My kid flunked K screening!

[hairylegs]

My 5 yo went to K screening in June and was strongly encouraged to stay home another year (he is a young 5yo, and doesn't know how to write his name, can only recognize a few letters, he "wiggled a little" and his drawing of a man was "below average": )

The guidance counselor encouraged us to keep him at home for another year only if we were going to send him to preschool. Otherwise, she said to send him and he will struggle to keep up, but "we'll work with him." Okay-so beyond my feeling that this guidance counselor was a jerk and this is KINDERGARTEN for heaven's sake, I really felt that he would benefit from another year at home. So-he's home with us for another year, and I have no intention to send him to preschool. We are rural and the closest preschool has a waiting list, others I would have to drive 30+ minutes, and I'm just not willing to do that. So-I'd like to do a little homeschooling to get him ready for K next year-at least teach him his letters, a little writing, but not much more because I don't want him to be bored once he does go to K. But, I need a curriculum. I am not the greatest teacher, my son is a reluctant learner, and I need some guidance. I've researched Oak Meadow's K curriculum, and it looks right on with what I want him to learn. Any suggestions?

Thanks so much!

[Eman'smom]

Try posting in the homeschooling forum.

What does your son like to do? Our son is all about dinosaurs, I could give him paper and he'll sit and copy names out of his dinosaur books, maybe get one of those workbooks with all the letters traced out (I know how people feel about workbooks but it can be a good way to learn the basics of letters)

[mccelticmom]

Yeah!!!! Not that your son flunked K screening, but Yeah, that you are going to homeschool him!

Okay, my advice...a 5yo little boy is not ready for *academics* in the sense of sitting at a desk all day...kwim? I think it's great that you are keeping him home...this may be a blessing.

So...Leap Frog DVDs...do you have those. Letter Factory, Word Factory, and Math Circus. He will love them. I say in about two months, he'll know all his letters and possibily all the sounds....if you would like a workbook for him...look at Explode the Code primers they are books A, B and C. Like $4.00 a piece..I can give you a web site to order them.

Read books to him. We also do Mudpies to Magnets just for fun, it's science activities. Buy some water colors, finger paints, etc...let him have fun with those.

In a few months, start teaching him to write his name. Start now by just putting his name on his sit at the kitchen table. Maybe write his name in his shirts. Write his name on top of coloring pages. Just get him recognizing his name.

Remember that you don't HAVE TO HAVE a box curriculum for
Kindergarten...have you peeked over at the Learning at Home forum?

I'm so excited for you! You know, you could easily do K at home and he just might be ready for 1st grade next year!!!

Also...you could go to Book a Million, Barnes and Noble and check out those Kumon Workbooks...they have some great workbooks for everything....I'm using the math activity ones along with our math program.

I will help you all I can! Hang in there....

[lilyka]

Ok first your son didn't "flunk" or fail anything. He simply needs more time before entering kindergarten. He is not ready and better that you know that than than six weeks into kindergarten. In our town most kids stay out until they are older fives or younger six. the closer the curriculum comes to being first grade the closer the students get to be being first grader (i guess you could say kindergarten is the new first grade )

So you live somewhere with an advanced kindergarten curriculum. So he needs a little prep. thats all good. he can learn those things from you no problem. We used Kumon workbooks with out youngest and they were great fun, nice paper and the girls love them. They will cover all the skills he needs for Kindergarten.

(ooooooo and that counselor was rude!!)

[rabrog]

Didn't it use to be that kids were taught ABCs, 123s, colors, drawing, etc. in kindergarten? Now they have to know it all before they get there - so what do they do in kindergarten all day? :

Jenn

[eminer]

Originally Posted by rabrog

Didn't it use to be that kids were taught ABCs, 123s, colors, drawing, etc. in kindergarten? Now they have to know it all before they get there - so what do they do in kindergarten all day? :

Calculus. Today I was chatting with an acquaintance who is an older teacher and was saying, "Now they have kids writing in kindergarten, and it's hard, because they don't really know how to spell." That was such a brilliant affirmation of our decision to homeschool -- on more than one level.

