ABC Fun & 1-2-3
A literature-rich preschool homeschool curriculum to make learning the ABC fun!
Weekly preschool lesson plans, printable letters and writing worksheets, easy crafts for kids, preschool and kindergarten themes, children’s stories, nursery rhymes and more are included.
Gentle, natural, flexible learning…
“A mother’s first duty to her children is to secure for them a quiet and growing time, a full six years of passive receptive life, the waking part of it for the most part spent out in the fresh air.”
~Charlotte Mason
As homeschooling moms we know how important it is for children to enjoy the freedom of childhood, yet not miss out on opportunities to lay the solid foundation that they will need when formal learning begins.
What this Preschool Homeschool Curriculum will do for you
The ABC Fun & 1-2-3 preschool homeschool curriculum combines both of the above in an adult-& child-friendly weekly programme that introduces little ones to the letters and sounds of the alphabet.
“There is reason to believe that the thrill the youngster finds in experimenting with the natural things about him at home is soon stifled by the distractions and regimentation of the typical school program.”
~Raymond Moore, Better Late Than Early
We know from our reading and from personal experience that just like our babies learned to walk and talk in their own time, without much help from their parents, that children who are read to and encouraged to explore their surroundings, will want to learn to read and write in their own time. They will also need much less ‘teaching’, if they are not forced to do too much before they are ready.
ABC Fun & 1-2-3 is suitable for children aged 3-6. Many families use it together with Little Footprints or before they use the Little Footprints programme, if their children are still very young.
1. ABC Fun & 1-2-3 reduces stress
With this preschool homeschool curriculum your children will be introduced to the letters of the alphabet and numbers in a relaxed and fun manner, using quality children’s books and real life experience, and by doing concrete learning activities that are appropriate for preschool children.
2. Stories are good for kids and they love them
“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” ~Emilie Buchwald
If you set a good example for your children by showing them that you enjoy books and if you read and enjoy books together and share this joy with them, in time they will almost naturally be keen to learn about the letters that make up the printed text in stories.
Using this literature-rich preschool homeschool curriculum that will be easy.
“Kids need to see their parents reading, and they need to be read to themselves as early as possible.Young school-aged children benefit from responsive reading of stories with their parents. Such literacy-nurturing activities have been shown repeatedly to foster optimal language development.”
~Mel Levine, A Mind at a Time
3. ABC Fun & 1-2-3 provides age-appropriate activities
Research shows that too much formal learning when children are very young can be detrimental to their development, but that if the correct methods are used, you can stimulate interest, stir up a delight for learning and lay a good foundation for when children are developmentally ready to start more formal studies.
“The idea that parents should hurry reading, spelling, writing, or math ahead of children’s normal development is not supported by a single replicable research study in the world or by any clinical experience in history. All history, research and common sense points in the opposite direction! We repeat: Any who push the three R’s early deny the readiness the Creator built in – reasonably mature vision, hearing, taste, touch, smell, reason, brain growth, coordination – as clearly documented in our books Better Late Than Early and School Can Wait.”
~ Raymond and Dorothy Moore, The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook
The ABC Fun & 1-2-3 preschool homeschool curriculum was written with this in mind. Use it to ignite a love for literature and a love for learning in your children, without the pressure commonly associated with other preschool materials. Reviews of good quality stories (not twaddle) that you can share with your children are included.
4. ABC Fun & 1-2-3 makes your life simple because it
- provides a structure to follow,
- minimises research and planning,
- helps you set up a learning routine in your home and
- gives you a sense of security as you can see what your children are learning
- gives you something you can show to others too, something your children can be proud of!
- suggests hands-on activities that are do-able (with minimal mess and fuss)
Happy customers say…
“I want to say thanks for creating such a great preschool program. My 5 year old wants to do school just like her big brother but is just not ready for the grade 1 program we are using. We have only started your book but already she is much more content because she is doing school. I’ve never bothered with e-books before as I have preferred to have a printed book in front of me but I have to say that I am impressed with ABC Fun & 1-2-3!”
~ Davina Davids
An ex-preschool teacher’s experience:
I recently purchased ABC Fun & 1-2-3 from Shirley, which comes with my highest recommendation! I taught for 2 years, and thought that homeschooling meant that everything had to be perfect and that I had toprovide everything for my children that they would be getting if theywere attending a nursery school and put so much pressure on myself thatI spent half my life prepping lessons and programmes that I was too tired to give to my children …completely defeating the entire point of having them at home with me!
Anyhow, what I love about Shirley’s programme is that she gives an outline for the week, providing structure, which I need, and the activities are great and most of the stuff you will have in your home, and it is flexible.
It also introduces the alphabet in such a gentle and informal way and yet both my children recognise and point out letters wherever we are and are delighted that they can recognise them! I am relaxed, they are enjoying it! And learning!
~Eloise, Mom to Matthew 4, and Amy 3
About ABC Fun & 1-2-3
ABC Fun & 1-2-3 is a tool to help you toteach your little ones about the ABC and counting, combining hands-onactivities, nursery rhymes and stories to create a gentle learning experience for preschoolers. It is intended to be used with children aged of 3 to 6, but it could be used with modification for older and younger children too.
I have a 5 year old son with Down Syndrome and we have really been working on his writing this summer. Your worksheets have made it so much more fun for him that just writing letters. Thanks to you and yourbook! Thank you for helping him over the hump!
Michelle (USA)
ABC Fun & 1-2-3 provides age-appropriate learning activities, learning exercises and stories to read, which will stimulate children and not burn them out at this young age.
ABC Fun & 1-2-3 is the culmination of good ideas and teaching tips gathered over years of homeschooling which have been incorporated into a learning system that is easy for busy moms to follow.
Over 100 quality stories, listed from A-Z, available at the library are reviewed. It is not necessary to buy them all but you can invest in your favourites if you like!
ABC Fun & 1-2-3 eliminates the need to spend time seeking age-appropriate preschool activities. Instead you can spend more time doing things you love withyour children!
The ABC Fun & 1-2-3 preschool homeschool curriculum is available as a printed book or in ebook format, containing 26 weekly lesson plans plus 3 sets of printable worksheets (80 pages), which include the following preschool activities:
Weekly Preschool Lessons Plans
- Introduction to the letter of the week (large printable letters)
- Stencil sheets – for no fuss art activities
- Alphabet collage – your child creates her own ABC book
- Pre-writing tasks – tactile and gross motor activities
- Worksheets- emergent writing and patterns
- Story time – reviews of selected stories to read aloud
- Memory pictures – for pictorial narrations
- Food and easy recipes to try
- Fun activities and games
- Number fun – concrete counting activities
- Bible characters – Christian stories (optional)
- Visual identification
Please note: This is NOT a phonics or formal reading programme. It is meant to be used as a fun introduction to the letters of the alphabet with preschool-aged children that are not yet ready to learn to read using a formal phonics programme.
This is also NOT a Maths curriculum. It simply gives suggestions for fun ways for children to learn about number concepts in the concrete setting of their home environment.
Besides all of the above there are also chapters offering:
- Advice to New Homeschoolers
- Useful Internet Resources
- Homeschooling with Babies and Toddlers
- Am I Doing Enough? – encouragement for when doubts come!
- Reviews of Other Resources
- Lesson Planning – to help you gently schedule your day
- Overview of Learning Activity Categories