Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

preschool

The Best Homeschool Preschool Curriculum | Tips And Recommendations

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Choosing the best homeschool preschool curriculum can be really easily. Also, you’ll love my page Homeschool Curriculum for more ideas and grade level curriculum. And my page How to Homeschool Preschool.

You don’t need to buy a box or prepared curriculum but rather learn through play. 

Learning through play can be easily directed by the parent (but not forced) to create a rich learning environment.

It should be more like fun and naturally being introduced to math, science, history, language arts, and more.

The Best Homeschool Preschool Curriculum | Tips And Recommendations

Preschoolers don’t need to worry about writing yet.

It is more important to build up their fine motor skills.

And this is easily done by building with blocks, playing with playdough, buttoning and unbuttoning their clothing, and digging in the dirt.

This can be as simple as putting letters in a sensory bin and asking them to find the letter that their name starts with or counting out crackers for a snack.

Common Household Items for Play Based Learning

You can use much of what you already have in your own home to teach preschoolers.

For example look at these items:

  • inexpensive craft supplies,
  • blunt scissors,
  • measuring cups/spoons,
  • beans for manipulatives,
  • toys for practicing beginning letter sounds,
  • cooking utensils for pouring and measuring,
  • mini scale,
  • crayons,
  • seeds,
  • analog clocks with hands and minutes,
  • maps, and anything else you can think of.

But for some structure that is still enjoyable, I have recommendations for each subject to help you facilitate a wonderful early learning environment.

Themes are especially fun in preschool and can be used to create a homeschool preschool curriculum with all the subjects.

Some favorites for us were farm, construction, space, dinosaurs, winter, and pets.

Focus on letter and number recognition, simple counting, read-aloud, and lots of play for little ones. 

The Best Homeschool Preschool Curriculum | Tips And Recommendations

Also, look at more tips for teaching preschoolers.

More Homeschool Preschool Curriculum Tips

Best Homeschool Curriculum By Grade

Finally, look at these recommendations.

13 Preschool Homeschool Curriculum Options

Look at what your homeschool preschool curriculum might look like with some suggestions for activities, books, and learning ideas.

Quick And Inexpensive Letter C Handprint Craft – Crafty Crab Fun

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you need an adorable letter c handprint craft to teach your child in a fun and creative way, I have some crafty crab fun for you made with their own two little precious hands. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas.

This makes for a wonderful summer learning project for preschoolers as you discover all the amazing animals in and around the ocean.

This sounds like a great reason for multiple field trips to the beach don’t you think?

Quick And Inexpensive Letter C Handprint Craft - Crafty Crab Fun

Crabs are fascinating creatures as they make their home in all oceans as well as fresh water.

Some crabs live on land, some live several miles from water. Some species, such as the fiddler crab live in burrows in the sand or mud.

Crabs all have a hard exoskeleton to protect and support their more delicate insides yet some, like the hermit crab, choose to also hide inside of shells for additional protection.

Most crabs have a total of 10 appendages, two pincers/claws at the front, 6 walking legs, and 2 swimming legs in the very back.

They can vary in size from just ¾ “, the Pea Crab, to an up to 13’ leg span of the Japanese Spider Crab.

That is a pretty big size spread for one creature!

Let’s fiddle around and see what fun activities we can do with our littles to learn all about these crustaceans.

First, look at these beautiful books about the ocean.

Ocean Books

I love living books when we study.

Then I love to add in reference books when we’re learning.

16 Ocean Books for Kids Who Love to Read and Be Read To

Choose a few of these ocean themed books to go along with your study of the Oceans. Whether you're looking for a spine for a unit study or literature, you'll love this roundup.

More Letter C Handprint Craft Ideas

  • Another C handprint craft is this cute crawling Caterpillar Handprint Craft and it would go along wonderfully with The Very Hungry Caterpillar book.
  • You could also go a farm route and create C is For Carrot handprint art.
  • This Handprint Art- C is For Car is ideal for a transportation unit with preschoolers who love things that go.
  • Dig into the desert with C is for Camel handprint craft as well as some other fabulous ideas for the theme.
  • Make a quick and easy Cactus Handprint without messy paint to clean up.

More How to Homeschool Preschool Letter of the Week Activities

Quick And Inexpensive Letter C Handprint Craft - Crafty Crab Fun

Ocean Crab Vocabulary Words

If you are going to create a crab handprint with your little you may as well turn it into a learning session as you do. Here are a few basic vocabulary words to teach the various anatomy of a crab.

