| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp |
| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp. All rights reserved. |
| about the book |
| The Homeschool Diner's Guide to Homeschooling Special Situations Homeschooling Kindergarten by Julie Shepherd Knapp, copyright 2006 Resources and suggestions for teaching 5 and 6 year olds at home. How much formal teaching should be done with 5 and 6 year olds? There is no firm answer to that question. In public schools children are being taught to read and write at ever-younger ages. But not all educational experts agree that this is a good thing. Some children may be ready for sit-down work at 5... but others may benefit from another year or two of play and exploratory learning. Children are very different from each other in how they develop and how fast they mature. For example, a child who is very interested in nature and science may enjoy learning about different animals, weather, and the ocean... but may not be at all interested in sitting down to learn how to read, yet. A child who picks up reading at an early age may still not be ready to learn how to write. And a child who loves art, music, and dress-up may not be ready for formal math instruction at age 5. No one knows your child better than you do, and one of the benefits of homeschooling is that you can decide what your child is ready for and what can wait for another year. When children are ready to learn they show interest in their lessons and learn things much quicker. When they are ready to learn they are not stressed-out or anxious or frustrated. If you can give them the time they need, they will find joy in learning and will have a good feeling about their lessons. Early positive experiences will make homeschooling much easier in the long run. Some homeschool approaches start young children off very slowly and some even recommend delaying formal teaching until children are 7, 8, or older! (You can read about Delayed Instruction here.) Other approaches recommend that parents simply read to their 5 and 6 year olds, take nature walks, sing songs, do art, play dress-up, have make-believe adventures, build things, play games, and enjoy hands-on projects together (look into approaches such as Charlotte Mason, Unit Studies, Literature-Based Homeschooling, Holistic Homeschooling, and Unschooling ). If you intend to use a "School-at-Home" approach you will find that curriculum suppliers do offer a full curriculum for Kindergarten. But, as the homeschooling parent, you can decide to start Kindergarten at a later age (just as many parents decide to hold their children back from public school Kindergarten for a year). And, when you do decide to begin, you can save some topics till later in the year, and, instead, begin with the topics that might interest your child. Sometimes parents are afraid that they must follow their purchased curriculum exactly, or they will not be doing a good job of homeschooling. But, really, what is most important is that your child becomes interested in learning and experiences success in his or her lessons. If that means making some changes to your curriculum, then that is the right thing to do! Sometimes you will want to trim down or skip lessons that your child already knows. If your child is having trouble learning a particular topic, you may want to find other materials that teach the topic in a different way. If your child is very interested in a certain topic, it is a great idea to look for more resources on that topic -- maybe library books, educational videos, or hands-on projects that can help bring the subject to life. It is up to you, as the homeschooling parent, to decide what will be the best educational approach for your Kindergartener. Whatever approach you choose, be aware of how your child is responding to your choice, and be prepared to try something different if things don't work out the way you imagined. Remember that Kindergarten experiences (both good and bad) can set the stage for future attitudes about learning. So try to find ways to make learning fun and interesting... with whatever type of curriculum or homeschool philosophy you use. Do you know your state's "Compulsory Age of Attendance"? The school entrance age varies by state, so be sure to check your own state regulations to find out when you need to begin meeting homeschool requirements. See The Homeschool Diner's Before You Begin section for more information. Here's what some of the experts have to say ... A Homeschool Curriculum for Preschool and Kindergarten by Lillian Jones A Gift of Time by Sue Smith-Heavenrich , September - October 2001, Home Education magazine Much Too Early by David Elkind -- read what the original experts on early childhood learning had to say about academics vs exploratory play Learning All The Time by John Holt-- discusses the differences between learning and being taught (check your library for this book :-) Kindergarten Curriculum Options Curriculum Providers, Free Online Resources, Other Options Avoid Costly Curriculum Mistakes Online Support Groups Kindergarten discussions are typically included on your regional homeschool support groups as well Kindergarten_at_Home -- a Christian-focused online support group Charlotte Mason Kindergarten -- an online support group focusing on the CM and Well-Trained Mind approach Related Issues Pre-writing skills and activities to strengthen hand muscles and improve dexterity in pre-writers and children who struggle with writing Is Your Child Gifted? Take a look at gifted characteristics in children The Diner's All Time Favorite ABC Books Delayed Instruction Approach Homeschooling on a Budget Family Connections -- information on a family-school outreach program cites research which shows that enlightened parental involvement is the best indicator of positive school outcome Early Childhood Development: Learning to Communicate Developmental Milestones for ages 1 - 6 includes milestones for motor skills, language, and social skills Social Skills Help Help with Short Term Memory Family Game Time: Strategies for helping the "poor loser" in your family -- tips for helping keep family game time fun Doctors Urge More Playtime for Children Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills by Alix Spiegel Walled Gardens by Bruce Van Patter -- striving to preserve childhood Raise Children with a Wild Streak by Mark Pruett The Wild Child a "deep thought" by Scott Noelle Values, Emotions, and Respect from the U of Illinois |
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