“The chief function of the child – his business in the world during the first six or seven years of his life – is to find out all that he can, about whatever comes under his notice, by means of his five senses”
— Charlotte Mason
Wonder, discovery, and play should be the goals of the preschool and kindergarten years. Truly, a curriculum is more for us moms, who can appreciate the structure of a daily idea bank. With that in mind, here are some play-focused curriculums that we love for the preschool years.
Playing Preschool
We like this 19-unit study, because it focuses on play, quality conversation, and activities that require simple materials – a staple of our Learning with Friends vision, too!
Homeschooling mom Catherine Heckel says this: “Playing Preschool most closely resembles our philosophy of play-based learning. We love it!”
Sing, Spell, Read & Write
With an emphasis on songs and games, this learn-to-read curriculum focuses on phonics strategies to help your child read independently.
Homeschooling mom Mary Neukam says this: “It’s colorful, fun, has songs and games to reinforce the concepts and is easy on the teacher prep! All four of my children have learned to read using it!”
My Father’s World
For a complete boxed set curriculum, My Father’s World integrates a Christian worldview into a thematic study of reading, math, science, literature, art, and Bible.
The Peaceful Press
This literature and play based curriculum for preschoolers focuses heavily on nature study along with an introduction of numbers and letters.
Saxon
While Saxon math is a common curriculum choice for older grades, it does offer a solid, but gentle, introduction to mathematics for kindergarteners.
Mary Neukam says this: “In Kinder, math with Saxon is only 12 days a month. It’s full of patterns, learning about the calendar, telling stories with counting bears and fun. It’s an easy introduction to math that all of my children enjoyed!”
Read, read, read!
And, finally, an encouragement that in these youngest years, no curriculum is actually necessary. Reading, playing, and exploring nature together are all you need!
Lindsay, from Wild and Wonder, says this: “Preschool through Kindergarten, for us, was simply reading a lot of beautifully written books, imaginative play, and lots and lots of exploring outside!”
The Read Aloud Revival podcasts and book lists at readaloudrevival.com are a wonderful resource for finding quality literature.
Our Science with Friends bundles are geared toward ages 6-12, but each project includes strategies for scaling for preschoolers. Exploring science with simple materials and a focus on wonder and discovery is perfect for all ages!
Nicole Paitsel is the creator and co-founder of Learning with Friends, a curriculum enrichment brand that focuses on hands-on science projects that invoke discovery, conversation, and connection.
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