Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between The Homegrown Preschooler and A Year of Playing Skillfully?
The Homegrown Preschooler was our first book, and won Best Parenting Resource Teacher’s Choice Award in 2015. It is a child development manual for the preschool years. It had advice on setting up your environment, scheduling, development, and over 300 activities. It also has the woodworking plans for our light table, sensory table and outdoor plexiglass easel. This is the best book for you if your child is 2 or under. We also recommend it as a resource if you are using our curriculum A Year of Playing Skillfully with your older children.
A Year of Playing Skillfully is a wonder based, developmental curriculum designed for children ages 3-7. Concrete themes and character traits have been carefully chosen for children to explore. Research based learning opportunities address the needs of the developing brain in the following areas: Language and Literacy, Math and Manipulatives, Science and Sensory, Art and Music, Gross Motor and Outdoor Play, and Social Emotional and Home Life.
Beautiful monthly printables help parents track each critical developmental area. Detailed instructions, supply and resource lists save precious time in planning for families with young children. The photo rich pages will inspire a sense of curiosity and enthusiasm for both parents and children. A Year of Playing Skillfully is the perfect resource to build a firm foundation for lifelong learning. You can download a free sample month from our blog.
Why is the curriculum monthly instead of daily/weekly?
We find that during these early years that preschoolers require flexibility. Illness, car problems, overflowing toilets can all cause wrenches into our days. You are the expert on your child. You know what they need each day. You know which days they need more high energy days and which ones require more low key experiences. We suggest offering 2-3 activities each day (on those good days). Additionally, children need to be emotionally connected with the information they are receiving in order for the brain to retain that information. We suggest that you repeat activities during each month. This repetition will help your child become emotionally connected to the information.
Is this curriculum simply “play?”
Neurological research continues to prove that PLAY is a child’s work. It is through play that the pathways are developed in the brain necessary for later learning. Often, a child who hasn’t played in the early years will struggle with academics later.
Tell me more about The Homegrown Preschooler.
The Homegrown Preschooler was our first book that has been awarded the Teacher’s choice award for best Parenting Book. THGP is the perfect companion to A Year of Playing Skillfully. It explains the philosophy behind our curriculum and includes the woodworking plans to build our sensory table and Plexiglas easel.
Do I Need to buy The Homegrown Preschooler if I buy A Year of Playing Skillfully?
We say, yes! The book has the plans to build our tables/easel and the curriculum does not. The book also explains the WHY behind the WHAT of the curriculum and has many practical tips for parents, teachers and homeschoolers.
What age is the curriculum suited for?
A Year of Playing Skillfully makes the perfect preschool and kindergarten curriculum. We have many parents who use it for first and second grade, as well. If you feel you need to add in phonics, we suggest All About Reading. We also suggest parents add in the math program of their choice for first and second grade students.
Can I use A Year of Playing Skillfully/A Summer of Playing Skillfully for more than one year?
YES! We suggest that you use our curriculum for 2-3 years. Because our curriculum is a developmental curriculum, it will be different each year. It is exciting how your curriculum changes as your children move through developmental stages. If you think about it, $159.95 divided by 36 months is $4.44 per month. That’s a great deal.
Can I use A Year of Playing Skillfully with my two-year-old? While we recommend our curriculum for ages 3-7, a two year-old can definitely benefit from and enjoy many of the learning experiences. We suggest that you supervise your child carefully and forego any activities with small items that can be placed in their mouth.
Is A Year of Playing Skillfully comprehensive enough for Kindergarten? Absolutely. Our curriculum explores the main components of foundational learning, including language arts, math, social/emotional, gross motor, fine motor, and character training. Since every child develops at a different stage, some parents might choose to add a structured phonics program and a manipulative based math program to further challenge their children.
Do I need to buy the learning tools (color mixing kit, water beads, etc…) initially or can I just buy the curriculum? You don’t have to buy the learning tools to get started. However, most of the items we sell are used in the curriculum at some point during the year. You can always purchase the items individually or substitute as needed.
I bought the Ebooks for the curriculum, how can I now add the printed version? Please email us at customerservice@thehomegrownpreschooler.com and we will simply invoice you the difference between the ebook and printed price + shipping.