ABC Home Preschool Blog » Preschool Curriculum

Reasons to Use a Home Preschool Curriculum

TheNanny612 — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:04:49 +0000

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

When the Older Siblings go Back to School

TheNanny612 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:50:36 +0000

It is back to school season. It can be a very exciting and nerve-racking
time for students heading back to school. But, what about the younger siblings
left at home? This is a trying time for them as well. There are quite a lot
of feelings that could be going through them at this time. It can range from
stress and anxiety to even excitement.

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

Have a Plan - Knowing that the first day of school
might be difficult on the younger child is half the battle. Planning
out what you are going to do to ease there discomfort is the other half.
Write down your concerns and what you think would ease your child’s
worries. You know your child better than anyone else. What do you think
will make this time easier? What are his or her hobbies? How will you
and your child spend the school days together until the older siblings
come home? Having a plan will make this time not only easier on the
child, but easier for you as well.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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

Free Preschool Curriculums

TheNanny612 — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:52:16 +0000

Oh Wow… am I ever excited!! I have a bunch of free ABC Home Preschool
Curriculum Downloads to give away. That’s right Free Preschool
Curriculums!!! And, to qualify for one of these free ABC Home Preschool
Curriculums it is so easy!! Simply email
me and I will give you simple instructions on how to qualify
for one of these Free Preschool Curriculums.

But, make sure to act fast!! You
only have until August 30th to qualify for your ABC Home Preschool Curriculum
Download for free. Email me quickly for instructions!!

In case you don’t know ABC Home Preschool offers Preschool Curriculums for
Two
year olds, Three
year olds, and 4
thru 6 year olds. So, you are sure to find the Preschool Curriculum to fit
your needs.

~~Have you emailed me yet??~~

**Update – There are no more free curriculums to
give away at this time. Keep an eye out for future give-a-ways. Subscribe
to our Preschool Blog’s feed so you can be notified of future give-a-ways.
In the meantime, please feel free to use Coupon
Code 112301 at check-out to receive 10% off your purchase price.

5 Preschool Fall Themes for Autumn Pleasure

TheNanny612 — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:45:13 +0000

Fall is an exciting
time of year for preschoolers. School starts up again which is exciting itself.
Plus, there are changes in the seasons which gets everyone a little bit excited.
That excitement comes from knowing that fall is filled with lots of fun holidays
and activities. And of course it means that the winter holidays are just around
the corner so everyone’s fall months are filled with that great anticipation.
To make the most of these months with your preschooler(s), you should incorporate
a number of different fall themes into your lesson plans.

Here are some great
ideas for preschool fall themes that you might want to use this year
(and for many more fall seasons to come):

Art
projects with autumn leaves. There are so many different art
projects out there using fall leaves that you could probably do one
each day of the fall season and never run out of activities or the interest
of your preschooler(s). A faux tree made of old leaves, a book of fall
leaves and an old-fashioned fall wreath are just a few of the types
of projects that you can create. These art projects are great because
they enhance your children’s motor skills since they’ll
be using painting, scissors cutting and other hands-on materials to
make the projects. Plus, they’re great for teaching lessons about
the changing seasons and the cycle of life.

Fall
foods.
Cooking is great for kids in so many ways, teaching them not only the basic
life skill of making food but also other skills like math (when measuring)
and reading (of recipes). Fall foods are great foods to incorporate into themed
projects. Painting gourds, cutting pumpkins, and making pumpkin pie or pumpkin
seeds are all terrific ways to spend an afternoon with youngsters. This is
also a great way to start teaching kids about how different foods are good
in different seasons which is an important nutritional lesson that is often
overlooked in standard lesson plans.
Halloween.
Halloween is a great holiday that lends itself well to many different activities.
Make ghosts out of tissue paper, sew costumes and incorporate Halloween themes
into coloring and other daily activities. You should also use Halloween themes
as an excuse to get outside with the kids; go to a pumpkin patch and learn
lessons about how pumpkins grow.
Thanksgiving.
This is the other big fall holiday and it also lends itself well to many different
activities. Art activities, lessons about sharing and the first Thanksgiving
dinner and cooking traditional foods are all great ways to spend the last
few weeks of November.
Columbus
Day.
This is a lesser-celebrated holiday but it’s great as a theme for lesson
plans. Kids can learn geography and history at the same time that they are
learning about diversity and other important social issues.

If there’s
a holiday marked on your calendar, it’s probably a good idea to incorporate
into your themed lessons plans. Don’t forget that it’s not just
holidays that make fall so great though. The changing seasons really
lend themselves well to a number of activities, both indoors and outdoors,
which you can use to teach your children the things that you want them to be
learning. They’ll probably remember these activities every fall to come
for years.

