Where are we going next in homeschooling? I’m already starting to think about it because even though I know I could make plans in January and those plans could drastically change by August, I think it’s wise to have some ideas of where we could go come next year with our homeschooling endeavors!

Little Bug will officially become a Kindergartener in August, however, as I already wrote, I most likely will not be purchasing a Kindergarten curriculum to start with her this Fall. At this time, we will put academics off until she is closer to age six and continue on with our literature based, hands-on, crafty learning times. I just feel her maturity level will have increased by then and at that time she will be ready for academics. For now, our learning activities need to continue to be centered around play. I also know this child is full of surprises and she could totally throw me for a loop and show me she is ready to learn to read this summer!

Regardless of what happens, and when, I’ve started thinking about where to go once we complete Ready-Made Preschool at the end of May.

I am leaning more towards a year-round schooling schedule for our family because, especially while my girls are still so young, the structure “school” provides us is a lifesaver for everyone’s sanity! So, for that reason, I don’t see us having a real summer break after we finish Ready-Made in May. I know Little Bug will still want her daily “learning time” through the summer. At this point in her life, she doesn’t understand that we can have breaks here and there throughout the school year---and I am totally fine with that!

I have spent a lot of time researching curriculum options for us for the next year and I just keep going back to All About Reading.

This program has very high reviews in the homeschooling community. I have read multiple reviews about this program and the more I researched and read about All About Reading the more it seems like it will be a good fit for Little Bug.

There is a Pre-Level for ages 3-5 and my plan as of now is to purchase this program and do it with both of my girls!

The All About Reading Pre-reading program is for preschoolers and kindergarteners, which is right where  both my girls will be next school year. This curriculum has games, crafts and story time read-alouds. In the reviews I’ve read, the puppet, Ziggy, is apparently a big hit with most kids, too. The program is designed to teach the essential pre-reading skills: Letter Knowledge, Phonological Awareness, Print Awareness, Listening Comprehension and Motivation to Read.

My thinking is we will start this program in the summer. Learning Time won’t be totally consistent throughout the summer as we will have trips and family visiting throughout the summer. Whenever we finish Pre-Level, we can move on to Level 1, although it may not be until the following school year that I would move Little Bug to Level 1.

I had said I’d start a formal Learning Time with Sweet Pea when she turned 2.5 years old. She will be 2.5 years old in February so I’m starting to think about what I want to do with her! I will write more about that soon.

- Elaine