You would think that after having 4 kids already go through preschool age I would know what to do for my 4yo as far as school goes. I don't want a lot of curriculum for her because at this age I think playing is the best way to learn, however she wants something that resembles school so she feels like a big kid. I tried the pre-k comprehensive curriculum book from Costco and she doesn't want it because the older kids have lots of books and she only has one. So, I pulled out an old math program that I bought and never used and she seems to like it. Sort of. I can't even remember the name of it right now, but it was cheap at a garage sale. I was wondering if something like math-u-see would even be worth purchasing at this age? Should I just use what I have as long as she is learning and having fun? I am also starting to teach the ABC's to her...actually Leap Frog videos are doing that right now. I want her to start learning to read sooner than later because I have waited to teach my older 4 kids until they were ready and 2 of them still struggle a bit. My 8yo is a pain in the butt when it comes to reading because she can, but she claims she can't. She won't read ANYTHING to me unless she knows she can do it perfectly. I don't want to have to go through that with my 4yo when she is older. Now I am just rambling. I am tired, it's bedtime, and I have been working on next years curriculum for a few weeks and am worn out! Any advice on anything would be helpful. I think my brain is done working.
That's what I was going to say, Josie, but you beat me to it! Or print off things from the internet and staple them together into "books". About earlier reading. I would say that if she doesn't take to it immediately, maybe she's not ready, and if you push when they're not ready, it just won't work. My grandson is the same way about reading for me -- insists he can't, although he CAN. And he's just 8 also. Maybe that's a 7/8 "thing"?
I have tried the dollar store workbooks and she hates them because they arent thick like her siblings books. I haven't yet tried to print anything off and make it into a book. I think I will try that. As for the reading I am not going to push, just gently start teaching now instead of waiting. I figure if we go slow and steady she could be reading in a year or two instead of in 4 years. I don't want to pressure her and make her hate reading.
print worksheets and put them into a binder.. so that she has a thick "book". my preschooler loves colored counting blocks ($1 at target) but could also use colored counting bears (my DD would probably like those better but weve never had any). She sorts them out by colors and counts them, and we are working on making patterns with them. She calls this her "work". she also really loves tracing worksheets... just some thoughts.
Duh! I totally forgot about tracing worksheets! I am going to make her a binder of all kinds of things. I printed of some tanagram worksheets and laminated them so she can work on those too. I think my brain was just a bit rusty. It's been 4 years since I have had a preschooler. I knew I could glean ideas from all of you!
Could you take a bunch of the workbooks, drill holes in them and separate the pages, and put them into a notebook. That way, since there's a bunch of them, it seems like a "big" book like the older siblings.
This is great information. I currently have a 4 year old, 2 year old, and 2 month old so these tips will be useful!
Or just spring for one of those huge $10 workbooks at WalMart. I think they might be called "The BIG Everything Book for PK" or some sort of title like that. They ARE several of the smaller workbooks published as one huge one! They're like an inch-and-a-half thick!
Critical Thinking's Mathematical Reasoning books are pretty thick and they start out for age 3 and 4. ETC isn't thick, but she could get a couple to work through for the whole year. Add to that a few simple maze or dot to dot books and a handwriting book and she will have lots to choose from.
I've considered getting the MUS lowest level for my younger two. I haven't done a lot of math in kindy/prek with my other two but my kids are all math inclined - esp my dd so I think that they would actually prefer to have an actual math program early on. My kids are all fine with printed off pages for "school" so I've never had the problem of them feeling like their book wasn't big enough. I put things in page protectors in binders and use dry erase crayons - I find that they wash off of page protectors much easier than the markers. My kids love this.
I have a 4yo that sounds just like her. She doesn't like anything that seems like 'preschool'. It has to be real school. I've taken to printing out things and putting them in duotangs or binders so that it feels more schooly. I am thinking about doing a more structured phonics program with her b/c she wants to do school and she seems to have a hard time retaining info in that area. So I thought we might start something in September that systematically covers each letter. But I have to carve out a budget for it! Ideally I'd like this year to be more of an interest led learning year, without a lot of demands and workbooks. But, the younger kids just want to be included. To her, doing school the right way is so important. lol! Good luck! Let us know what you decide!
OFF TOPIC sort of: I have found that WET-erase markers are perfect for page protectors, where DRY-erase can be hard to get off. I haven't tried the crayons... Now back to our regularly-scheduled thread!
