Help me save our boring K year!

[Aussenfay]

Please help me get our kindergarten year back on track!

DD is almost 6 and this is our first year homeschooling. We are using Keepers of the Faith for reading instruction/penmanship and Rod and Staff 1 for math. She is reading beautifully and enjoying the sense of accomplishment, although not exactly having fun. Math and handwriting she DREADS. I didn’t think these no-frills choices would be a big deal because they take up less than 45 minutes of our day. I thought I would balance them out with the fun stuff. I have shelves and shelves of living books geared towards her age, beautiful poetry books, art supplies, R&S workbooks, handicrafts, coloring books, toys…

The problem is me. I need the structure of a curriculum that includes the “fun stuffâ€. We read books but dd wants more hands-on activities (science experiments, art projects to go along with books, etc…). Otherwise the ideas sit in my binder and the supplies sit on the shelf and nothing gets done! I know at this age everyone just says to play, but my family seems to function better with a more structured day.

Should I just add more games and play? If so do you have any suggestions (keep in mind we have ds3 and dd2 tagging along). Should I switch from R&S to a more interesting math? Should I add some sort of history program that includes activities? I’m not necessarily looking to add more academics, but I would like more structured (fun!) learning. I had this vision of having such a fun and creative year and so far it has been a dud.

Any suggestions?

[mlbuchina]

We used My Father's World Kindergarten, so all that was included in the program. However, I did start using a different math program (Saxon, which is not crafty, but heavy on the manipulatives, and can be rather dry), because I needed more structure for that. I understand you desire for more structure (even if it is just for you, and not for the dc!:tongue_smilie:)

 

 

As to adding more crafty things... Have you thought about getting out the paints/colors/markers after reading one of your poems or stories and letting her illustrate it? We do that now, and my dc love that. They have gotten to the point that they want to do that for history and science reading, too!

 

I know that you already have curriculum for this year, but you might want to take a look at MFW http://www.mfwbooks.com/. When we did it, my 3 year old at the time followed along with us and did the projects, too. I don't think you would have a hard time including your littles. HTH!

[sagira]

A few suggestions:

 

- put a heavier emphasis on art and teaching basic skills such as drawing, sketching, collage, origami, cutting, etc. You can find nice lesson plans online in regards to art. Then there's Harmony Art mom with her art lessons too I believe. I lucked out in this area last year because my dh is an artist and ran with it -- he taught a whole year of world art history and lots of techniques to ds. It was a lot of fun, and very interesting.

 

- It looks like your dd would benefit from Miquon Math, which has a heavy emphasis on math discovery and using cuisenaire rods (it's hands-on). You could always use it as a supplement, as in "after Rod and Staff we could work on Miquon" or use it on Fridays. You could also play more Math games. RightStart has great games, and the book Family Math is excellent.

 

- make handwriting show its usefulness. Let her focus on her letters say, twice or three times a week and the rest of the time have her write letters to Grandma, thank you notes, label drawings, write the name of species of birds she has seen, etc. We're heavy Charlotte Mason here so it's easy to incorporate handwriting into many different things. Copywork has been wonderful too. My ds loves doing the Calculadder math drills. He strives to complete a page in 2 minutes. If he doesn't quite get to it, he can try again for 15 more times. He loves it. He's only trying to beat his own record.

 

- Read on nature walks. You can google Nature walks, Charlotte Mason and see what you find. It's wonderful to be able to get out and observe nature firsthand with the children. It makes science real and relevant as well.

 

- Ds and I are not very crafty people, but if you would like to do crafts I would suggest dedicating a whole week just to planning a block (let's say six weeks of lessons, or even a semester) at a time, getting all the supplies. That way you have everything ready to go. Ds and I have been enjoying the few crafts we've done from our book Nature Smart. We're planning on doing more activities and projects with Story of the World.

[Aussenfay]

We used My Father's World Kindergarten, so all that was included in the program. However, I did start using a different math program (Saxon, which is not crafty, but heavy on the manipulatives, and can be rather dry), because I needed more structure for that. I understand you desire for more structure (even if it is just for you, and not for the dc!:tongue_smilie:)

 

 

As to adding more crafty things... Have you thought about getting out the paints/colors/markers after reading one of your poems or stories and letting her illustrate it? We do that now, and my dc love that. They have gotten to the point that they want to do that for history and science reading, too!

 

I know that you already have curriculum for this year, but you might want to take a look at MFW http://www.mfwbooks.com/. When we did it, my 3 year old at the time followed along with us and did the projects, too. I don't think you would have a hard time including your littles. HTH!

 

Thank you, this is one of the roads I have been considering! I actually had MFW K when I was exploring curr. last year but I sold it. Our library is awful (small selection, can't reserve books, etc...) and I thought it might be a hassle. Now I am regretting unloading it! I may take a look at MFW first grade. If I remember correctly K spends a lot of time learning letters and sounds (?). DD is already reading and we are happy with our reading program.

[SnowWhite]

Could you set up the living books and activity books in "workboxes" or even just make a plan to use them?

