We homeschool, too, and have used curriculum-based placement tests (e.g., the placement tests for Singapore Math Primary Math, All About Reading/All About Spelling), state curriculum frameworks (google your state education standards, and it will give you some idea of what your state expects students at each grade level to have mastered; you can use it as a kind of checklist, if you feel comfortable interpreting education lingo), and, well, my clinical experience.
But for little ones, it was mainly child-led. Up until you need more specific content/coursework for a high school transcript/college entry, I view the only real subjects as literacy (including reading & writing accurately and fluently) and mathematics. And writing depends on individual fine-motor development. All other science, social studies, visual, musical, and kinesthetic art topics are absorbed from experiences, reading, and interest-led special activities. For very young ones, such as yours, I would be in no hurry to do written or formal work, unless they ask for it. They will learn a great deal from playing, doing household activities with you, and conversing with you about daily life experiences. And you can do a lot of math orally, as it arises in the course of living, before they have the fine motor skills to calculate on paper.
Great information! I do have a formal plan for homeschooling come fall but it does not involve worksheets or sitting. Its really more for me to be sure Im challenging her in different ways. I dont plan on doing more than a few activities (less or more based on her choosing) 3 days a week. Mainly I chose things that involve exploring/discovering. Sensory experiences, out of the norm art activities, science projects (like shaving cream rain or seeing how pinecones open and close in different temps) and then exploring whatever subjects she shows particular interest in. Currently shes into "outer space" so we went to the library and picked some books, and I let her help on the computer to look up pictures or facts. She is interested in writing and can write a few letters so that will obviously involve sitting and a few worksheets. As I said brand new to homeschooling so I am open to hearing if this sounds reasonable? I feel she needs more changing stimulation than shes gotten thus far. She gets bored with toys easily and like most children when they get bored they start looking for things to get into haha.
