Many parents debate whether or not they should send their child to preschool, especially the year before kindergarten.

Questions come to mind- Will my child realize what to do when they get to kindergarten?
Will they have the skills they need? Will they be behind?

The fear of having a child not understand or be below the level of the other children lead some parents to decide a formal preschool is the best option. Other parents will tell you the child needs to learn discipline needs to learn to sit, needs to learn to play in groups. All of these things can be accomplished by teaching your child at home. Whether home schooling is part of your future or not, you can keep you child home for preschool & accomplish the same things a formal preschool will in less time, with more control over the influences your child is exposed to, & with more control of the curriculum that is being taught. Teaching your preschooler at home will save you money, will save you time, & will increase the bond you have with your child. If you are sending them to kindergarten, this will be the last year they are home with you. Cherish the time & realize you can do it on your own with help & guidance along the way.

Do not be concerned supposing you have never taught. Most of preschool is not formally taught but taught through example, conversation, & experiences. By providing your child with an environment rich in opportunities to explore & develop at his own speed rather than the speed of the group at preschool, he will be happier & so will you. Child develop in different areas at different speeds. Where my son was physically advanced, climbing, jumping, & running at an early age, my niece, who is seven weeks younger than my son, said her first word at 6 months & crawled at 14 months. My son could count at 2 years old to 14, my niece could write the first letter of her name by age 3. Every child is different & will progress differently.

There are many great sites on the internet to help you gather materials to teach your preschooler. Try not to overwhelm them with worksheets or busy work. Try to work in many different areas of learning including music, art, math, science, field trips, & logical thinking.

Teaching your preschooler can be fun & rewarding for you & your preschooler.

Rebekah Kogelschatz is a former school teacher of students with disabilities. She has taught all grades from pre-school to 8th grade in all subject areas. She is a stay at home with her two children in rural Florida. She is a co-founder of the site SmartMoms-SmartBusiness & the founder of a preschool resource site Preschool Activities Everyday. You can read more ideas at her preschool blog.