Perhaps you are stumped as to why to use a home preschool curriculum. Or, maybe you just need that extra little push to begin your own Preschool Curriculum. At any rate, here are some reasons to start using a home preschool curriculum.

• Monitor what you are teaching them. When you send your child to a public preschool there is no way you can monitor everything the teachers are teaching your children. However, when you are teaching them at home you monitor everything…. after all, you are the one teaching your children.

• Teach children positive social skills. We all hear of children getting bullied and teased. And, unfortunately, it starts early…. as early as 3 or 4 years old. When you are homeschooling your children Preschool you will be setting up all their social activities. You will be there to monitor all of them and you will be able to observe when your child is having a difficult social situation and coach them through it.
• Children learn at their own pace. Not all children learn well by sitting at desks and listening to a teacher teach. Some children learn hands on better while other children learn visually. When you are teaching your child at home you can pick up on how your Preschooler finds it easier to learn and teach that way. Your child will have an easier time learning when you are teaching them with that method.
• Many Preschoolers still need one-on-one attention. Just like Preschoolers learn at their own pace as I mentioned above…. some also need one-on-one attention. If your Preschoolers is like this and needs the one-on-one attention then there will be no problems if you are homeschooling….. you will be there to offer the Preschooler plenty of one-on-one time.
• Preschool Years don’t last forever. The Preschool years will be gone before you know it. Why not spend as much time as you can with your Preschooler now before this time is gone. The nice thing about teaching your Preschooler at home is they will be spending this time with you instead of spending it with a teacher.

There you go…. 5 Reasons to Use a Home Preschool Curriculum. Hopefully, this is enough information to help you make a informative decision as to whether using a Home Preschool Curriculum is the right thing for you.

Top Image by jimmiehomeschoolmom

Right after the Holidays or after your Children’s Birthday can be an excellent
time to start teaching your children the benefits of helping the less
fortunate people. Sometime children become very selfish. They have
a roof over their head, plenty of food, and over abundance of toys. At a young
age most children have no idea that there are many children out their that have
much less than them. After the holidays and/or Birthday is the perfect time
to begin teaching your children about this fact and explain to them how they
can help.

Why not have your children help you gather up their old toys and take them to
a shelter where their old toys get plenty of use and make children smile again.
This will teach your children that they can make a difference. Not only that it
will keep them from taking their good life for granted. It will teach them that
giving to others not only makes the other children happy, but it also makes them
feel good as well.

Tips for Teaching your Children to Give

Have your children give the same amount of their older toys that they
get new. This gives your children an actual figure to work with. Plus,
it keeps them from having their toy boxes over-full .

Keep a Family Blessings Journal. One things that this entire
process teaches your children is to be more thankful for what they have….
to appreciate it all. Keeping a Family
Blessing Journal can aid your children in remembering what all they have
to be Thankful for. Plus, it is a great way to look back at your wonderful life
in writing.

Top Image by Mr.
Kris

Keep in mind that any change in routine or structure can mess young toddlers
and preschoolers up. Children love structure. And structure gives your child
something they can count on.

This time doesn’t have to be full of anxiety. Here are some ways to make the
transition easier.