 

I am thinking of doing a variation of this idea with my K student because otherwise I get stuck in an "all academic" mindset and let him just whiz through his phonics and math so we don't do anything fun.

 

I think I would try to incorporate handwriting into something fun (use a marker board? Have her write family members names? Or a sentence about her day?) instead of doing a dreaded drill on that.

 

As for math, I found that it was worthwhile to get a more expensive but less dreaded program. At our house BJU Math fits the bill, but I know RightStart and Singapore are also great choices for those who want a more child-friendly program.

[hmschooling]

Here's a link that will give you some downloads for educational FUN for math and LA/phonics organized by concept and grade that you can print and edit. I'll be adding more games to the LA/phonics soon-- math too actually...I'll post them in the same thread as the downloads.

 

HTH!

 

We did MFW K with my 4yo for PreK and found it just right. It's a fun program too. But, if you aren't wanting more "formal" curriculum or more expense, you might prefer to just use the ideas from the above link. We are using NO formal curriculum in PK-2nd and barely any in 3rd-- just the info in the downloads...it's going wonderfully! I need structure too, and those downloads give me that structure, while I maintain flexibility to go out my own pace and not have to follow someone else's schedule.

 

ETA: Circle time!! I forgot about that...that is a fun time at breakfast where we talk about calendars/dates/days/months, the day's events, listen to preschool/K songs (from science to math to phonics...), catechism songs, bible story cd's, scripture memory songs, etc. Just fun learning time.

[nono]

Hi - I'm doing K too with my dd, and I think what helped me get structure is using a lesson planner. I'm using Homeschool Tracker +, but there's a bunch out there. That way, when I get an idea of how to link some ideas together, I have a place to record it and schedule it, so it doesn't, like you say, just sit in your binder.

 

Another thing I did was leave our rocking horse in the school room. When my dd is getting stale, I say, "Go ride Neigh." (We're not very creative with naming toys). She hops up and goes and rides for a minute or two. It seems to help, esp. during penmanship, or when she's having a math blockage. Just yesterday, she asked, "Can I go ride Neigh?" when she didn't know how to answer a math question. She rode Neigh real hard for a couple minutes, came back to the table, and wrote out her answer. Maybe something like that would work for your dd too...

 

Good luck finding the right answer for you and your daughter!

[Tabrett]

If you are happy with your reading program, I wouldn't buy MFW1. It is based around its phonics instruction.

 

I vote for the workboxes in you situation! Put the things you already own and want to do in the boxes and do the boxes everyday!

[campmom]

You could do MFW K for the science unit studies we are doing that and making mini lapbooks for each one. We will put them all in a 3 ring binder when finished so they will have something nice to show for K. We aren't doing the phonics part of it because we did it last year. We are just doing the fun stuff. Also something she might like and find a challenge my boys are loving is using the Veritas Press history cards putting them in order learning a history timeline. If they ask questions I read the back of the card to them, if not we just play games putting them in order.

[Aurelia]

We tried R&S math 1 awhile back and it was misery. It got to the point where Ariel cried every time I brought out the math book, so we switched to Right Start and she has been happy ever since. R&S seems to be pretty writing and drill heavy, which is exactly the opposite of what my daughter wants/needs. Right Start's drills are games, and it's much more fun to play a game than it is to do a worksheet for practice. RS also uses a lot of different manipulatives, and though the ducks in R&S are cute, it gets pretty repetitive, and the flash cards aren't much fun.

 

I have never used your handwriting program, but it might be that it requires too much writing. Maybe you could cut it down a bit, or switch programs if it's causing too much trauma. Handwriting Without Tears, though not pretty, was doable for Ariel last year, I switched to Zaner-Bloser this year because it's prettier, and as long as I don't ask for more than a page a day in her workbook, she's quite happy with it. (We also do WWE, so I try to alternate the days we do copywork and handwriting.)

[Lovedtodeath]

We used Around the World Art and Activities along with Disney's Our World and library books and videos. You can also find videos at how stuff works.com Around the World Art and Activities has enough information though, that all you really need to "finish it out" is a globe.

 

DD loved it. She loved every bit of it. I want to go back to that because it was so much fun. We had MFW K and it flopped. I have a WinterPromise program that we never get around to doing... but Around the World Art and Activites worked for us. Take a look at my profile page for pictures of what we did.

[~Kirsten~]

Do you have something, curriculum-wise, for science and/or social studies? It kind of sounds like you don't, and personally, I find those areas are where the fun really comes in for us. We use a lot of manipulatives with math, and we do illustrate the read-alouds, but for fun, I don't think language arts/handwriting and math are the best places to look! :D

 

For social studies, we're doing an eat-around-the-world exploration. I have a book, but honestly, it's not terribly helpful. Instead, we're spending a month on a country, checking out picture books about that country, and then at the end of the month, we color a map and cook some food (easily googled). Now your library is lousy, but there are several really good general story books that could serve a similar purpose, like The Lion Storyteller Bedtime Book and the Tales Alive! series that would minimize how much you'd have to spend. The Tales Alive! books have lots of stories and then crafts and activities to follow up on the story, and I think they cost around $15. Also, Google can be great for this kind of thing. Our first country was France, so we looked at websites on cave paintings from France and then some of our own art work like the cave paintings, all springboarding from what we saw.

