Preschool Homeschool Curriculum

I’ve had many people ask which curriculum we use for at-home preschool and early kindergarten learning! I was doing some school play with Samuel earlier and thought I’d snap some pictures to share a peek into some of my favorite curricula.

Honestly, I kind of use a hodgepodge of things right now. Some are the same things my mom used when homeschooling my siblings and me, and other things I’ve found on my own or have been recommended by friends. There are so many great curriculums that it’s hard for me not to want to try them all!

I don’t use all of these every day. I just try to keep it fun and not push them too much early on so we both don’t get burned out, especially if we’re starting pretty young. And even though Israel is currently in kindergarten at the local public school, we still supplement his learning with some of these fun games and books too!

1. “Teach Your Child To Ready In 100 Easy Lessons” by Siegfried Engelmann. This book is a favorite and is so easy to use and super cheap too! It’s easy for little ones to learn to sound out letters and builds confidence as they begin to read right at the start! My mom used this with several of my siblings and I used it with Israel and have just started with Samuel!
2. Sing-Spell-Read-And-Write Preschool and Kindergarten Kits These kits are great for teaching phonics and have lots of fun games, easy reader books and songs to help the child learn. The complete sets are kinda pricey, but worth it if you’re planning to homeschool or want your child to have a solid base before starting kindergarten.
3. Preschool Prep DVDs. I first heard about these from my sister-in-law, Anna, and they’re so great! Sam usually watches one a day and stays pretty focused. They’re great at teaching and reinforcing letter sounds and teaching sight words. When we had a DVD player in our last family car I just kept the DVDs in there and would turn them on anytime we wanted to let them watch something.
4. Math-U-See primary book & DVD + manipulatives block set (their skip counting/multiplication tables cd & music book are great too!). This set is a little pricy too, but great if you’re planning to homeschool for more than one child or grade, since you can reuse the instruction manuals, dvd & manipulatives set with the higher grades too!
5. Abeka preschool workbooks are great for teaching letters and numbers. Sam loves to glue beans or corn kernels to each new letter on the page. The Abeka curriculum is popular in Christian schools and they even have an online accredited homeschool academy with DVD and streaming options! Several of my friends use this for their young kids and love it.
6. Chore Packs have been a fun way for the boys to see what is next on their to-do list! My mom used this idea with the little kids when I lived at home so I just made my own for our boys once they were old enough. I number some of the laminated cards and then others I don’t number but just rearrange daily. We have fun with them and even put stuff like “breakfast” on there just so they have an opportunity to switch it out. (Yes, I’m one of “those” people who will write things on my to-do list just to cross it off! 😉 )
7. Busy Toddler Susie (former teacher and the creator of Busy Toddler) has so many fun ideas for learning through hands on play and activities! Check her out on her blog or instagram (@busytoddler) and you won’t be disappointed!
8. Library visits! Ok, this one isn’t really a specific curriculum…but pre-covid, we’d be at the library checking out books and participating in events at least once a week. Encouraging kids to read (or helping them find their favorite subjects for you to read to them!) and explore areas they’re interested in is huge in keeping their excited fire burning + it’s free (or nearly free after the cheap annual fee)!
9. Other homeschool curriculums and helpful resources I’ve used or remember my mom using for various grades include but are not limited to: Alpha Omega (online and/or textbooks), Teaching Textbooks, Accelerated Christian Education (A.C.E.), Bob Jones (yeah, we had the satellite back in the day…lol), Answers in Genesis, BOB Books (early readers), Moody Science, God’s Design for Sex series, Teachers Pay Teachers (free teaching resources and printables!), etc.

Bottom line…whether you’re a supplemental homeschooler who sends their kids to traditional school during the day, or a textbook structured homeschooler teaching your kids at home, or you take more of the Charlotte Mason “unschooling” approach to homeschooling, giving our kids the education they deserve is important for their future! I found this article helpful in discussing things to think about when selecting a curriculum for your child while keeping in mind your own style and their specific learning needs. Also keep in mind that it really does take a village to raise a child. So while we are given the blessing of choosing how to educate our kids (and that can be overwhelming at times!), it’s also important to build a community of positive support around you! Not only for your child, but for you too! Having great support allows you to give your child the best love and care they need from you…their greatest supporter and encourager, their parent! It also allows them to have trusted support close by when they grow into individuals and at times need to rely on someone else for support. Oh, and “to everything there is a season,” so what works right now might not later…flexibility and change can be good things! Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Are you a homeschooling parent or teacher? What are some of your favorite curriculums, resources, and tips? Let us know in the comments below!

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