What About Preschool?

Several of my friends with young children have asked me, what about preschool? They so earnestly want the best for their children, and many times they think that money is the solution.

I am here to tell you, save your money. If you want to home school your preschooler, and use the best possible curriculum – do these things:

• Read aloud.
• Play with them.
• Take them to the park.
• Take them to the museum.
• Read books.
• Take them shopping.
• Take them for walks.
• Read.
• Have them join you in the kitchen when you are cleaning.
• Have them join you in the kitchen when you are cooking.
• Read magazines like Highlights, Zootles, Big Backyard, or Clubhouse Junior.
• Have them join you folding clothes.
• Have them help you prepare breakfast.
• Read signs. Recognizing a brand label (i.e. Coke or Cheerios) is reading in its infancy!
• Count cows, or squirrels, or flowers, or whatever.
• Talk about the colors of jelly beans, or blocks, or cars, or whatever.
• Go to the playground.
• Talk about shapes.
• Read books.
• Talk about feelings and what people’s faces mean when they show different expressions.
• Talk about numbers.
• Give them small chores/responsibilities like carrying dirty clothes to the hamper or laundry room.
• Read.
• Talk about letters, and the sounds they make.
• Work on learning numbers 1 to 20.
• Then work on counting backwards.
• Learn even numbers and odd numbers.
• Learn to skip count by twos, fives, or tens.
• Read cereal boxes.
• Visit the library.
• Go to the zoo.
• Go on field trips.
• Read books.

And did I mention read to them?