I'm new to homeschooling. My five-year-old daughter and I just started her official kindergarten year on Monday. She is certainly not accelerated at this point (and I don't plan to accelerate her any time soon), but I am curious as to how and when you accelerated your kids. Did the kids themselves ask for more work? Or did you choose to push them a bit more? A little background on us: My daughter learned to sight-read approximately twenty words before she turned two (I did this just by playing with alphabet magnets on the refrigerator with her) among a few other things (mostly things she learned "early" for her age through flashcards), however, I backed off and dropped "teaching" her as I felt a little crazy (she started walking at eight months, so, naturally, I thought she was a genius and was chomping at the bit to see what else she could do - haha). :) I tried homeschooling her last year for preschool and had a few different workbooks, etc., but we didn't make much progress with anything as we ended up playing and going places (library, parks, rec center) the majority of the time. We just started Logic of English Foundations A (she does not know how to read yet) and Miquon Orange (although I'm almost second guessing this seeing Singapore mentioned so much here - haha) and we spend the rest of the day doing fun stuff. :)

My daughter is very interested in animals and insects. Aside from pulling things together myself, is there an animal-focused curriculum for kindergarten? This is our first year homeschooling, so I love anything pre-planned. :) I have the three R's covered, so this would just be something extra/for fun. I've searched and searched and can't seem to find anything for her age (five). Thanks! :)

This will be my daughter's first "official" year of homeschooling and I'm really excited! This is what I have planned for her so far: Memoria Press Kindergarten Book of Crafts, Enrichment and Recitation Logic of English, Foundations, A Miquon, Orange Draw Write Now, Book 1 (Just for fun...) Lollipop Logic, Book 1 (Just for fun...) Leading Little Ones to God (We may start this before kindergarten...) I might add in a beginning piano book to play around with and some sign language, but am really trying to keep it simple. I plan on having calendar and yoga activities each morning too. :)

Hello! I am new to homeschooling and am planning my daughter's kindergarten year. I have the three Rs covered with Logic of English and Miquon, but I would like to add in some extra "fun" stuff for her to do. I like the concept of Five in a Row, but am not sure I can implement it! Is there a similar program that is pre-planned? Thanks!

Hello! I am completely new to homeschooling and only recently started considering it a year or so ago when my older daughter was struggling (socially) in school and begging me to homeschool her. While I had never considered homeschool as an option for my children, I looked into it to appease my older daughter and was so intrigued that I ended up not enrolling her younger sister in a preschool program this school year and have kept her younger sister at home with me to see what homeschooling would be like. Of course, my older daughter is now perfectly happy at public school. :) I am torn, however, as my younger daughter just turned five and is eligible to start kindergarten in August... But I'd love to continue homeschooling her for her kindergarten year (at least). We've had so much fun so far this year! We've kept things pretty "light", but she's picked up everything so easily and it's been a joy to teach her! To get out of the house, we go to a few different classes every week, but, unfortunately, I think she will be too old for those classes next year as they are geared toward the preschool crowd. Which is where my concern starts to creep in... Academically, I feel we will be fine if I continue to homeschool her (and possibly better off than if she were in public school as I feel I could start to accelerate her where applicable - her older sister is advanced academically and I feel she may be too). Socially, I feel we will be lacking. She has asked to go to "big school", but says she only wants to go there to play. She does have my older daughter and also my step-daughter (who lives full-time with us) around, but they are both in their early teens. There is a co-op in our area, but it's only one day a week (and kind of negates the reason I am keeping her home, but may be great for a social outlet). I don't want to deny my youngest daughter the chance to experience "real" school, especially since she's asked about it, but at the same time homeschooling feels like such a good fit! Is it normal to feel like this?! Like I said, I am torn!