10 Tips for Homeschooling a Preschooler and Making Homeschool Fun (2024)

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Do you want to give your child a head start on their education? Would you like to help them love learning and explore the world around them, all while having fun?

Homeschooling your preschooler is an excellent way to do this. Here you can learn how to homeschool preschool kiddos by these specific 10 tips for homeschooling a preschooler that will ensure that they have a successful and enjoyable experience from day one.

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10 Tips for Homeschooling a Preschooler and Making Homeschool Fun (1)

1. Set Up an Engaging Homeschool Space

Whether or not you choose to have a dedicated homeschool room, your child should have access to lots of fun educational toys and activities in their home.

This is because no matter what age they are if they are engaged in an activity that interests them, they will learn.

Little ones naturally love to play. This makes it easy to engage them in learning activities by turning the things they love into lesson plans!

Playdough can be used for creative writing prompts; crayons can be used to learn letters and numbers; puzzles can help with problem-solving skills; baking or cooking activities are a great way to teach science, math, and measurements; and building toys are excellent for working on their fine motor skills.

2. Choose a Fun Preschool Curriculum

When choosing a homeschool preschool curriculum, it is important to look for a curriculum that has lots of fun hands-on activities.

When homeschooling a preschooler, they need to be able to experience what they are learning for them to learn effectively.

10 Tips for Homeschooling a Preschooler and Making Homeschool Fun (2)

3. Create a Homeschooling Routine

Having a routine will help your child learn what to expect every day and how long each part of their homeschool day is going to last. It also helps them understand that this is a dedicated time for learning.

Many families find that it’s best to work on any formal lessons when their child has the most energy. For lots of kids, this is first thing in the morning, but you can experiment and see when your child is most engaged.

4. Keep Lessons Short

Homeschooling preschool requires you to keep lessons short. Ideally, each preschool lesson should be between 5 and 20 minutes long. Your whole formal school day will probably take from 30 minutes to 1 hour total.

You can increase your child’s attention span by making lessons fun with engaging activities. Repetition is an effective way to help kids learn, so repeat the same lesson often to help them retain the information.

Because as you’re always learning how to how to homeschool preschool kids, just know that they tend to have shorter attention spans, and make sure you are incorporating frequent breaks (about every 15 minutes).

This is a great time to incorporate some fun learning games or physical activity.

5. Focus on the Basics: Reading and Math Skills

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During your child’s first year of homeschooling, it’s a good idea to start by teaching them the foundations of reading and math. Spend lots of time reading out loud to your little one.

Once you feel comfortable teaching these skills, you can move on to other subjects such as science, history, and art.

Don’t feel pressured to teach them every subject in the first year. You will have plenty of time to include these subjects in the future!

6. Incorporate Topics Your Child is Interested In

Young children are naturally curious and enjoy exploring, so one way to learn how to homeschool preschool kiddos is by using their interests to your advantage when choosing curriculum topics.

For example, if they love trains, then math lessons involving counting train cars and measuring train tracks will be a lot more fun for them.

Lots of research shows that kids learn and remember more when they are learning about a topic they are interested in.

7. Use Hands-On Activities to Engage Them in Learning

10 Tips for Homeschooling a Preschooler and Making Homeschool Fun (4)

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One of the tips for homeschooling a preschooler is to include hands-on activities to engage them in learning. Young kiddos learn best by doing, so you can use this to your advantage in homeschooling.

Using hands-on activities to teach lessons will help your child retain what they learn. If you use hands-on activities to teach lessons, your child will likely have an easier time remembering what they learned.

8. Encourage Kids to Be Creative and Explore with Their Senses

Another great way to learn how to homeschool preschool is to engage them by encouraging them to explore the world around them using their senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste.

Young kids enjoy exploring and learning about their surroundings and home education is a great opportunity for them to do that.

9. Make Time to Play Often

Young kids learn best when they’re having fun, so make sure you take time to play with them often throughout the day. Studies show that kids learn better when they are relaxed and having fun.

Never underestimate the importance of playtime! It’s fun for little kids and can help foster all kinds of things like social skills, creativity, physical development, language skills and so much more.

10. Make Your Homeschool Lessons Fun

As a parent, it’s your job to make sure that your child enjoys learning. Try to be relaxed and to make learning a fun activity that you do together.

It’s important that you stay flexible and don’t get too worried about following your curriculum. As much as possible, let your child choose which activities they’d like to do.

This will make it much more enjoyable for them.

More Tips for Homeschooling a Preschooler

The tips for homeschooling a preschooler can seem like a daunting task, but with the right support, you can make it an exciting experience for your child.

The best way to learn how to how to homeschool preschool kiddos is to help them enjoy school is by making sure that their lessons are fun and that they have plenty of opportunities to explore independently.

With the right support from parents, children grow up loving learning because of how we all made it such an exciting experience in their lives.

Thank you to Sarah Miller with Homeschooling 4 Him for writing this guest post!