Originally Posted by hairylegs

I am not the greatest teacher, my son is a reluctant learner, and I need some guidance.

I'd suggest creating a pre-literacy rich environment and seeing what unfolds. Here are some ideas:
- Update your reading aloud arrangement. For example, if you haven't already, declare an official library day and make it a fun outing. Try out the story hour for school-aged kids. Add to your repertoire some picture books with slightly more sophisticated narratives, keep an eye out for books that match his current interests, etc. If you don't have a daily reading aloud ritual, consider making one.
- Update your collection of art supplies, and make sure that they are freely accessible and inviting. Same for whatever fine motor toys/activities interest him.
- See if he'd like a special notebook or journal. Offer to write or type his stories for him, or ask if he wants to send a letter or email together.
- Let him have some computer time, and make various kinds of activities available, e.g. using browser links or his own desktop. (For example, paint program, MS Word or Excel to play at grown-up work, PBS Kids games.)
- Be aware of those times when he is engaged in learning that's repetitive or annoying from an adult perspective, and try to be supportive/tolerant. For example, when he's decided to count the berries that you need to put in your muffins...or he wants to ask an endless string of questions when you're trying to focus on the bills...and then he wants to draw in your checkbook and re-organize your files.
- Get magnetic letters. Those things are so cool. Just play around with them together, and don't sweat it if at first he wants to make them zoom around and doesn't at all care that you spelled his name.

[mommy68]

Originally Posted by eminer

"Now they have kids writing in kindergarten, and it's hard, because they don't really know how to spell." That was such a brilliant affirmation of our decision to homeschool -- on more than one level.

my youngest is only 4 and she actually had homework one night last week. She's in kindergarten readiness. I thought it was hilarious! She missed a day because I just kept her home for the heck of it and she ended up missing out on a very important coloring sheet that she needed the next day so it turned in to homework for her. It's amazing what they expect from children at such a very young age.

[BlueIrises]

I used to teach 1st grade (I've graduated to 4th...lol) and I think it is a great decision to keep your child home for one more year. IMO, it is much better to have a (late in year b-day) child to start school later and be at the top of his class that start when his age allows him to and struggle to keep up with classmates.

I am due with my 1st child in early Dec. The cutoff date for school enrollment is Dec 1st. I know I would rather my child not make that deadline and probably won't follow it anyway. Confidence is so important to growing an educationally-healthy child. Those age deadlines just set some children up for failure and often parents will be faced with being asked to have their child spend 2 years in K or 1st grade...

Things would greatly help your child's development:

Fine motor skills:
Get your child comfortable with scissors. So many curriculums are subject-laden and overlook basic preschool skills. I have many 4th graders that can't use scissors properly...

Watch their pencil grip...get some handwriting books that show what a proper pencil grip is focuses light pressure points on the fingertips, rather than whole hand grips that early children tend to find comfortable. It is much easier to correct at preschool age than later on and will make the transition into cursive easier.

Basic Skills:
ABC and 123, colors and shapes, grouping objects by relationship, buttoning, zippering, snapping...

Reading:
Letter recognition, letter-object recognition,...and letter-sound recognition could be started

Develop a love of books/reading. Developing a a love of reading truly gives the child a head above the rest. Even if they are not strong readers later on, if they love to read...it makes developing the comprehension skills that much easier.

Hope this helps! Best wishes!

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Here they didnt even check to see if dd could write. The teacher just sat with her at a table and asked her what animal this was and what shape this is etc. then she had her to skip, walk on her tippy toes and had her jump for a ball. She was in pre k last year so she can write her name and can recognize letters and numbers on site usually. But they didnt check that during the screening.

[tinybutterfly]

In both places where my ds's had to take a K-garten readiness test, it was mostly to check maturity level, and see what they already knew in a vague kind of way.

