.  We covered the head in lemon juice that had been mixed with 1 T salt and let set for 30 minutes.

This last picture is what the little apple looks like today after a couple of days of drying.  In about a week, she should completely be dried!  It’s fun to watch the process and Lala will have an apple she can keep!

We’ve been talking about apples and their colors (brown, green, yellow, red), shape (circle), and different things you can do with them.  But, we’ve also been learning the difference between BIG and SMALL, and Lala has gotten pretty good at identifying big toys versus small toys.

Life skills that we’ve been working on:  Picking up after herself.  Baking.  Using the Mandoline.  Washing fruits.  Rinsing dishes.

Next week will be extremely busy as I prepare for a large event, SO I’m hoping we can accomplish a decent amount.  I’m really excited about starting the letter “B” and exploring new things with Lala.