Technorati Tags:preschool themes, fall, education, kids, children, preschoolers

How to Make your own Preschool Lesson Plans

TheNanny612 — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 03:13:32 +0000

Are
you homeschooling your preschooler? Or perhaps your child simply isn’t
challenged enough in her preschool class and you’d like to make your own
lesson plans to supplement what’s being learned at school? Whatever the
case, making your own preschool lesson plans can be a great
way to give your child an education that incorporates all of the things that
it’s important to you that she learns. It can sound a little intimidating
at first. After all, you aren’t a teacher so how would you know how to
make your own preschool lesson plans, right? But making your own lesson
plans really isn’t that difficult at all.

The
first thing that you need to do is sit down and brainstorm as to what you
want to make sure that your child learns from these lesson plans. Most parents
want their children to have well-rounded lesson plans in all of the basic
school subjects such as math, reading, writing, social studies and science.
Some parents also want to make their own preschool lesson plans that incorporate
life skill such as sewing and cooking. Still other parents want to make
sure that their lesson plans include some sort of religious or spiritual
education. Don’t forget that physical education should be on the list
as well.. Brainstorm a complete list of what you want to cover
so that you can make your own complete preschool lesson plans.

Next, you should
brainstorm a second list about all of the things that your child is
interested in or engaged by. Does she have a favorite color? Does she
love animals? Are pop-up books her favorite way to pass the time? Make an extensive
list of all the things that she loves so that you can incorporate these into
the lesson plans. This will help your child be more actively interested in her
own lessons which will make your lesson plans more successful. Don’t forget
to think about the activities that she enjoys as well. If your child loves to
sing, you will want to incorporate songs and singing games into your preschool
lessons. Having all of this information in front of you on paper will make it
easier to make your lesson plans.

Once you know what
you want to teach and what types of activities and topics will be of the most
interest to your child, you need to learn how to make some basic lesson
plans. The best way to do this is to get samples of plans that are
already out there. You can go online to websites for homeschooling and for preschool
teachers and find lessons there or you can go to a bookstore or teaching supply
store and pick up a book or two of lessons. Use these as the basis for making
your own lesson plans. Change them to incorporate the lessons that you want
to be sure to teach your child and the things which interest her most. For ongoing
creative ideas, consider signing up to receive a daily lesson plan idea from
the New
York Times Learning Network. These lesson plans should be the starting
point from which you use your own creative ideas to make your lesson plans.

Technorati Tags:preschool lesson plans, education, learning, homeschool

Preschool Software – Give your Preschooler a Head Start in Education

TheNanny612 — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:47:05 +0000

Computers are not
the wave of the future; they are the way that we operate right here and right
now. Because of this, it’s important to make use of computer software
as early on as you can in your child’s education. Preschool software
is designed to get your children used to using computers so that they’ll
be able to maximize their learning potential in the years to come. Preschool
software also makes use of multiple methods of learning to make sure that your
child learns quickly in the formative years when education is picked up quickly.
And preschool software is also great for parents because it enhances the learning
process and gives you more tools for educating your child.

Software
that is designed for preschoolers can help your child get a jump start on
their education. Kids start using computers in school in the early
elementary years and your child will be ahead of the game if she already
knows the basics about using a computer. By becoming computer-ready at an
early age, she’ll be more equipped than others to adapt to changes
in technology that will inevitably come along during the years that she’s
in school. And she’ll also be more skilled at using the computer as
a tool for learning which is supplemental to her non-computer education,
giving her a range of different tools to maximize her learning.

In addition to preparing
your child for the years to come, preschool software is great for the
education that your child needs right now. When appropriately selected
to match her developmental stage and to coincide with the rest of her preschool
curriculum, preschool software can actually teach your child some
of what she needs to know. It makes use of multiple types of learning styles
to really help your child develop her brain in a variety of ways. Audio tools
can be used to enhance language skills and to use music for improving preschool
curriculum. Video tools can be used to engage your child’s attention and
assist with visual learning. And interactive preschool software can help your
child’s kinesthetic learning abilities. By using preschool software to
develop your child’s different methods of learning, you can help her to
adapt a multi-modal approach to learning that will make it easier for her to
learn her preschool curriculum. And it will also help her learning in the future.

And preschool software
doesn’t just help your child; it helps you as a parent. Preschool
software provides you with a number of different tools for improving your child’s
learning. This is great for the home school parent who wants to make
use of as many tools as possible for his child’s education. And often,
this software comes with helpful tips and resources that make educating your
preschooler even easier. Of course, this does require some additional work.
You’ll want to make sure that you understand the software and review it
before using it along with your preschooler. But the advantages far outweigh
the changes you’ll have to make to incorporate preschool software into
your child’s life.

