Is Preschool Too Expensive? Preschool Homeschooling Made EASY

Um…you want me to fork over how much??? Seriously gang, preschool or the new car? Preschool can cost an arm and a leg these days. According to the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA), the average cost of preschool ranges from $4,460 to $13,158 per year, depending on where in the United States you live. This averages out to a monthly cost of $372 to $1100 per month, per child. YIKES!!!

This momma was glad she had some background on education.

As some of you may already know, I am a former elementary teacher turned blogging stay-at-home momma. I never realized how my teaching background would influence how I raised my kids…and BOY HAS IT!

As my first born was approaching preschool-age, my husband and I needed to make a decision on where to send our daughter to preschool. As we researched, we realized that we would need a small loan (or large one) to teach our daughter how to recite her ABC’s, recognize her numbers and letters and socialize with other kiddos. Now I am fortunate to be a stay-at-home momma and don’t have daycare or nanny or babysitters to work around so this post may not pertain to everyone…BUT I know there is a nugget of information in here for each of you.

First NUGGET for you, I hear from parents ALL THE TIME that they are amazed that kindergartners need to know how to read before entering school. SMH! Let me bring you in on a little secret……..THEY NEED TO KNOW NOTHING…literally not a single color, letter, number, how to count, etc. Now, knowing their letters and numbers does give them an advantage, but it is not a prerequisite for public education. I taught kindergarten for 4 years and had

kids come in at all different academic levels. Just because a child came in not knowing their alphabet and numbers or how to rhyme, didn’t mean they would be the lowest academically performing child in the room. They all catch up at some point…usually around Christmas-time and level out with the other kiddos that started with an advantage.

MIND-BLOWING RIGHT???

So how do we go about teaching our child at home because let’s face it….not everyone is a teacher or has a background in teaching. That’s where I come into play…my sweet spot so to say. Here are SEVERAL activities to get you started in teaching your child at home for FREE. If you only teach these activities, believe it or not, your child will be ready for kindergarten and have an advantage like the kiddos that went to preschool themselves.

For my YouTube channel on how I teach these things, please visit and subscribe to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEvLwZkjJsxczpLd-U_MRLg

Here is a whole day lesson plan for you to get you started. It should take no more than 30-45 minutes for the entire day and that is a time frame you should shoot for when homeschooling little ones. Sometimes I do a little in the morning and then again in the afternoon after nap or just before nap. It is easy to squeeze in there and they are eager to learn!

• Get cheap, dollar store boxes of alphabet and number flashcards (just 1 box of each will do). Each week you will draw one card from each box (NOT in order…in other words, you won’t start with number 1 and the letter A) and those will be your focus for that week. For example, the letter P and the number 6. Tape them on your wall somewhere TOGETHER. Introduce the letter P and the number 6 to your child by telling them what it is, what it sounds like, and trace the letter and number with their finger on the card.
• Hop 6 times while saying “P says pah”
• For a snack, have “P”opcorn. While they eat their popcorn, have them glue pieces of popcorn onto a piece of paper with the letter P on it. Also, have them glue 6 pieces of popcorn with the number 6 on it.
• Go on a “P” hunt either outside or in the house finding all of the letter “P’s” you can. Talk about words that start with the letter “P” as you do this.
• Show your child what the number 6 looks like on his/her fingers
• Sing the ABC’s and count to 15 once in the day. I like to count with my child by going up and down the stairs and counting them.

THAT’S IT! One day of preschool in the books. It costs you no more than the $2 you will spend at the dollar store for the flashcards (or you can make them yourself) and I promise you, your child will remember the letter P and number 6. I bet that entire lesson only took 30 minutes and now you can enjoy the rest of your day with your child. Now, remember, go over the letter P and number 6 throughout the week.

Are you interested in more easy, cheap preschool lesson plans? Check out my ebook where I unpack a month of preschool all around a Thanksgiving unit…COMING SOON!