 

For science, I'm using Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, which can be a little complicated to get at first. But it does introduce many different topics and includes extra books to read (which may or may not be available, but which aren't mandatory) as well as experiments and activities to supplement. Alternately, I believe the WTM suggests Mudpies to Magnets as a fun way to do experiments for K.

 

Hope you find something that makes K fun for you both! I certainly understand the need for structure. By nature, I am NOT crafty whatsoever, so I need other things to stimulate creative juices for me and help make school fun. :001_smile:

[LadyAberlin]

I'd do Little Hearts for His Glory. Then you could still use your math and phonics that you are using and it would add in the fun stuff.

[sarahv]

I am doing K with my 5.5 son this year, and was planning on using a collection of supplies I had on hand here, but found that I needed the structure of a lesson plan written by someone other than myself. I have ideas plenty for activities/crafts/learning games, but do they get done? Sigh...

 

I came to the realization that I am just not organized enough to do my own thing. At least not at this point, with a 5.5 y/o, and 4 y/o, a 2 y/o, and twins on the way. So, Abeka K-5 phonics provided the colorful, interesting workbooks, and the manual gives me much needed guidance, scope and sequence, and good suggestions for scheduling, as well as good teaching hints. My k-er seems to really enjoy our "lessons", which include board time, stories with flash cards, review, songs, and a *little* seat work. I can easily add different aspects to the basic framework, like Webster's speller, and a few other odds and ends teaching ideas I've picked up here and there. I am happy to say it's working well so far!!

 

I should note that I am only using Abeka for phonics and handwriting. I'm using RightStart math, and have found this program to be perfect for my fun-loving, never-sit-still, math-challenged 5.5 y/o son. :tongue_smilie:

 

I'm also supplementing with Literature choices from Sonlight P4/5 program. I plan to continue this, because I really like their picks for lit. Our read-alouds will continue to come from Sonlight for at least another year, if not longer. I really like the looks of Sonlight Science as well, so we may incorporate that next year as well.

 

Originally, I wanted to go with Rod and Staff, Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading, Explode the Code, etc. But found that my kids just don't like black and white material. It was totally non-inspiring. Abeka's visuals are just way more interesting. They are colorful and have lots of cartoon characters. Maybe it's because I have boys. Who knows? I just know that my kids seem to need a wide variety of teaching styles and lots of color and interest. So we do a little seat work, a little of games on the floor, a little work at the white board, a little sticker chart, a few songs, etc. It seems to go much better the more variety we can put into the day.

 

Anyway, I hope that gives you some ideas from a Kindergarten classroom in the third-bedroom-turned-school-room. :D

[StephanieZ]

One thought:

 

How about picking up More Mudpies & Magnets. It's super fun and also educational.

 

To avoid your -- if it's not planned I can't get it done (I UNDERSTAND) problem:

 

Spend an evening picking out a bunch of the experiments, write yourself a shopping/gathering list, collect all you need for 12 or so experiments in a single bin. Then do one a day. Repeat when you've used up your 12.

 

I also love the Let's Read and Find Out series for that age. You could read one (once a week or even once a day) and many have easy to do hands-on activities/experiments to extend the learning.

[angela in ohio]

Make a list of the art projects, science projects, etc. that you have. Then make a spreadsheet with the number of days each week you want to do them across the top and the number of weeks you school down the side. Fill in each block with an activity and then follow it. There is no need to pay someone else to schedule it out for you! Save the money for more supplies.

 

If you need more ideas, the Janice Van Cleave 101 experiments series has simple experiments you can do at home. The book Discovering Great Artists has simple art experiments with basic supplies that also teach about various artists. The book How to Teach Art to Children has simple projects that teach the elements of art.

[chiguirre]

I need the structure of a curriculum that includes the “fun stuffâ€. We read books but dd wants more hands-on activities (science experiments, art projects to go along with books, etc…). Otherwise the ideas sit in my binder and the supplies sit on the shelf and nothing gets done! I know at this age everyone just says to play, but my family seems to function better with a more structured day.

 

Should I switch from R&S to a more interesting math?

Any suggestions?

 

Here's a link to homeschool share. There are lots of Five in a Row style mini-unit studies centered on children's books. It's easy to plan a week's worth of activities and have a great K experience using this site. If you like this style of learning, check out Five in a Row for even more ideas.

 

http://www.homeschoolshare.com/levels.php

 

If you'd like to try and salvage R&S Math, you can make some of the activities more game-like. For example, when you do flashcards, have your dd take a giant step for each correct answer until she reaches you. Then you have a tickle fight. If you haven't made a duckpond, I'd do that too. Dd enjoyed acting out math stories with the ducks. You can do the math fact drill orally to reduce the amount of writing which can be hard for 5s and young 6s. If you do have the budget to try another program, Miquon, RightStart and Math-U-See are all manipulative based.