Are you considering homeschooling but don’t know where to start? Do you have a preschooler who is eager to learn but you have no idea what to teach or how? Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the options? I have laid out what I do to homeschool my children when they are ages 3-5 and have also included my favorite resources for preschool and kindergarten learning.
My Daily Schedule
(This takes 2 hours or less depending on the books we read.)
Image credit: http://babytalkmoms.com/2012/07/fourth-of-july-activities-for-toddlers.html
1. Pray.
- Read a Bible story.
- I start with The Big Picture Story Bible (Book with CD) by David Helm when they are younger. It is my favorite children’s Bible story book for young children. The Bible stories are short and the soft illustrations appeal to even the youngest of children. The focus of the book is to show how the entire Bible (both Old Testament and New Testament) points to Christ. This is great for ages 1-5.
- After we finish that, we read The Golden Children’s Bible: A Full-Color Bible for Kids. I love that the words come straight from the Bible, though each section is shortened to about 1 page. There are realistic-looking illustrations on each page (which I prefer so that children will not think Bible stories are on the same level as fairy tales). This is great for ages 3 1/2 and up!
3. Read 2-4 picture books related to our weekly topic (“morning time basket.”) If you’d like to see our favorite books that go along with activities we do, I posted them here in the order we did them when I only had younger children. Click on each link to see what we did and read: Links for Our Morning Basket Reading & Activities
4. Get up and move. Currently we’re learning to count to 100 by doing 10 different exercises 10 times each. Follow the below YouTube video clip to start. Other times we might clean for 5 minutes, walk around the yard for 5 minutes, or do something else that involves us moving.
- Do math either by playing Sum Swamp or by playing with flashcards. (I always have a small snack like raisins, cereal, popcorn, etc. to go along with the flashcards. My child gets 1 food item for each flashcard s/he gets right.) In case you’re wondering, after my child masters basic addition and subtraction using Sum Swamp, we move on to A Beka’s Arithmetic workbook for grade 1.
- I go through alphabet cards with my 2 year old, using snacks the same way I did with my 4 year old when we did math cards.
7. Phonics. My 4 year old reads a lesson from Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. After we finish that book, we will graduate to the set of A Beka K5 Reading for Fun Enrichment Library.
8. Lunch or snack time.
9. Handwriting.
- Before I tell you what I use, I want to tell you that my oldest son really struggled with fine motor skills (handwriting), so we held off on handwriting until he was 5 1/2. Boys tend to not develop this skill as quickly as girls. It’s okay and perfectly normal! If your child struggles with holding a pencil and hates coloring, have them string beads and pick up items using children’s tweezers. That will help them with their fine motor skills so that they’ll be more comfortable holding a pencil.
- Now back to what I use: I start with a book that has the child connect 2 dots, do short mazes, draw shapes and loops, color pictures, and eventually trace letters.
- After we finish using that book, we graduate to using Draw Write Now, which is what I’m using now with my 4 year old.
10. Piano. This isn’t necessary for preschool/kindergarten. It’s just what we do.
11. Chores. My 4 year old has different chores she does each day. On different days she helps me sort laundry, wipes off the kitchen table and chairs, picks up toys in the living room, and puts away the clean silverware. She is always responsible for putting away her clean clothing and keeping her room tidy. (Yes, I do have to help, but she’s almost learned how to do it all on her own.)
12. Play time.
Once a Week
- Links for Our Morning Basket Reading & Activities – Once a week we do fun activities related to the books we’re reading. Here’s where I’ve posted them in the order we did them. Don’t get overwhelmed. You don’t have to do everything we did. You can just pick and choose a few activities that look fun to you. For each lesson I have included activities (with photos), our favorite books and YouTube video clips, lapbook links, and other resources.
Great Free On-Line Resources
- Letteroftheweek.com offers a free curriculum for your child for each year beginning when they’re a baby and continuing on through elementary school. The preschool lessons include weekly books, art activities, handwriting lessons, and more.
- First-school.ws provides free printable worksheets and craft activities related to various themes (the alphabet, seasons, animals, etc.).
- Homeschoolshare.com offers free lapbook pages & activity ideas for lots of picture books and even includes resources aligned with the Five in a Row curriculum.
Need More Help on How to Homeschool?
More of my posts related to how I homeschool
- Homeschool Kindergarten Essentials – Are you considering homeschooling your kindergarten age child or are you already homeschooling and are looking for ideas? I have graduated 3 of my children from “Kindergarten Homeschool” and am currently homeschooling kindergarten with my 4th child. Below you will find my practical tips for your first year of homeschooling kindergarten.
