How to Homeschool Your Preschooler | The Ultimate Guide

Are you ready to homeschool your preschooler? It can seem impossible or overwhelming – but take it from me, a former elementary teacher (and mom of three preschoolers); the best thing you can do for your child is to make learning fun. I’ll share my favorite tips for doing this in the blog post below – and be sure to grab The FREE Ultimate Guide to Teaching Your Preschool Age Child to help with your planning!

Have fun while you homeschool your preschooler

Children are amazing. They LOVE to learn. Unfortunately, we adults like to squash that fun right out of learning. We don’t mean to! We want our children to be learners and grow like we did. But unfortunately, teaching children something before they’re ready will not work. They’ll get bored, lose interest, and be turned off that activity before it even begins. 

So what is the best way to homeschool your preschooler? Focus on what they love and dive into that. 

Monster trucks? Grab these toy monster trucks and talk about colors, count them, line them up on a piece of tape, bake monster truck cookies, or use tissue paper to glue and fill in a paper outline of monster trucks. 

Baby dolls? Use different colored outfits to dress them and talk about colors. Count out the pretend food as they feed their baby. Take your baby to the grocery store and push them around in the cart. While you’re there, let your child pick out the fruits or vegetables they want. Talk about the produce names, colors, and anything else they find interesting. 

Create a schedule to homeschool your preschooler

Children love boundaries and routines – even if they fight them every step. But that’s just the balance of parent and child. Your job is to provide a structure, and they’ll test every boundary along the way. You can read more about creating boundaries with your children in this blog post. But I believe in a daily flow to help your child anticipate what’s coming next and not always have to guess the next plan for the day. 

Implement a learning time

Make sure you devote 10 to 60 minutes (however much time your schedule allows) to learning when you decide to homeschool your preschooler. All this should entail is a small activity you set up. Then sit down with your child and begin the activity together, focusing on new vocabulary and skills. Then, let them move into independent play and discovery while you quietly back away. Each toddler curriculum lesson plan has this routine built in to make things simple for you. It may seem counter-intuitive, but independent play is the BEST way for your child to learn. So the more independent play they can do, the better! 

Rest and relax

Not all day, every day can be go-go-go. Allow you and your child time to read books together, watch tv, go on walks, and turn off your brains. If your preschooler is fighting naps, you can set up a quiet activity for them to do on their own while listening to this playlist of Stories for Quiet Time. (It’s our three-year-old’s favorite!) 

Eat together

Did you know eating meals together helps your children be more successful? So if nothing else, sit down, put your phones away, and talk about your day during mealtimes. It’s okay if you’re eating at a counter, on the floor, at the dinner table, or on a picnic blanket. The conversations you have during that time are irreplaceable. 

Make things easy with this simple list of quick meals. Whenever we have an extra busy week, I head to my list and quickly order groceries, so I can easily take meal planning off my list.

Reflect on your days as you homeschool your preschooler

While sitting with your child at dinner time, reflect on what you learned that day, no matter how simple it may have been. Talk about it with the entire family and ask them questions about their day. “What was your favorite part of today?” “What was your least favorite part of today?” 

Take field trips to bring homeschool to life

The best learning is hands-on, so don’t hesitate to hit the road and visit historical landmarks, local shops, or professionals at their jobs when you homeschool your preschooler. You’ll enjoy getting out and about; your child can see these things firsthand and ask questions. You know how much preschoolers love to ask WHY!

Pair the field trip with a picture book or brief YouTube video to prepare them before they venture out somewhere. For example, I’ll read a book about trains with my children before we go to our local train museum. Or I’ll pull up a quick video about fish before we head to the aquarium. This provides some context for them and deepens their learning while they’re out and about.

PRO TIP: Be sure to check out your town’s membership options. If you plan on visiting someplace more than once, it’s often worth purchasing a year-round pass.

Read and learn as a homeschool teacher

Never stop learning yourself. If you model a learner’s life, your child will follow suit. Two of my favorite books about parenting and homeschooling are The Brave Learner and The Secrets of Happy Families. Keep reading, adjusting, and making changes to fit your family’s needs best. After all, that’s why you wanted to homeschool in the first place, isn’t it?

Ready to get started homeschooling your preschooler?

Now that you feel motivated to homeschool, let’s plan your next two weeks of learning activities with my FREE Ultimate Guide to Teaching Preschool Age Children and Homeschool. Sign up below to get it delivered to your inbox immediately!