Thank you very much.
God Bless!!
Gina
Dear Gina,
Congratulations on your quest to start
homeschooling at the preschool level! The preschool age
presents many opportunities for growing and learning
through various means: curricula, field trips, hands-on
activities, cooperatives, to name a few.
There is no right
way or wrong way of starting, just dive in and encourage your
preschooler to explore the world around him/her.
Identify his/her passions, and then you can start teaching through a loose-based unit study based on her
passions. For example, if she wants to paint, consider
each day working with a new medium (i.e., Monday -
watercolor; Tuesday - read about a famous artist;
Wednesday - art museum; Thursday - paint with straws or
other fun tool; Friday - finger paints).
For outside stimuli,
consider joining a cooperative.
Here, you'll experience the support and fellowship of
other local homeschool moms and create an environment of
learning with your daughter's peers on a variety of
subjects.
Lastly, enjoy
yourself. At this age, there are no milestone
requirements. Do take this time to read a few great
homeschool books to help direct desirable learning as
you venture to Kindergarten level. A search at the local
library will present many focused good reads, too, by
experienced homeschool parents who started out just like
you! And, do consider attending
curriculum fairs
(usually in the spring and summer). You'll be able to
pour over materials and pick-and-choose to create your
own curriculum or purchase a boxed curriculum if that
suits your style. Regardless, these fairs present
dynamic speakers to help you in every step in this
at-home educational endeavor.
When you're ready to
start Kindergarten, you'll need to determine if your
child's progress will be
monitored by the
local public school system or through an umbrella group.
You can start with a simple phone call or email to begin
the process. But, for now, enjoy this time of
child-initiated learning at such an eager, young age!
These are the steps that foster love of learning and
help offer peace of mind throughout your journey!
Good luck!
HSF! Staff
