Every once in a while, I get asked how our preschool is going at home. I'm not usually sure how to answer that. We've come a long way from me making up lesson plans each week or even trying to do a little "school" each day. Part of this is just trying to enjoy the little years with my kids. Part of it was that it was just too much for mom and kids. Instead, I now look for the teachable moments in our day. Things like explaining why it is polite to sit still while eating or not to talk with your mouth full. Like why it is important to wash your hands after using the bathroom. Or how to help clean the toilet or "mop" the floor. Or how to zip a zipper. Or why it is important to be nice to people and think of them more highly than yourself. Or why we should pray for the redemption of "bad people".
Academics? Well, there are definitely things we are learning in that regard too, but I don't really plan for them so much anymore. Some weeks we'll just read books together. We usually read at least a half hour a day if not longer. We still talk about letters and sound out words on occasion. We do science experiments whenever Buddy grabs the science book out of our bookshelf and asks to do one. We work on writing since Buddy is infatuated with making signs. But one of our more recent endeavors is living math. Basically, I've just been picking books from the library that illustrate some math concept. Buddy and Button both love the fun stories and have picked up some skip-counting and addition/subtraction concepts.
Here are some of our favorites:
We also enjoy playing games together. Hi-Ho Cherry-O and Sum Swamp are two of our favorite math games. Other times we play with our Block Buddies, Dominoes, Jenga pieces and Pattern Blocks - not necessarily with any particular end in mind except to have fun!
Academics? Well, there are definitely things we are learning in that regard too, but I don't really plan for them so much anymore. Some weeks we'll just read books together. We usually read at least a half hour a day if not longer. We still talk about letters and sound out words on occasion. We do science experiments whenever Buddy grabs the science book out of our bookshelf and asks to do one. We work on writing since Buddy is infatuated with making signs. But one of our more recent endeavors is living math. Basically, I've just been picking books from the library that illustrate some math concept. Buddy and Button both love the fun stories and have picked up some skip-counting and addition/subtraction concepts.
Here are some of our favorites:
- Penguin Pairs by Amanda Doering Tourville - Counting by twos
- Mooove Over! by Karen Magnuson Beil - Counting by twos (definitely a favorite - we also learn about manners!)
- Toasty Toes by Michael Dahl - Counting by tens
- Speed, Speed Centipede by Michael Dahl - Counting by tens
- Monarch Migration by Megan Atwood - Counting by tens
- A Second is a Hiccup by Hazel Hutchins - Concept of time
- Zero Is the Leaves on the Tree by Betsy Franco - Concept of Zero
- Math-terpieces by Greg Tang - Combining the use of great works of art and problem solving/addition (more advanced, but fun)
We also enjoy playing games together. Hi-Ho Cherry-O and Sum Swamp are two of our favorite math games. Other times we play with our Block Buddies, Dominoes, Jenga pieces and Pattern Blocks - not necessarily with any particular end in mind except to have fun!
Life is more relaxed than it has been, and I'm okay with that. Buddy is still a year away from kindergarten, and I'd rather him be a boy with godly character than a smarty pants.
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