Choosing the Best Preschool Curriculum for Homeschool
How do you choose the best preschool curriculum for homeschooling? First, preschool-aged children do not necessarily need a curriculum. However, preschool is a wonderful time to explore home education! If you have considered homeschooling but lack the confidence or experience, this season is a great stepping stone into this exciting possibility.
The easiest way to start is to choose a basic homeschool curriculum that provides some form of structure and guidance. The best preschool curriculum for homeschooling will be hands-on, light, and fun! Let’s look at a few options that fit those criteria.
The Best Preschool Curriculum for Homeschool
Preschool Curriculum for Homeschool: Language Arts
This is an ideal stage to start building the love of reading. Selecting living books and reading aloud to your preschoolers is an excellent way to build a love of reading. Some books (about books) that would be helpful for homeschool moms can be found in this blog post. Another powerful resource is Honey for a Child’s Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life by Gladys Hunt. In this book, she provides powerful and practical suggestions for this purpose.
A language arts curriculum that has been a treasure in our family is The Institute for Excellence in Writing. They offer Primary Arts of Language for Reading and Writing, which is a curriculum for their youngest learners. The reading program portion is where students learn phonics and sight words while playing games and completing other engaging activities. Then, add in the writing component gradually, and students reinforce their reading skills with writing while learning to print letters, words, sentences, and stories using the Structure and Style® approach. IEW guarantees your child will learn to read and write and enjoy it!
I can vouch that this curriculum was a nice addition to our homeschool. We did not start it until Kindergarten, but because it is very much play-based, it can be started at a preschool level and completed over 2 years. Preschoolers definitely do not need to have such a formal rhythm, but either way, make sure your choice invites creativity, exploration, and play.
Preschool Curriculum for Homeschool: Math
While there are companies that offer preschool math curricula, the most delightful choice is books. Math picture books are such a hit! Story-driven teaching proves so powerful, even in the subject of math. Little ones can receive an introduction to critical thinking and computation through math picture books. Check this post out for some of our favorites!
If your preschooler is ready more, check out this page to take our math placement test. Some parents have mentioned their preschooler works slowly through Exploring Creation with Mathematics Level 1. This level is filled to the brim of what you would expect of any Apologia curriculum, including short lessons, hands-on learning, and minimal parent prep work.
Preschool Curriculum for Homeschool: Science
Science is a fun subject to explore with preschoolers. Children at this stage are naturally so full of wonder and curiosity. Exploring God’s creation is innate, and it is even more fun to do together!
Apologia’s Preschool Science: Exploring Creation Together is an excellent choice for studying science in these early years. The pages are filled with colorful and vibrant illustrations that will keep your students engaged.
With open-and-go lessons, parents will also enjoy the ease of using this curriculum. Additionally, there is no set schedule. Parents are encouraged to let their days guide what to cover each day. For example, the text will guide you to seek opportunities to mentor at the moment, use open-ended questions, and think aloud.
The curriculum encourages parents to be on the lookout for the impromptu adventure in science. Because there are 2 separate sections to this curriculum (one written to the student and one written to the parent), the curriculum can be done over multiple years, with it being different every time.
This blog post explores the amazing features of our Preschool Science: Exploring Creation Together course, which is designed specifically for preschoolers.
Gentle Preschool Curriculum: All Subjects
For an all-encompassing preschool curriculum, check out the resources below. Each is gentle in approach, based on a Biblical worldview, and literature—and project-based.
- The Peaceful Preschool from The Peaceful Press
- Let Them Be Little Preschool from Little House Learning Co.
- Little Wanderers Preschool from Little World Wanderers
Preschool is a prime time to introduce rhythms, literature, and life skills. The time you invest in the atmosphere and tone of learning will reap long-term rewards. It’s an exciting beginning to the adventure of a lifetime!
Check out this interview with Rachael Yunis, author of Apologia’s Preschool Science curriculum.