resource help for 3.5 year old (1st time home edding)

[MrPinky]

Hi,
We are from the UK but live in China and so home ed is the only way to go.

We have being doing a simple alphabet learning over the last 26 weeks and so are in a routine of school which our son loves.

We would love to know of any workbooks or syllabus that people have used (that fit in UK schooling for when we come back to the UK).

What English maths and science/other subject work series would you recommend.

I guess we are looking for something that our son will enjoy but also something for us as the parents to help us teach what he needs to learn.

Thanks for your help

At 3.5 I wouldn't be doing much more than reading and letting follow the words on the page (easy picture books), maybe trying some letter sounds (phonics) and counting reliably up to 10, then 20, and so on, and encouraging play that helps fine motor skills inc colouring and drawing and perhaps some painting and playing with plasticine/salt dough modelling. That would be roughly what would be happening at preschool, moving into Reception year at age 4.

*Letting him ...

Also, if you're planning a return to the UK, soon, you wouldn't want your DS to be too far ahead of his school year, whether that is state or private.

I started my DC off with swimming lessons when they were young, so that they are now both strong confident swimmers.

There isn't a home ed programme as suck for 3 yr olds. How long are you there for?

At 3yo, he should be mostly learning through play. Play is how young children learn most successfully, through experience, repetition, confidence building and fun. You can enhance his play by using active listening and mirroring his play while allowing him to lead.

Reading eggs and math seeds are good at that age. Bit young though!

Life is one. Relax. He is 3! Read a zillion books to him, play with him, sing to him and plenty of cuddles, jiggles and kisses.
You have plenty of years to worry about things that don’t really matter.
Seriously, his happiness and success in life will be more helped by a strong self confidence!

I Home ed my three boys. At that age we did lots of me reading to them, including rhymes and poems. Quite a bit of ‘science’, learning about the world through talking, playing with bubbles, vinegar and bicarbonate, water, plants etc. Maths through sorting things into sets, counting using real objects, weighing things and cooking. Lots of messy play/art. Loads of being outside, running around and climbing on play equipment etc. Really just what the other posters have said - focus on developing fine and gross motor skills and finding out about what they’re interested in and learning through play.

My DS 4 was at a school nursery in the UK last year. He learnt to read all the letters of the alphabet. Then to write them. A different letter each week. He learnt to count to 20. He did colour sorting. They did a lot of retelling stories. So the teacher read a story e.g. ginger bread man and then drew some prompts and he told the story back using the prompts. They'd do the same story for weeks. Then they learned basic phonics and sounding out and to read simple books. They did addition and subtraction with counters. They do about 3 lots of 15 mins a day doing lessons like these, then the rest of the time they play!