Our Early Homeschool Years: Montessori, Unit Studies & Learning Through Play

Before the textbooks, our homeschool was built around Montessori-inspired activities, hands-on learning, and homemade unit studies. From teaching my toddler with picture cards and matching games to creating vocabulary walls and busy books, here's what our homeschool looked like before my health forced us to change direction. 📥 FREEBIE: What early learning looks like for each subject: https://thistleandemberpress.com/wp-c... 📚 *CHILDREN'S BOOKS & HOMESCHOOL RESOURCES* I also write children's books and coloring books designed to help kids explore emotions, practice positive self-talk, and start meaningful conversations about mental health. Emotional wellness is just as important as academics in our homeschool! We believe in helping children understand their feelings, build confidence, and develop healthy coping skills along with reading, writing, math, and science. **Explore my books by Druadore Brown: All books come with bonus downloads after purchase; just scan the QR code! ** 📖 *The ABC's of Anxiety for Kids* A gentle introduction to anxiety and big feelings, helping children understand and talk about their emotions. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H8CNHL6P 🐾 *My Dachshund Has Anxiety* A story about anxiety, patience, and understanding through the eyes of a lovable dachshund. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HBWRC34T 🖍️ *Anxiety Affirmations Coloring Book* Encouraging affirmations and creative coloring activities to help children build confidence and practice positive self-talk. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HDXYFJ8Y 🦄 *Magical Animal Affirmations Coloring Book* Whimsical animals and uplifting affirmations combine to encourage creativity, kindness, and self-confidence. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFT3PGCW 📚 *Visit my Amazon Author Page to explore all my books:* https://www.amazon.com/stores/Druador... *Visit my store for homeschool printables and more resources.* https://thistleandemberpress.com/shop/ 💜 Because raising emotionally healthy kids is part of their education, too! CHAPTERS 0:00 What our homeschool looked like before the pivot 0:42 Starting homeschool at 18 months 2:00 Learning before talking: our solar system activity 3:09 Why I chose Montessori-inspired learning 4:10 Matching games, puzzles, and fine motor skills 5:58 Building our first loose homeschool curriculum 7:03 Free printables and hands-on preschool activities 8:29 Creating our own unit studies 10:02 Building vocabulary with word walls 11:50 Our homemade preschool busy book 15:20 Learning opportunities beyond the classroom 17:41 How a grocery trip led to the National Spelling Bee 19:06 Why we had to change our homeschool approach 20:52 Finding what works for your child WATCH NEXT When Our Homeschool Plan Fell Apart (My Story + Free Workbook):    • When Our Homeschool Plan Fell Apart (My St...   RESOURCES MENTIONED (free) Canva: https://www.canva.com/ What early learning looks like for each subject: https://thistleandemberpress.com/wp-c... HELP THE CHANNEL If this helped, subscribe, share it with a homeschool friend, on social media, or tell me in the comments what you want to see next. #homeschool #homeschoolpreschool #montessorihomeschool