Resources

Reading the flags

FREE — no cost, public domain or volunteer-maintained.
PAID — subscription or one-off purchase.
LATER — designed for older than 4; keep in mind for the coming years.
CAVEAT — quality varies, or the approach doesn't fit every family. Read the note.

Flags are a guide for a 4-year-old. If the flag and your judgement disagree, trust your judgement — you know your child.

Two honest picks, if you want just one of each

One free thing to start with: Ambleside Online Year 0 (booklist + philosophy, no fee). Pair it with the free Handbook of Nature Study (Comstock, on Gutenberg) and the free Pre-K Language Arts PDF from The Good and the Beautiful. That's a year.

One paid thing if you want open-and-go: The Peaceful Press Preschool Playbook (~$45). Jennifer Pepito has written the gentlest, most literate, most character-led preschool curriculum on the market. Everything is optional; you can do the whole day in 45–60 minutes.

You do not need a curriculum at four. But if you want scaffolding — a list of what to read, what to do, what to notice — these two are the best starting points. Anything more is probably too much for this year.