School Days, School Days

For anyone wondering, I thought I'd update where we're at with our home preschool. :) I started out using the 4-year old Character training curriculum from Hubbard's Cupboard. Princess wasn't very interested in trying to do stuff with sight words; Speedy was bored; and there wasn't much for Honey to do. And one character trait per week seemed to be moving through it too fast for us. So basically we kept most of the calendar binder, and we try to do that 2-3 times a week. (I’m practicing letting go of the perfection of doing things ‘just right.’) We work on a bible verse (usually the one Princess brings home from Children’s Church.) We’re emphasizing the ROCK rules for our house, using the four appropriate trait sheets from Hubbard’s Cupboard to supplement. I’ve been trying to pick a seasonal theme, or something the kids have been very curious about for each week. If we’re at the library or PAT room, I check out some books relating to the theme, or read from our BIG home library. (We’ve done Bugs, Caterpillars, Leaves, next week will be Spiders.) Then we work our way through a letter that fits in and a number. We’ve been doing more art—which all the kids like best, anyway. J Even Honey is getting into it. We also try to do some play-do time, and singing and finger play time.

Here’s my summary of the (FREE, of course!) resources I’ve used the most and found the most helpful over the last couple years:

Hubbard’s Cupboard is a very thorough pre-k resource with lots of theme and bible activities, crafts, songs, and fun play-do recipes.

No Time For Flashcards is a great blog for simple, cheap crafts for young kids. The projects use mostly things you'll already have on hand. There is usually a related song and book reviews listed, too. Her index of activities is very easy to use, too.

Hummingbird Educational Resources is a compilation of crafts, activities, songs and snacks listed by topic, as well as by certain storybooks (i.e., a bunch of ideas for using with Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?)

Preschool Express has many activity, craft, snack, and song ideas for different themes; as well as calendars of suggested activities for toddlers or preschoolers, and different sections focusing on art, music or movement.

I’ve been trying not to do worksheets (as someone reminded me, my kiddos will be doing worksheets the rest of their school career!) but the older two like them at times, and they are good reinforcement for some of the letters and sounds. I have found great worksheets at beginningreading.com.

And for letter and picture coloring printables, there is quite a selection at Preschool Coloring Book.

There are SO many useful and inspiring sites out there, but these are the ones I go back to over and over.