Do Homeschooled Preschoolers Need Curriculum?

No doubt the subject of homeschooling preschoolers is a hot topic!  This is the entry point of many parents and children into the world of homeschooling.  Well-meaning parents want the best for their children, and parents of preschoolers are no exception.  Some parents start as early as 2 in formal training.  But, is preschool curriculum a necessity?

Multiple thousands of dollars are spent every year on preschool curriculum in the homeschool world.  And for many, it’s an agonizing decision of what curriculum, learning style, and manipulatives are the best to use.  Many new homeschool families want to pattern their schooling to what they see in public and private settings.  When it all boils down to the basics, what preschoolers need is play.  Lots of play.

Time to build, climb, run, touch, speak, listen, tumble, draw, and create.  They need access to a library and picture books to help their imagination.  A safe area for play with balls and jump ropes to work on their gross motor skills.  They need to pinch and roll play-doh logs and write in shaving cream to work on their fine motor skills.  They need a parent close by (not hovering) to help them interact with one another and show them how to resolve conflict when it arises.  They need to laugh.  Big, loud belly laughs.  They need to play dress up to imagine what it would be like to be someone else.  Preschoolers need time to be quiet and look at books.  Time to be read to, and time to reflect.

While it is possible to find some of these elements in some curriculum, most preschool curriculum centers around standards, not around a child’s overall development.  Somewhere along the line many people forgot what early childhood is all about.  There’s such a rush to make Johnny read and do multiplication tables before his 3^rd birthday.  What is being overlooked is the simplicity of play.  There’s so much to be gained just from play.  So while a simple book outlining aspects of early childhood education may be helpful, it’s important to not forget about play.  Play is a child’s work.  A most important work!