The Early Years: Our Preschool Routine & Gentle Homeschool Plan

In my recent post, Homeschool Planning: A Guide to Finding Your Rhythm, Building Your Routine and Filling the Slots, I explained how to build a rhythm-rooted routine for your school day then fill that routine with your plans. I shared our current routine and promised to post our former preschool routine as well.

As I reflect on those delightful early years and see the fruit of them in my children, I am thankful we schooled gently without pressing common expectations. I am thankful too that I did so with joy, not fear.

Below is our preschool routine along with the simple list of books and activities I used to fill it. I aligned our routine with patterns I saw in our needs and behaviors. Before you build your routine, study your own family’s rhythm (see Part I for guidance).

Early I woke early to read my Bible and drink coffee alone in the quiet morning. As the kids trickled out, I greeted them lovingly then (tried to) usher them to a quiet activity until breakfast.
Breakfast They’d help prepare our simple meal then I’d lead Morning Bible Study while their mouths were busy. We sang “This Is the Day that the Lord Has Made” or a hymn + practiced our memory verse + read and discussed a short Bible passage + prayed. While some were still eating, I launched Morning Time. Swiftly, I cleared empty dishes and passed out simple activities (check Sarah Mackenzie’s list of what kids can do while mom reads aloud).
Morning Time We pulled a page from our page-a-day calendar + read a poem or fable + recited a nursery rhyme + studied the word of the day. If interruptions prevailed we stopped there; if not, I opened our “back pocket read-aloud.”
Next We cuddled up on the couch to read 2-3 picture books and chat about the stories. Here is an Amazon List of our favorites.
Second Breakfast After a short break, we regathered at the table with a snack, tea or smoothie. If their attitudes and my energy were up, we briefly and playfully learned some ABCs (MWF) or 123s (TR), but in preschool I did not press these skills. Namely, we nature journaled (MWF) or took self-led open art time (TR).
Play or Lunch Some days, they drew until lunchtime. Other days, I let them play until lunch. During lunch, we often chatted and rested, but some days I read aloud from an anthology or chapter book.
1 o’clock Tidy-up We worked together (sometimes grumpily) to reset the house to morning status (We spent six months focusing on practicing chores).
After Lunch “Everybody go outside” came out of my mouth every day. So started unstructured play time. For the rest of the afternoon, I was accessible but not facilitator.
Quiet Time Every afternoon before the clockwork quarrels broke out, we took a quiet time. Everyone (including me) took their book basket to their assigned nook for 22 minutes of silence to reset overstimulated emotions and rest.
5 o’clock Tidy-up and start cooking.

It took months of self-discipline for me to streamline this routine. Once all the tweaking was done and the transitions were ironed out, the kids subconsciously moved from one activity to the next with little argument or complaint. The consistency gave us all a sense of security, which brought peace in place of our former chaos. Now that my children and I have daily habits in place, our school days go smoothly. Well, they go as smoothly as they can with a toddler and five people’s emotions running around.

This steady routine carried us through two school years; I just changed the content that filled it. For more on building your routine, read Part II. Here are some of the books we read and activities we enjoyed in preschool. I have typed multiple resources into most slots for you but, of course, we only read one at a time.

The three most important things we did in preschool were reading aloud, going outside and playing. When they went outside, I did not rush them or lead them. I let them get acquainted with nature in their own way. When I read aloud, I did not talk too much. I let the stories tell themselves. When they played, I didn’t facilitate activities or provide entertainment. I let the empty hours launch them into a host of self-led creative endeavors.

Nature and stories stretched their attention spans and grew their imaginations. As they asked questions about the world around them, I took notes for my next library hold pickup. I asked them what they had discovered outside and encouraged them to look closely. I asked them questions after reading together too. I followed Sarah MacKenzie’s recommendations by asking, “what other story does this book remind you of?” or “what would you have done in that character’s situation?” Then I’d listen without fishing for specific answers.

Unstructured free-time grew their independence and confidence. Avoiding tablets and video games gave room to their creativity. They regularly surprised me with their ideas and impromptu experiments and stories and forts and drawings. Play, along with letting them choose their art medium and nature study topics, fostered self-led learning.

I did gently familiarize them with letters and numbers, but did not push math and literacy skills before they were developmentally ready or interested. As I expected, they learned reading and math at a much faster pace at age six than they would have at age four (and with significantly less stress for all of us). So, their best learning wasn’t edged out by the mad rush toward literacy

Preschool was delightful and peaceful. I do not mean they didn’t make lots of noise and get very dirty- they did. And they still do. Now, their schoolwork has gotten harder, but the habit of peace is still with us. Our homeschool is not perfect, but I celebrate: their imaginations and sense of wonder are alive; their powers of reasoning and communication are well-developed; their hearts and minds are full of tales and poems and knowledge about the natural world. They know themselves and love each other. And they still enjoy learning. I attribute these strides largely to their gentle start.