  • Crustaceans- They live mostly in water, have a hard shell, a segmented body, and jointed appendages.
  • Exoskeleton- An outside skeleton that helps protect and support a crabs softer body.
  • Cheliped-The front arm of a crab that supports the claw, also known as a pincer.
  • Crawling Legs- These are the 8 other smaller legs on either side of a crab used to move around.
  • Antennae- In general crabs have two pairs, they are also known as feelers. Crabs use them to eat, navigate, smell, and for movement.

Quick And Inexpensive Letter C Handprint Craft

You will need:

  • Blue cardstock paper
  • Tan cardstock paper
  • Red paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Google eyes
  • Glue stick
Quick And Inexpensive Letter C Handprint Craft - Crafty Crab Fun

First, start with a blue background to look like the sky/water so that your crab is not just floating in white.

Tear a few strips of tan cardstock and use a glue stick to attach it along the bottom of the paper for sand layers.

Quick And Inexpensive Letter C Handprint Craft - Crafty Crab Fun

Now you want to coat those little hands in a good thick layer of red and stamp them one at a time so the palms just touch at the wrist area.

Be sure to press the palm and each finger down so the paint transfers well. Thumbs pointing upwards make great antennae.

Quick And Inexpensive Letter C Handprint Craft - Crafty Crab Fun

Allow the paint to dry completely then have them glue on googly eyes.

Whenever working on a project with preschool and younger children I like to write the letter on the paper as well or even ‘C is for Crab’ to help them make the connection that letters and words have meaning.

Quick And Inexpensive Letter C Handprint Craft - Crafty Crab Fun

How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning

| 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I’m showing you how easy it is to make a summer theme watermelon sensory bin that is perfect for play and learning. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas.

What may seem just like a fun container of rice is so much more than just play!

There are many benefits to sensory bins for preschoolers.

How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning

And they can introduce a fun standalone theme like watermelon or be used as a springboard for a small unit study.

If you have not introduced sensory bins yet this is a perfect easy starter one that can be made into any size

You can spend a little time learning about how watermelons grow, planting your own seeds and watching them develop, and even taste testing different varieties to fill it out even more.

Make the entire week wildly watermelon themed with these additional sensory ideas which I have below.

Too, learn why sensory bins are such a wonderful part of preschool development.

Wild Watermelon Sensory Ideas

Grab Food Anatomy from the Julia Rothman series and learn a little bit more about different varieties of this delicious summer treat.

Include a taste test before or after the sensory bin to include even more of your child’s senses.

How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning

We have also learned How to Make Fun Watermelon Seed Slime For Summer Learning, another great activity to involve several of the 5 senses and build hand muscles.

Make a Watermelon Squish Bag for a sensory treat that doesn’t make a mess.

I love that everything is contained in a tidy gallon zip top bag.

While slices of watermelon are fantastic on their own try putting a twist on it and get your kids in the kitchen learning all about following directions, measuring, and kitchen safely with a Kid Friendly Watermelon Slush.

These tempera paint sticks make for great painting projects and keep the mess to a minimum,

How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning

They worked fantastically for a quick W is for watermelon picture.

Watermelon Moon Sand is a unique texture that kids love to play with (messy warning, this stuff sticks and spreads).

8 Benefits of Using Sensory Bins

Next look at the benefits of using sensory bins in your homeschool.

  1. Sensory bins are a calming activity where children can play independently or with others.
  2. Scooping with cups or spoons builds fine motor skills.
  3. Picking up items with fingers or tweezers develops grasp important for prewriting.
  4. Prompt cognitive development as children sort,
  5. Talking about what they find or are doing in the bin builds language development and vocabulary.
  6. Adding letters introduces literacy skills like letter identification, sounds, and building words.
  7. Counting and measuring objects in the sensory bin introduces early math concepts like counting, sorting, and volume.
  8. When playing with others it teaches children to share through cooperative play.
How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning

Finally, look at how to make a watermelon sensory bin.

How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin

You will need:

  • Uncooked rice
  • red/pink food coloring
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Black beans or sunflower seeds
  • Containers and spoons
  • Optional-watermelon scent
How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning

First, measure out enough uncooked rice to fill about 2” depth in whatever container you have chosen.

