Should You Purchase a Preschool Curriculum?

Last week, I had this question on the Mommy Maestra facebook page:

And because I had this question myself a few years ago, I want to share some of my own thoughts on this subject.

First off, I want to say that having young children at home is such a fun and exciting time. There is so much to do and learn and play! Some of you may wonder what the big deal about preschool is anyway. I mean, it's not mandatory. Why bother?

Here's a great article that came out last month about a long-term study on the importance of preschool and how it can have such a profound effect later in life. Who knew preschool could have such a long-lasting effect? Children who attend preschool and have involved parents are more likely to have a better self-esteem, higher IQs, and fewer behavioral problems. They have higher literacy rates, test scores, and graduation rates. They are also less likely to repeat a grade level, smoke, dropout, or experience teen pregnancy.

The point of preschool is to prepare your child for Kindergarten. A good preschool works to develop a child's fine motor skills, emotional and social development, as well as their math and literacy skills. Learning through play is emphasized. A child in preschool will explore their environment (ie., the weather), be introduced to numbers, colors, and the alphabet. They will learn about and use their senses to observe the world around them.

Amber asked, "Which preschool curriculum should I use?" But the bigger question is: Do I need to buy a preschool curriculum?

Personally, I don't think you need one. There are so many resources online, that you could easily put together your own using downloads/printables, simple toys, and crafts or household items.

Instead, I would recommend two great books:

•  What Your Preschooler Needs to Know: Get Ready for Kindergarten (Core Knowledge Series) by Core Knowledge Foundation. This book (like the others, is beautifully illustrated and includes dozens of classic read-alouds. It has a section for literacy that includes poetry, rhymes, fables and other stories, as well as art, music, history, and science. I would use this as your spine, and supplement it with activities, books, and manipulatives. Unfortunately, this book is only available in English. However, they have translated into Spanish the books for K-3rd, which they have made available for FREE on their website. 

• The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (Third Edition) by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. While this books is written for homeschoolers who plan to use the Classical method, it is an incredible resource for any educator. Bauer and Wise talk about preschool and basically say that you don't need to purchase a curriculum. One of the most important points is that you read to them. A lot. And I agree with this.

Since most children cannot read at the preschool level anyway, I would encourage you to simply use the English resources which are written for English-speaking educators anyway, and just talk to your child in Spanish while you are teaching. You can substitute Spanish children's literature for the English recommendations. And most of the activities a preschooler does are visual/tactile, so there's no problem there.

Take a look here for a list of homeschool curriculum standards for preschool through 12th grade.

Other great resources:

Consider buying (or downloading for free) some preschool packs which are filled with games and activities, usually centered around a particular theme. Some of my favorite sites are:

• Homeschool Creation's Preschool Packs - I have really enjoyed printing some of these and am, in fact, planning to use some of them with my Kindergartner. Jolanthe also has some customizable preschool planning pages that you might find especially helpful.

• 1+1+1=1 - Carisa is a friend of Jolanthe's and has some equally adorable preschool packs, calendar printables, color by # alphabet pages (sorry, English only!), Montessori printables, and so much more.

• Confessions of a Homeschooler - I really enjoy Erica's blog. She has a lot of very creative ideas, activities, printables, and more. Take a look at her Letter of the Week and Math Skills sheets.


BILINGUAL:

• First, be sure to search here on MommyMaestra.com for the printable preschool downloads that are currently available. 

• Beautiful Mundo is a remarkable literature-based curriculum. Read my review of Beautiful Mundo.

• Niños and Nature offers a preschool curriculum called Con mi Familia. It’s for beginners learning with their kids but it is all hands-on and play based. Read my review of Niños and Nature.

• Spanglish Schoolhouse has a super fun Spanish curriculum for preschoolers. Read my review here.

• Llamitas Spanish. A beautifully illustrated curriculum.

• Hola Amigo Not really a curriculum, but it is a themed monthly box subscription for preschool.

• Bilinguitos is not a curriculum, but they offer virtual classes.

TpT Bilingual Resources:

For educators/homeschoolers, TeachersPayTeachers.com is an invaluable source of instantly printable materials, PowerPoint presentations, and videos on virtually any subject for any grade (pre-K through 12th). While it is primarily stocked with English materials, there is a growing collection of remarkable Spanish-language or bilingual products. To explore the following stores on TpT that carry preschool resources, just enter their name in the search bar on TeachersPayTeachers.com.

• MommyMaestra

• A La Escuelita

• Teaching with Nancy

• Mundo de Pepita

• Bilingual Teacher World

• Fun for Spanish Teachers

• Silvia Schavz

• Sra Casado Spanish and Math

• El tesoro del saber

• Miss Campos

• Maestra Flores

Con mucho cariño...