Technorati Tags:preschool, software, games, education, learning, pre-k, homeschooing

Preschool Printable Worksheets

TheNanny612 — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 01:08:47 +0000

Preschool
printable worksheets are practically a staple of the home school education.
And even those parents who aren’t homeschooling their kids find that these
printable worksheets are good for preschoolers to pass the time while learning
new and important skills. They’re great for parents because they’re
cheap to locate and easy to print out so kids can have as many as they want
to work on. And kids usually want a lot of them because they think it’s
just something fun to do.

Here are some things
that you might want to look for when seeking out preschool printable
worksheets that will be good for your child:

Look
for worksheets that are age-based.
This helps you to identify the preschool printable worksheets that are
right for your child at any given time and gives you an idea of how
your child is doing in terms of his or her development. It also lets
you easily identify the next set of printable worksheets that will be
good for your child after the ones that are currently being used.
Explore
a variety of different subjects. There are preschool printable
worksheets for math and science, reading and writing and a number of
other different subjects. Mix them up so your child gets a well-rounded
education.

Keep
an eye out for color! Sure, it costs a little bit more money to print
out color worksheets but your preschooler will be more drawn to these. You
can mix them in with black-and-white printable worksheets to save on cost.
When your preschooler is working on the black-and-white ones, encourage the
use of colored pencils and crayons to liven up the page and keep her interested
in the work.
Find
worksheets that have easy-to-understand directions. As your preschooler
gets older, you’ll want to encourage her to read some of the directions
for herself so find worksheets that are designed with this goal in mind. Often,
these include pictures with the directions to make it easier for your child
to identify what she’s supposed to be doing.
Use themed
worksheets around different holidays and events.
You can find preschool printable worksheets for various holidays as well as
for general seasons (like summer). These help to inspire your child to integrate
learning and the rest of life.
Consider
creating your own printable worksheets.
You can modify existing printable worksheets on your computer to make them
more interesting for your child. For example, change the names in stories
to your child’s name on reading worksheets. These little changes can
really personalize her preschool education and make it more relevant to her.

Of course, preschool
printable worksheets aren’t the only thing you’ll want your child
to work off of when doing learning at home. If you can find a Preschool
Program that incorporates worksheet use into a bigger curriculum
that has related projects and other activities, you’ll really complete
your child’s preschool learning. But you should definitely make use of
the printable worksheets that are out there to help your child learn new concepts
and practice various skills.

Technorati Tags:preschool, worksheets, education, homeschooling, kids, children, activities

Preschool Social Studies

TheNanny612 — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 03:09:39 +0000

Your child
lives in a social world. The better that he understand the people in that world and the diversity
that those people includes, the better equipped he will be to live well in that
world. And the better equipped that he is to live in a social world, the more
likely it is that he will have a positive impact on others in that world. For
this reason, preschool social studies is critically important. You want to give
your child an early understanding of others so that he can be an empathic individual.
And you want to give him an understanding of his place in the world so that
he can develop positive self-esteem and feel connected to the life around him.
These are things that are done through the social studies.

While it includes
many different individual facets, social studies is basically about
the study of people. It’s
about the study of communities and how they interact with one another. For that
reason, much of social studies is based on history. Bringing history to life
for your preschooler will help him gain an understanding of the world as it
currently is. And social studies follows-up on this by also being about the
way that societies interact today. Since an interrelated world is a key part
of your child’s future, you’ll want to lay the foundation of social
studies in the preschool years.

Here are some things
that you can do with your preschooler to encourage social studies:

Encouraging
playing with toys that are used in society. Trucks and toy cars are
things that children naturally love and are critical to our society.
Blocks can be used to build houses and whole communities of people.
Dolls help teach interaction. All of these toys can be used to start
discussions about the social world around your preschooler.
Be
part of a local community. Maybe you’re involved in a church. Perhaps
you attend a play group. Maybe your interaction with the community takes
place at the local park playground. Whatever you choose, be sure to
involve your child in the community around him during the preschool
years (and beyond). This helps to develop an understanding of how communities
and individuals interact.

Combine
social studies with other topics. For example, math and social studies can be combined
with money since money can be used for counting and is also an important part
of social studies. Use pennies and nickels to teach your preschooler to count
and explain also the value of these things in society.
Notice
opportunities to explain brief parts of history to your child. For example, if the topic
of race comes up with your child, explore it and discuss history and your
beliefs with your preschooler.
Make
use of a preschool curriculum
that has worksheets and projects that include preschool social studies. Use supplementary preschool social studies software and books
to make this part of your child’s learning experience.
Share
your interest in the world around you with your child. Make it a point to make observations
about the world in conversation with your child. Obviously, this should be
done appropriately (and not with a cynical tone) but when done right, it will
encourage your child to care about his society.

Technorati Tags:preschool education, social studies, pre-k, kids, children, homeschooling

Preschool Science

TheNanny612 — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:17:58 +0000

At its basic level,
science is the study of the world. What could be more important
during the preschool years? And yet, what comes more naturally to preschoolers
who are already so inquisitive about the world around them? Make the most of
your child’s preschool years by engaging that inquisitiveness and applying
it to the study of science. By doing this, you encourage a
life long interest in the world around your child which will contribute to all
levels of learning. And, if your child is interested in science, your child
will be more interested in life in general!

Here are just a
few ideas for including science in your preschooler’s daily life:

Combine art and science.
There are lots of great art projects that have a scientific side to
them and vice versa. This can be a great way to get your child interacting
with the science subject.
Do
preschool science experiments in your home.
Get
science books from the library.
Books about dinosaurs and books about the earth are great for getting
your child interested in science.

Encourage
her to ask questions.
And then encourage her to try and find answers. In other words, when she asks
why leaves fall off of the trees, encourage her to go outside and pick up
some leaves and discuss all of the possibilities with her. Anything hands-on
in the world is good for science.
Find
computer software programs that include science for preschoolers.
Head
to the museum.
There are interactive children’s museums in most cities where you can
get hands-on science that will engage your preschooler’s mind and excite
her about science.
Use a
preschool curriculum that includes science as a major subject of study.
Worksheets, activities and projects all based on science will be a part of
your child’s formal education all the way through college so get started
early on making it enjoyable.
Use
the changes in your preschooler’s body as a starting point for science
discussions.
The human body is one of the science things that your child will always have
at her fingertips. And since she’s growing so fast, there will be changes
that you can point out and discuss with her to help her see how science will
always be a part of her life.
Watch
educational science videos geared towards preschoolers during downtime
to help your child associate science with a fun part of the day.

Science
is a terrifically important part of your preschooler’s education.
It’s the study of all of the things happening in and around her. By making
it fun and engaging, you can encourage your child to always be interested in
it. And this is important not only because it’s going to make life itself
more exciting for her but also because it will give her an edge up in school.
This is particularly true for female children who, unfortunately, still aren’t
encouraged as much as boys are to explore science and science-based careers.
Make use of your preschooler’s natural interest in the world around her
to make science a lifelong experience for her.

Technorati Tags:preschool, science, education, learning, homeschool, kids, children, toddlers, preschoolers

Preschool Curriculum Kits

TheNanny612 — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 02:31:30 +0000

There are a wide
variety of different preschool
programs to choose from so narrowing down the right one for your
child can be a difficult task. You’ll want to make sure that you find
a preschool program which has a preschool
curriculum that meet all of your child’s different learning
needs. But even knowing what your child needs at this young age can be difficult
for a parent, especially if this is your first child. Don’t worry; it
isn’t that hard to find out what you should be looking for when you’re
checking out what different preschool curriculum kits have to offer.

Here are
some tips on what to look for in preschool curriculum kits to make
sure all of your child’s educational needs are being met:

Choose
a kit that can be started at any time during the year.
Many preschool curriculum kits follow a standard September – June
school calendar. However, your child may work more quickly or slowly
than this pace. Find kits that can be started at any date.
Find
preschool curriculum kits that are age-specific.
General preschool kits expect that a two-year-old and a five-year-old
will be learning basically the same skills using the same methods. This
obviously doesn’t make any sense since children of these ages
are very different. Find preschool curriculum kits that offer something
different for different age groups. One for two
year olds, another for three
year olds and a third for pre-kindergarten
ages would be a good choice.

Look
for kits that have workbooks, tear-out sheets and supplemental projects.
You want to be able to stimulate your child’s learning in a range of
different ways. After all, she’s going to be bored if she’s just
working out of a workbook every day. Good preschool curriculum kits will have
project ideas. Some even have computer software to enhance your child’s
learning options.
See if
you can find a curriculum kit that has some re-useable materials.
Some preschool curriculum kits come with workbooks that use wipe-off
markers to allow your child to re-use the pages. This is terrific
because it lets children practice the things that are difficult for them in
order to master them.
Seek
out multi-subject preschool curriculum kits. You want your child
to have a well-rounded education so be sure to find kits that include a number
of different basic educational subjects. For example, a kit that has reading
/ writing materials, science and social studies education and some supplementary
subjects will provide your preschooler with the right tools to do well in
her upcoming educational years.
Use preschool
curriculum kits that work for you. You don’t want the hottest
new thing on the market if it’s not going to work with the style you
prefer for teaching your child. A kit that you are naturally inclined towards
is the best way to go. Also, one which has additional resources for parents
is always helpful.

The fact of the matter is
that you’re probably going to make some mistakes as you educate your preschooler.
That’s part of the learning process for both of you! But you don’t
want to make the mistake of choosing the wrong preschool curriculum kit because
that’s the foundation of those learning years. So, rely on some basic
tips, go with your gut and don’t be afraid to choose a new program if
the one you’re trying doesn’t work for you.

Technorati Tags:preschool, education, learning, children, kids, pre-kindergarten, pre-k, homeschool