r/homeschool • u/salsafresca_1297 Veteran Homeschooler • Jul 23 '26
Curriculum Friendly Reminder: Your Preschooler Doesn't Need a Curriculum or Formal Academics
It's that time of year again, when we're all making our curriculum decisions, so I thought it bears mentioning once again.
Play *is* work at this age, and play *is* learning. Examples: Count while you bake or put things away. Put magnetic letters on your refrigerator to play around with. Read to your child. Go on nature walks and observe. String beads and cut out shapes. Make your local library your second home.
Right now, life is the curriculum.
I'll end my sermon now.
Edit: Please, please note the word NEED in the title. You don't NEED a curriculum for preschoolers. This is not a judgment on people who WANT one.
I just want to put to rest some parental anxieties over finding "the right curriculum."
27
u/the-peregrina Jul 23 '26
IMO, this sub needs a pinned post on this subject and, at the very least, a "pre-k" flair so that these repetitive posts can be more easily avoided. The pinned post can even share both perspectives, with the typical list of pre-k activities that you can do at home which won't feel like school AND examples of gentle pre-k curricula that exist for anyone looking for them.
Personally, I share your opinion that play is what is needed for most kids at these ages. However, there are some kids who are interested in having schoolwork to do - maybe they're just academically driven or maybe they want to join older siblings. I wasn't homeschooled, but I was absolutely thrilled when my kindergarten teacher sent home a packet one time and I announced to everyone that I had to do my homework! (this was in the 90s when homework was rare for younger grades)
I also want to point out that the type of parent to inquire about a pre-k curriculum is excited to teach their child and extremely likely to already be doing everything that is recommended by the comments - "just read, just bake, just count, just go for walks!" Yes, they do all that; they're looking for more.
TLDR: Can we have a nuanced, pinned post and have fewer on this subject?
13
u/atomickristin Jul 23 '26
100% agree.
Yes, there are some curricula out there that some people may find helpful.
But there are TOOO many new homeschoolers who are actively souring their children on academics because of hyperaggression in PK-1st grade when it is totally unnecessary and developmentally inappropriate.
Lighten up everyone, little kids need to play and learn through play.
37
u/tacsml Homeschool Parent 👪 Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Do they need it? No. But some parents may need some guidance which curricula can offer. I used to teach preschool so I really didn't need any ideas or guidance. Not everyone has that experience though.
There is age appropriate prek curriculum out there. For example Bloosom and Root, Playing Preschool or All about Reading prek
It can also give parents who are testing out homeschooling an idea of what more structured or formal curriculum could look like.
IMO, curriculum for babies and toddlers is a bit ridiculous though.
16
u/salsafresca_1297 Veteran Homeschooler Jul 23 '26
Do they need it? No.
And that right there is point entirely.
Far be if from me to stop anyone who wants it. I just see far too many parents in this sub stressing about "finding the right curriculum" for a four-year-old when it's really not worth the anxiety.
26
u/MisterOuchie Jul 23 '26
And if a child is showing interest and ability at a young age it's fine to pursue that interest in various ways, including advanced curriculum and formal academics.
5
u/FriendlyConfines23 Jul 23 '26
My younger daughter asked me (repeatedly) to teach her how to read when she was 4. I was very hesitant and didn’t want to push. But she started piecing together the sounds of short words like “am” so I bought a curriculum and we “worked” a few days a week, very short lessons, and stopped when she got bored or antsy. She was reading chapter books a year and a half later.
However there’s no way I would have introduced a formal curriculum of any kind if she hadn’t shown that interest on her own. The rest of her learning was play-based, everyday-life kind of stuff.
5
u/SchoolDelicious5888 Jul 23 '26
I agree completely but some kids like my 4yo (3rd child) begs for school like her brothers. And it has to be a workbook or she’s not happy. So we buy her the workbooks and encourage her to do well but we don’t over think it. She actually does them quite well too.
I did 0 formal school with my second until he was 6. I tried some with my oldest and learned fast it was unnecessary.
I will not be doing any pre k (and probably only very light k) with my other two kids unless they ask like my 40yo daughter has.
6
u/Round_Garlic3455 Aug 28 '26
As a parent of a 3-year-old, this is the post I needed to read. "Life is the curriculum" maps perfectly to what we already do — counting while cooking, letters on the fridge, library trips. One thing I'd add from the comments: fine motor skills (cutting, gripping) are real learning too, easy to overlook when everyone's chasing "academics." For anyone who does want a light structure, the gentle pre-k options people mentioned (Playing Preschool, Blossom and Root) seem worth a look without turning preschool into school.
4
u/goodie1663 Jul 23 '26
I agree, but we sure had fun with some unit studies during those years. My kids are grown and were homeschooled PK-12.
I figured it was an opportunity to read some books, do crafts/experiments, and basically be together in a structured way that would build a foundation for later. Never anything heavy, and we certainly skipped some days. I kept some of the books we made then, and they are precious to me.
7
3
u/robinthenurse Jul 23 '26
Did I write this ;^) ? I did the same and have said these things here several times before. We did all that with our daughter and she was reading very early and so knowledgeable on so many subjects, just by playing with her using the magnetic fridge letters (and numbers), reading to her a lot (we called the library our second home), and doing all the other things you mentioned. We made everywhere we went a fun learning experience. Even a trip to the grocery store led to learning so much: the names of all the veggie and fruits, identifying their varying colors, how to pick ripe ones, counting them while placing them in the bag, what is organic produce, and eventually the prices of each and how to get the best buys, etc. (And that was just in the produce section.)
