Preschool curriculum?

Preschool readiness skills (birth to age 5) and the common developmental concerns of young children.

Moderators: Theodore, elliemaejune

Corasmom
User
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:20 pm

Preschool curriculum?

Postby Corasmom » Sat Oct 14, 2006 3:41 pm

I have been homeschooling my DD, almost 3 year old, for some time now. My mom and I work to make up our own curriculum but I'm starting to wonder if we should be working with a store bought curriculum?

The reason behind this is that I send mom what we do each week and she types it up and puts every activity into the sections they belong (going to the playground - large motor skills, peer interaction, science - looking at bugs, health - washing hands and don't pick up trash, etc) to put into DD's portfolio. But I don't write all that, I just say we went to the park. She does not like this and would like more info but I just don't have the time to go over my day thinking of each and every single thing we do. Furthermore, for example, a trip to the bank is just that, a trip to the bank not something that can be broken down into several different categories based on what we talked about or did.

She worked at a preschool for several years and said that each second of the day was scheduled and it was already documented what a child should learn with each activity. We do all this in an effort to get into a routine of documenting as we would in her school years.

So I don't know. DD knows her numbers up to 13, she knows some of the letters, all of her basic colors and shapes. She loves to read and be read to. She is left handed and works every day on her coloring/pre-writing skills. We do science projects, outdoor group activities, and crafts. As well as lots of other things.

What kind of preschool curriculums are out there? What do they cover? And lastly how do some of the other preschool families document their days?

robinsegg
User
Posts: 55
Joined: Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:19 pm
Location: Near the Mississippi

Postby robinsegg » Wed Nov 01, 2006 1:50 pm

First, take a good look at the requirements in your state. http://www.hslda.org has a good list of these.

Second, figure out what needs to be documented, and what doesn't. This will make it easier for you to know what to document when.

Third, keep a pocket-sized notebook in your purse or car and simply write down the things you did for a couple of weeks, categorizing and detailing. This will give you a good idea of what needs to be included in the above.

Fourth, if you used a curriculum, would you stop documenting all your "extracurricular" activities?

Fifth, find a "scope and sequence" online to find out what you should be teaching when, and simply stay at that level or ahead of it. This will ensure dd doesn't end up "behind", and will help you know what's expected.

There are lots of curricula out there, from simple workbooks found at discount stores to elaborate set-ups that cost hundreds of $$. If you decide to use one, take a look at how dd reacts to different types of "schoolwork", how she learns and how you teach before making your selections.
Rachel
teacher at home
The Cleft in the Rock Academy


Return to “Preschool and Readiness”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests