Preparing for Preschool.

I'll be using a combination of different things for preschool. As you have seen in my previous posts, this was probably the last thing for me to settle on. Here is a list of what Anthony will be enjoying this new school year.

• Handwriting Without Tears Pre-K (HWT)
• My Father's World From A to Z Kindergarten Curriculum (MFW)
  
• Rod and Staff Preschool Workbooks (R&S)
  
• Preschool Box

This seems like a lot of material to cover for a preschooler. But here is how I'm going to break it down.

HWT
This super fun curriculum (I did this with Marco as a preschooler) will be implemented using the suggested schedule in the Teacher's Guide. The work is done daily and takes about 15 minutes. It's fun, easy, and a great way for preschoolers to learn because it is so multi-sensory.

MFW
Another great, multi-sensory program that leads the child from letter recognition to reading basic words. I'm not sure Anthony is ready to take this on all the way as a preschooler, so I am scheduling it only 2-3 times a week as opposed to the recommended full week, daily schedule. What is wonderful about this program is that it is all inclusive. It ties in math, phonics, reading, science, art, creative thinking, and character development...all in one curriculum! My plan is to take it easy and perhaps even finish this over the course of 2 years. Of course, this is all depending on how Anthony takes to it.

R&S
These are really wonderful little workbooks and I plan on using them while the older kids are doing their own school work. Once directions are given for a page, Anthony will be able to work on these on his own. This will help develop some independence and fill his own need to sit down and do serious work with the older kids. They will be a great way to reinforce shapes, numbers, colors, letters, and so much more. They really are fun books! And with 7 workbooks plus a bible story book in the set for only $20, they are a bargain!

Preschool Box

I am going to continue to use our preschool box this year. It saved my sanity many times and it is a great asset to any homeschooling family! For ideas on getting a preschool box started, visit my Homeschooling with Toddlers post. I rotate activities every week and these are all mostly Montessori inspired. (Check out my Preschool Activities post for even more ideas!) This year I am adding the MFW Preschool Package to the mix. It comes with wonderful Lauri products, as well as a handy learning activity booklet that was developed for use with MFW. Not only that, but I will also be making more preschool activity bags using the book Montessori on a Shoestring. With Christian running around, this will help me out with him as well!

I'm expecting to spend about 1 hour to 1.5 hours a day (depending on the day) one-on-one with Anthony. This won't be all at the same time either and doesn't include independent activities like his preschool box or R&S workbooks. He'll also be participating in our homeschool co-op once a week where he will participate in music, bible class, and unit studies.

Overall, he's going to have a great year!!