Wendy is 4 years old, and we are doing some kindergarten-level things at home this year. If we had decided to enroll her in the local public school, she would start kindergarten this coming August, as the youngest in her class. Since we've decided to homeschool and she shows a lot of interest in learning and "doing school," we're jumping right in!
Here's what kindergarten looks like at our house. (Keep in mind that we don't do all of these things every day; we're pretty flexible with our schedule.)
1. Reading lesson. We're using
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, and Wendy loves it! We've only done 6 lessons so far and I can already see results. She is so ready to read!
2. Read-alouds. We read a lot. Wendy loves
picture books and
so do I - we have a bookshelf jam-packed with
great choices. I've also started reading some longer books. We're almost finished with
Little House in the Big Woods, and it has prompted some interesting conversations around our house!
3. Bible read-aloud. As a family, we're
reading through the Bible this year. James and I have done it several times, but since David was born, it's been difficult. (That's a bit of an understatement.) We've started the habit again this year, and it's been great for us!
4. Writing practice. Wendy loves to write. I let her pick out a pretty blank book at McKay's, and she just writes and writes and
writes. In fact, over the course of several days, she copied the text from, "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus," into her blank book. See?
It says, "Hey, I've got an idea! Let's play Drive the Bus!"
5. Handwriting Without Tears. Okay, so we haven't actually started this program. But we will! Soon! With Wendy being so self-motivated to write, I want to go ahead and start teaching her how to write correctly. It's much better to learn things the right way the first time - breaking bad habits is hard!
6. Math practice. Wendy has been learning how to add numbers up to 10. Yesterday, I wrote out some simple sums for her and we sat down and figured them out, using raisins as
manipulatives. She did a great job, once her tendency to jump ahead without doing the work was reined in. (I don't know
who she got that tendency from. *ahem*)
7. Art/crafts. Most of our "art" time consists of coloring. I need to do a better job of having more involved projects at least once a week. Wendy loves to make things, and I want to help her explore her creative side.
8. Ballet/gymnastics/something. This is another thing that we haven't actually started yet. I keep intending to sign her up for something and then forgetting. I don't even know when sign-ups for that sort of thing happen. I need to do my research and get her involved!
9. Chores. Wendy doesn't have any set daily chores (that'll be changing soon), but rather she helps with whatever we're doing. Dishes, laundry, cleaning, and even cooking are all things she really enjoys helping with.
10. Play! Play, play, play, and play some more! Games, puzzles, baby dolls. Independent play and more structured activities. While Wendy is "ahead" in her learning, she is still just 4 years old. She needs plenty of playtime, plenty of exercise, and plenty of time to just be 4. I don't expect her to sit still for hours on end for schooling. Instead, we work for awhile and take a break, and then come back to work.
Whether you homeschool or not, what does kindergarten look like for your family?For more great Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit Amanda at OhAmanda.com! I'm also linking to the Hip Homeschool Hop!