Did you enjoy this article? Are you thinking about homeschooling your child? Let me help! My book - The Latino Family's Guide to Homeschooling - covers everything you see here and more. 

Should You Get Your Teenagers Vaccinated?

This is a sponsored post.

Vaccines are not just for young children. I've already written about how homeschoolers are required to maintain their child's immunization record, now I want to take a moment to encourage those of you who are Latina moms and/or have older children, to talk to your doctor about vaccines for preteens and teenagers.

Do you have an 11 to 18 year old? If so, it may be time for a booster shot to update any childhood vaccines that may have weakened. In addition, as kids get older, they are more at risk for catching certain diseases, like meningococcal meningitis, so they need the protection that specific vaccines provide. Remember that vaccines are designed to work WITH a body's healthy immune system to protect it from certain diseases. The bodies of most older children and adults can use vaccines effectively.

But the most important thing I want to do in this post, is encourage you to get your children the HPV vaccine. The rate of cervical cancer is two- to three-times higher among Latinas.  The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine protects against the types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers. It also protects against HPV types that cause most genital warts, as well as the HPV types that cause anal cancer. So both boys AND girls should receive this vaccine around the ages of 11 and 12.

To learn more about vaccinations for preteens and teens, take a look at this article from the CDC.

We can't always protect our niños from the dangers in this world. But this is one area where we as parents have the power to keep our children safe.

Con mucho cariño...

Disclosure: I was compensated for writing this post. However, I am very passionate about the health of our children and all opinions expressed in this article are completely my own.

Yes, Homeschoolers Do Need to Vaccinate Their Children

If you are planning to homeschool your children, or if you have just finished your first year, it is important to know that most states (if not all!) require you to maintain your child's vaccination schedule the same as public schools.

The topic of vaccinations is a really sticky one. People are very passionate on all sides about it. Some vehemently oppose giving their children vaccinations, while others insist on them.

I won't tell anyone what they should or shouldn't do. But here's what I think and what I have done with my children. I don't object to vaccinations. I think they have saved thousands of lives. But I do object to the age at which we vaccinate many of our children. A child's immune system is at a critical stage at the time of birth, and through the first few years of life. They rely heavily on the immunity they receive from their mother's milk to protect them. But many children these days - for whatever reason - are not breastfed. Vaccines are designed to work with your body's immune system to protect it from various diseases. They can't do this if your child's immune system is compromised or still not fully developed enough to handle the drug.

My kids were breastfed for a little more than their first year of life. And I chose to immunize them on an alternate vaccination schedule. While they have received their vaccinations, we chose to delay the timing in which they received them. This worked best for our family because my children still received the medical benefits of vaccinations, and I as a parent received the peace of mind knowing that their little immune systems were functioning properly so that the vaccinations could be most effective.

UPDATE: After a comment on the MM FB page, I did more digging and found that every state except Mississippi and West Virginia offer exemptions. You can read more about it in this HSLDA article.
If you are a parent, you should do your research and make an informed decision. Do what you think is right. Remember that no one cares more for your child than you do.

Con mucho cariño...

The Best Latino Children's Literature to Read with Your Child

Last week, Parenting.com shared their list of the best books to read with your child. While they had a lot of great titles on there, I was pretty disappointed over the fact that they did not include any Latino children's literature...and, no, Skippyjon Jones does NOT count.

When I shared this on Facebook, some of you asked for a list to supplement Parenting's article. So here is a short list of some of my favorite bilingual or bicultural books that I would have included in that article had I been the one to write it.

Enjoy!

Mama Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury

(English and Spanish Edition)

by Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy

The most comprehensive collection of nursery rhymes, lullabies, riddles, proverbs, folklore, and even villancicos that is available in the U.S.

Diez Deditos and Other Play Rhymes and Action Songs from Latin America
(Spanish and English Edition)

by José-Luis Orozco

A fantastic collection of Latin American finger rhymes and songs, this book is filled with vibrant illustrations as well as music notations.

 

Under the Lemon Moon
by Edith Hope Fine

The moving story of a young girl who awakens one night to find an intruder stealing the lemons from her lemon tree. During her quest to find the thief, she learns a powerful lesson of compassion and forgiveness.

Abuelo y los tres osos

by Jerry Tello

The hilarious story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears...with a Latin twist!

Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart

Doña Flor (Spanish Edition)

(Pura Belpre Medal Book Illustrator)

by Pat Mora

Doña Flor is a giant lady who lives in a tiny village in the American Southwest. Beautifully written and illustrated.

The Bossy Gallito/El Gallo de Bodas: A Traditional Cuban Folktale

(Dual Language Edition)

by Lucia M. Gonzalez, Lulu Delacre

The classic Cuban folktale of a bossy rooster on his way to his uncle's wedding.

The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes

by Duncan Tonatiuh

The love story of Izta, the most beautiful princess in the land, and Popoca, a brave warrior who fought in her father’s army—and a man who did not offer her riches but a promise to stay by her side forever.

Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln

by Margarita Engle

Teresa Carreño left her home in Venezuela to live in the United States. Scared and lonely, she took comfort in music. She was such a talented pianist that even President Lincoln wanted to hear her play.

¡Olinguito, de la A A La Z! Descubriendo El Bosque Nublado / Olinguito, from A to Z! Unveiling the Cloud Forest

by Lulu Delacre

Using the framework of the Spanish alphabet, this bilingual nonfiction book introduces readers to a cloud forest in the Andes; the plants, animals, and other organisms found there; and the newly-identified olinguito, a South American mammal.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• Read for America: 3 Books that Inspire
  
  
• 5 Picture Books Featuring Legends and Folktales from Latin America
  
  
• Picture Books that Celebrate Dance
  
  
• 15 Children's Biographies Celebrating Women
  
  
• New Books to Celebrate Día
  
  
• 8 Picture Books for Jolabokaflod That Feature Latinos
  
  
• Bilingual Children's Books for the Holidays

Bargain Finds at Target

Have I mentioned that I love the Target dollar section this time of year? I picked up the above items for roughly a dollar each, with the exception of the glues, which cost .20 cents each. The best finds for me, were the dry-erase writing boards. They are, in my opinion, an essential product for homeschooling families of K-3rd because you will use them daily. They also allow you to save on money and cut down on the amount of paper you use.

Most of the other items are for an idea that a friend of mine gave me a couple of years ago. During the school year, I keep a "School Shop." It is my reward center. During the week, my kids can earn school "money." They can then use it to "buy" things out of the shop. I try to keep the products educational or school related in some way - NO candy. But things like erasers, pencils, notepads, mini-clipboards, puzzles, stamps, books, crayons, mini-markers, etc., are in high demand. So I keep my eyes open throughout the year when I visit Target, Michaels, or other stores.

This not only rewards the kids for hard work, but it also teaches them about couting money, how prices work, and saving.

How do you reward your children?

Sneaky Summer Learning: Software From School Zone

I did the Happy Dance last week.

Frida Kahlo Lesson Plans, Activities, Coloring Sheets and More

In honor of her birthday (July 6th!), I thought it wise to put together an education page for Frida Kahlo. She is actually a difficult character to study - especially for young children. Her life was filled with so much pain and suffering - and quite a bit of other adult subject matter. I strongly recommend that parents and educators review ALL lesson plans ahead of time for appropriateness. I have, however, found some great child-friendly resources, which I have listed below. But some are definitely geared for older children. If you want to learn about other important figures, check out my post on Latinos in History Your Children Should Know.

Also, please check out my Pinterest board on Frida Kahlo for Kids which has some incredibly beautiful finds.

This post contains affiliate links.

"I am not sick. I am broken.

But I am happy as long as I can paint."

~Frida Kahlo

Lesson Plans

• Jimmie's Collage again, is my go-to place on the topic of artists. She has a great Artist Study on Frida, and even includes notebooking pages.

• Kimball Art Center has this lesson plan for 4th grade students.

• Deep Space Sparkle has this excellent 16-page booklet on the artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. (5th & 6th grade...ish)

• PBS has made a Teacher's Guide and Parent's Guide available based on the Life and Times of Frida Kahlo. 10th -12th grade.

Coloring Pages

• Mom.me has a great coloring page, too (also by Pearmama).

• SuperColoring has Frida's Roots page available as a coloring page.

If your kids love drawing as well as coloring, then they may want to watch one of these 10+ Videos on How to Draw Frida Kahlo.

Books

For a comprehensive list, check out my post The Best Children's Books about Frida Kahlo.

• Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Their Lives and Ideas, 24 Activities (For Kids series) by Carol Sabbeth

• Frida Kahlo: The Artist who Painted Herself (Smart About Art) by Margaret Frith and Tomie dePaola

• Frida English Edition and Spanish Edition by Jonah Winter and Ana Juan

• Me, Frida by Amy Novesky and David Diaz

• Frida Kahlo (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia

• Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos by Monica Brown

• My Little Golden Book About Frida Kahlo  or   Mi Little Golden Book sobre Frida Kahlo (Spanish edition) by Silvia Lopez

Arts & Crafts

Be sure to visit my page Frida Kahlo Crafts for Kids for additional ideas on crafts and activities.

• Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: Their Lives and Ideas, 24 Activities (For Kids series) by Carol Sabbeth (see link above in "Books")

• Take a look at these Frida Kahlo paper dolls on Amazon.

• I really love this magnetic dress up set, Frida's Frocks and Smocks Dress Up Set, on the Unemployed Philosopher's Guild. They also sell this wonderful little set of Artist Finger Puppets, which includes Monet, Dali, Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo.

• RedTedArt has this tutorial for making Toilet Paper Roll Frida Kahlo Pinatas. (Oh my gosh!)

• Of course, you can't talk about Frida without mentioning La Casa Azul, which makes this origami craft from Fun for Spanish Teachers just brilliant. 

• Here's an awesome video from the Bronx Children's Museum on The Art of Frida Kahlo: Creating a Self-Portrait

Videos

Kahlo's life was colorful and there were a lot of adult themes present. But here are a few videos geared for students. As always, parents and teachers should watch the videos first to determine appropriateness. These links are to YouTube. If you'd like to share them with your students without giving them access to YouTube, check out the cool tool Video.Link

• If you are looking for some video tutorials appropriate for children, check out my list of How to Draw Frida Kahlo. It has some fantastic art tutorials in a variety of styles and for a variety of ages and skill levels.

• My favorite is from Ms. Jess Art Class and shows students how to draw Frida Kahlo and her spider monkey! (Shown above.)

• Comic Kids Org has this video that has many great photographs of Frida throughout her life.

• You may also enjoy sharing this great video that morphs the self-portraits of Frida together.

• TED-Ed also has a great biography video, but it is best geared for older students. (Note: Some nudity in the artwork is shown.)

For a SPANISH video biography, I absolutely love this one for little children from CBeebies Español:

Lesson Plans about Other Artists

• Joan Miró Activities, Crafts, Lesson Plans and More
  
  
• Pablo Picasso Lesson Plans, Activities, Coloring Pages, and More
  
  
• Diego Rivera Lesson Plans, Books, and More

Spanish Resources for First - Third Grade

A few weeks ago, an anonymous reader wrote in and generously shared the following resources with me. These are all Spanish resources for various grade levels that she has used with her own kids. This collection is the result, I can tell you, of a LOT of time, energy, and research. I am so happy to be able to share them with all of you. So bookmark this page and enjoy!

Mexico's Secretary of Education 3rd Grade Resources

A great resource for 3rd graders from the Secretary of Education from Nuevo Leon, Mexico. It is a 14 page review of reading comprehension and math. I think there are also editions for 4th, 5th, and 6th grade.

• Cuaderno de practicas escolares de tercer grado 



Reading comprehension for 2nd-3rd grade:

• Reglas de ortografía

• http://www.aplicaciones.info/lectura/lecpeq35.htm

• POR QUE LAS ABEJAS PRODUCEN MIEL



Reading comprehension for 1st grade

• http://www.aplicaciones.info/lectura/lecpei09.htm

• http://www.aplicaciones.info/lectura/lecpei03.htm

• http://www.aplicaciones.info/lectura/lecpei01.htm

• http://www.aplicaciones.info/lectura/lecpei04.htm

• FICHAS DE LECTURA PARA NIÑOS

Great writing, thinking, describing exercises that are in really easy to print out pdfs for 1st-2nd grade:

• Describe a Paula
  
  
• Escritura 1
  
  
• Escritura 2
  
  
• Escritura 3
  
  
• Escritura 4

Math addition exercise with accompanying picture to color in for 1st-2nd grade:

• Sumas sin llevar 1
  
  
• Sumas sin llevar 2

Other Resources You May Like

Lectura para niños is one of the most accessible and budget friendly reading programs available. All of her printable downloads are available instantly through her Teachers Pay Teachers store. If you've followed me for any time, then you know that I always say to try samples of a curriculum/product line before you buy. So you may also find free samples of her products here on MommyMaestra.

Students throughout Latin America learn to read with Nacho Books. This workbook series is now available in the United States through the Nacho Books website. They have a huge collection of Spanish workbooks covering all the subjects. Take a look at some of them by reading reviews here on MommyMaestra.

Other Posts You May Find Helpful...

• Resources for Parents of Children Learning to Read in Spanish
  
  
• Reading in Spanish Program: Nacho Books
  
  
• El Gran Nacho: A Spanish Literacy Workbook
  
  
• First Readers in Spanish
  
  
• Chapter Books in Spanish
  

UPDATED on 3/14/2022

Bilingual Resources for Kindergarten

Last month, I received this question on the blog:

Many of you may be wondering the same thing. So since this is a great time to be talking about the different curricula out there, here are some resources for you...


