Preschool Archives | Page 3 of 4 | Mercer Homeschooling

101 Reasons to Make Homeschooling Fun

How to make homeschooling fun must be one of the top questions I’m asked. I can’t even describe the pure beauty of those moments when learning just happens in the midst of family fun or when my children’s play inspires them to make, and explore, and find out. But it is when you know that it’s all going to work out OK and you are doing a great job at this homeschooling thing.

There are so many reasons to incorporate fun, informal learning activities into your homeschool. It can serve to:

break up the monotony of the everyday schedule,
spark interest in subjects outside the normal course of study,
help reluctant learners find joy in learning and build confidence,
add some educational value to sick days, holiday breaks, or just those days when you’re asking, “Can this count as school?”, and
provide some direction or inspiration during the deschooling process or if you’re unschooling.

So without further ado, here are a few (or actually 101) of our absolute favorite reasons to make homeschooling fun.

Teaching Your Preschooler to Read—Why It’s OK to Start Early

As mothers, we navigate a proverbial minefield of controversial subjects when it comes to our parenting decisions. While your child is still in the womb, your food choices and name preferences will be the subject of scrutiny—sometimes from total strangers. And, sadly, if you homeschool, these wonderful displays of unsolicited wisdom will only intensify.

But even before your child is old enough to begin formal school, you may marvel at what an incredibly brilliant little human you have made. And you may decide you want to take the initiative to feed her burgeoning mind as much as possible. And, heaven help you, you may have the inclination to begin teaching your preschooler to read.

Well, if this is you, read on for some actual real encouragement and helpful advice. Continue Reading

Apple-Themed Preschool Printables, Crafts, Recipes & More

Is it fall where you’re at right now? I love sweaters and pumpkins and everything autumn! This is a post packed with apple-y goodness for your preschooler. And we also have Johnny Appleseed notebooking pages and unit study resources for your elementary-aged students.

Preschooler making fingerprint apples on tree — My preschooler fingerprinting apples onto the trees.

As promised—I am updating my preschool category with these free apple-themed preschool printables that teach:

counting,
number recognition,
uppercase and lowercase A,
fine motor skills,
matching, and more.

A Homeschool Routine That Works with Young Children

It is challenging, to say the least, to get school accomplished with multiple children of young ages. This year I have one in second grade and one in preschool. So, I know it’s only going to get more difficult from here for the next couple of years as my youngest ramps up but my oldest still needs lots of hands-on help.

We are four weeks into our school year so far. And I am very happy to say we have established a good routine. It doesn’t take all day to get through lessons, and meltdowns and distractions have been minimized. We have a routine, not a schedule, because that just works better for our lives right now. The goal is to start by 9:00. Then we just take things, one at a time, until we’re done.

This is what our homeschool routine with young children looks like:Continue Reading

« Previous Page