7 Ways to Make Transition Easier when Older Siblings Go Back to School

2. Start Preparing your Child Early – Yes, we know this time
   can be scary. But, what is even scarier for a child is not being prepared
   for change when it happens. So, start preparing the younger child for the
   fact that the older children will be starting school soon. Ask the child how
   he or she feels about it. Let the child know that everything will be okay
   and what your plans will be for the day when the older children are at school.
   Your child will find comfort in knowing what’s ahead.
3. Start your child taking Lessons that coincide with their older siblings
   going to school – One of the feelings that your youngest child might
   be feeling is jealousy. Your child might be jealous in the fact that the older
   children will be heading to school to learn. Why not have your youngest child
   start a class of his or her own. There are tons of lessons your little one
   can take. What does your little one want to learn? What are his or her interests?
   Check out your local YMCA, JCC or Community Center for Lessons. Your child
   will love the fact that they can learn something new too.
4. Do something daily just the two of you – One nice thing
   about having the older children away at school is that there is much more
   time for you and your little one. This is a great time to spend quality time
   together. One
   on one time with your child can really deepen your relationship with them.
   Let your child know that you are looking forward to doing something special
   together. Sit down with your youngest and come up with some ideas of how you
   are going to spend this time together. Don’t be surprised if your little one
   is no longer scared and sad about the older children going off to school…..
   but instead these feelings are replaced with excitement. Your younger child
   will probably be thrilled to have some alone time with you.
5. Realize the feelings that the child left behind might be feeling
   – There are a ton of feelings your youngest might be feeling about the older
   siblings going off to school. Be prepared for them and it will make this transition
   for you and the younger child easier. Some of the feelings your youngest might
   be feeling are…
   • Fear
   • Anxiety
   • Sadness
   • Excitement
   • Stress
   • Worry
   • Loneliness

   And these are just some of the many, many feelings your child might be
   feeling. Make the transition easier by talking with your youngest child
   about their older siblings going off to school. Let them know whatever feelings
   they are having about it are understandable and that they can always come
   to you with whatever they are feeling and you will help get them through
   it.

6. Plan the Days out for your Little one – Children love structure
   and don’t like change. When older children go to school and leave the littlest
   one at home that is a change of structure for your little one. It is very
   scary. Adding structure back into their life will help your little one feel
   more secure and less stressed during this transition. They love to know what
   they could expect next. So, plan away….. and include your youngest one in
   the planning process. It will get them more excited about the time to come.
7. Start a School for your Child at Home – Your child might
   feel left out when the older children go back to school. Why not start them
   in a school of their own as well. There are Preschool Curriculums out their
   that are perfect for teaching your young Preschooler at home. Just make sure
   to choose the right Preschool
   Curriculum for your Child. And, don’t forget to name the School. Giving
   your at home school a name will make it more official and special for your
   little one.

Yes, this time can be very stressful and sad for your little one, but it doesn’t
have to be. With a little planning and preparing it can be a happy and
exciting transition for your little one.

Top image by Pink
Sherbet

]]> http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2009/08/25/when-the-older-siblings-go-back-to-school/feed/ 0 http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2008/12/26/8-ways-to-raise-a-thankful-child/ http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2008/12/26/8-ways-to-raise-a-thankful-child/#comments Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:20:13 +0000 TheNanny612 http://www.abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/?p=164
Image by Lachlan
Hardy

In today’s
modern world of gimme, gimme, gimme – raising an appreciative, well-rounded
child can seem like a difficult task. However, with just a few simple changes
it is easier than you might imagine. Read on to find our eight, resourceful
ways [...]]]>
Image by Lachlan
Hardy

In today’s
modern world of gimme, gimme, gimme – raising an appreciative, well-rounded
child can seem like a difficult task. However, with just a few simple changes
it is easier than you might imagine. Read on to find our eight, resourceful
ways to raise a thankful child. It is the perfect secret weapon for the holiday
season and bey

Participate in a local food drive Help him go through his old toy bins and donate a few to charity Help your child create handmade thank you notes for holiday gifts they receive

4. Pick a child
   from a charity tree and let your child pick out the gifts

5. Be an at-home
   volunteer to charities such as Hugs
   and Hope

6. Teach
   him the value of a dollar with a weekly allowance earned for chores

7. Have him spend
   a portion of that money on a friend or donate it to your church

8. Love him to
   bits . . . giving him plenty to be thankful for

Remember, even when
you don’t think you are getting through, little drops of knowledge that
you think are washing right off those ears, somewhere along the line sink in.
We promise you; someday you will wake up and realize . . . You did a pretty
amazing job

