The Fun Part!

So, that ends our discussion of recommendations for preschool/kindergarten—-“Wait!  What about social studies, history, science, grammar, foreign language, and physics?”

OK, you are right.  We don’t want to have children who don’t understand the laws of physics or don’t know what a “president” is.  This is actually the fun part!  At this age, it is all about exposure in these areas.  It is time to explore a fire station, see a cave, pick strawberries, visit science museums, and hear foreign languages spoken.

I would encourage you to stay away from boxed curriculum or textbooks – use your money and time to get out in the world.  Let your child experience an art museum.  Take them to a symphony performance.  Find a support group that offers field trips and do it all!!!  Get those passes to the zoo or museum, and take advantage of the classes that are offered for this age group.  If money is tight, check out your local libraries for FREE classes and storytimes.

As far as arts and crafts go, you could simply focus on the holidays for each month.  This helps your children begin to put the months of the year and the days of the week in order.

Explore the web for crafts and printables that teach about things you explore.  If you go to the zoo and your student wants to learn more about elephants, find a coloring page or a mini-book to print and create.  Some great sites include Homeschool Share, Kaboose, Homeschool Helper, and Family Fun.  (The Family Fun magazine was a great resource of fun for us when our girls were younger!)

If you feel like you must have some formal text in these areas of study, I would suggest that you check out the Five in A Row series which uses picture books to explore these subjects.

Just remember that you are wanting to instill a love of learning at this age, and don’t sweat the small stuff.  If your child has the foundation of reading, writing, and understanding numbers, then he will be able to explore and learn about anything he desires, with or without your help.