Sarah Miller is a homeschool mom of two and an educator with over a decade of experience teaching kids in preschool through high school. She helps homeschool parents get started homeschooling with confidence at Homeschooling 4 Him, where she shares ideas and tricks to make home schooling simple and fun. You can also connect with Sarah on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

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10 Tips for Homeschooling a Preschooler and Making Homeschool Fun (2024)

FAQs

How to structure homeschool preschool? ›

Preschool Homeschooling Tips & Ideas
  1. Read together every day. Reading with your child benefits them in so many ways. ...
  2. Don't forget the importance of play. Schedule breaks for play time. ...
  3. Let your child help around the house. ...
  4. Use technology to help them learn. ...
  5. Go on field trips. ...
  6. Use toys to teach.

How to get excited about homeschooling? ›

How to Love Homeschooling
  1. Let go of comparison. All children develop at a different rate, and comparison is a major joy killer. ...
  2. Observe your child. Observe how they learn, what gets them excited, and what they want to learn. ...
  3. Incorporate creativity.
Jan 20, 2023

How can I stop being bored at homeschooling? ›

How homeschoolers can cure boredom
  1. Take a break from learning. ...
  2. Add an activity to the lesson. ...
  3. Create some curiosity. ...
  4. Provide discussion time. ...
  5. Create. ...
  6. Energize or recharge. ...
  7. Mix it up: who teaches and where. ...
  8. Keep it simple.

What is the hardest part of homeschooling? ›

You're responsible for preparing lessons, personalizing your curriculum, assessing your students, socializing your children, and managing your time—while still doing the hard work of parenting. You may find that the hardest part of homeschooling is balancing these various commitments.

How to teach a preschooler at home? ›

PLAY is the best way to teach a preschooler!

In fact, we all learn best when we are having fun, and that is especially true for preschoolers! Truly. Focus on play. Learning games, board games, online games, apps, pretend, toys, etc., are all educational tools for a preschooler.

What's a good schedule for a 3 year old? ›

Sample schedule
  • 7:30 to 8 a.m.: Wake up.
  • 8 to 9 a.m.: Eat breakfast and clean up. ...
  • 9 to 10 a.m.: Playtime. ...
  • 10 to 11 a.m.: Outdoor time, exercise, etc. ...
  • 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Planned activity or errands. ...
  • 12 to 1 p.m.: Lunch and wind down. ...
  • 1 to 3 p.m.: Nap or quiet time. ...
  • 3 to 3:30 p.m.: Afternoon snack.
Sep 24, 2021

What makes a good homeschool parent? ›

Fostering an internal love of learning is probably the most important thing homeschool parents can do. After all, learning at home tends to involve a lot of independent study, which makes self-motivation a key ingredient to successful homeschooling.

How do you show progress in homeschooling? ›

Another way to measure academic progress is to make a portfolio. This is a fun way for you and your child to track their progress. You can make one portfolio with all their work, or you can make separate portfolios for each subject. For example, you can make one portfolio with all their writing in it.

What is homeschool burnout? ›

As a homeschooling parent, you may find yourself overwhelmed, struggling to find the energy to keep going when you're responsible for planning curriculum day in and day out. You might be questioning whether you're doing enough, feeling like you're falling behind, or finding it hard to motivate your children to learn.

How stressful is homeschooling? ›

In fact, homeschooling can be incredibly stressful. Balancing home and education has its own unique variety of pitfalls: bad attitudes and dynamics, different learning styles and needs, and the various demands of work/school/living all tangled up under the same roof.

Is homeschooling good for your mental health? ›

Homeschooling can make a huge impact on a student's mental health, especially during the teen or high school years. Why is that? More time and flexibility to be creative and explore their individuality: The high school years are when you learn the most about yourself and who you want to be!

What is the most common issue for homeschooled children? ›

Parent vs. Teacher – One of the most common homeschooling challenges deals with a change in the role from parent to teacher. While Mom can be playful, cuddly, and fun; TeacherMom needs to ensure the children are paying attention and following through with their schoolwork.

What do homeschoolers struggle with? ›

Lack of Socialization

Homeschooled children, by contrast, might not have such consistent opportunities for interaction with a diverse group of peers. The limited daily social contact can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation or social awkwardness, which can impact a child's emotional and social development.

What are the best years to homeschool? ›

However, childhood development experts suggest the early years are prime for homeschooling, as they tap into children's natural curiosity. The infamous “why” phase becomes your ally, signaling that your child is ready to start more intentional learning.

What is the structure of a preschool classroom? ›

The pre-K classroom is typically organized using a center-based method with specific areas for activities such as reading, building, creating art and dramatic play. The classroom also needs areas for working, such as preschool-sized tables and chairs, and a floor seating area where the class gathers.

How do I create a homeschool curriculum? ›

Once you've decided what you want to cover, follow these steps to design a curriculum around it:
  1. Do your research – but just enough to know what you want to learn. ...
  2. Identify the topics and concepts you want your children to learn. ...
  3. Create a timetable. ...
  4. Select high-quality resources. ...
  5. Add in hands-on activities.
Aug 7, 2020

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