Let’s look at the way many preschools/daycares organize themselves and discuss how we can not only do these things at home with our children, but do them better(!) than someone else can do in an artificial setting. Most of the following categories were taken from a teacher resource site offering signs for the various learning areas in their classrooms. Since this could get lengthy, I’ll put this into a few posts.

1. Magnet board: You can definately handle this one. Let your children arrange magnetic letters, numbers, animals or other homemade magnets (made with magazine pictures reinforced with cardboard and stuck on pieces of magnetic strip) on the refrigerator, washer, dryer or cookie sheet. Obviously, this will happen while you work where the “board” is. This can be a free-play activity or you can suggest some type of learning game. “Let’s sort these food magnets by food group.” or “Can you put these letters in ABC order? Sing the song to help you.” or “What comes after each of these numbers? Stick them on after each one.” Keep it fresh by rotating the magnet sets and making the children put them back in a zipbag when you leave the area.
2. Puzzles: If your puzzles are getting boring, borrow some from one of your friends. For an added challenge, you can take the pieces out of two or more puzzles and have your child sort them into the correct puzzle. Make your own puzzles with magazine/catalog pictures glued onto cardboard and cut into age appropriate shapes. Keep your puzzles in a place where they can be used regularly near you while you do something else. For example, you could put a puzzle shelf in the living room (for the little ones to use while the rest of the family watches videos or reads aloud), or by your computer, or in the kitchen to be used while you cook. Puzzles should be easy for your little ones to transport to a flat surface without dumping them or they may tend to avoid them all together!
3. Cooking: Let your children join you in the kitchen! I know they make messes, but you’ll survive. Talk the whole time: tell them what you’re cooking, why you chose it (“Daddy loves this casserole.” “These beets are so great! They even fight cancer!”), what ingredients you are using, what they do (“This baking soda makes the biscuits rise.”), what utensils you’re using, etc. Let them dump ingredients, stir, and anything else they can handle. Even a two-year-old can cut some raw vegetables with a regular table knife. My kids love to do this. Today my four-year-old stood near me in the kitchen and helped peel carrots for lunch with a peeler. She did great!

When my oldest was three, I read a fantastic homeschool catalog that had lengthy segments to train newbie homeschool parents and provide thoughtful recommendations on many products. I was captivated and bought many things that they recommended. One of those was a preschool/kindergarten curriculum which was very basic and affordable. The author laid out a great plan on how to teach “preschool/kindergarten” simply and easily in the home. I was pumped! Unfortunately life set in. I would start boldly with each new preschooler, and meet defeat every time!

Now, I would recommend this book to anyone. It wasn’t the book’s fault. It was mine. When I only had two kids (close enough to do the curriculum together), I wasn’t organized and disciplined enough to do it regularly. As we added more children, just doing life and keeping the older ones learning always seemed to prevent me from carrying out a regular preschool time with the preschool-aged children.

I felt so bad! My shelf full of cool preschool supplies and activities seemed to mock me. When would I ever fit it all in?

The rigors of teaching a large family at home cannot be understated. In my house, the older children often eat up almost all my teaching time. Now, I know there are large families out there where the Mom schedules 30 minutes or so with her littlest members for a “school time” to get their little love tanks filled before she switches focus to the older kids. I have tried this, but I’ve never been able to keep it up.

So, are my little ones deprived, empty-hearted and way behind when they enter kindergarten or first grade? No! I’ve learned to make “preschool” more of a lifestyle. That’s in no way a put down for the Moms who clear time for it on the schedule. I applaud them. But if you are like me, I want to encourage and inspire you on how to accomplish the same things as you go. Be sure to come back for the next installment of Lifestyle Preschool.