Homeschool Kindergarten (Winter '09/'10) - Page 2

[karemore]

Great thread! It's fun to see how differently we all are doing Kindergarten, one of the many wonderful things about homeschooling!

DD has started reading so we spend a lot of our time reading together. I'm schooling on demand, which means when she asks, I sit down with her and we do a mini lesson, she usually has a topic in mind.

Right now we are getting ready for Christmas so she spends a lot of time making ornaments, cards, and random things with her craft supplies. Luckily I stocked up after the holidays last year so she has plenty of things to work with.

We try to get out every morning for an activity, library one day, gymnastics, playdates, etc. I'm a bit worried about being cooped up this winter with bad weather and seasonal illness.

[emilys_mom1]

Originally Posted by rainbowmoon

My DS did Reading Eggs and Headsprout last year. Are there any other things like this online? (he has done Starfall too)

He does read short "reader" type books..any good recommendations for those? What about read aloud stories? He's not at the point to be able to read a story book (that he hasn't memorized from having it read to him over and over) but I've seen him read a 10 page reader w/ 3-5 words per page.

luvmybaby- we tend to just do "school" whenever too..not actual lessons yet I guess. I need to provide much more structure I think. (Something that is challenging for me!)

Have you looked at Time4learing. My kids really enjoy it.

[yllek]

Ds is attending a classical education hybrid program where he goes to school two days a week and homeschools for three. While the school sets the curriculum in some areas, we are free to do our own thing on our home days.

Our school moves along a literature core based on Five in a Row. So we read the week's assigned book everyday, and we do a few of the suggested activities.

The school also assigns math from Sadlier-Oxford Progress in Mathematics. All I will say about that is Ick! I'm moving away from a strict adherence to their math assignments toward a more Math Their Way approach (some direct instruction, but lots of play, manipulative-based, constructivist math.

Ds is reading really well, currently reading Step 2 level books almost entirely on his own. He only needs help occasionally for some of the more difficult words. I do some phonics instruction, very loosely following Phonics Pathways, because I do think that some explicit instruction has helped him develop useful strategies when he encounters new words. Mostly though, he has learned to read by reading.

He struggles - big time - with handwriting and art. We are using HWOT, but I think we are at the point where we are going to see an OT soon.

Mostly though, we just read lots of books and have lots of discussions. We love documentaries, listening to science news, doing science experiments, finding interesting bits of nature, etc. He's obsessed with Legos, Wall-E, space, and turning everything he gets his hand on into a projectile. He has an aikido class once a week, will start a swimming class, and will be getting a large trampoline and PV glider bike for Christmas.

That's us. I'm looking forward to reading about everyone else's kindergarten day.

[mykdsmomy]

subbing We are using K12 currently but I am having to tweak and supplement for ds5's special needs.

I wanted to throw out an easy Christmas/winter craft for everyone too We get coffee filters (the round white ones) and make "snowflakes" out of them (fold and cut)...then we use dental floss (or white thread) to hang them on the ceiling (we use clear tape). It turns our living/dining room into a "Winter Wonderland" and it keeps little hands busy for hours

[AngelBee]

Originally Posted by annettemarie

We're doing an extremely non-academic Waldorf-inspired kindy. I'm really focusing on small motor strengthening, but try to have it be through "real work" and not busywork. We also do workboxes. I'm just trying to get him used to the idea that there are actual expectations on him and that there's more to life than wandering around the house getting into his brothers' stuff, LOL!

This is pretty much what we are doing as well. Just trying to start getting Angelo used to the system. And as far as Mylee is concerned (just turned 3) she is in 2nd grade, so she has been writing her name and asking what reading she is suppose to be doing.

[annettemarie]

I hear a lot of people saying they're taking it easy (and some people seem almost apologetic about it). I have to say, 'tis the season. No matter what (if any) December holiday you celebrate, December always seems like an "inbreathing" kind of time where you can reflect on what you did, make plans for after the new year, and spend the month doing lots of baking and crafts and seasonal stuff.

[MommaCrystal]

I guess we fit in here! We do a combo of My Father's World K and Time4Learning plus whatever other bits and pieces come our way. We're nearly done with both of the above. Working great for us! My son begs for school work every day! He'd work all day if I'd let him. I have to make him take a day off here and there and sometimes, he doesn't like that. I love that he gets to spend HOURS every day playing away. That is the best!

[rainbowmoon]

[rainbowmoon]

Originally Posted by emilys_mom1

Have you looked at Time4learing. My kids really enjoy it.

thanks for the tip! checking it out now!

[karemore]

We had an interesting mini lesson on birds today at the kitchen table.

There was a flock of robins in our pear tree which is unusual in NY in January so the three of us were all watching them talking about migration. Then we watched as a hawk swooped down and caught a bird (not a robin). The hawk was sitting on our yard with the bird in it's talons.

DH and I stood there debating what to do, he said let nature takes it's course. I'm a vegetarian and have my own ideas about the food chain so I finally darted out into the yard in my PJs. The hawk flew off with the little bird still in his grasp.

