Physicians, Psychologists, and educators agree that it is necessary for preschoolers to be as active as possible. They should be learning through play, practicing gross and fine motor skills, and working on pre-reading and pre-math concepts. Most people would not agree that preschoolers should be sitting for 4-8 hours a day working on worksheets. It was important for me to help facilitate learning for my children while making it fun. I wanted to create an environment of learning. I knew if I had the right materials, learning would happen naturally.
1.Build a Home Alter
This is probably the most important thing. It is important to have a “prayer space” for your family. There are so many different ways to set up a home alter; there is no “wrong” way to do it.
2.Pretend Mass Play Set and Outfit
We bought a Mass Play Set from Worthy of Agape, but you can easily make your own! It helps your little ones (and older children) to get into the mindset and flow of the church. It would be easy to incorporate prayers, liturgical seasons, and reading into playing “mass” at home. It will also encourage Jesus to be in your family’s life. We also started collecting what my children call “church costumes.” At first, we bought a single priest robe, but now we own (and made) some different saint costumes and seasonally appropriate liturgical wear. You do not have to be fancy! You can just have your children have a black outfit and get different colored silk scarves from eBay to represent Lent, Advent, etc. or use Sarah’s Silks play silks. Sometimes the less you give children, the more their imagination and creativity grows.
3.My First Interactive Mass Book for Catholic Kids
I first saw this book on my Facebook timeline, and I knew I had to have it. My children are visual learners, and I needed something physical to help them understand and participate in mass. Before we started reading this book, my son found it tricky to do the sign of the cross. This book helped him to not only do the sign of the cross, but also be able to identify most objects during service. You can use this book during the week in conjunction with your home alter and your mass play set.
4.Get a Subscription to Catholic Brain
You know I love my ABC Mouse, but we also love Catholic Brain. All of my children do a little of both ABC Mouse and Catholic Brain, everyday. Catholic Brain is appropriate supplemental work and fun for up to grade 8. They have everything a preschool student would need: games, music, and tons of awesome printables. My son is developing a love of coloring, and the memory match games are his favorite.
5. Raising Wild Saint’s Catholic Preschool Curriculum
I once went to a natural parenting lecture where the lecturer encouraged us to get “mom crushes.” She wanted us to find someone to look up to, and I can say that Sarah-Jean Ballard of Raising Wild Saints is totally one of mine! She has both an amazing blog and has awesome school ideas. When I found her preschool curriculum bundles and Catholic homeschool printables, I knew I had to have it all. It will be great for both letter work, spelling, copywork, and learning about saints and liturgical living.
6. A Year with God- Celebrating the Liturgical Year
Sometimes I do not feel especially crafty or creative. I needed to get a resource to help me create a well-rounded year. Sometimes Catholics have a tendency to just focus on Advent and Lent; while those are great things to focus on, you should not forget the other times of the year. A Year with God is a great preschool resource, but it is also great for your whole family. Older children may get a kick out of helping or participating in many of the activities. We are currently preparing for All Saint’s Day, doing our daily family/liturgical calendar, and looking forward to the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.
7. Create a Book Shelf Specifically for Their Books
It’s highly recommended to create an environment of reading to help kids learn to read. A child wants to replicate what you do; if you watch television, they will naturally watch television. If you read books, they will read books. The Read Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie is a really great book to give you ideas as to what books your child should be reading. I would make sure to have as many cute Catholic picture books in your home as possible. Here are some of our favorites.