Your ds didn't flunk.

Both of my boys "missed" the cut-off date and I was glad. They were both 6 when they started K-garten and I was glad they got the extra year at home. We had talked about keeping them home anyway, even if they had met the cut-off.

Really, K-garten HAS changed drastically. When I was in K-garten in the early 60's it was all about learning to play nicely, learning your colors, to count a bit, some ABC's and we had half-day K-garten, which included a NAP, time for a snack and milk and LOTS of free playtime. It just wasn't really very academic at all. Mostly social. Oh, and we used those very thick pencils to help us learn to hold a pencil. We didn't get to use regular skinny pencils until second grade! We had thick crayons, too!

First grade and second grade, we were still getting nap and snack time and lots of recess time.

Things have changed.

I agree with reading a lot, having lots of books, art supplies, pencils, scissors, finding out what his interests are and just doing cool things he likes ( finding bugs, collecting leaves, digging holes, etc.) and going to the library is great. Some have story time or craft programs that are fun.

[BlueIrises]

Originally Posted by tinybutterfly

Really, K-garten HAS changed drastically. When I was in K-garten in the early 60's it was all about learning to play nicely, learning your colors, to count a bit, some ABC's and we had half-day K-garten, which included a NAP, time for a snack and milk and LOTS of free playtime. It just wasn't really very academic at all. Mostly social. Oh, and we used those very thick pencils to help us learn to hold a pencil. We didn't get to use regular skinny pencils until second grade! We had thick crayons, too!

Class of '78 here...lol...and yes K has changed drastically...it is way to academic which is why they come to 4th grade with an inability to play nicely (or creatively) have poor fine motor skills and lack basic things that use to be taught in K...it really is sad...unfortunately there are leagues of parents out there that in the '90s pushed the idea of "look how smart my 4 yo is b/c she can..." and more and more parents demanded these things be addressed early on. Add that to these ridiculous state tests that are trickling down to the lower grades and so much gets squished out and placed inapproriately at the wrong age level...Number and letter sense use to be a 1st grade task but that has been pushed to pre-k and K...fractions use to be a 5th grade task and is intorduced now in 1st grade...we have ended up with a system that introduces a thin layer of everything but never delves deeply into any of it...it is all breadth not depth...

Sorry...venting my frustration at the system in which I am employed...

[hairylegs]

I feel so much better after reading your replies! Thank you! I do realize that he didn't flunk. Dh and I joke about it...He is a very creative, spirited, easily frustrated kid. When he DOES go to K, he will be great. I'm glad he's at home this year. This particular school is very proud of it's high standardized tests scores, and my Dh (a former 6th grade teacher) is convinced that the guidance counselor encourages kids to stay back who are not at the same level as the rest....gotta keep those test scores high! One K teacher at this school that I spoke to was so proud that all 16 of her students were reading by the end of the school year. CRAZY!

So-I will pull out the scissors and art supplies. We read lots-and this boy loves to pretend to read. We play storytime at the library often. We also attend the real storytime every week. He is so easily frustrated-if he's can't do what he wants the first time, he just quits-and he hates to be pushed to do anything. So, if he can't cut out a circle perfectly, draw a dragon perfectly, he gets frustrated and quits. I then get frustrated with him, and we don't get out the scissors, crayons, etc. for a while. I will also make some more playdough, maybe get a small chalkboard and chalk? He loves to play computer games, and although I'm a bit anti-technology, I've come around to Dr. Suess' ABC computer game. He has success, and it makes him really happy. I have a perfectionist 5 year old.

Thanks so much for your words of wisdom and support.

[beanma]

hairylegs (love the name btw) you might like to check out www.starfall.com if he likes computer games. it's a great site about letters and reading.

[Momtwice]

Your five year old is lucky to have you.

I had two kids start K at almost 6 and it was a perfect fit. If he is a "young five" as you describe, I hope you are as happy for your choice to wait as I was.

And maybe you'll end up loving homeschooling, who knows!