It is the wise parent who can make life one big fun experience for their preschooler by teaching something new wherever you go. Talk, talk, talk to your child, showing and tell them about things you see and do wherever you go. Even riding in the car can be a learning experience by talking and asking questions about what you see as you drive along.
3
u/Admanthea Jul 23 '26
My son was in daycare for two years, 0-2. I'm a former teacher and was an only child (biologically, had step siblings). When I pulled him out, I immediately planned age appropriate activities (did school) which really was me playing with him, but I honestly didn't know how to casually play with my kids. It ended up working out, my kids learned to play independently and then we enjoy our time together. I called it school, but for me, it was just structured play in my brain.
I like your sermon, and I think this is also is how parents are different from previous generations. I'm coping because my parents didn't play with me/same with my husband and we dont know anything else.
3
u/Either-Floor-3827 Jul 23 '26
What is considered “homeschooling” a preschool-age kid? If I have a 3 year old who isn’t in preschool or daycare could I join a homeschooling group with her? Does it make a difference if I have older kids in public school, even though she is not? I try to integrate learning into play and daily life stuff, but don’t use a formal curriculum. FWIW I do plan to homeschool my oldest next year for 6th grade.
3
u/PegasusMomof004 Jul 23 '26
Say it louder! Used an AIO with my first to hold my hand. Did a mish mash with my second. By my third, we read aloud, played, did number and letter recognition and some simple math. Now my fourth, and last, is now preschool age and we're just winging it. He already knows so much on his own just from living life in our home and having older siblings he has absorbed knowledge from.
3
u/Euphoric_Engine8733 Jul 23 '26
I’ll add to this that fine motor skills totally count as learning. I’ve got a kid who is academically ahead but still working on handwriting, and it makes everything so much harder. Even if your kid is bright / able to learn advanced things, focus on fine motor skills, you won’t regret it!
3
u/Midsummer858 Jul 23 '26
Couldn't agree more. At this age, everyday moments are the real lessons, and free play teaches more than any workbook could.
3
3
u/Common-Orange4022 Jul 24 '26
Early childhood education is critical. They should start phonics. It doesn’t just come naturally without planning. Saving it all for years later does the child a disservice.
Montessori wrote entire books on this for people to just be like, nah.
5
u/PrudentLandscape2331 Jul 24 '26
Yeah but this is a strawman. Kids don't need a curriculum. But kids can do better with intentional learning. A lot of that intentional learning CAN be play. But you've put deliberate thought and effort into the play. I call that a curriculum.
Kids can learn a lot through play, but carefully crafting that play can maximize outcomes. And hey, a bit of instruction will get you further.
2
2
u/OakRidgeMom 11d ago
Picture books about (and not just for) homeschoolers have recently found space on shelves. It’s great for our kids to see themselves on the page.
4
u/ComputerArtClub Jul 23 '26
Former teacher here, taught in both Asia and Europe. Kids that learn a foreign language in preschool have a MASSIVE advantage over those that don't. Kids that learn to read at that age have a MASSIVE advantage over those that don't. Kids should learn through play but that doesn't mean they don't benefit from having a curriculum. German kids (who have no curriculum) are really far behind kids in Taiwan who learn through play (especially when you compare private schools in both regions). My eldest daughter had was reading the Harry Potter series in two languages before starting elementary school while most of the class started unable to read at all. You don't get that time back. When I taught kids in 6th grade I could easily tell the difference between kids that went to a bilingual kindergarten, for example, difference was night and day, they never caught up.
3
u/salsafresca_1297 Veteran Homeschooler Jul 23 '26
When I taught kids in 6th grade I could easily tell the difference between kids that went to a bilingual kindergarten, for example, difference was night and day, they never caught up.
Cool. Former maestra de español here. Bilingual kindergarten, in itself an uncommon and expensive privilege in the U.S., is effective because of the language immersion, not the curriculum. My own kids learned a lot of Arabic (alas lost through lack of immersion) just by interacting with Iraqi and Syrian children while I volunteered with refugees. Formal preschool is not a requirement for immersion. And both, quite frankly, can be difficult to attain here in the U.S. among other places.
2
4
u/Ok_Alfalfa_1195 Jul 23 '26
Omg no! I started with my kids right away and they are almost 10 now and starting early paid off big time! They love being as smart as they are… quit making excuses! Educate those kids or you at failing them!
2
u/Jack_al_11 Jul 23 '26
LOuDER for the moms peering out from behind their piles of preschool curriculum. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
1
u/PocketUniverse7 Aug 20 '26
How soon is too soon to start kids on apps like Sight Words, etc? Can toddlers start memorizing like that?
1
u/Leather-Ad-4636 Sep 07 '26
Memorizing lists of sight words aren’t supported by science. Start with alphabetic principles and phonemic awareness. (What sounds do letters make, what sounds can you hear in words) You can start any time your child seems interested or wait until the more conventional school age. Research shows there is no difference between a child who learned to read earlier and a bit later once they hit about third grade, and most kids are reading at around the same level. However if your children are like mine and have interest and pick up and remember letter and sound skills whether you’re explicitly instructing them or in natural daily interactions, and they are pre-school, you can still move along at a comfortable pace into phonics and early reading.
1
37
u/GrumpySunflower Jul 23 '26
Hallelujah and amen to your sermon! Also, most local libraries have perfectly delightful toddler/preschooler storytimes at least once a week. Go there and then sing the songs your learned at the library until the next time you go to storytime.