My oldest son, John, is now three, and he is preschool age. First of all, I cannot believe how fast time has gone.  I’ve done all that I can do to cherish each moment with my children because I take to heart all the advice given to me from parents with grown children.

Now, the time for John to begin some level of academic learning has begun, and it was just in this past year my husband and I decided to forego enrolling him in a regular preschool. There were many factors that we took into consideration, but most of all it is an answer to our prayers regarding our children’s education.

I was first introduced to the idea of home schooling in 2006. I hadn’t known any family that did it, and I wasn’t too keen on the thought.

When I gave birth to John, I was pretty sure I’d return back to work and be a working mom.  That plan went out the window when I ended my last semester as a middle school science teacher. My husband and I decided the best place for me was at home

Despite various financial changes in our lives, I am still able to be at home, and I count that as a blessing. During the past year, the topic of preschools came up because there are waiting lists for the good schools, and potty training becomes an important consideration.

As I embarked on preschool research, so many things came up  such as what K-12 school we would want to put our children in as well as other financial and social aspects.

After a great deal of discussion, I was already under the mind set that I would home school beginning with the preschool years and take it one year at a time from there. After a few months my husband came on board with the idea, and here we are. I have been amazed at all the various ideas and curriculums that are available free online as well as different teaching methods that are used in the home.

Even though I am a teacher by profession, it is a different mentality to be formally teaching my own children. A lot of what I learned in teacher education classes will not be relevant, but what I can use is my understanding of different learning and teaching methods to determine what works best for my children.

I have opted to use Christian based lessons, one that is focused on reading and literature, the other is a free online program focused on 3 and 4 year olds.

Along with these “structured” lessons, my son is involved in two Bible-based classes, sports, church, and various play dates through local mom groups that I belong to. The idea is to have fun and be flexible, so that he learns from all situations he is exposed to.

With all that is available through the internet and in the community, I am not at all concerned about the socializing, and I am comfortable with the level of academics and skill building he will get with me as his teacher and the world as his classroom.

Priscilla Tjio-Hervey is a former middle school science teacher, who enjoys surfing the net for resources on education, quick meals, and saving money. You can e-mail her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

I have opted to use Christian based lessons, ones that is focused on reading and literature (www.sonlight.com), the other is a free online program focused on 3- and 4-year olds (www.abcjesuslovesme.com). Along with these “structured” lessons, my son is involved in two Bible-based classes (Bible Study Fellowship and AWANA), sports, church, and various play dates through local moms groups I belong to. The idea is to have fun and be flexible, so that he learns in all situations he is exposed to.

Other online resources I have used include: www.starfall.com (great for beginning readers and teaching phonics), www.pbskids.org (has some of my son’s favorite characters), and www.thehomeschoolmom.com (this site has resources and menu ideas). There are many others, so if you do a search on “homeschool preschool,” you can sift through numerous sites and blogs for what suits your family’s needs.

Note: Priscilla is a stay-at-home mom with two boys ( 3 years old and 10 months old). You can write to her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .