Starting Pre-School At Home & Must Haves
It has been an interesting year to say the least. I am sure that this has rocked most people out of the 'normal' routines. The most recent thing that most parents are faced with is school. I know many parents that have kids that are doing virtual learning or maybe made a decision to homeschool. Whatever pathway you chose, I am sure that it is a lot more than what you've dealt with in the previous years. I am a bit behind many Moms out there that have already started school. I guess I can't be too hard on myself since I decided to create a PRE-K curriculum myself for our daughter. She is turning 4 this November and is already so ahead. She's been begging to go to school and ride the school bus so to kind of start her off on a routine, I decided to do a few things with her starting September 8th. So I picked up a few things from Barnes and Nobles and ordered a few things off of amazon.
Since I have quite a few Moms with young children that follow me, I wanted share what I bought and what my plans are for teaching my daughter and prepping her for Kindergarten.
So obviously, the first thing is the ABCs and the first 20 numbers. Of course she learned the song a long time ago but she hasn't learned to identify each letter. I think flashcards are a great place to start. I think part of learning to identify letters is also learning to write them at the same time, so this will be another task. I found really inexpensive notebooks from Target that she can use to help guide her in her writing.
One of the perks of teaching your own child is that you're able to curate the way you teach them by adding in things that they like. For example, Mila loves puzzles so I found some really fun ones that teach her numbers, letters, and opposites. Not only that but I love that I will have this same material next year to teach Toby with. (puzzles linked below)
Opposites Puzzles
Children Of the World Crocodile Creek Puzzle
Speaking of reusable material, I found these awesome books in which Mila can write in with dry erase markers and then you can wipe them clean. Not only is this good for repetition but also serve another child in the process. You know me, I love multi-purpose products. I found some of these books at TJ Maxx and then I started seeing them at Target in the books section. I picked this one specifically from Barnes and Nobles since they had so many more options for different age groups. (linked below)
Scholastic Wipe Clean Summer Workbook
Because they say that this is the prime time to teach kids a second language, I decided to start teaching my kids Russian. I know, I haven't been on top of that at all even though I know how to speak it myself. I find it a bit more challenging since my spouse is American. It's hard to be consistent, but I am going to start speaking with them for at least an hour a day and then increase every two weeks until it becomes a habit. I've also picked up some material off of Amazon. I found a book that teaches kids the Russian alphabet, a book with pictures and names of the items in the picture in Russian and in English, as well as a notebook that teaches kids how to write Russian letters. All beginners stuff. I am setting a time frame but I may have to extend or expedite depending on how she responds.
Lastly, we decided to change up their nightly routine by starting to do a devotional. I found this Precious Moments devotional as well as Berenstain Bears (I grew up on these) devotional. I love it because the illustrations are so beautiful and the stories are only 1 to 2 pages long which is perfect for toddlers because their attention span can be quite short lol. We already started those and we love the fact that each story ends with the scripture which we repeat several times. I believe that we should really be mindful as to how our kids end their night. I am a strong believer that all the things that we do, contribute to their overall sleep and developmental health. I think it's important that we watch what they consume not only food related but through media and books. All of those play a huge role in the shaping of our children. (Both books linked below)
Precious Moments 5-Minute Bedtime Treasury
Berenstain Bedtime Bears Devotional
I am sure that I will keep adding other activities in conjunction to these items as I go on. I personally want my kids to be book smart but also be knowledgeable in regards to just simple life skills. This year I am working on getting my fall garden up and running so I am excited for them to help me in the taking care process as we wait on the harvest.
Let me know what you did with your toddlers that worked for you and for them?
Create Coleture, Be YOU