This year we have another precocious four-year-old ready to start homeschool. Enthusiastic about learning to read like her big sister, interested in everything around her, she is full of the belief that she is “a very big girl” now.
Here is what we are using for our pre-kindergarten homeschooling curriculum, as well as some alternative options I love and highly recommend (some purchased, some free). Also, I’ve included a printable checklist of pre-kindergarten learning objectives to give you some ideas of what to cover. But first, a few words on our style of education.
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A Word About Classical Education
Here are a few tenets of classical education that apply to the pre-kindergarten years:
- Language and math take priority because they are the foundation of every other subject.
- Knowledge and facts are critical. And memorizing facts (like phonetic sounds or skip counting) is both vital and fun for young children.
- Even very young children are not beneath taking an avid interest in science, history, art, and literature. Children learn to love and appreciate what they are surrounded by.
- In the early years, a relaxed approach is best—emphasizing that learning is an enjoyable part of everyday life, rather than a chore to be gotten out of the way.
Phonics
All About Reading Pre-Reading Program
We had such fantastic results with using the All About Spelling program with our oldest daughter that I will be switching our usual phonics program to the pre-reading level of All About Reading this year.
Things I LOVE about it:
- It builds strong phonological awareness.
- It combines different learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.
- It’s fun and play-based.
Check out all of our phonics resources
The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading
It is a no-frills guide for parents that walks you through, step-by-step, teaching phonics and reading. It begins at the beginning, taking you through teaching the alphabet all the way to advanced reading.
Things I LOVE about it:
- It is one simple book, rather than a whole program. (And less expensive than a whole program too!)
- It is very structured and approaches teaching reading in a logical, orderly way.
- It is open-and-go and requires little extra supplies or pre-planning.
Read: X Is NOT for Xylophone – And Other Pro Tips for Teaching the Alphabet
Reading
The library will definitely be your best friend for this subject.
I firmly believe in the classical approach of combining regular reading in three areas:
- below instructional level—for pure enjoyment and easier comprehension (this one really doesn’t apply in PreK);
- at instructional level—where real progress is made in fluency;
- and above instructional level—where you are reading to them. This allows children to absorb far more vocabulary, complex sentence structure, and knowledge than reading at their own reading level ever would.
Check out all of our reading resources
But how to find great things to read? Any reading is better than none. But for the most “bang” for your reading time, try some of these suggestions:
- Check online (Pinterest is great!) for lists of beautiful, engaging, classic picture books.
- Choose books with characters they already know and love from TV like Curious George, or Daniel Tiger (another place I deviate from a strictly classical approach).
- Choose books about particular subjects that fascinate them like sharks or farm animals.
- Don’t underestimate their ability to enjoy you reading aloud from books for “big” kids, like the annotated classics you would use for your older children.
- Don’t forget about poetry and nursery rhymes!
The Well-Trained Mind also contains wonderful book lists to inspire you.
Read: Teaching Your Preschooler to Read—Why It’s OK to Start Early
Math
Originally, I did not purchase a math curriculum for the PreK level because, honestly, I couldn’t find one I liked. Instead, I use a very hands-on approach with games, manipulatives, and everyday objects to teach number fluency.
I have a list of concepts that I like to cover before getting to first-grade math. And I work on covering the things on that list whenever I see an opportunity.
Download my full list of objectives for every subject in pre-kindergarten here
We do things like:
- tracing numbers in sand or forming them out of Play-Doh,
- adding and subtracting with toy cars or Mega Bloks, and
- playing board games and card games that teach number sense.
And don’t forget the concepts that are math related, but not the strictly 1 + 1 = 2 variety, like:
- time (in a general sense—yesterday, today, tomorrow)
- shapes (2D and 3D)
- quantity (more or less than, greater or fewer than, etc.)
- measurement (taller, shorter, heavier, lighter, etc.)
- money (in a general sense—the purpose of money and names of coins)
For more ideas on great toys, games, and manipulatives to use in your pre-kindergarten math, read my post on 101 Reasons to Make Homeschooling Fun.
Update on Math Curriculum!
Recently, however, I’ve found a great math resource for ages 3 to 9 that teaches:
- number recognition,
- counting,
- one-to-one relationship,
- math facts,
- handwriting, and more.
It’s Page A Day Math with the Math Squad. And you can read my full review here plus grab the first book in any series free!
Check out all of our math resources
Other Subjects
As I said, language and math are the bulk of what we’ll be focusing on. But there are lots of other subjects to incorporate here and there. Things like:
- fine motor skills,
- science and nature,
- social studies,
- art and music (both appreciation and creation).
Science and social studies topics are worked into our reading selections. Other than nature walks and observations, we don’t do formal studies on these subjects yet.
We are primarily interest-led and go where the rabbit trails take us. Moreover, it is amazing what she picks up just from being around during her big sister’s projects and lessons!
One tip is to create a learning-rich environment where you don’t need formal lessons in order to be constantly learning. Some things you can do . . .
- play classical music,
- watch documentaries,
- own lots of great books of all kinds,
- keep art supplies handy and use them,
- have a globe around.
To worksheet or not to worksheet? That is the question.
Although this is, again, where I deviate from a strictly classical approach, my opinion is if:
- your child enjoys worksheets, and
- they serve a useful purpose and are not just busy work . . .
. . . go for it!
I believe there can be great value in good worksheets used wisely. They can help with fine motor skills and, in children who enjoy them, help foster a sense of “being a big kid” and “doing school” that promotes a love of learning and pride in their work.
My little ones have loved them and we incorporate them (selectively) into our PreK. Here are some resources for you:
- Apple Themed Preschool Printables
- Uppercase/Lowercase Letter Matching Printable
- Pinterest Board – Printables & Worksheets – Preschool & Kindergarten
- Learnamic
- Worksheet Fun
Click here for a free printable checklist of PreK objectives. You can use this comprehensive list to craft your curriculum and keep track of your child’s progress throughout the year. It covers each main subject area, with suggestions for foundational skills and topics to cover. And it includes extra room to add your own items to the list.
Check out our curriculum for other grades
If you feel like your little one is not quite ready for the PreK level yet, check out our Preschool curriculum. It is full of free, fun, simple resources for your preschooler.
And for even more resources, follow me on Pinterest. I am always adding new goodies for homeschooling preschool through the elementary years.
