Today I thought I'd tell you about what I do with my boys during our home preschool sessions.
It's just preschool, so I try not to put too much pressure on myself or the boys, but I try my best to make it as fun as possible. First of all, I set aside at least 2 days during the week to have preschool.
We start the morning off with the Calendar. The boys and I sing 'The Days of the Week' song, then we talk about which day it is. After one of the boys puts the date up on our calendar, we talk about the month. We then state the day of the week, month and the number date. We also discuss the weather and say a prayer for the day.
Next we move along to Journal time, in which I either pick a topic for the boys or allow them to draw whatever they want. After Journal, we have what would be considered Language Arts. I have a 5 and a 3 year old, so that is quite a range of ability. So for my 5 year old, I usually have him do a word search, pertaining to a particular word family, write letters, match upper and lowercase letters, and read. He is reading so well, and I could not be prouder! For my 3 year old, we are working on identifying all the letters of the alphabet and reading simple books (I read to him). Just getting this basic skill down is enough for him.
Next comes Reading time. I usually read them a book or two, then have my 5 year old read to me and my 3 year old. We might even play a game of Alphabet Bingo (my boys LOVE this) or play other fun games with letters.
After Reading, we might have a short recess and then head straight into Math. Now, again, I have to make it age appropriate for my children. My 5 year old is working on addition, multiplication and money. My 3 year old is working on number identification, shapes, colors and simple counting. Sometimes we'll play UNO. What a great game to learn colors and numbers! Plus, it's super fun and easy for little ones to play.
After Math, I try to hit a little bit on History and Geography. We are learning just the basics: the 7 continents, 50 States, the oceans, and the presidents. I try to make this as fun as possible. It's a good thing we have a globe, because the boys love to look at it and find places.
The thing my boys love best is Science. I try to plan one experiment a week, and they just beg for more! We have learned all about gravity, water/ice, weather, the Earth, the 5 senses, and buoyancy. I also try to get at least one craft in a week.
Somedays, it is very hard to get moving and have preschool, but once I get going, I am so glad I did. I love being able to spend this precious time with my two little guys. Next year my 5 year old will be off to kindergarten and my 3 year old will have preschool at church. I know that I'll always look back and be glad that I was able to teach my boys at home for awhile. I am going to miss them so much when they're in 'real' school!
Here are some websites I use for worksheets and online educational games.
Games:
Websites:
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MOPS - Moms of Preschoolers
