What math skills does a preschooler need to learn? What fine motor skills should your little one work on before you teach them how to write? What order do I teach letter sounds? What pre-reading skills should a 4-year-old be working on? These are the kind of questions that can be answered with a scope and sequence, but what’s a scope and sequence?
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What is a Scope and Sequence?
A scope and sequence is a list of topics, skills, concepts, and ideas that give you a guide for what to teach and the order to teach those things in.
scope – what you want to teach
sequence – the order you teach them in
A scope and sequence can be the backbone for helping you plan out your lessons so you can wisely choose the curriculum and resources you want to use.
When using a scope and sequence for planning lessons, keep in mind they are just guidelines. Each one can vary greatly.
Don’t let these differences overwhelm you or make you feel pressured to cover everything from any one list. Instead, think of it as an educational smorgasbord, where you get to pick and choose what’s best for your child.
What if I Miss Something?
One of the biggest concerns homeschoolers have when it comes to lesson planning is, “What if I miss something?”
Oh, Honey, you are going to miss something – a lot of somethings! Even if you use a complete curriculum, it’s just not possible to cover everything. As Debra Bell put it, “You are going to miss something. Further, it will probably be something REALLY IMPORTANT.” She goes on to say, “Instead of wasting one sleepless moment worrying about skipping something, all you have to do is teach your child HOW TO LEARN.”
A child who loves learning will want to learn new things on their own. My daughter, for example devoured every William Shakespeare and Jules Verne book she could find during her middle school years. She also mastered the piano so well that she was offered a couple of jobs before even reaching high school ( one as an instructor for a piano studio!). She turned them both down and opened her own piano studio, which she ran out of our house during her high school years all the way up until she got married. The summer after she graduated, she started reading Les Misérables just for fun! She is now married, has a daughter of her own, and has a very successful photography business.
I am not sharing this to brag – although I am mighty proud of her – lol. I am sharing this because all these were some of “the somethings that I missed.” These were things that grew out of a love of learning, which started during her early years of homeschooling as a preschooler. These things were not in my lesson plans. I don’t even know how to play the piano. And who in their right mind would assign reading Les Misérables!!?? – lol
My daughter is not an isolated example. Her friends have similar stories.
The point is, that when children are encouraged to enjoy learning, they can and will find a way to learn on their own, even if it’s “something missed” in their lesson plans.
Examples of Scope and Sequences for Preschoolers
That being said, we do still want to find and plan the best course of action for our children. There are a lot of free scope and sequence examples you can find online. I’ve saved you some work and compiled a few of them here that include scope and sequences for preschoolers. Most of these include a scope and sequence for every grade through high school, so earmark these pages and revisit them as your child gets older. Following these are a few checklists that would also serve the same purpose as a scope and sequence would.
Use these as a tool to help create a tailor-made scope and sequence for your child, and start your preschooler on their journey of a lifelong love of learning.
Free Scope and Sequences From a Christian Perspective
- Abeka Homeschool Scope and Sequence (when you get to this page, scroll down slightly to see individual grades ( Preschool, K4, K, 1st, )
- BJU Press Scope and Sequence for Little Learners
- LifePac Scope and Sequence
- Sonlight Homeschool Scope and Sequence
- Horizon Scope and Sequence (when you get the page, scroll down to see the scope and sequence)
Other Notable Guides and Checklists
- Montessori Compass (Toddler – 6th Gr)
- World Book Curriculum Guide for Preschool
- Preschool Skills Checklist (Leapfrog)
- Your 2-Year-Old’s Developmental Milestones (What to Expect)
- 3 to 4-Year-Old Milestones (Web MD)
- 4 to 5-Year-Old Milestones (Web MD)
- Kindergarten Skills Checklist (Leapfrog)
If you’d prefer a book version, I would recommend The Educated Child: A Parent’s Guide From Preschool Through Eighth Grade by William Bennett. The link here is to Amazon, but check your library, they may have it too ( that’s where I originally got mine.)
Where to next?
Preschool Homeschool Curriculum
Preschool At Home – A Quick Starter Guide
Life-Long Goals for Homeschooling
Hi! I’m Debbie Brown, and I created Tothood 101 as a place where Christian moms can find creative ways to make learning SUPER FUN for their preschoolers at home, along with faith-filled encouragement for balancing family, personal life, and their growing faith. My goal is to provide you with encouragement, practical strategies, and helpful resources so you can flourish in both your homeschooling journey and your walk with the Lord. Check out the ABOUT page to learn more.
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