First of all, if you are new to the site, please take a look at some of my archived articles. If you are thinking about Kindergarten and what to teach, you'll want to read the following:


• Homeschooling Your Kindergartener, Part One - This article discusses how to structure your lessons.

• Homeschooling Your Kindergartener, Part Two - Discusses timing and the bilingual aspect of homeschooling.
 
• Homeschooling Your Kindergartener, Part Three - Discuss what exactly to teach in Kindergarten.

 
If you read these, then you should have a good idea about what your kids should be learning in Kindergarten. Your curriculum should be rich in manipulatives and literature. Now you can do one of two things: find resources/lesson plans to teach the various subjects, or buy a complete curriculum.
 
There are a ton of complete curricula out there in English. I began with Calvert and loved it. The whole thing really helped me learn how to structure our class time. Buying a complete curriculum is usually pretty pricey. But many will allow you to set up monthly payments.
 
A few other English curricula that I thought were interesting include:
 
• Oak Meadow - I haven't used this myself, but I have read a lot of very positive reviews and have never read anything negative about them. You can download a sample lesson on their site. It doesn't say it on their site, but I think that I remember reading somewhere that they take more of a Waldorf approach.
 
• North American Montessori Center (NAMC) - A complete Montessori homeschool curriculum.
 
• Simply Charlotte Mason - Everything you need to know about the Charlotte Mason method. The site includes free ebooks, guides, and worksheets.
 
• Ambelside Online - A free online curriculum dedicated to the Charlotte Mason method. Lots of people talk highly of this program.
 
 
Spanish curricula:
 
• Vista Higher Leraning (formerly Santillana)- The world's largest distributor of education materials in Spanish. They now have a US site, so you don't have to place an international order.
 
• Rod & Staff - A Christian-based curriculum. Lots of people have mentioned using this program, but when I called to ask questions about it, the person at the other end of the line spoke only English and didn't really know anything about it. Ummm...
 
• Nobis Pacem - A complete Spanish curriculum of 3 years of preschool, 6 years of primary, and 3 years of high school (which is divided school years in Mexico, but can be adapted to each country). Follows the Charlotte Mason method.
 
 
Spanish resources: (Note- if you go this route, please, please consider buying one of the Core Knowledge series books so that you know what you should be covering throughout the year.)

• Paso Partners - Science curricula for K - 3rd. In English or Spanish.
 
• Primera Escuela - Has lots of great worksheets in Spanish for kids. Especially Spanish alphabet printable worksheets and mini-books.

• Enchanted Learning has a lot of Spanish worksheets, too.
 
• Lectura Para Niños - Learning to read in Spanish. You can download some samples of their Kindergarten worksheets by clicking on the link in the MommyMaestra sidebar.

• Lastly, take a look at this page for resources on learning to read in Spanish.

Con mucho cariño...

The Importance of Family Vacations

Happy Fourth of July!

I promise to spend the rest of this week sharing resources for the next school year. But first, I want to catch you up about our family vacation.

As I mentioned in my last post, we decided to take a break last week for some serious family time. My favorite thing about summer is being able to relax, plan, and play. There's no schedule to keep, no school work to get done. (I might add here that my favorite thing about starting a new school year is getting back on schedule!)

After working so hard this year, I wanted to give the kids a really big treat. I want to be sure and emphasize to them that just because they have to work hard, doesn't mean they can't play hard, too.
 
And this year, my parents decided that instead of the beach, they wanted us to take the kids to - Disney World! (Yay, me!) So despite a rocky start (we lost a day due to plane cancelation - BOO, Delta!!), we had the time of our lives. Rather than try to cram everything in, we decided to just enjoy what we could, and not worry about seeing everything.
 
It was my first time to go. And although I was exhausted every evening and mis pies were barking, I loved it all. We managed to make it to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and the Animal Kingdom. I really wish that we had had time to visit Epcot - it looks like they have some excellent exhibits on world cultures, as well as space. Maybe next time?
 
Naturally, my son's favorite part was Star Tours, the Star Wars ride at Hollywood Studios. But he also went crazy for the T-Rex Cafe where we ate dinner our last night. And, of course, the Lego Star Wars stuff...
 

  

 

 

My daughter preferred the Animal Kingdom. Especially the safari ride, the Tree of Life, and all sorts of little treasures she found along the way...

 

 

 
And my favorite part? What else? The LEGO STORE!!!
 

 

 

The only down side to the whole thing was the heat. Bluh. Next time I'm going in May. Maybe it won't be so sticky and crowded. (Yeah, right.)