- Taming Toddler Tornadoes – Are you homeschooling older children and you have a baby and/or toddler at home as well? I currently have three school age children along with a preschooler, toddler, and baby. A question I get a lot from homeschooling families is, “What in the world do you do with your toddler and/or baby?” Read below to find out what I do to keep my babies and toddlers busy and happy while still covering algebra, sentence diagramming, dissections, and more with the older set.
- How to Start Homeschooling (Transitioning from a Public or Private School) – Welcome to the exciting world of homeschooling! I totally remember how overwhelming it is when you first start homeschooling. I’ve been homeschooling for 4 years, so the fear, anxiety, excitement, dread, etc. of starting homeschooling is still fresh in my mind. Many families have asked for my advice on how to start homeschooling. This is what I tell them.
- How to Homeschool Multiple Ages (My Daily Homeschool Schedule) – Are you homeschooling or considering homeschooling more than one child? Below you will find our daily homeschool schedule for 3 different stages: when I only had preschoolers (ages 4 and under), when I only had 1 child who could work independently and 4 who couldn’t, and our current homeschool schedule that includes every age but high school. I have also included a few more tips for general home management.
- My Homeschool Math Curriculum, Games, and Books – Take a peek into our homeschool room! Many days my children B-E-G to do math! Why?!? We combine workbooks with lots of fun math games, toys, and picture books! I have searched through countless curriculums & activities to find the best fit for my children, and I want to share with you what I’ve found that we think is fabulous! I currently homeschool 4 children (18 mo – 4th grade).
- My Homeschool Curriculum for Elementary Grades – Take a peek at my homeschool bookshelf. Actually, all the books are piled across my dining room table right now, but you can peek there too! Ahh, the daunting task of picking out the BEST homeschool curriculum! There are so many great options from which to choose! I have searched through numerous curriculums to find what works best for my family. I am frequently asked what curriculums we use for homeschooling, so I created this page listing what we use. Below you can find the homeschool curriculums that I selected for my family for all subjects for all elementary level grades. I’m not saying our choices are the best choices for your family, but this is what is working for us right now. At the bottom I have also included what our general daily schedule looks like. I wrote this when I was homeschooling 5 children (baby – 4th grade).
© 2013 Shannon
What do you love to do with your preschooler? – Or just let me know you dropped by. I LOVE getting feedback from you!
Shannon (author) from Florida on August 24, 2017:
Thank you! When I followed this schedule, we typically went straight through, though we weren’t completely rigid if there was a need for something like a potty break or diaper change.
Shannon (author) from Florida on August 23, 2017:
Thank you! When I followed this schedule, we did mostly move from one subject to the next. I tried to rotate between a sit-down activity and an activities with movement. (Now that I have older children in the mix as well, our routine looks different.)
rebekah mills on August 22, 2017:
I love your posts!! Have a question..have a 5, 3 and 1 and my routine looks similar to yours. I am wondering if you do the 2 hours strait or if you have a few minutes in between each subject? thanks!
Shannon (author) from Florida on December 12, 2013:
@DaniRren: Thank you for visiting! Yes, we love learning through fun flashcard games.
DaniRren on December 10, 2013:
Flashcards are a great way to teach kids letters since they often come accompanied with pictures that are familiar to the child. It is important that a parent finds interesting program to teach their child how to read. educationalplay.info
Shannon (author) from Florida on October 24, 2013:
@Early2ReadMom: Thank you so much for visiting!
Early2ReadMom on October 23, 2013:
Great lens.
I didn’t totally home school my kids, but I got them a program for early reading that all of them started before preschool. I canât overstate how much it helped their overall confidence level in all subjects. My boy started reading before age 3. As he entered first grade they told me he was reading on the 5th grade level. Kids love reading when they can learn with no pressure.
Diana S.
Early2Read
john9229 on February 04, 2013:
I went back very late on weekdays. I lack of time with my kids.
Shannon (author) from Florida on January 31, 2013:
@Zhivko Stanev: Yes, it is sometimes a challenge to fit in activities throughout the day. This takes less than 2 hours.
Zhivko Stanev from Bulgaria on January 31, 2013:
The problem is to find the time to do all these things. Most people only have a few hours in the morning and in the evening – before and after work.
Shannon (author) from Florida on January 26, 2013:
@MVSquid: Yes, it is!
MVSquid on January 25, 2013:
Great lens. I have to say that one thing I was concerned about in the beginning was how soon to educate a child. After researching the success of early learners I have decided that early training is really important in not only improving a child’s intelligence, but confidence. Homeschooling prior to kindergarten is definitively one of the ways to give a child a head start.
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