This is our #1 most asked question: “I’m looking in your shop, my child is ____ and I just do not know what I should buy. Can you help guide me in the right direction?”
YES! I am breaking it all down for you here by product. I will probably sound like a broken record on this, but our children will ONLY be using Let’s Play School and Explode the Code books A, B, and C for Preschool and PreK. Once they reach Kindergarten we will add Horizons Math Level K and continue on with Book 1 of Explode the Code for Kindergarten.
Our Let’s Play School programs were created after teaching and watching our oldest daughter learn at home for 3 years and teaching preschool children for almost 20 years. Let’s Play School has everything your child needs for preschool and MORE. I am proud that now with our Let’s Play School Subscription and Book Club, we are also able to continue teaching children in 1st Grade and beyond as well!
Baby & Toddler (newborn – 2.5)
I do not recommend doing any curriculum prior to 2.5 and even that is a bit young. It all depends on the child. Our oldest daughter loved doing “school” at 2.5, but our younger daughter has only recently shown interest around age 3.5 and she is thriving! I would even be fine waiting until she was 4 if she wanted to start preschool then. What is most important (in my opinion) is that prior that any formal preschool / curriculum that you are playing and engaged with your child. Allow them to be with you and help you while you do your household tasks such as cleaning and cooking. Play outside! Read books with them all-day-long. Set up small sensory bins of water or Cheerios for them to explore and dig for toys. At the age of 2, our youngest daughter loved to unwrap her puzzles from tinfoil. We played over and over again. Help them to focus on their speech development and using sign language if needed. There is no reason to push the alphabet or numbers on them. When they are ready…you will know, and they will learn quickly BECAUSE they are ready.
I do not recommend using any Let’s Play School products before the age of 2.5. At age 2.5 I would only use the hands-on portions of our My First School and Subscription. I would hold off until closer to 3 for any of the printable activities.
Preschool (age 2.5-5)
- Let’s Play School Subscription
- Let’s Play School Book Club
- My First School Preschool Curriculum
- FUNdamentals
- ABC Books
- Number Books
- Play & Learn Numbers
- Play & Learn ABCs
*In addition, I also recommend our Holiday packs that we release at special times of the year: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.
Pre-Kindergarten (age 4-5)
- Let’s Play School Subscription
- Let’s Play School Book Club
- My First School Preschool Curriculum (Once they have mastered numbers 1-10 and their alphabet, it does NOT mean they are ready for elementary school – there is so much more to that, and you are not “holding them back” by allowing them to PLAY. It’s so important that they are getting all the hands-on, sensory, fine and gross motor skills in that are included in this curriculum. Our 7 year old will continue playing with this curriculum alongside her siblings for years.)
- FUNdamentals
- ABC Books (if they have not yet learned their alphabet)
- Numbers Books (if they have not yet mastered numbers 1-20)
- Play & Learn ABCs (if they have not yet learned their alphabet)
- Play & Learn Numbers (if they have not yet learned their alphabet)
- Bingo
- Handwriting Cards
- Fall Play & Read (if they have a strong grasp on their alphabet)
- Winter Play & Read (if they have a strong grasp on their alphabet) *coming soon
- Spring Play & Read (if they have a strong grasp on their alphabet)
- Summer Play & Read (if they have a strong grasp on their alphabet)
- Play & Learn Sight Words (HIGHLY recommend once they know all 26 of their letter sounds and understand the concept of sounding words out)
*In addition, I also recommend our Holiday packs that we release at special times of the year: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.
Kindergarten
*We recommend using Horizons Math Level K as well as starting with the Explode the Code books. Aside from those two curriculum items, our children will only use Let’s Play School for preschool, preK and kindergarten!
- Let’s Play School Subscription
- Let’s Play School Book Club
- FUNdamentals
- Fall Play & Read
- Winter Play & Read *coming soon
- Spring Play & Read
- Summer Play & Read
- Play & Learn Sight Words
- Handwriting Cards
*In addition, I also recommend our Holiday packs that we release at special times of the year: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.
First Grade
*We recommend using Horizons Math Level 1 as well as continuing with Explode the Code for phonics. Your child should now be reading. We recently found the All About Reading program and while the program itself would not work for our family, the Readers that are included are beautiful and fun to read for the kids!
- Let’s Play School Subscription
- Let’s Play School Book Club
- FUNdamentals
- Let’s Keep Playing School (a character building / growth mindset curriculum)
- Fall Play & Read
- Winter Play & Read *coming soon
- Spring Play & Read
- Summer Play & Read
- Play & Learn Sight Words
- Play & Learn Spelling (spelling games and program to use with any spelling list)
- Around the World (geography for the 11 countries at Disney’s Epcot)
*In addition, I also recommend our Holiday packs that we release at special times of the year: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.
Second Grade & Beyond
- Let’s Keep Playing School (a character building / growth mindset curriculum)
- Fall Play & Read (until your child is a fluent reader)
- Winter Play & Read *coming soon (until your child is a fluent reader)
- Spring Play & Read (until your child is a fluent reader)
- Summer Play & Read (until your child is a fluent reader)
- Play & Learn Sight Words (until your child is a fluent reader)
- Play & Learn Spelling (spelling games and program to use with any spelling list)
- Around the World (geography for the 11 countries at Disney’s Epcot)
We hope that this is helpful for you in deciding which curriculum will be best for your child. We are excited that our curriculum programs have now been purchased over 35,000 times by families all around the world!
Let’s Play School!