7 Steps to Preschool at Home

Homeschooling your preschooler should not be overwhelming. These are seven steps to help you preschool-at-home

Seven Steps to Preschool-at-Home

1. Create space
2. Gather resources
3. Create connections
4. Choose an activity
5. Take care of You
6. Curriculum
7. Learn from life

The very first thing to consider when wondering how to begin homeschooling a preschooler is that home education is now part of your family culture. Homeschool preschool doesn’t happen from 9 till 3 on weekdays - you’re about to embark on an educationally rich, stimulating, adventurous journey with your children. This doesn’t necessarily mean a whole room of resources and a schedule filled with various activities and classes. Your homeschool space can be as simple as a corner, shelf, little table, or storage box. It will fit with you and your lifestyle. If you’re leaning toward natural learning or unschooling, there may be no changes at all to your space or your routine. You’ll just keep learning through play and life, just as you did before your child was labelled a ‘preschooler’.

In whatever space you’ve allocated, you can gather anything remotely educational that you already have – books, puzzles, games, art supplies, perhaps a little nature shelf or alphabet poster. You might have or obtain an appropriate-sized table and chair. This little space helps with getting a clear idea of how homeschooling might happen for your family.

Find out about homeschooling groups near you. There might be homeschool preschool or playgroups, or only bigger groups for all ages. If possible, link in with a group and meet some locals who are walking this path alongside you or ahead of you. This is invaluable!

Choose one activity for your little one. This might be the homeschool group, or it might be a gymnastics, swimming, dance, horseriding, library activity, sport, a zoom call with a cousin or friend, or regular playground time. Having at least one thing a week to do marks the passing of time and creates some rhythm, as well as being valuable for social interaction.

It’s also important to nourish you, the parent, carer and/or educator. You might meet people at a homeschooling group or online, who are in the same situation as you. You might listen to audiobooks or read paper versions about homeschooling. You could subscribe to a homeschooling magazine. However you do it, don’t forget to honour yourself and this journey.

At this age, any off-the-shelf Australian letters and numbers books is all you need to begin. Look for the type where the child traces over dotted lines and progress from there. Quality pencils, and early readers or phonics books are other useful resources. By doing the workbooks, reading stories, playing, and creating, they’ll be moving toward writing letters and numbers, reading independently, and entertaining themselves, with confidence, with happiness, with joy, and without tears.

Chores, hobbies, pets, Outschool classes and groups, craft kits, and learning apps are other great options for preschoolers to learn, every day. Weave these things in with plenty of adventures, picnics, quality movies and books, cooking and cuddling, and you’ll soon be creating memories with your happy preschooler.

Recommended Outschool Preschool Classes:

Belinda Moore has homeschooled seven children through the preschool years over the past 25 years as well as run many playgroups, co-ops and camps. It’s her absolute favourite stage of childhood.