Stir in either liquid or gel food color along with enough hand sanitizer to help spread the color all around until you have reached your desired color.

Mix it up well and then spread out the rice as flat as you can, using a baking sheet if you like.

How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning

Stir in scent at this time if you are going to use it as well.

How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning

Lay your rice out in the sun to dry and stir every so often, the alcohol in the hand sanitizer helps it to dry fast.

Transfer rice to a shallow container for your sensory bin.

Sprinkle on some black beans or sunflower seeds for watermelon seeds

These are great for counting and sorting.

I happened to have sunflower seeds on hand and loved the way they looked as watermelon seeds.

Add in fun items for exploring like spoons, cups, bowls, mason jar rings, measuring cups and spoons.

You want items that can be used for filling, pouring, scooping, investigating volume, etc.

Next, include some letters to hide like W’s or even those to spell out w-a-t-e-r-m-e-l-o-n for a quick language lesson.

How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning

I also included 4 wooden craft sticks to play with and these can also be used to form a w.

How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning

Have your child sort out the watermelon “seeds” for counting.

How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning

P Is For Pineapple Craft | How To Make A Fun Handprint Pineapple

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today’s P is for pineapple craft is a fantastic simple idea for summer that can double as home decor to give your space a tropical fun vibe. Also, I have more alphabet letter fun on my page How to Homeschool Preschool.

Besides, handprint crafts are a wonderful way to preserve those tiny hands.

Before you know it, those hands grow into large ones that reach for the car keys and shy away from having their palms slathered in paint.

P Is For Pineapple Craft | How To Make A Fun Handprint Pineapple

You can create today’s craft on sturdy paper or even on a canvas to create a sturdier art piece.

Even though it’s summer, you can still have lots of fun learning with your preschooler and incorporate the summer theme at the same time.

They will never know all the “juicy tidbits” they are learning about science, geography, math, and more.

It will seem like child’s play.

Next, look at more phonics or letter activities for your little learner.

More How to Homeschool Preschool Letter of the Week Activities

P Is For Pineapple Craft | How To Make A Fun Handprint Pineapple

Next, look at some fun facts about pineapples.

Facts About Pineapples

First, just a few important things about this tasty fruit:

  • Pineapples belong to the family Bromeliaceae, the only edible fruit of its kind.
  • Their scientific name of Ananas comosus means” excellent fruit” (agreed).
  • They were found in the West Indies by Christopher Columbus. And now can be found all over the world in tropical locations. 
  • They are grown from cuttings, not seeds.
  • Each pineapple plant only produces one pineapple at a time.

Additionally, look at ideas for teaching phonics.

P is for Pineapple Craft Phonics Tips

  • As you are creating your pineapple handprint craft repeat the P sound often to help reinforce it in your child’s mind.
  • Grab any letter tiles or alphabetic magnets that you have in the letter P and point as you say the letter and its sound.
  • Hide letter tiles or pieces of paper with a P drawn on it around the room and have your child find them, identifying what it is each time they find one.
  • If your child is at the stage for writing you can make P’s lightly with a pencil and have them trace over them with a highlighter or crayon to practice.
  • Use pineapple as a starting point, what other words make that sound as well? Pinecone is an easy transition, but also look at the supplies you are using today- paint, pencil, paper. Have your child call out words and write them on a piece of paper for them to look at as they list them.
P Is For Pineapple Craft | How To Make A Fun Handprint Pineapple

Also, look at these hands-on ideas for learning about pineapples.

10 Pineapple Hands-On Activities

  1. Research where the most pineapples are produced, the big 3 countries are Indonesia, the Philippines, and Costa Rica. Hawaii is also known for pineapples. Locate these places on a map.
  2. Middle school students don’t have to miss out on the summer themed fun, check out my Fun Pineapple Candle For Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  3. Grab some fresh pineapple from the store and a can as well, taste test each and compare flavor and quality. Encourage your child to use descriptive words like sweet, juicy,sour, etc..
  4. Cut off the pineapple top and plant in soil, this one’s an investment in time but in 18 months or so you can be harvesting your own fresh pineapple.
  5. Put their afternoon snack in a pineapple boat! To do this all you have to do is cut off the bottom of the pineapple when you’re chopping it up for snack time, hollow it out and use it for an ice cream treat or fruit salad.
  6. Learn About Fruits Around the World Fun With Food Activities
  7. Measure a pineapple from base to the tip of the crown, then use a flexible measuring tape to measure its circumference, weigh on a scale if you have one.
  8. Make a Pineapple Volcano, eruptions are always a hit with the preschool bunch!
  9. Try pineapple lacing for an easy way to work on fine motor skills. 
  10. Here is another idea for older kids so that they can join in on the fun too, make a Pineapple Sorbet using just two ingredients, including fresh pineapple.

