Where the Ideas Come From

A friend of mine once commented on a preschool post that I was "so creative." Heh. If only he knew... I just creatively use others' ideas!

Since this is "Greatest Hits" week at Works for Me Wednesday, I thought I'd tell you about those great resources that I depend on to make my happy little preschool work.

Here is a quick list of the free resources I use to plan our preschool time.

1. Books More of a background resource than as a specific planning tool, I have borrowed a number of art, activity, and theory books from the library. Currently the most influential:
   • Mudpies to Magnets: A Preschool Science Curriculum
   • The Little Hands Art Book this just happened to be the book available to me; I am sure that there are better books on the market. I have heard nothing but good reviews of MaryAnn Kohl's books, for example.
   • Basic Montessori: Learning Activities For Under-Fives
   • Teaching Montessori in the Home: Pre-School Years: The Pre-School Years
   
   
2. Blogs Sometimes it is best to see how someone else manages to make preschool work in the real world. In a blog you can see how a Montessori theory applies in the home, or you can get a new angle on an old problem. You may see some of "my" ideas displayed on these blogs in particular:
• Chasing Cheerios
• Mind Games
• Shannon's Sharings
• Muses of Megret
• The Wonder Years
  
  
3. Groups The best ideas come from those in the trenches. I have been a member of the Homepreschool Yahoo group for three years, and although the message volume has ebbed and flowed over time, the advice is always invaluable.
   
   
4. The Google - When in doubt, search the web for answers. A recent search for phonics activities netted two treasures -- Fun Fonix and the Clifford Make-a-Word game , both of which have proved very helpful to Agent 004.
   

How about you? Any resources to suggest to the rest of us?