Nursery Years Materials

Here’s a breakdown of materials we will be using in our pre-k/kinder (still unsure what it should even be considered) year to lay habits and rhythms to set up my five year old for success in years to come once formal lessons start. I know I mentioned in my last post that I didn’t know what to classify this year. So, we are just going to call it Nursery School and that feels like the best way to describe it anyways. We may repeat rhythms like this next year, too, or jump into Year 1… but I’m jumping ahead way too soon. We tend to do that, don’t we, Mother Teachers?

Anyhoo, materials for our house plans for using TCT Nursery Years:

Knowledge of God:

1. The Story Bible by Catherine Vos will be our main story Bible this year. We’ve been reading through it already and it’s familiar and what we have and enjoy.

2. Reading Proverbs and Psalms with me! I read these aloud daily when the children are in the room whether they are listening or not, so just being exposed and letting it be washed over them (a phrase I loved Amanda use).

3. Little Pilgrims Big Journey - read through the series again! He’s loved them in the past, I’ve held off reading them since we read them so many times, but think he will be excited to reread them and the Mansoul books again!

4. Scripture memory - naturally just tagging along with my eldest Y2, and then we have a weekly Bible Study that also sings memory verses. My goal is one piece of scripture a term as we go along. He’s got Psalm 23 already down so I have high expectations, haha!

Knowledge of Man

1. Gymnastic: family hikes, swimming, playing outside, learning nursery games (Kate Greenaway Book of Games), adventuring around town and play dates, sports

2. Manners: Everyday Graces by Karen Santorum

3. Habits: individual habits for each kiddo, mostly in tidying one’s self and home and obedience this season.

4. Poetry: Mother Goose, Beatrix Potter, Milne

5. Make our way through some of the 1000 Good Books List picture books!

6. Adding in adventure books and picture books I think he will love, namely things like St. George and the Dragon, The Kitchen Knight, and any other books about knights, dragons and a sense of adventure… and baseball! If you have any living book recs for baseball I’m all ears!

7. Join along with my Y2 as interested in: Latin, Aesop, fairy tales, artist/composer study, dabble in piano practice!

8. I’ll note that I don’t feel pressure to add in any formal reading or writing. I personally don’t think it’s needed, nor think developmentally appropriate for kindergarten, BUT I won’t not provide him support if he wants to learn. Again, I’ve mentioned that he knows his letters and sounds just from being exposed and around a literary home. I have 100 Easy Lessons and he’s done about a quarter of them, early readers from a few different programs, etc. but I’m not forcing lessons in these areas and have seen with my eldest they just can naturally come when THEY are ready for them.

Knowledge of the Universe

1. Nature Study: One Small Square picture books! Alongside Burgess readings when interested. I’m hoping to add in a nature journal and calendar of firsts this year. More notebooking for us all.

2. Stargazing/camping adventures! Reading through Star Stories one story a month or so!

3. Math: Number Stories from Living Books Press. We’re about half way through Book 1. I’ll have to snag Book 2 soon.

For the most part, that’s my plan! Most of it just feels like a natural extension of what we are already doing as family rhythms. My biggest reminder is most importantly, me making sure to be intentional to read favorite picture books since they both already listen to chapter books well. I don’t want any to slip through the cracks in this season.