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What NOT to Do When Planning Out Your Homeschool Preschool

Help your homeschool preschool year go smoothly with these tips of things to avoid when planning. Let’s plan a wonderful year together.

What NOT to Do When Planning Out Your Homeschool Preschool

Planning Your Year

Planning your homeschool preschool year can be exciting but also extremely overwhelming for a home educator. It’s okay to feel both emotions.

We are here to help with a few tips and tricks for avoiding common mistakes so that your planning goes as smoothly as possible. After all, you already have enough to worry about.

What NOT to Do When Planning Out Your Homeschool Preschool

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Things to Avoid When Planning Your Homeschool Preschool Year

Tightly Scheduling Your Weeks

It goes without saying that teaching preschool requires some flexibility. It may be tempting to label each week of the school year with a different theme or learning objective.

But after years of homeschooling preschool, I’ve found that whenever I have a set plan and don’t account for wiggle room, we are sure to need more time on the topic.

You never know when the germs from library story time or preschool music class will catch up with your family. Someone is sure to be down and out with a sickness, causing you to cross out the whole year of plans so you can shift everything a week.

What NOT to Do When Planning Out Your Homeschool Preschool

Not Being Flexible

Things may come up at a moment’s notice. You may find out about a fun event at the library or that your friends invite you on a picnic.

Seize these opportunities. They are a great learning experience for your little one and help to get you out of the house for a bit.

Leave some wiggle room in your homeschool preschool plans so that if something needs to shift, it can.

What NOT to Do When Planning Out Your Homeschool Preschool

Ignoring the Interests of Your Preschooler

When little ones are engaged and interested in an activity, they are more willing to do it.
So why not make it a bit easier for both of you and incorporate their interests into your preschool lessons?

Print off pictures of their interests (trucks, horses, dinosaurs, etc). If you can, laminate them, and then you can use dry-erase markers to write letters or numbers on them. There are many different things you can do with these images.

What NOT to Do When Planning Out Your Homeschool Preschool

Overestimating What Can Be Accomplished

Instagram may show you the perfectly executed homeschool preschool year planned out. But don’t let it fool you!

There will undoubtedly be days when you can’t get to everything you have planned. Figure out what is most important for you to do each day and plan accordingly. Anything else is a bonus.

What NOT to Do When Planning Out Your Homeschool Preschool

Leaving No Time for Play

Leave time in your homeschool preschool plans to just let your preschooler play.

Play is essential to your preschooler’s learning. Allow ample time for free play both inside and outside.

It may seem like wasted time, but research shows that play is essential and helps your child develop. Play promotes emotional, cognitive, and physical development, and if your little one is playing with others, social development is also promoted.

What NOT to Do When Planning Out Your Homeschool Preschool

Relying on Worksheets

Worksheets have a time and a place in the preschool setting. However, because preschoolers can’t think abstractly, they need manipulatives to understand the concepts you are teaching them.

Don’t be afraid to take the learning off the worksheet and make the lesson hands-on.

Forgetting Socialization

Getting your preschooler out and about is an excellent way for them to learn how to interact with others who aren’t part of their everyday life.

Libraries, recreation centers, music classes, and even going to the grocery store are all great ways to break up your homeschool preschool day while allowing your preschooler to socialize.

It’s a total myth that homeschoolers aren’t socialized or well-adjusted. 😉

What NOT to Do When Planning Out Your Homeschool Preschool

Neglecting Self-Care

This is a planning your homeschool preschool year post, I know. However, neglecting your self-care while you are homeschooling can make it hard for you to be there to help your preschooler effectively.

Self-care looks different for everyone because no two people are the same. Grab a coffee and a book, or organize your spice rack if you so please, but make time for yourself to do things YOU enjoy. It will do your soul good.

Taking care of yourself is a crucial way to help take care of your little one.

Having No Plan

Days will slip away from you if you don’t have some sort of plan. Coming up with a checklist of things you want to accomplish by the end of the preschool year is a great way to keep yourself accountable.

Try using themes in your preschool to guide your learning without being too stuck on a time frame.

What NOT to Do When Planning Out Your Homeschool Preschool

Your Homeschool Preschool Year

The homeschool preschool year will go by in the blink of an eye. Knowing common pitfalls when planning the preschool year will help you to avoid making these mistakes and to make the most of your time.

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