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Teaching preschoolers at home can be a daunting task.  I for one had fully intended to send Batman to Preschool out of the home.  I figured it would be easier for me, and good for him to interact with other kids.  Unfortunately, life usually doesn’t go the way we plan.

When Batman was diagnosed with Leukemia I knew that Preschool as I had planned was no longer an option.  So, I started researching different methods to teach him myself.  A few times I have started a preschool curriculum only to find out that it didn’t really work for us.  Partly because he was still young (it’s hard to get a 2-year-old to follow directions) and partly because I didn’t want anything really structured or time consuming and that’s what I kept finding.

I am a firm believer in free-play and child-led-play. 

It fosters creativity and is the way children are supposed to learn. I also want to spend time on outings with my children whenever I am able.  We try to take daily walks and go to the nearby park whenever the weather is good. 

But I also have weekly doctor’s appointments and chemotherapy for my son.  Some days he is just too tired to do anything.  Some days he is too emotionally fragile, due to steroids, to follow instructions or do any activity that he doesn’t want to do.  So sometimes those walks don’t happen.  Often playdates are cancelled last minute. And preschool just might not happen on any given day.

So, I created a solution that works for us and I hope will work for you too. 

I developed a theme for the week.  I planned out the year so the themes would easily incorporate the Holidays and Seasons.  For example, the Summer months include themes such as water, garden, & camping while the snow activities are in the Winter.

I have come up with Songs, Books, Activities, and Snacks that go along with each theme.  They range in number and can be done anytime in the week, whenever there is time.  It can be done structured or not.  On some days we may read the books before bed, some days they may be in the afternoon sometime.  Sometimes we do 3 activities in a day, sometimes we do 1 and other days we don’t do any.

Here’s the breakdown:

Songs-

I have 2-4 songs for each theme.  Some of the songs my son already knows, and other are new ones for him to learn.  I’ve tried to find songs that can be interactive whenever possible.

Books-

All the books I’ve chosen we either already own or were able to pick up at the local library.  In our house we are BIG fans of books and reading.  I believe it’s one of the keys as to how Batman knew his alphabet before the age of three.  You can learn more about that here.

I have at least 3 books for every theme, but some have several more.  The books are an easy way to incorporate the theme every day, even if you don’t get to the activities or songs that day. Plus books are always nice when a child isn’t feeling great and just wants to snuggle.

Activities-

Some of the activities are super simple while others are a little more complex.  They are all doable for a 3-year-old and it doesn’t really matter to me if they are done exactly as planned.  I give my son the materials and let him use his imagination.  The activities incorporate art, science, sensory, and movement.

Snacks-

My son can be picky when it comes to food.  I planned snacks with each theme that will make food fun.  Kids like playing with there food.  They are more likely to try it if they can play with it.  Some of the snacks the child can help make, some you might want to make on your own.

Worksheets-

I’m not a huge fan of worksheets.  That being said I think there can be a lot of benefit in them.  Batman may know his ABC’s (check out my post on how he learned them at age 2 here) but he definitely can’t write them yet.  The worksheets teach pre-writing skills and teach him to follow instructions.  The worksheets I use are from the Big Preschool Workbook and I choose a few pages every week to work on.  Again, I am not rigid when it comes to the worksheets; but I do try to fit one in a day if possible.  And let’s be honest, sometimes they simply become a coloring page.

I will be posting a new preschool theme as soon as we have completed it.  I will detail out the Activities, Books, Songs, and Snacks so that you can do it too.  I will also give you the tips and tricks that I have learned along the way to make it more successful. 

Some of the activities I will be adapting so Superman who is almost 1 can enjoy them too and I’ll let you know how they were adapted.  Think of it as a little Tot School bonus in case you have a younger one as well.

I hope you follow along with me on our home preschool adventure.

Check back next week for theme #1: The Body