]]> http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2008/12/26/8-ways-to-raise-a-thankful-child/feed/ 1 http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2008/03/14/st-patricks-day-crafts-for-kids/ http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2008/03/14/st-patricks-day-crafts-for-kids/#comments Fri, 14 Mar 2008 05:13:28 +0000 TheNanny612 http://www.abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2008/03/14/st-patricks-day-crafts-for-kids/

St. Patrick’s Day
is on March 17th this year which is in another couple of days. In honor of the
festivities I thought I would list a tons of super fun crafts to do with your
kids to celebrate St. Patty’s Day. So, without further ado….. feast your eyes
on [...]]]>

St. Patrick’s Day
is on March 17th this year which is in another couple of days. In honor of the
festivities I thought I would list a tons of super fun crafts to do with your
kids to celebrate St. Patty’s Day. So, without further ado….. feast your eyes
on St. Patrick’s Day Crafts for Kids!!




 

	Pot Of Gold Collage - This pot of gold collage is an easy craft for kids of all ages.
	Handprint Shamrock – The kids will love making this shamrock craft for St. Patty’s Day. Fun & messy too!!
	Leprechaun Wands – Children love wands and this is the perfect wand for St. Patrick’s Day.
	St. Patrick’s Rainbow Mobile – Make a rainbow mobile with a hanging pot of gold and shamrock to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
	Rainbow Streamers - Kids of all ages will enjoy this raibow streamer craft perfect for your little leprechauns on St. Patrick’s Day.
	Blarney Stone Craft – A Blarney Stone is a very famous stone. If you kiss the Blarney Stone, it is supposed to give you the gift of eloquence. Help the kids make this Blarney Stone Craft and tell them the story behind the Blarney Stone.
	St. Patrick’s Day Handprint Wreath – Don’t you just love handprint crafts? Use your children’s handprints to make this St. Patrick’s Day Wreath and you will cherish it for years to come.
	Shamrock Rubbings – Cool craft to make a crayon rubbing of shamrocks. A ton of fun and looks awesome when finished. Great project to do with the kids.
	Pony Bead Rainbow - This pretty rainbow is so easy even little ones can make it. Not only is this a fun craft perfect for the St. Patty’s Day Holiday, but it is also great for teaching kids their colors.
	Magnet & Door hanger - this pot of gold refrigerator magnet is the perfect companion to our St. Patrick’s Day door hanger.
	Leprechaun Hat for Chips - Help your child make this really great Leprechaun Hat that holds chips…. perfect for your March party.
	Pom Pom Shamrock – Fun & Easy craft to make with your Preschoolers for St. Patrick’s Day.

 

]]> http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2008/03/14/st-patricks-day-crafts-for-kids/feed/ 3 http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/15/teaching-your-child-about-the-environment/ http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/15/teaching-your-child-about-the-environment/#comments Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:23:20 +0000 TheNanny612 http://www.abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/15/teaching-your-child-about-the-environment/

Your children are
going to inherit the earth that we are living on today so you obviously want
it to be as healthy as it can possibly be for them.
Although it’s great that you’re doing your part to take care of
the environment, it’s equally as important that you [...]]]>

Your children are
going to inherit the earth that we are living on today so you obviously want
it to be as healthy as it can possibly be for them.
Although it’s great that you’re doing your part to take care of
the environment, it’s equally as important that you teach your children
about the environment. If they learn form an early age about the importance
of taking care of the environment and the ways that they can do so, they’ll
be more likely to carry that behavior on into later years. Additionally, if
they can do their part to help care for the environment now, they will feel
productive and involved which helps to build self-esteem.

Teaching your children about the environment is something that should be a part of your daily routine. If your family recycles (which hopefully you do), you shouldn’t just do the recycling yourself. You should have clearly marked bins for the recyclables for your family and have your child be actively involved in adding to these bins as appropriate. Explain about why you recycle when you’re doing it so that your child knows is not just a part of what you do in your house but that there’s a reason behind why you’re doing it. When your child starts doing chores, taking out the recyclables could be one of those chores. This helps to make your child feel directly involved in the recycling which builds self-esteem and reinforces the behavior.

