Pre-School Update

It’s only been a day but a decision was made yesterday about how we are going to embark on this journey. The most financial part will be purchasing Sonlights P3/4 Newcomer set. It comes with a great variety of books, a Paren’ts guide, and other accessories. I am considering adding all the books to my cart and then purchasing the construction paper at a craft store or walmart when school shopping starts in August. The set, if we buy it complete, will cost about $300.00 and I want to see if just buying the books that can not be purchased elsewhere will be cheaper opposed to the entire set. I know I can certainly get child safe scissors, construction paper, etc. cheaper during school shopping season however with everything combined in one, I may be making a better deal.

We’re also going to supplement with work books. The Sonlight P3/4 is based mainly around reading and activities but does not include any workbooks. Right now Hooked on Phonics is having a fantastic 70% off sale and you can get an additional 50% off using the SLICK50 promotional code. I’m waiting till tomorrow to make the work book purchases because I am receiving a refund from a purchase I made on ebay. It’s only a $9.20 refund but it was unexpected and it should cover at least 3 different work books including shipping! I’ll also stop at Olli’s over the summer and check out the work books available there. As well as scope out what WalMart, Toys R Us and other online stores may be providing at decent prices.

I likely won’t be purchasing the Sonlight program until the end of the summer but work books I plan to gather over the summer months. And this way, even if we don’t have our ideal package ready at hand yet, we have something to begin until we do have it. Being that our decision to home-school did not happen till late April-Early May we did not have the winter to save to make all these purchases and I want to make sure that buying it, does not affect our family financially. So I’ll save $50.00 every two weeks, $100 a month, and by the end of August have the $300.00 it will cost to buy this preschool set.  I also plan on using School Express’s free work sheets as well. These we’ll be doing in the summer and throughout the school year, if we haven’t completed the ones I already approve of by then.

There are a lot of free home-school work sheet printables available, however, I am nitpicky. Not exactly nitpicky about how they have a certain letter shaped, etc. but I don’t like paper clutter all too much. Having tons of computer printed paper scattered around with doodles is not my idea and I’d rather it all be glued together in a book, opposed to every where around the house. I do think I’ll print out their entire alphabet work sheets for Ages 3-6 for both kiddos and bind them so they make a book but that may be the extent I go to until the kiddos have learned about paper control.

Pre-School at Home

I think over the course of the last few weeks I’ve talked about how we decided that we are going to pre-school at home and chances are continue through with home-schooling. We made this decision based off of a number of things finances, work schedules, pre-schools available, etc. And it’s an awful brave decision as I can tell you, three years ago (almost 4!) when I had my first daughter, this thought never crossed my mind and it was only discussed a handful of times in the past few years. Lately, it’s been a big topic in my home and something laying heavily on my mind.

If your venturing on this path to, I think my biggest tip at the moment: Don’t overwhelm yourself. You don’t need a lot to do pre-school at home. Most of the things in your home are learning tools!

Our biggest decision is how exactly we want to go about it. There are many packages, small craft projects, books, etc. that can get you started. And I’ve saved a lot in my favorites. But I think my biggest task will be simple. Thinking of activities for the kids, that they will enjoy and learn from at the same time. I talk to friends of mine (who mind you, live all over the USA) that are putting their kids in pre-school and what they will be learning. Apparently Baby V’s pal, Al, will be learning to write, basic mathematics, the alphabet, how to spell and even write his name. I don’t remember learning that in pre-school. There seems to be a lot of pressure now to make kids learn quick and know many things before even reaching kindergarten. I would prefer an ‘at your own pace’ method, honestly.

To say I’m not nervous and a little lost as to where to start with this adventure would be a lie. I think for anyone it would be a bit intimidating to decide to homeschool your children. Whether you start in pre-school or with kindergarten. There are a lot of state laws and they vary state to state. Thankfully, with pre-school, I do not have to worry about that and have about a year before really learning the laws of my own state. There is also a plethora of information from different types of learning/teaching, to work books, to collections to start with, to opinions. Right now we’ve been having a huge toss up on where we want to begin.

Would it be better for us to pay about $300.00 and use Sonlight’s Preschool 3 & 4 set? Or should we pick up hooked on phonics pre-k to second grade set and start from there? The hooked on phonics I know I can find at Olli’s for much cheaper than directly through the site but at the moment I’m not exactly focusing on the initial investment. Or…should we come up with a variety of activities (at home and out of the house), pick up some pre-school age work books and games, and go from there?

I’m definitely a person who likes to have a plan, something sort of set in stone so that I know what I’ll be doing the next day. I think as a teacher and Mother for my children, I might feel more comfortable going with a ‘already made’ pre-school set and go from there. Being it the first year, I’d rather start off with something that is focused on what I’m looking for and then expand my horizons. So yes, as many times as I’ve been told that there is no need for a curriculum, that the majority of preschool is reading, I might go with the Sonlight program because I believe it would help me to be a better teacher instead of all over the place.

Really, I’m not sure where to begin. And I think, beginning is going to start with my first purchase. I’ll be continuing to update as we begin this adventure and prepare for pre-school!

Pre-School

My oldest is going to be 4 in November. It’s so shocking to believe but she’s ready for pre-school. My youngest (well current youngest) is going to be 3 in January and in my opinion, that’s not to young for pre-school. So of course, I browsed the web and searched high and low for the ‘perfect’ pre-school for my girls. Many seemed absolutely wonderful. Not many downsides to a lot of the programs offered in my area. Except of course when you start factoring in price.

So the bottom line question? Am I going to deny my children pre-school because they want to charge anywhere between $250.00 to $400.00 per child, per week? No. It was this very thing, other than being a one-car family and hubby’s work schedule, that made us start considering other options. My sister-in-law home-schools. She’s home-schooled since Pre-K. While her oldest two did go to pre-school, that was the extent of their ‘public’ education.

I began thinking about home-schooling my own children. Even through the pre-school years. The benefits are astounding, in my opinion and the options are huge. I of course thought that I would have to venture into pre-school at home with lesson plans, curriculiums, etc. Not such the case. Pre-School, while a lot more advanced compared to my toddler/pre-school/pre-k years, is basic. Colors, Shapes, Fine Motor Skills, Recognition, Pre-Writing, Identifying, Differences and Similarities. Many of these things can be taught without a text book, without a guide. But being myself, I like to have a plan. My plan is definitely in the works and rough draft mode.

What do I have already? Well I know that I want to focus on a letter each week, or two weeks, going at the pace with my own kids. I have work-books I’d like to get them and have a list of activities and games highly suggested for home-school pre-schoolers. My favorite thing about all of this? We can go at their pace instead of jumping to the next subject when they might not be ready for it.

I don’t have to worry about age-limits, qualifications, etc. And what I love most? I get to spend the time with my kids doing a large range of different things they will enjoy.

Now, the biggest worry and one big thing a lot of public-education supporters speak about is socialization. Where I live, we don’t have a lot of friends but we do have family with children so the source of my kids socialization is mainly them. Our children use to have a large group of kids to play with when we we’re a military family and we certainly miss that. Our solution? The YMCA and possibly in the next year or two getting together with other home-schoolers and maybe play groups.

Our YMCA offers quite a variety of activities for our kids to be involved in with other children. We intend to sign them up for swimming classes and gymnastic classes for this summer and hopefully continue throughout the fall, winter and spring when we begin pre-school at home. I’m hoping that by getting them involved at the YMCA it will help boost their sharing, social, and patience skills and we’ll be ready for play groups and home school groups in no time!

Here’s to pre-school and home schooling!!!