Montessori Homeschool Curriculum

As we officially dive into homeschooling this year, I've been thinking a lot about the general plan, a daily routine, as much as we can have a predictable schedule, and catering to my sons different learning styles. In addition to this reflection, I have done quite a bit of research and reviewing of potential homeschool curriculum. This post includes our Montessori Homeschool Curriculum ideas for preschoolers.

Teaching your children, I think we can all agree, poses challenges very different from those challenges faced by a teacher in a classroom setting. So, it is important to be thoughtful, of course, in not only your curriculum choices but your approach to homeschool in general.

There are a variety of ways to “do” homeschool. Some parents might be comfortable with an off the shelf curriculum, essentially taking the academic experience from a classroom setting and bringing it home. There are fantastic curriculum choices across the board. Online homeschooling is also an excellent option for many families, especially if you are considering middle school or high school homeschool. Other parents might consider outsourcing their homeschooling, therefore view their role as administrator, not teacher.

I am somewhere in between all of these approaches.

How to Homeschool

My first step in creating a framework was to embrace the fact that this ‘plan' is subject to flexibility and change when necessary guided by my boys (5 and 3.5 years old). We will have a structure and I will be organized about taking notes and keeping records. However, the inner workings of this structure will be led by my children. In short, they will have a lot of liberty within the wide boundaries of our plan. So, my biggest task is to observe them and to assess, as accurately as possible, their interests and passions, and then to lean into these assessments as best as I can.

Montessori Curriculum – Preschool & Kindergarten Homeschool

Here is a draft of our curriculum. These pieces are part of our general plan for where we're headed this coming school year. No doubt there will be revisions as we progress throughout the year. I will update this post and you as those revisions take place. The curriculum is geared for preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade levels.

Language

Math & Logic

Practical Life

Montessori Practical Life Lessons
Cooking with Pretend Soup Kids Cookbook

Sensorial

Montessori Sensorial Lessons
Nature Immersion & Outdoor Classroom

Geography

Montessori Geography Lessons
Travel & Excursions

History

Passage and Duration of Time Activities
Learning to tell time with the Judy Clock

Life Sciences

Montessori Life Sciences Lessons
Nature immersion & outdoor classroom activities

Music

Art

Physical Science

Montessori Physical Science Lessons
Nurturing the Young Scientist

Gross Motor

Brain Gym
Rock Climbing
Skiing
Gymnastics
Soccer
Forest Preschool

Resources

Online Homeschool Resources

Khan Academy is a fantastic resource that allows you to essentially create a curriculum for Deigo and will track his progress. You also have the ability to add coaches. Coaches can be you, Alberto, tutors, and so on.
Breakaway Learning
IXL outlines Colorado's education standards across Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, & Spanish. You're probably familiar with the program but it is far more robust than Dawson presents it to be (at least to parents). Homeschoolers across the country use this resource for tracking progress, digging deeper into topics of interest, and working on areas of weakness.
Udemy
The Great Courses is a phenomenal resource and is only going to get better for homeschoolers.
JAM is also a fun resource, not a standard curriculum but a lot of fun courses for kids.
Thomas Jefferson Education appeals to me in a big way. I enjoy the perspective and different courses (e.g. studying the classics, leadership courses, history resources) offered to parents, kids, and families.
Science4Us intrigues me.
The Homeschool Treasury offers tons of super cool Colorado resources including factory tours, government enrichment, museums, and athletics resources for homeschoolers.

I hope we inspired you today!

Marnie