You can also work conversations
about the environment in to your other daily activities whenever
they come up. When you see litter on the ground, pick it up (as appropriate)
and explain why it is that you’re doing this. Of course, you’ll
also need to explain about what items shouldn’t be picked up from the
ground and why. But there are dozens of things that you do every day when interacting
with the world that are great as learning lessons about the environment. For
example, every time that you fill the car up with gas is a time that you can
discuss the environment and the impact of vehicles on the environment. Reinforce
those lessons by walking, bicycling or using public transportation whenever
possible and reiterate to your child that you are helping the environment when
you do that.

In addition to these kinds
of daily lessons, you should take the time to get your child out into nature.
An appreciation of nature goes a long way towards healthy behavior towards the
environment. Go on hikes with your child. Go camping. At the very least, get
out to the park once a week and play in the grass. It’s important that
your child is not removed from the nature around him or her. You can reiterate
lessons about the environment during these times, but it is
actually just the experience of getting out and appreciating nature that these
times will really be all about. Take photos on these expeditions to use in craft
lessons later that reinforce the importance of the environment.

Learning about the
environment can also be done in traditional education ways such as
reading books and watching videos. There is a lot of good material out there
these days to help young children learn about the environment. Combine these
with crafts to get the point across. For example, take the photos of nature
from your hike and use them to create a story book with your child that has
a message about the environment. Of course, the learning is going to start with
you so practice good environmental habits yourself if your
want your child to really learn these lessons.

 

Technorati Tags:blog action day 2007, enviornment, children, kids, education

]]> http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/10/15/teaching-your-child-about-the-environment/feed/ 0 http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/08/30/back-to-school/ http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/08/30/back-to-school/#comments Thu, 30 Aug 2007 20:09:00 +0000 TheNanny612 http://www.abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/08/30/back-to-school/

Well, it’s
that time of year again. Summer is coming to a close and it’s time to
get back to school. There’s a lot to do before the summer
is over starting with school shopping. But there are also a few days of summer
left to be enjoyed before you [...]]]>

Well, it’s
that time of year again. Summer is coming to a close and it’s time to
get back to school. There’s a lot to do before the summer
is over starting with school shopping. But there are also a few days of summer
left to be enjoyed before you get back into the busy school year routine. Here
are some tips for enjoying these last days of summer while still getting prepared
to start the school year.

Start getting in to the school routine at home at least one week before school actually starts. Bedtimes are probably earlier, dinner is probably followed by a homework hour and the transition back to school goes a lot more smoothly if you ease into it the week before school actually begins. If bedtime is ten during the summer but nine during the school year, make it 9:45 then 9:30 then 9:15 as the week winds down so the kids can get used to the back to school hours. Make a scrapbook or diorama depicting the summer that you had. Pictures, mementos and coloring sheets can be used to create a book that commemorates your summer but brings it to a close.

• Make
  the weekend prior to this “get into routine week” a fun time.
  It should be the “last hurrah” of summer. (Don’t wait until
  the weekend before school starts for this because it creates chaos.) You can
  have a summer party, plan a big weekend at the beach or just BBQ with the
  family instead of eating indoors.
• Use downtime
  at home to get the kids re-adjusted to doing some quiet activities.
  But make them fun! Decorating backpacks and notebooks for the new school year,
  creating crafts that are related to the return to school and otherwise doing
  projects that help the kids wind down but simultaneously get excited about
  school will help with the back to school transition.
• Get the
  school shopping done early. You probably already have a back to school
  shopping routine but decide if it’s really right for you. If you pick
  out everything for your kids, there’s no need to take them along for
  the trip so send them to the sitter and get it all done in one shot. Or, if
  you do let them pick out their back to school stuff (or need them to try on
  clothes), set aside a whole day for it and make it a special trip that you
  enjoy together. Get ice cream or some other treat during the process to break
  it up and make it more enjoyable.
• Have
  the kids tell you all of the things that are excited about for back to school.
  Kids often think of going back to school as a sad time because it means summer
  ending. Have them think of it in terms of a beginning instead.
• Set aside
  the first weekend after school starts as quiet time at the house.
  The first week is going to be hectic for everyone and you should just wind
  down together when it’s done. Don’t plan activities, don’t
  do work at home and don’t let the kids have their friends over. There
  will be plenty of time for all that as the school year continues!