Handprint Pineapple Craft

You will need:

  • Green craft paint
  • Yellow craft paint
  • Paint brushes
  • Black marker
  • Sturdy paper or canvas
P Is For Pineapple Craft | How To Make A Fun Handprint Pineapple

First, lightly draw a pineapple shape on your sturdy card stock, we are going for the general idea here, not perfection.

P Is For Pineapple Craft | How To Make A Fun Handprint Pineapple

Then erase it until you can just barely see the outline. This is just to give your child a rough shape to follow.

P Is For Pineapple Craft | How To Make A Fun Handprint Pineapple

Dip a thumb or finger into the yellow paint and add dots all over within the circle including the outline. Set aside to dry.

P Is For Pineapple Craft | How To Make A Fun Handprint Pineapple

Once the yellow has dried completely you can erase some of the visible pencil lines if you like.

Paint the entire hand green and have them press it onto the top of the pineapple firmly, repeat  two or three more times to get a full pineapple top.

Let the picture dry and don’t forget to write P is for the pineapple at the bottom to help your child make the connection that letters make words and words tell us what something is.

P Is For Pineapple Craft | How To Make A Fun Handprint Pineapple

12 of the Best Books For Beginner Readers Being Homeschooled

| Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Finding the best books for beginner readers was at the top of my list when I sat my first homeschooled grad on my lap at 3 years old to teach him to read. Also, look at my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum for more tips.

Equally important was learning the other skills I needed as the homeschool educator to teach him to read.

Like many educators who have their first budding reader I too was overly worried about the process.

First, look at some of these tips for teaching beginning readers which have worked for me through my many years of homeschooling.

12 of the Best Books For Beginner Readers Being Homeschooled

Books for Beginner Readers

  • Trust that the process is natural. Unless your child has special needs or a disability to hamper learning how to read, he will learn to read. What I’m saying is that children learning to read are learning with every breath they take. Seizing their love of learning in their organic environment (your home and your lap) is where the seed is planted.
  • In addition, I didn’t realize the value of my habit of reading aloud to my first reader and reading silently. The point is from the beginning I was placing not just a high value on the skill of reading, but a love for it. Although you may not think so now, teaching a child a child to read can be quite easy compared to teaching him to be a lifelong reader. Lifelong readers model what they see.
  • Next, like a lot of new homeschool educators, I concentrated on intensity instead of consistency. That was a mistake and I almost gave up homeschooling. So the power of little and often cements a pattern for how your child learns to read. Short fun spurts throughout the day teaching your child to read is how to make true progress.

Timeless Tips for Beginner Readers

Picture Books Library Lists

Second, remember that while you’re teaching your child to read, he will need direct phonics instructions.

Not only are you training his eyes to read or decipher (decoding), but you’re training his ears to hear sounds (encoding).

On top of that, remember to look at the BIGGER picture as you embark on your journey to teaching your child to read.

Direct phonics will help your child to decode words, and training his ear to distinguish between sounds and writing the correct symbol for that sound is encoding.

The Power of Little and Often

What I’m saying is that you want to pair a phonics program along with teaching your child to read.

Look at some of these helps:

All About Reading

In addition, you also want plenty of time reading aloud to your child which doesn’t include direct instruction.

You constantly want to reaffirm that reading is enjoyable, meaningful, and should be pain free. Keeping that warm and fuzzy feeling for reading is essential.

Books that Help Kids Learn to Read

So read below about books which make it easier for teaching beginner readers being homeschooled.

12 Books For Beginner Readers

I know some of these books will work for you because they have worked for homeschool families for years.

Our needs at home vary because we want to teach phonics, love of reading, and sight words all in a natural way.

More Tips for Beginner Readers

12 of the Best Books For Beginner Readers Being Homeschooled

Other Tips or Books for Beginner Readers

Our tools and books we choose should help us to nurture lifelong readers so I know you’ll love these.

Do you have other favorite new reader series?

You’ll love these other tips which work solidly for me through the years for beginner readers.