DD was not at all upset. I'm glad we don't have any small outdoor pets.....

[ambersrose]

Right now my kindergartner and I are working on addition and subtraction, identifying local birds, understanding the geography of our town and very basically how it fits into the state/country/world. We are also working on critical thinking skills and basic reading and writing/story building. My daughter also attends gymnastics class and participates in a children's choir.
I am not using a curriculum or packaged subjects for K but will probably use some thing for a couple subjects next year in 1st grade.

[A Mom's Love]

Hey everyone,

I've got a kindergartner also. She's an only & we're really enjoying getting involved in our homeschool community here. That's the newest thing for us. We traveled a lot last "semester" and were out of town for more than half of it, so didn't get involved in things here at home. It's been great making new friends.

I wasn't going to do handwriting in K because dd has always been so resistant to writing/coloring/drawing, but then suddenly she blossomed like overnight so I went ahead & bought HWOT K for her about 2 months ago or so. It's been a perfect match. She really likes it.

We use a curriculum for the 3 R's and fill in the rest with dd's interests by using library books or activities. We have started borrowing Your Big Backyard magazines from the library and dd loves that.

That's about it for now....gotta go!

[DharmaDisciple]

Sorry to ask but what age is Kindergarten as here in the UK we don't have that.

Anyway, I think my son is the right age? He was 5 in September and started school. Then on Friday just gone I have temporarily pulled him out to try homeschooling for 2 weeks and then decide what we want to do.

I have planned a structure for the day with times included to make sure I get everything done and to show dh homeschooling can work.

All our stuff is very play based, with lots of stories sprinkled throughout. Have also included the 2 dog walks into the day.

This week we are doing a topic on the senses, with each sense covered each day. With an activity using that sense, a poem, quick overview of the sense organ and a collage to create.

Am wondering whether to buy a math currciulum, thinking of Horizon's as long as manipulatives are used.

Have just printed off two sight word books for us to practice reading. Am going to start The Ordinary Parents Guide to Reading tomorrow, and am using HWT for handwriting.

Looking forward to this thread.

[KD's Momma]

we have been using My Father's World for k this year. We have enjoyed alot of the program but it seems very repetative and sometimes down right boring. Plus DS is not getting the phonics portion right now and it seems to be frustrating to him. We are going to try explode the code for a few weeks and see if we have more progress there. i am curently looking at stuff for next year and hope I can find something that works better for us.

[A Mom's Love]

I got ETC 1 for dd a month or so into the school year and it's been a good match. I got the Teacher's manual to go along & it's been great. We've done lots of the extra activities that go along with the lessons. After a few months of doing ETC, dd has really gotten into reading Bob Books. It's beginning to come together for her and is so exciting to see her ready to read. She wants to do it & enjoys it.

[elizawill]

we've made some changes with my son. we started the year using "handwriting without tears"... but have since moved onto copywork. he copies one sentence a day. i usually choose a line from dr.seuss books & we use "startwrite" which works well for us. for phonics, he can choose whatever he wants for the day. we have hooked on phonics, explode the code book 1, bob books, and computer games. he seems to like switching things around & they all teach the same thing, so i'm fine with it. for math, we have changed to Alpha Omega Lifepac. He loves it! he uses our saxon math manipulatives from when my dd was in K. Other than this, he learns whatever he wants & there is no real agenda.

[earthmama369]

Reading, reading, reading. This girl wants to read. She not confident in her ability to sound things out, so often if we ask her to try a word, she'll say she can't do it, but then she'll randomly sound something out on a sign or in a book when she's relaxed and she'll get it. So we're working on confidence more than actual reading skills right now.

[A Mom's Love]

Originally Posted by elizawill

for math, we have changed to Alpha Omega Lifepac. He loves it! he uses our saxon math manipulatives from when my dd was in K. .

I'm thinking of using Alpha Omega Horizons or Lifepac for 1st gr. next year. Are they heavily religious? I'm not wanting something that's going to impose their religious beliefs on dd. How much religion is in their math curriculum? Thoughts?

[elizawill]

i'm not sure about horizons - but their lifepacs for K math do not have scripture references (at least not yet - we're in book 1). however, there are some biblical illustrations. for example, a couple of times when numbering objects, it may be a picture of the ark, etc. imo, you could use it in a secular way though. it certainly isn't like rod & staff (which we use their math for my dd) and that is blatantly christian. i don't mind it, because that is our faith. however, there is NO way to use that curriculum in a secular manner. hth.

[A Mom's Love]

Originally Posted by elizawill

i'm not sure about horizons - but their lifepacs for K math do not have scripture references (at least not yet - we're in book 1). however, there are some biblical illustrations. for example, a couple of times when numbering objects, it may be a picture of the ark, etc. imo, you could use it in a secular way though. it certainly isn't like rod & staff (which we use their math for my dd) and that is blatantly christian. i don't mind it, because that is our faith. however, there is NO way to use that curriculum in a secular manner. hth.

Thanks, it does help!