Technorati Tags:back to school, preschool, kindergarten, kids, children, education, school

]]> http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/08/30/back-to-school/feed/ 2 http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/08/28/cooking-with-kids/ http://abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/08/28/cooking-with-kids/#comments Wed, 29 Aug 2007 03:36:37 +0000 TheNanny612 http://www.abchomepreschool.com/PreschoolEducationBlog/2007/08/28/cooking-with-kids/ Cooking with kids can be one of the most terrific activities that can happen
in a home. Sure, there’s going to be mess and there’s always a little
bit of risk when putting kids in the kitchen, but cooking with kids
teaches a variety of lessons that will apply to all areas [...]]]> Cooking with kids can be one of the most terrific activities that can happen
in a home. Sure, there’s going to be mess and there’s always a little
bit of risk when putting kids in the kitchen, but cooking with kids
teaches a variety of lessons that will apply to all areas of life and education.
Plus, cooking with kids helps to establish a bond between you that will last
a lifetime.

Here are just some of the things that kids can learn when you cook
with them:

Nutrition. Kids should learn healthy eating habits starting from a young age and what better way to learn them than through learning healthy cooking? By learning about food and their bodies, kids are learning some basic things about science that will help them in school down the line. And they’re learning lessons about good health that will help them for a lot longer than that. Reading. Cooking involves reading directions and looking at labels. By cooking with kids, you are helping them gain reading skills in a natural environment.

• Motor skills. When you’re cooking with kids, you’re
  moving plates around and pouring items. When they help, they improve their
  motor skills.
• Math. Cooking involves measurements and times which are
  important foundations in math. Cooking with kids gets them used to using math
  in a daily environment which makes them more comfortable with it and therefore
  more proficient at it.
• Taking care of themselves. Children who learn how to cook
  are less likely to be adolescents that eat out all of the time. They know
  how to take care of themselves in the kitchen so they will.
• Attention and focus. Nobody wants to eat burned cookies
  and your kids will rapidly learn to focus on the task at hand if they’re
  in charge of making sure the cookies don’t burn!

Here are some ideas for cooking with kids that help you to
teach them these skills without causing too much of a mess or safety risk in
the kitchen:

• Stick to recipes that are simple. Cooking with kids isn’t
  the same as cooking a romantic four-course meal for your spouse. You should
  stick to one or two items that have only a few ingredients each so that the
  kids can be involved with all parts of cooking.
• Let children find a favorite dish and let them make it once a week.
  Yes, you might get sick of it but stability is good for kids and if you know
  that you’re always cooking spaghetti together on Tuesdays, you enhance
  that.
• Start early if you want the cooking to be done at a certain time.
  It’s not healthy to cook under stress and it’s not a good habit
  for kids to get into so make sure you have plenty of time to make the meals.
• Read recipe books with your kids and have them pick out some of
  the dishes. If they’re involved in the planning, the shopping
  and the cooking, they’ll develop good food habits, learn great lessons
  and enjoy their meals.
• Have fun. You will look back on cooking with kids as hours
  that were spent together. These will be fond memories so enjoy them while
  you can.

Technorati Tags:cooking, kids, children, education, learning, homeschool, preschoolers, toddlers

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